More information : (TR 15035760) Austin Friary [NR] (site of) [NAT]. (1)
Edward II granted Archbishop Reynolds licence in 1318 to alienate a site, part of which had belonged to the Friars of the Sack, to the Austin Friars; but they moved in 1324, without permission, to another site which they retained in spite of complications. There seems to have been 8 friars in 1319-20, and there were 18 friars in 1336. The friary was rebuilt in 1408 but at the dissolution it was impovished and in debt. When Ingworth came to negotiate the surrender in December 1538, one of the friars declared that he would rather die than accept the King as head of the Church; this must have been friar John Stone, who was executed for high treason in 1538-9. (2)
Trenching for main drainage and foundations at the rear of shops on the south side of St George's Street revealed much of the ground plan at a very large building which may have been the church of the Austin Friars monastery. Its date is certainly later than a 13th century rubbish pit which had been partially destroyed when the foundations were originally excavated. North of this building were a number of graves which belonged to the Lay cemetery of the monastery.
(TR 15025767) The boundary of Whitefriars precinct was observed in a drainage trench at the rear of 8-12 St George's Street along with numerous human bones and a headless pipeclay statuette of St John the Baptist which was recovered from trenches during the construction of the buildings.
(TR 15075766) In 1947 two small trenches were dug on the
South-west side of St George's Street. Part of a medieval flint wall thought to belong to the Austin Friary was discovered along with a human skeleton.
(TR 15065768) A medieval tile hearth and a floor dated to the first half of the 12th century was noted. Also present was a medieval loam floor and 13th century pit along with four inhumations from the cemetery of the Austin Friary. (3-5) |