While the majority of burials post-1250 (the dating having been determined both by relative stratigraphy and radiocarbon dating) are of patients who died at the infirmary, others are monastic burials of the canons regular and lay brothers and sisters. The use of the site for burials date back as early as 1150, prior to the establishment of the infirmary. It is also well-documented that royal servants, like Edward III’s yeomen, as well as wealthy benefactors of the priory and infirmary, were also cared for at St Mary Spital. The infirmary, which was run by the twelve lay brothers and lay sisters under the supervision of a prior, was responsible for tending to pilgrims, the sick, pregnant women, and orphans (particularly children whose mothers had died during childbirth) until they reached the age of seven. The infirmary at St Mary Spital was the largest infirmary in medieval London, with a total of 180 beds. The most significant part of the site was the infirmary. The site was later refounded in 1235 when Walter Brutus and Roisia rebuilt and expanded the church. Mère l’Eglise, Bishop of London from 1199 to 1221, was responsible for the dedication. Walter, archdeacon of London, laid the foundation stone of St Mary Spital in June of 1197 and William de Ste. The co-founders of the priory are thought to be Walter Fitz Eilred, William de Elie, John Bloundie, and Wymarke de Elbegate, all of whom were wealthy merchants in London. The land upon which this priory and infirmary were situated was originally a Roman cemetery on the east side of Bishopsgate Street, near the City bars, and the land was given to Brutus and his wife by the Alderman Walter, son of Eilred, for the purpose of founding the priory and infirmary. Walter Brutus, a wealthy merchant and a citizen of London, and his wife Roisia originally founded an Augustinian priory and infirmary in 1197. The grounds of St Mary Spital are located on what were then the fringes of medieval London in an area referred to as The spitel Fyeld on the Civitas Londinium, or Agas, map, now known as Spitalfields. According to various dictionaries, “spital” is an archaic slang form of “hospital.” It was originally known as Blessed Virgin Mary without Bishopsgate, New Hospital of St Mary without Bishopsgate, and Saint Mary without Bishopsgate, prior to being known as St Mary Spital. St Mary Spital, however, was not always known as St Mary Spital. In order to better understand the wealth of knowledge gathered from the remains uncovered during the excavation of the cemetery, it is necessary to understand the history of the priory and hospital of St Mary Spital. The cemetery at St Mary Spital is responsible for providing some of the most significant bioarchaeological insights about health in medieval London, with a total of 10,516 bodies unearthed.
The view of St Mary Spital from Wyngaerde's "Panorama of London in 1543."