Guildford Friary was a house of the Dominican Order, which was founded by St.Dominic in 1216. The Dominicans came to England in 1221 and headed for large towns or cities. Guildford was a late foundation, indicating its relative size in the 13th century. It was probably founded in late 1274 or early 1275, because the first record is in March 1275 when Edward I gave the friars a road from the town to Guildford Park to enlarge their property. The Friary was founded by Eleanor of Provence, widow of Henry III, possibly in memory of her husband, but more likely in memory of her grandson Henry, son of Edward I and Eleanor of Castile, who died at Guildford in October 1274 aged 6. She had looked after him for two years, often at Guildford castle, while his parents were on crusade. When he was dying, all sorts of medical and spiritual remedies were tried, but there is no mention of the Dominicans, whose prayers were generally thought to be very effective. This suggests that they were not yet in Guildford. Henry was buried in Westminster Abbey and his heart was later preserved in the Friary church, probably in the chapel on the north side of the chancel.

When the Friary was excavated, traces of an earlier building were found under the Dominican building, with pottery dating after 1250. This is probably the house of the Friars de Ordine Martyrum, who were given permission to build the only house of their order in Guildford in 1260. In 1274 such small orders had to be amalgamated with larger ones, and it is probable that Eleanor took the opportunity to re-found it as a Dominican house, an order which Henry’s mother preferred.

The Dominican order was founded to save souls through preaching and they deliberately settled in towns to be amongst people, unlike monks who renounce the world. As church services were in Latin, few could understand them, so the friars aimed to give people the instruction they were not getting from their parish priests. The Friary was on the edge of the town, probably because there was no room within the borough, but the street name ‘Friary Street’ shows how important it was to the town.

Friary buildings are similar to those of monasteries, with the main buildings around a central cloister or courtyard. The church was normally on the north side so that the buildings got as much sunlight as possible, but at Guildford and some other places, the church was on the south because that was the side nearest to the town. People were welcome to attend the services, and to hear sermons.

Guildford was small compared with other friaries: there were never more than 24 friars. The Friary continued to be patronised by the crown occasionally, but the friars aimed to live by begging. The kitchen with dining room above were on the north side of the cloister. The usual meal of pottage was eaten in silence, accompanied by wine and beer, and served by lay-brothers. The dormitory was on the first floor of the east range, over the parlour (where talking was allowed), the Chapter house, where the friars met each day to discuss various matters, and the Sacristy, where the equipment and vestments for church services were kept. The dormitory may also have been used for studying and perhaps housed the library, though many friaries had a special room for their books. There seems to have been a school of theology for friars at Guildford, and grammar was also taught: the friars were almost certainly involved in teaching boys at Guildford as well. One fourteenth century friar, John Siferwas, became a famous painter, who illustrated the Sherborne Missal c,1400.

The friars were based at the Friary while preparing their preaching tours. They attended seven church services a day. Compline, at the end of the day, was the most important and was very popular with the people. The friars sat in the choir of the church in pews whose foundations were excavated in 1974. Many small objects such as belt ends and the decorations from book covers were found, presumably lost between the floorboards of the choir stalls. The rest of the church and the cloister were floored with earthenware tiles, patterned in yellow on red. There were many graves in the church and the churchyard. Burials in the cloister were probably of priors, the heads of the Friary. The friars were probably buried in the east of the churchyard, but the other burials were of lay people. Although burials of lay people were forbidden in 1250 they continued because they were so popular.

One grave in the centre of the nave contained a lead coffin with the bones of a girl of about twenty, and probably a baby also. The name ‘Margaret d’Aubeny’ was scratched on the lid, in writing of the late 15th century. The d’Aubenys were not a local family and we do not know who she was. The lay people buried at the Friary are likely to have been well-off, and the bones and teeth confirmed this, with no signs of excessive work and indications of a soft diet of well-cooked, good quality food. The skeletons show that the people were of very similar heights to today. They were re-buried in St.Mary’s churchyard, after scientific examination.

The Friary was excavated in 1974 and 1978 before the shopping centre was built. The west range could not be excavated but would have contained the cellarer’s stores and rooms for guests. There would have been an infirmary block, and a latrine block, which were not found. There would also have been stables for visitors and workshops where the friars could make and repair tools and equipment. Most friaries had gardens and orchards, and at Guildford there was a large area of land.

Royalty sometimes stayed at the Friary after the castle had been abandoned. In 1403 Henry IV stayed there and paid 40 shillings for damage done by his retinue. In 1528 Henry VIII was having a ‘house of honour’ built in the grounds, and the friars laid out the gardens. In 1534 he signed a treaty with the Scots at the Friary, but in 1538 it was closed along with all other religious houses in the Dissolution of the monasteries.

The church would have been demolished immediately to stop services being held, but the other buildings seem to have lasted until the early 17th century. The site continued to be owned by the crown, and people lived there. Around 1610-20 a new mansion house was built which lasted until 1818. The site was used for industrial buildings, including the Friary Brewery, which was demolished to make way for the shopping centre.

Guildford Museum, Castle Arch, Guildford, Surrey
(01483) 444750

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