Ezelstraat 83: Godshuis Sint Joos.

 

Coat of Arms of England 1471.

Part of the original Ezelstraat 83.

Someone drew to my attention recently the Sint Joos Godshuis on Ezelstraat which reputedly had an English connection in its history so I have mined the Internet to discover exactly what. I just love the history of Bruges in all its amazing complexity, echoed in its multiplicity of buildings , bridges, water pumps, canals. Discovering past connections here, often leads to such interesting results.

Ezelstraat 83 is no exception! The Sint Joos hospital was originally established in the late 1340s as a passantenhuis, a house for passers-by providing temporary accommodation for homeless people, vagrants and poor pilgrims, close to the important Ezelpoort. Jacob de Mey and his wife, Liesbette were a prominent burgher and wife who founded the almshouse within the strong tradition of charity provided by the more powerful and rich citizens of Brugge. Gratifyingly, prominent acts of charity like this, also burnished an important person’s already bright credentials. The original buildings comprised a house and nine almshouses, cameren, and they were donated, quite quickly, by the de Mey couple in 1352 to the Sint Joos Guild of which they were members. The Guild had existed before 1287 and had a long history of involvement in municipal charitable works and after 1462, when Louis de Gruuthuse became Dean of the Guild, the foundation membership was further expanded and increased donations resulted, facilitating more opportunities for charitable work.

Louis de Gruuthuse inspecting an
astronomical clock.

One of the main donors in this period, was Bruges nobleman and burgher, Joos de Bol, and from October 9th 1470 he, and Louis de Gruuthuse, both hosted King Edward 1V who had fled England to gather support in Flanders for his fight for the English crown during the prolonged Wars of the Roses [1455-1487] between the Tudors [red rose], the Lancastrians, and the Plantagenets [white rose], Yorkists. Edward stayed in Flanders, usually in Brugge, raising men and finance, until he was able to successfully invade England in April 1472 and resume the throne. To show his gratitude for Flemish loyalty during his exile, Edward awarded Joos de Bol the right to display and wear, the English national flag.

Edward 1V 

Towards the end of the sixteenth century, the passenten and the house became an old people’s home with residents chosen from deserving elderly members of the Guild of basket-bearers or ‘purseekers’, by the Sint Joos Guild and the Stock Exchange Guild. The foundation’s chapel had been inaugurated in 1449 and subsequently in 1585, Canon of Sint Donaas, Joos Lambrecht founded a house of worship there for twelve elderly men. Fourteen rooms were built between 1758 and 1760 after which, eighteen men were able to stay there. Over a long passage of time, deterioration of the buildings gathered pace and by the end of the nineteenth century, the chapel had become a mere depot and the houses been gradually emptied. In the twentieth century, improvements were intermittently carried out [1924; 1955;1994] and five houses remained by 1995.

Louis's magnificent Gruuthuse Palace
where Edward 1V often stayed.

The chapel which had been richly endowed but which had, too, fallen into disrepair, was given a gradual programme of restoration from 1957 culminating in the opening of an ecumenical chapel in 1992. From 1995 the chapel was used for Orthodox worship and a few years later, was set up as an Orthodox Church for the parish of Saints Constantine and Helena. The ecumenical chapel was moved to the adjacent former caretaker’s house in the little complex.

This is the story of an act of  mediaeval charity towards the homeless and poor pilgrims which narrated its way through the ages to finish as an apparently richly-endowed Russian Orthodox Church. Astonishing indeed. Why the Orthodox religion I do not yet know but the journey from poverty to opulence is stunning.

Orthodox Church
Saints Konstantijn & Helena.

Transformation.
From passantenhuis to 
Orthodoxekerk.
1350-1995.
Celebrated 20 years of worship
April 2015.

Edward's signature on the Chronicle he issued, recording his historic arrival back in England and the recovery of his "Kingdomes" from Henry V1 in April 1471.
There were two copies, two versions. One full copy for official English use and one abridged version in French
which was sent to the citizens of Brugge in appreciation of their hospitality.