White Friars

July 1935

THE WHITE FRIARS

Excavations during this month (June) at the site of the White Friars Church have revealed the foundations. The Church stood at the top of the present Gulson Road, and joined up to the City wall, where a tower stood, now the lodge entrance. The foundations extend from the entrance to the lodge in a southerly direction, and the other side of the Church foundations were discovered a few years ago at a depth of 8-ft. near the wall of Mr. Elliott's garage, formerly the Dog and Gun Inn, The road originally called White Friars Mill Lane would run a little further south, and possibly close to a windmill which stood on the hill, belonging to Simon Cooke, while the ditch would join up to the Church. In digging near the Church wall the ditch was also discovered, and a number of 14th century encaustic tiles were found.

In 1506 Sir Thomas Poultney of Misterton, in Leicestershire, willed that his body be buried in the chancel of this Church, and that at his funeral 24 poor men were to carry torches bearing his arms upon them, while each man was to wear a smock with a libberd's (leopard) head on, behind and before. In 1873 some of the inmates of the institution were digging on this spot for stone when two skeletons were discovered (a man and a woman) lying side by side; probably these were the remains of Sir Thomas and his wife. A daughter of this Sir Thomas Poultney is buried at Monks Kirby Church.

There has just come into my possession what is thought to be the font of the White Friars, and after its varied uses for 600 years still in good preservation. At one time it was used as a horse trough under the pump of the Monastery, afterwards being used in a blacksmith's forge as a cooling tank. Later it has been used as a flower bowl in a park garden, and on the moving of the present institution to Pinley, in a short time I trust it will find a place again at the Monastery.

P.S. - In last month's article "Burgess" should read "Burges."