In 1614 Thomas Coningsby converted what had originally been the conventual buildings of the Blackfriars Monastery and the preceptory of the Knights of St John of Jerusalem to a hospital for old soldiers and serving men.[1]
The hospital consisted of 12 cottages on the site, a chapel, a refectory and offices. The chapel was restored in 1868.[2]
Coningsby made rules that required a chaplain to preach a sermon and march the pensioners to Hereford Cathedral every Sunday.[1] Funds to support the pensioners and the working of the hospital came from a charge on the Hampton Court estate.[2]
The Coningsby pensioners wore a uniform of red coats leading to the legend that Nell Gwynne chose red coats for Chelsea Pensioners because she remembered the Coningsby pensioners from her childhood in Hereford.[3]
The communal living area was converted to a museum in the 1970s. During the work a skeleton was found at the site. Initially thought to be a monk of the Blackfriars, analysis of the bones in 2007 revealed the remains may have been that of a woman. The bones have remained on public display in its grave under the floor.[4]
