Rahere

Rahere was a cleric and former court figure credited with founding St Bartholomew’s Priory and Hospital at Smithfield in 1123. His foundation became one of London’s longest-surviving hospitals and a major medieval religious institution.

Medieval tradition associated Rahere’s foundation with a religious vision experienced after illness or pilgrimage; St Bartholomew’s Hospital and the priory church at Smithfield outlived their medieval setting and preserved his name in London history.

In Rosemary Sutcliff’s The Witch’s Brat, Monks at New Minster give him shelter, but his future changes when he meets Rahere, the king’s entertainer, who recognises both his intelligence and his capacity to heal.