1582 - a curious entry

A strange story emerges from the Bench Book in 1582 [230v].  Here is the entry in full (with the spelling modernised):

Item the 6th of July Anno Praedicto the said Mayor & Aldermen with one full assent and consent and with the advice & consent of Maister Briskin Maister of the Hospital nigh Kingston upon Hull called Gods House that [blank] wife unto Ralphe [blank] [231r] being a blind man and one of the brethren there, respecting her husband's infirmity that she may be at hand to help the same.  She shall be placed amongst the brethren of the said Hospital in the place of Richard Jackling deceased, and that only during the said husband's life & then she to depart forth of the said house and no more to have the benefit of that place.  And yet if it shall please god to call any of the sisters out of this transitory life before the death of her said husband: then it is ordered & agreed by the consent afore said that she shall be then admitted amongst the sisters in the place of that sister that shall die, and that the in the place where she is now placed there shall be  man admitted, and that from henceforth there shall not be any woman admitted into or placed in the house of the brethren, but at all times hereafter when any of that house shall die, there shall be in that place a man admitted and no more any woman.

It is frustrating that the Bench's minute-taker failed to catch Ralph's surname and his wife's Christian name and so left blanks.  But the real puzzle is that Ralph had been admitted to the hospital while still married to her.  We know that the 200-year-old hospital had two wings placed on either side of a central chapel, one as male and the other as female accommodation.  No couples were allowed.  One could assume that only the single or widowed would be granted places, but it appears not, at least for men.  The blind Ralph was clearly in need of 24-hour care, so his wife was admitted to look after him; but not to share his room.  The recent death of Richard Jackling had created a vacancy in the men's wing, so she could use that; but it was to be as temporary an arrangement as possible.  If a vacancy occurred in the women's wing before Ralph died, his wife would get the room for as long as he lived - but no longer.  The Aldermen also made it clear that this was a one-off expedient and in no way set a precedent.