The Blackfriars of Shrewsbury
Encyclopedia
The Black Friars of Shrewsbury is a short historical book by Paul Marsden
, the former Shrewsbury
MP, about the Dominican friars who arrived in Shrewsbury, England, in 1230 and built a church, cloisters, Lady Chapel and series of outbuildings.
, Italy. St. Dominic was revered for performing various miracles and caring for the poor and the sick. He was elected several times as bishop, but refused the position and preferred to stay among his fellow brethren. His Dominican friars moved freely among the citizenry spreading the word of God and helping those in need. Henry III
enthusiastically supported the friars in their quest to build their church, and from 1232 until the king's death in 1272, regularly gave orders to support the construction.
On the eve of the Battle of Shrewsbury
in 1403, Prince Henry (later Henry V
) stayed at the friary. The Dominican Church in England was split between the Welsh
rebels and Henry IV
, but the Shrewsbury friary remained loyal to the king and provided a safe haven for the prince. Following the battle, many of the noblemen who died on the battlefield were taken back to the friary and buried in its grounds.
Edward IV
accompanied his pregnant wife Queen Elizabeth (Woodville) to the Shrewsbury friary in 1473. On 17 August, Richard was born. He became one of the Princes of the Tower, Richard of Shrewsbury
and disappeared in the Tower of London
together with his older brother King Edward V. Their uncle, Richard III
was blamed for their disappearance.
The friary continued to serve the local Shropshire
community, dispensing spiritual and medical help to local Salopians during its 300 year existence. However, on or around 29 September 1538, on Henry VIII
's orders, the friary was forced to close and the friars were thrown out onto the streets.
On 25 April 1539, it was reported that a plate of "Black fryers in Shrewesbury" had been delivered to the royal treasury by Thomas Thacker. All of the stonework was torn down and sold off.
Minor excavations were carried out in the 19th century, 1970s and 1990s. A bishop's chalice, floor tiles and numerous skeletons were found. Little remains above ground which is covered by the modern Blackfriars apartments. Boxes containing parts of the skeletons are stored in the basement of Rowley's House Museum in Shrewsbury together with various artefacts.
Paul Marsden
Paul William Barry Marsden is a British writer, businessman and former politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Shrewsbury and Atcham from 1997 until 2005...
, the former Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
MP, about the Dominican friars who arrived in Shrewsbury, England, in 1230 and built a church, cloisters, Lady Chapel and series of outbuildings.
Book content
In 1221 St. Dominic, aged 51 years, died in BolognaBologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
, Italy. St. Dominic was revered for performing various miracles and caring for the poor and the sick. He was elected several times as bishop, but refused the position and preferred to stay among his fellow brethren. His Dominican friars moved freely among the citizenry spreading the word of God and helping those in need. Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
enthusiastically supported the friars in their quest to build their church, and from 1232 until the king's death in 1272, regularly gave orders to support the construction.
On the eve of the Battle of Shrewsbury
Battle of Shrewsbury
The Battle of Shrewsbury was a battle fought on 21 July 1403, waged between an army led by the Lancastrian King, Henry IV, and a rebel army led by Henry "Hotspur" Percy from Northumberland....
in 1403, Prince Henry (later Henry V
Henry V of England
Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....
) stayed at the friary. The Dominican Church in England was split between the Welsh
Welsh
-Wales:* Wales, a country in the United Kingdom* Welsh language* Welsh people* Culture of Wales* Welsh cuisine-See also:*Walha*Welch *Walsh *Welshy...
rebels and Henry IV
Henry IV of England
Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
, but the Shrewsbury friary remained loyal to the king and provided a safe haven for the prince. Following the battle, many of the noblemen who died on the battlefield were taken back to the friary and buried in its grounds.
Edward IV
Edward IV of England
Edward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
accompanied his pregnant wife Queen Elizabeth (Woodville) to the Shrewsbury friary in 1473. On 17 August, Richard was born. He became one of the Princes of the Tower, Richard of Shrewsbury
Richard of Shrewsbury, 1st Duke of York
Richard of Shrewsbury, 1st Duke of York, 1st Duke of Norfolk, 1st Earl of Norfolk, Earl Marshal was the sixth child and second son of King Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville. He was born in Shrewsbury....
and disappeared in the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
together with his older brother King Edward V. Their uncle, Richard III
Richard III of England
Richard III was King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty...
was blamed for their disappearance.
The friary continued to serve the local Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
community, dispensing spiritual and medical help to local Salopians during its 300 year existence. However, on or around 29 September 1538, on Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
's orders, the friary was forced to close and the friars were thrown out onto the streets.
On 25 April 1539, it was reported that a plate of "Black fryers in Shrewesbury" had been delivered to the royal treasury by Thomas Thacker. All of the stonework was torn down and sold off.
Minor excavations were carried out in the 19th century, 1970s and 1990s. A bishop's chalice, floor tiles and numerous skeletons were found. Little remains above ground which is covered by the modern Blackfriars apartments. Boxes containing parts of the skeletons are stored in the basement of Rowley's House Museum in Shrewsbury together with various artefacts.
See also
- Aquinas and the SacramentsAquinas and the SacramentsAquinas and the Sacraments: The following article is a condensation of the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas in Summa contra Gentiles and Summa Theologica. As can be seen, Aquinas relied heavily on Scriptural passages, as well as the writings of various Church Fathers. St. Augustine says : The...
- Cestui que
- Dissolution of the MonasteriesDissolution of the MonasteriesThe Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
- Dominican OrderDominican OrderThe Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
- English ReformationEnglish ReformationThe English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
- Henry VIII of EnglandHenry VIII of EnglandHenry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
- Saint DominicSaint DominicSaint Dominic , also known as Dominic of Osma, often called Dominic de Guzmán and Domingo Félix de Guzmán was the founder of the Friars Preachers, popularly called the Dominicans or Order of Preachers , a Catholic religious order...
- St. Thomas AquinasThomas AquinasThomas Aquinas, O.P. , also Thomas of Aquin or Aquino, was an Italian Dominican priest of the Catholic Church, and an immensely influential philosopher and theologian in the tradition of scholasticism, known as Doctor Angelicus, Doctor Communis, or Doctor Universalis...
- Third Order of St. Dominic
- Thought of Thomas AquinasThought of Thomas AquinasThis article contains selected thoughts of Thomas Aquinas on various topics.-Social justice:Aquinas defines distributive justice as follows:...
- The English Dominicans