Curious Bench Book entries

In an earlier post we discussed the case of John Hailes who, in 1571, had his allowance from the Charterhouse withdrawn when he was given the post of bellman.  A few years later two more entries in the Bench Book raise questions.  [The Bench Books are the minute books of the bench of "magistrates", the Mayor and Aldermen who made up the ruling council of the town.]  I've modernised the spelling.

"Item the 14th of September 1581 the said Mayor and Aldermen did with one full consent and assent order and agree that Christopher Harrison keelman (for and in consideration that he is both aged and blind) shall towards his sustenance have paid him forth of the revenues of the Hospital called God's house weekly so long as he liveth 12d to begin of Saturday next.  And the same to be paid by the master of the same Hospital or his assigns for the time being, the which shall be allowed him at his Audit."
It is not at all clear what this means.  There is no mention of a room for Harrison, simply an allowance of 12d a week out of hospital funds.  Was Harrison unable to live in the Charterhouse because he needed care?  It seems to be a breach of the rules.
The second extract also concerns a blind man.  It was decided on 6 July 1583 that "[blank] wife unto Ralph [blank] being a blind man and one of the brethren [of God's House], 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 and then 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 and agreed by the consent aforesaid that she shall be then admitted amongst the Sisters in the place of that sister that shall die / and that then in the place where she is now placed there shall be a 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."
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this is that Ralph (the minute-taker obviously didn't catch the surname) had a room in the hospital but was married.  We tend to assume that only the single or widowed were awarded places, since no couples were admitted.  Here, a huge concession was made in allowing Ralph's wife a men's room, in what was clearly a separate wing of the hospital, and she was to be removed to the female wing if a vacancy arose; should her husband die before her, she was out.  It was stressed that this was not to set a precedent.
These Bench Book entries are rare but valuable.
(Thanks to Helen Good for the transcriptions.)