Photograph of a Brother of the Hospital of St Cross, Winchester
Taken about 1870
A Brother of the ancient almshouse known as the Hospital of St Cross is seated here, possibly with members of his family. He wears on his black gown a silver cross which indicates that he belongs to the original Order for thirteen poor men established by Henry de Blois, Bishop of Winchester, in the 1130s.
In the fifteenth century a second Order - the Order of Noble Poverty - was instigated by Cardinal Henry Beaufort, another Bishop of Winchester. These Brethren were distinguished by a red gown with a cardinal's badge upon it instead of a cross.
In the nineteenth century the Brothers lived in the tall-chimneyed fifteenth century almshouse quarters forming the west side of the inner quadrangle of the Hospital, as they do today.
The photograph was taken by Winchester photographer William Savage (1817-87) and is found in an album of his work.
