Place    From 1260  To /11/1538

Austin Friars

Categories: Property, Religion

Augustinian friary just north-east of Bank, probably founded 1260ish, covering about 5.5 acres, it included a church, various other buildings for the accommodation of the friars and visitors, vegetable gardens, etc. Erasmus stayed here in 1513.

Thomas Cromwell developed a very grand house within the friary precincts which, on his downfall in 1540, was acquired by the crown and, 3 years later, sold to the Drapers Company for their Hall.

The friary suffered dissolution in 1538, on Cromwell's orders. The monastic buildings were replaced with a town house which survived until 1844, when it was turned into warehouses. In 1550 the nave of the church began to be used by foreigners, specifically the Dutch, and became the first official nonconformist chapel in England. The rest of the church was used for storage. Much was demolished in 1600 and then in 1862 a fire destroyed the rest. Reconstructed, it was destroyed in WW2 and rebuilt in the 50s.

The order was named for Saint Augustine of Hippo and so not connected to Augustine of Canterbury. From Augustinians in Britain : The Augustinian friars in Britain ceased to exist at the Reformation in the 16th century. After several attempts to re-introduce the Order, a mission, St Monica's, was established in the East End of London, at Hoxton Square, in 1864. From there the Augustinians re-established their presence throughout Britain.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Austin Friars

Commemorated ati

Austin Friar statue

{On the statue base, at the right:} T. Metcalfe 1989

Read More

Austin Friars & the Queens

To commemorate the visit by Their Majesties Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Beat...

Read More

Drapers' Hall

Drapers' Hall On this site, once part of the Augustine Priory, Thomas Cromwel...

Read More

St Monica's church and priory

The board is not visually very interesting so we photo'd the church window in...

Read More

Other Subjects

Whiteley Village

Whiteley Village

A retirement village created with a bequest from William Whiteley. A charitable trust provides almshouses for people of limited financial means. From the Arts and Crafts Movement in Surrey: "The s...

Place, Property, Social Welfare

4 memorials
John Addey

John Addey

The Spring 2017 newsletter of the Canonbury Society raises some interesting ideas about Addey and his home, Canonbury House, but pinches of salt abound. Perhaps Addey held a meeting at the house in...

Person, Property

1 memorial
Duke of Westminster, 6th, Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor

Duke of Westminster, 6th, Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor

Born Omagh, N. Ireland. Extremely rich landowner, possessing vast chunks of Lancashire, Cheshire and Scotland as well as most of Mayfair and Belgravia. There are bits of Paris, Canada and Spain he ...

Person, Benefactor, Property, Ireland

7 memorials
Belair House

Belair House

Country villa. Originally called College Place. In 1947 Southwark Council purchased the lease but as the main building was in such a poor state it had to be rebuilt from ground level, retaining onl...

Building, Property

1 memorial
Thanet House / Shaftesbury House

Thanet House / Shaftesbury House

Nos. 35-38 Aldersgate Street, built by Inigo Jones. From British History Online: “formerly the London residence of the Tuftons, Earls of Thanet. From them it passed into the family of that clever a...

Building, Property

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Great Fire of London

Great Fire of London

Started on a Sunday morning. After 4 days the destruction included: - an area of one and a half miles by a half mile - 87 churches - 13,200 houses - only 6 people are recorded as having died (but ...

Event, Tragedy

55 memorials
Camilla, Queen Consort

Camilla, Queen Consort

Born London as Camilla Rosemary Shand. 1973 married Andrew Parker Bowles, 1995 divorced. 2005 married Prince Charles, when she became Duchess of Cornwall. Promoted to Queen Consort on the death of ...

Person, Royalty

6 memorials
Queen Elizabeth I

Queen Elizabeth I

Daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Born Greenwich Palace.  Succeeded her half-sister Queen Mary I. Reigned: 1553 - 1603.   Never married, no children, so followed by James I. Elizabeth I...

Person, Race Issues, Royalty, Seriously Famous

26 memorials
World War 1

World War 1

We'd always assumed that this war was known as the Great War until WW2 came along at which point it was renamed as World War One or the First World War. But the term was first used in print in 1920...

Event, Armed Forces, Tragedy

402 memorials