Greyfriars, Stamford

Friary in Lincolnshire, England

Greyfriars, Stamford

The surviving 14th-century gatehouse to the medieval friary

Type| Friary
Location| Stamford, Lincolnshire, England
Coordinates| 52°39′17.9″N 0°28′11.9″W﻿ / ﻿52.654972°N 0.469972°W﻿ / 52.654972; -0.469972
Built| Friary prior to c. 1230
Gatehouse (extant) early 14th century

Scheduled monument

Official name| Whitefriars Gate
Reference no.| 1005006

Greyfriars, Stamford was a Franciscan friary in Stamford, Lincolnshire, England. It was one of many religious houses suppressed and closed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century. The site is now part of the NHS Stamford and Rutland Hospital.

## History

[edit]

Records show that a friary had been established prior to 1230 because on 13 January 1229-30, Henry III made a grant of fuel to the religious community. Several notable people were buried at Greyfriars these include Joan of Kent, wife of the Black Prince, who was buried in 1385 at the Greyfriars beside her first husband, Thomas Holland, 1st Earl of Kent, as requested in her will.[1] Blanche of Lancaster, Baroness Wake of Liddell, the wife of the powerful Lincolnshire Lord Thomas Wake, 2nd Baron Wake of Liddell was buried in the friary church 1380.

After Richard, Duke of York was killed at the Battle of Wakefield in 1460 during the Wars of the Roses, his body was exhumed in 1476 by his son, Edward IV. The elaborate funeral cortège travelled from Pontefract Castle to a new tomb at Fotheringhay. En route the hearse spent two nights at the Greyfriars church.[2]

## Demise

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During the English Reformation, the Friary was suppressed as part of the Dissolution of the monasteries in 1534. It was surrendered in 1538.[3][1]

## Later use

[edit]

Tinted lithograph of the gateway by Francis Bedford

In 1828 Stamford and Rutland Infirmary was built on the site of the Friary. It is now Stamford and Rutland Hospital.[4]

The only surviving structure from the medieval friary is the 14th-century gateway known as the "Whitefriars gatehouse"; however academic research now suggests it was a Franciscan friary not one of the Carmelite Order.[3][5] It was built of Barnack limestone in the second quarter of the 14th century.[5][6] The gateway is on the Heritage at Risk Register; repairs have been carried out but there are no current plans for the building.[7]

## See also

[edit]

* St Leonard's Priory, Stamford

## References

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1. ^ a b Page, William, ed. (1906). "Friaries: Stamford". A History of the County of Lincoln: Volume 2. Victoria county history. pp. 225–230. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
2. ^ "Funeral of Richard, Duke of York". Wakefield historical society. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
3. ^ a b Historic England. "Franciscan Friary (347913)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 31 March 2013.
4. ^ "Ancient Greyfriars Gateway repairs could cost £50,000 at Stamford Hospital". Stamford Mercury. 17 August 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
5. ^ a b Historic England. "Stamford Infirmary (506143)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 31 March 2013.
6. ^ Historic England. "Whitefriar's gate (Grade scheduled) (1005006)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 31 March 2013. Note use of name now discredited (cf. Pastscape 347913 (9–10)). Note scheduled, but not listed, (ibid. (13))
7. ^ "Greyfriars Gate, Stamford - South Kesteven". Historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 8 November 2018.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Hartley, John S; Rogers, Alan (1974). The religious foundations of medieval Stamford. Stamford Survey Group report. Vol. 2\. Nottingham university. pp. 63–65.
* Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England) (1977) An inventory of historical monuments: the town of Stamford: pp. 33–34

* v
* t
* e

Monasteries in Lincolnshire

Augustinian|

* Boston Austin Friars
* Bourne Abbey
* Elsham Priory
* Grimsby Abbey
* Grimsby Nunnery
* Grimsby Austin Friars
* Hough Priory
* Hirst Priory
* Kyme Priory
* Lincoln Austin Friars
* Markby Priory
* Newstead Priory
* Nocton Priory
* Stamford Austin Friars
* Thornholme Priory
* Thornton Abbey
* Thwaite Priory
* Torksey Priory
* Wilsford Priory

Benedictine|

* Alkborough Priory
* Bardney Abbey
* Barrow Monastery
* Bonby Priory
* Boston Priory
* Burwell Priory
* Covenham Priory
* Croyland Abbey
* Deeping St James Priory
* Freiston Priory
* Haugham Priory
* Henes Cell
* Humberston Abbey
* Ikanho monastery
* Lincoln - St Mary Magdalene Priory
* Minting Priory
* North Hykeham Priory
* Partney Cell
* Repingas Monastery
* Sandtoft Priory
* Skendleby Priory
* Spalding Priory
* Stainfield Priory
* Stamford All Saints' College
* Stamford Cell in Burghley Park
* Stamford - St Leonard's Priory
* Stixwould Priory
* Stow Abbey
* Throckenholt Priory
* Wilsford Priory
* Winghale Priory

Brothers of Penitence|

* Lincoln Friars of the Sack
* Stamford Friars of the Sack

Carmelite|

* Boston Whitefriars
* Lincoln Whitefriars
* Stamford Whitefriars

Carthusian|

* Axholme Priory
* Haugham Priory

Cistercian|

* Bytham Abbey
* Cammeringham Priory
* Fosse Priory
* Gokewell Priory
* Great Limber Priory, Limber Magna
* Greenfield Priory
* Haverholme Priory
* Kirkstead Abbey
* Knaith Priory
* Legbourne Priory
* Long Bennington Priory
* Louth Park Abbey
* Nuncotham Priory
* Revesby Abbey
* Stixwould Priory
* Swineshead Abbey
* Vaudey Abbey

Crutched Friars|

* Whaplode Friary

Dominican|

* Boston Blackfriars
* Lincoln Blackfriars
* Stamford Blackfriars

Franciscan|

* Boston Greyfriars
* Grantham Greyfriars
* Grimsby Greyfriars
* Lincoln Greyfriars
* Stamford Greyfriars

Gilbertine|

* Alvingham Priory
* Bridge End Priory
* Bullington Priory
* Catley Priory
* Haverholme Priory
* Lincoln – St Katherine's Priory
* Newstead-on-Ancholme Priory
* North Ormsby Priory
* Sempringham Priory
* Sixhills Priory
* Tunstall Priory

Knights Hospitaller|

* Aslackby Preceptory
* Bottesford Preceptory
* Eagle Preceptory
* Great Limber Preceptory, Limber Magna
* Maltby Preceptory
* Skirbeck Commandery
* Temple Bruer Preceptory
* Willoughton Preceptory
* Witham Preceptory

Knights Templar|

* Aslackby Preceptory
* Bottesford Preceptory
* Eagle Preceptory
* Horkstow Camera
* Lincoln Commandery
* Temple Bruer Preceptory
* Willoughton Preceptory
* Witham Preceptory

Premonstratensian|

* Barlings Abbey
* Broadholme Priory
* Cammeringham Priory
* Hagnaby Abbey
* Newbo Abbey
* Newsham Abbey
* Orford Priory
* Stixwould Priory
* Tupholme Abbey
* West Ravendale Priory

Savigniac|

* Revesby Abbey
* Swineshead Abbey

Tironensian|

* Humberston Abbey

Independent|

* Partney Monastery
* Stamford Monastery
* St Æthelreda's nunnery, Stow Green
* Threekingham Nunnery

*[c.]: circa
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