ALMONRY (Lat. eleemosynarium, Fr. aumonorie, Ger.
Almosenhaus), the name for the place or chamber where
alms were distributed to the poor in churches or other
ecclesiastical buildings. At Bishopstone church, Wiltshire,
it is a sort of covered porch attached to the south
transept, but not communicating with the interior of the
church. At Worcester Cathedral the alms are said to have
been distributed on stone tables, on each side, within
the great porch. In large monastic establishments, as at
Westminster, it seems to have been a separate building of some
importance, either joining the gatehouse or near it, that
the establishment might be disturbed as little as possible.
This article is from the 1911 edition of an
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