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Greyfriars

Places > Bedford > Abbeys and Priories > Greyfriars Priory

The Greyfriars or Franciscans came to England in 1224 and were established in Bedford very soon after that. Certainly by 1238 for in that year the King gave them a contribution, ten oak stumps for fuel. The members came to be called Greyfriars because of the colour of the habit they wore.  Their church was complete and dedicated on the 3rd November 1295. However, the friars saw their mission as spreading the word of God to as many people as possible. For that reason they tended to do their preaching at crosses in the open air. They had a preaching cross in Forth Street (now Midland Road), which was connected to the Friary by a footpath known as Greyfriars Walk. Extensions to the Priory were made in 1310 and 1353.

Franciscans' number grew and when in 1300 14 Bedford friars were presented to the Bishop when he was at Elstow to be licensed to hear confessions he thought it was too many and would license only four. The Friary was dissolved in 1538 and granted to John Goswicke in 1540. The great storm of 1607 greatly damaged the house. The property passed through various hands and in 1802 belonged to the Earl of Ashburnham.

The Friary buildings survived as a farm house which stood until 1899 when Bedford Borough Council bought and demolished the buildings to make a small children's playground which survives today, lying west of Greyfriars and next to Priory Lower School.

Sources:

• Newspaper Cuttings Collection, Local Studies Library, Bedford Central Library

• GODBER, Joyce.  The Story of Bedford.  1978.

• FREEMAN, Ian  From Saxons to Speed ; a new history of old Bedford.  2006

• KUHLICKE, F.W.  The Grey Friars of Bedford and Luton.  Bedfordshire Magazine Vol.13 pp.325-326  1973.

Greyfriars Priory, by Bedfordshire Libraries, 2010

Page last updated: 22nd January 2014