| | ORB - Medieval English urban history - Hospital of St. Mary, Yarmouth |
 | | The hospital is said to have been founded by Thomas Fastolf, in the early years of the reign of Edward I; the Fastolfs were one of the most prominent and longest-lived of the medieval dynasties in Yarmouth (and are best known for being the source of Shakespeare's Falstaff). |
| | At about the same time, a leading member of another important (and sometimes rival) local family, William Gerberge, bequeathed money to support priests at the hospital. |
| | Its purpose was to support 8 men and 8 women – possibly impoverished or disabled townspeople, although there is mixed evidence in this regard – living a semi-monastic life. |
| www.the-orb.net /encyclop/culture/towns/yarmout3.html (644 words) |
