The Hospitals of St Alexius and St John

The famous St John's Hospital School was founded by Gilbert and John Long in 1238, who gave their name to Longbrook Street. As was common at that time, the hospital was a religious foundation, which housed five priests, six singing boys and twelve poor people. After the Reformation of the 1530's, the hospital was shut and the buildings used for among other things, a gunpowder store, a workhouse, and a fleece and wool market. In the 17th Century it became the Exeter Grammar and Exeter Free School, the foundation institutions for both Exeter and Heles School. More on St John's Hospital School