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Greyfriars, Leicester, was a friary of the Friars Minor, commonly known as the Franciscans, established on the west side of Leicester by 1250, and dissolved in 1538.〔 Following dissolution the friary was demolished and the site levelled, subdivided, and developed over the following centuries. The locality has retained the name Greyfriars particularly in the streets named "Grey Friars", and the older "Friar Lane". The friary is best known as the burial place of King Richard III who was hastily buried in the friary church following his death at the Battle of Bosworth. An archaeological dig in 2012/13 successfully identified the site of the Greyfriars church and the location of Richard's burial.〔(University of Leicester investigation into the burial of Richard III ) accessed 4 February 2013〕 The grave site was incorporated into the 'Dynasty, Death and Discovery' museum which opened in 2014. ==Franciscan Friary== Mendicant friars of the Order of Friars Minor, also known as Franciscans, and as the "grey friars" due to the colour of their religious habit, first arrived in Britain in 1224, two years before St Francis died. Nine friars came over from France to Canterbury, and rapidly attracted new members to the order. By the spring of 1225 they also had houses in London and Oxford (initially just borrowed rooms befitting an order vowed to poverty and simplicity). Expansion to Cambridge, Northampton and Norwich followed, continuing the pattern of modest premises in the midst of populous towns. Friars arrived at Leicester as part of this first wave of expansion, some time before 1230,〔 and by 1237 Leicester was sufficiently established to be one of seven English friaries that had lectors, with responsibility for teaching new recruits to the order. By 1240 there were 29 English Franciscan houses, and by 1255 there were 1,242 friars in 49 houses. The process by which the Leicester friars acquired their large plot of ground within the town is unclear, but is thought to be a mid-13th century foundation. Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, has traditionally been credited with playing a part in this, having become Earl in 1231. Stow suggested Gilbert and Ellen Luenor were the actual founders, whilst antiquarian Francis Peck has suggested that John Pickering was either the founder or a very early benefactor of the friary. The excavations of 2013 opened a stone coffin, buried in front of the high altar of the church. Preliminary analysis suggests the occupant was a woman, and almost certainly a major benefactor,〔Morris, Matthew, 2014, Newsletter of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, No 89, Spring 2014〕 although her identity is as yet unknown. It is not clear if the friary was dedicated to a particular saint. De Montfort University's Digital Building Heritage Project points out it was "most commonly referred to simply as Greyfriars Church, Leicester". but suggests a possibility it may have been dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene;〔 Victoria County History, however, suggests it may have been dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Franciscan order.〔 The friary was established on a site within Leicester's town walls.〔 The friary's precinct had gates onto both Peacock Lane (formerly known as St Francis Lane) to the north, and Friar Lane to the south. However, the specific site of the church was only confirmed by the archaeological dig of 2012, which also gave some clues to the layout of the associated monastic buildings. The church occupied an area in the north-east of the plot, with the cloisters and other friary buildings extending to the south.〔 (Have they found Richard III? Daily Mail, 12 September 2012 )〕 The choir of the friary church was a buttressed building, wide. This was completed around 1255.〔 Among the donations to the friary was the gift of oak trees by King Henry III ''(1216–1272)'': "to make stalls and wainscote their chapel".〔 The nave, extending west at the same width as the choir, was completed around 1300.〔 Around 1336,〔.〕 William of Nottingham was buried in its cemetery.〔.〕 Permission was given to expand the friar's dwelling place in 1349.〔 Leicester achieved a degree of notoriety when, in 1402, several friars were involved in a conspiracy to support the deposed King Richard II over the current King Henry IV. One of the friars admitted that he and ten other friars, as well as a master of divinity (a secular priest), had conspired in favour of the deposed Richard. Two of the accused friars escaped but the remaining eight and the master of divinity were arrested and sent to London for trial. Although two juries failed to convict, at their third trial they were convicted and then executed. The two friars that had at first escaped were captured and executed around the same time in Lichfield, Staffordshire.〔 A provincial chapter of the English Franciscans was held at Leicester the same year, in which it was explicitly forbidden for any member of the Order to speak against the King.〔 In April 1414 Henry V convened Parliament in Leicester (the so-called Fire and Faggot Parliament). The Lords assembled in the 'Large Hall' of the Greyfriars Friary, while the Commons met in "La Fermerie", (the Greyfriars Infirmary).〔(Fermary: enacedemic.com )〕 This was separate from the Greyfriars site, outside the town wall on Millstone Lane. After the dissolution it was used as a barn, and ended up as the 18th century meeting hall of Leicester Methodists. The main business of the sessions was the suppression of Lollardy, the punishment for which was to be confiscation of property, or even burning at the stake, giving rise to the name.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Greyfriars, Leicester」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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