| Summary : Augustinian friary founded in the third quarter of the 13th century on the site of an earlier hospital, suppressed 1539. The hospital possibly lay between the church and the bridge. The friary church continued into use until the 17th century. Some of the friary's domestic buildings were demolished in the 17th century. Excavations have recovered the plan of the church, which had a nave, quire and central crossing tower, with a large North transept. Several inhumations have also been recovered. To the South was a surprisingly small cloister, but documentary evidence points to separate kitchens, barns, stables and stores in an outer courtyard. |
More information : [SJ 6062 8795] Site of FRIARY [AT](Augustinian) (1)
A house of Hermit Friars of St. Austin was founded at Warrington by William Fitz Almeric le Boteler. No exact date for the foundation is known but the house is not mentioned in a list of such houses made in 1261. A reference to a hermit here in 1265 and the Early English architectural fragments from the site in Warrington Museum indicate that the Friary must have been founded shortly after 1261. There are definite references to the brethren here in 1291 and throughout the 14th c. A grant of timber for their new hall occurs in 1410. The house was suppressed in 1536 and granted to Thomas Holcroft in 1541. It was sold in 1543 to John Cawdwell and the deed includes all the buildings within and without the precincts and a building called Kiln House. Holcroft was to be allowed to remove the stone of any unroofed walls. The deed specifically includes provision to allow the townspeople to continue to use the friary church - Jesus Church. How long the church continued in use is not certainly known. It was in use in 1592 and its interior is described in Harleian MSS of c. 1640. The cemetery, mentioned in 1504, must have long been in use for a great number of burials of all ages and sexes have been found on the site. The last vestige of the friary - the ancient gateway - was removed at the close the 18th c. (2)
Similar information re the continued use of the church a priest and two curates at Jesus Church are mentioned in 1607. (3)
The date of settlement was before 1308. An old hospital is said to have been taken over by the friars. (4)
House of Austin Friars founded before 1308 and dissolved 1539. 'An old hospital is said to have been taken over by the friars, 1329-32 (?) [citing Authy 4, but the VCH does not give these dates.] Hospital listed separetely as founded 13th c (?). 'This was possibly a medieval building which existed between the friars church and the bridge, used, perhaps as a hospice for travellers.' (5)
In 1870, sewer excavations along White Bear entry [sited as SJ 6067 8795 on an 1884 plan of the town - R.W. Emsley, 20.10.60] revealed a stone vault containing a male skeleton with no associated finds. Else-where in the entry, a cannon-ball and silver and copper coins were found. There seems good reason to believe that this site formed part of the friary cemetery. (6)
The site of the Friary was partially excavated in 1886 and again in 1931, when the ground-plan of much of the church was revealed centred at SJ 6064 8795. The architectural details point to c. 1280 for the earliest work. The tile pavement of the choir (now in Warrington Museum) is probably early 14th c. (a) (b) For the 1886 plan of the general area of the Friary and a detailed plan of the church, see AO/60/410/7 and AO/55/151/7. The 1931 plan of the church shows the west end of the nave more accurately that the earlier plan - see the photostat reproduction of the 1931, plan taken from the Warrington
Examiner for 27.2.1932 the same plan as published elsewhere (c) (d) Of other buildings of the friary nothing has been found, except in 1886 the north end of a buttressed building, 15 feet wide, about 120 yards south=east of the church - at SJ 6069 8790 - its length and purpose unknown. A perforated tile from the friary site, exhibited c.1861, is thought to have come from the site of a malt kiln mentioned in 1400 (e) - possibly associable with the'kiln house' of the 1543
sale - Authy. 2. (7)
A tablet erected by Warrington Coporation marks the site of the west wall of the nave of the friary church and commemorates the 1886 excavations. Warrington Museum has masonry, including tombstones, from the friary. (8)
Excavations in 1981 uncovered evidence for the demolition of the domestic buildings of the friary in the early 17th century. Decorated medieval floor tiles of mid-14th century type were recovered. (9) (10) |