Ipswich Blackfriars was a medieval religious house of Friars-preachers (Dominicans) in the town of Ipswich, Suffolk, England, founded in 1263 by King Henry III and dissolved in 1538.'Dominican friaries: Ipswich', in W. Page (ed.), A History of the County of Suffolk, Vol. 2 (VCH, London 1975), pp. 122-23 (British History Online, accessed 8 May 2018). It was the second of the three mendicant communities established in the town, the first (before 1236) being the Greyfriars, a house of Franciscan Friars Minors, and the third the Ipswich Whitefriars of c. 1278–79. The Blackfriars were under the Visitation of Cambridge.
The Blackfriars church, which was dedicated to St Mary, disappeared within a century after the Dissolution, but the layout of the other conventual buildings, including some of the original structures, survived long enough to be illustrated and planned by Joshua Kirby in 1748.J. Kirby, 'The West View of Christ's Hospital in Ipswich' (engraved by J. Wood, 1748); J. Kirby, An Historical Account of the Twelve Prints of Monasteries, Castles, Ancient Churches and Monuments drawn by Joshua Kirby (Ipswich 1748, octavo). By that time later uses had supervened and their interpretation had become confused.R. Gilyard-Beer, 'Ipswich Blackfriars', Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History XXXIV Part 1 (1977), pp. 15-23 (Suffolk Institute pdf). For Kirby's ground-plan of the site, see Gilyard-Beer p. 16. The last of the monastery buildings, the former sacristy, chapter house and dormitory, continued in use as a schoolroom for the Ipswich School until 1842 before finally being demolished in 1849. In 1898 Nina Layard had some success in locating buried footings.N.F. Layard, 'Underground Ipswich', East Anglian Daily Times, 28 September 1898; N.F. Layard, 'Original researches on the sites of religious houses of Ipswich: with plan of excavation', Archaeological Journal LVI (1899), p.232-8 (archaeology data service), at pp. 237-38. A modern understanding of the site emerged during the 1970s and 1980s, through scholarly interpretation and in excavations by the Suffolk County Council team,J. Blatchly and K. Wade, 'Excavations at Ipswich Blackfriars in 1897 and 1976', Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History XXXIV Part 1 (1977), pp. 25-34 (Suffolk Institute pdf). by which the position of the lost Blackfriars church was recognized and revealed, much of the original plan was clarified or confirmed, and former misapprehensions were corrected.Ipswich Archaeological Trust News, 7 (1984); 16 (1986).
The site of the Blackfriars church, between Foundation Street and Lower Orwell Street, is preserved as an open grassed recreation area where the footings of the building and a surviving fragment of the wall of the sacristy can be seen, and are explained by interpretative panels. A modern housing development covers the site of the lost conventual buildings.
Foundation Contrary to earlier antiquarian tradition, in 1887 it was shown decisivelyC.F.R. Palmer, 'The Friar-Preachers, or Blackfriars, of Ipswich', The Reliquary and Illustrated Archaeologist, New Series I for 1887 (1888), pp. 70-78 (Internet archive). that King Henry III established the Dominican friars at Ipswich in 1263. Henry purchased land in Ipswich from Hugh son of Gerard de Langeston and gave it to the friars for them to live there, instructing John de Vallibus (de Vaux), Keeper of the Peace, to go in person to give them seisin.Close Rolls, Henry III: A.D. 1261–1264 (HMSO, London 1936), p. 264 (HathiTrust). On 26 November 1265 he augmented this grant with other land purchased from the same Hugh.Calendar of Patent Rolls, Henry III, A.D. 1258–1266 (HMSO, London 1910), p. 514 (HathiTrust). In the same founding phase Robert Kilwardby, who was appointed Provincial prior of the Dominicans in England in 1261 and became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1272, acquired a messuage on behalf of the friars in 1269.W. Rye, A Calendar of the Feet of Fines for Suffolk (Suffolk Institute of Archaeology, Ipswich 1900), 53 Henry III, no. 16, p. 66 (Internet archive). View original at AALT.
In April 1277 when visiting Ipswich Edward I gave the friars alms for food, and at Michaelmas term 1291 Queen Eleanor's executors gave 100 shillings to the friars preachers of Ipswich, and to 19 other houses.T.H. Turner (ed.), Manners and Household Expenses of England in the Thirteenth and Fifteenth Centuries, Illustrated by Original Records (William Nicol/Shakspeare Press, London 1841), p. 103 (Internet archive). See also pp. lxxvi-vii, note. In December 1296 and January following, when in Ipswich for the betrothal of his daughter Elizabeth to the Count of Holland, the King again gave alms.Palmer, 'The Friar-Preachers, or Blackfriars, of Ipswich', at p. 72, with citations.
The old foundation attribution to "Henry de Manesby, Henry Redred and Henry de Landham", or else to "John Hares", arose from the monastic catalogue of John Speed, who in 1614 drew a distinction between a house of Friars Preachers in Ipswich (founded by the three), and the Ipswich Blackfriars (where John Hares "gave ground to build their house larger").J. Speed, 'A Catalogue of the Religious Houses Within the Realme of England and Wales', in The Historie of Great Britain Under the Conquests of the Romans, Saxons Danes and Normans (Iohn Sudbury & George Humble, cum Privilegio, London 1614), Book 9, Chapter 21, pp. 787-800, p. 797 (Google). His second edition (1623) made the friars preachers to be Austin Friars (Augustinians). John Weever, 1631, followed Speed's first edition, listing burials for the former and "personages I finde to have beene registred in the Martirologe of this house" (probably benefactors) for the latter.J. Weever, Ancient Fvnerall Monvments Within The Vnited Monarchie Of Great Britain (Thomas Harper for Laurence Sadler, London 1631), pp. 750-52 (Google). Later authorities saw the distinction was false,W. Dugdale, Monasticon Anglicanum: Revised, English edition Vol. 6 Part III (James Bohn, London 1846), p. 1493 & notes (Google). and in reality all these supposed founders were later benefactors of the Dominican friars preachers.
Development Among the names of principal benefactors, which Weever derived from the friars' calendar or martyrology, stood notably Roger Bigod, Earl Marshal, probably referring to the 5th Earl of Norfolk (died 1306). That of Sir Robert de Ufford, Earl of Suffolk (1298–1369), calls to mind the Ufford burials and the Despencer associations at the Ipswich Greyfriars. Sir Richard and Lady Margaret Plays (de Playz, or de Plais) were possibly that 4th Baron de Plaiz (c.1323-1360) of Chelsworth, Suffolk (heir to John de Lancastria)'Playz', in Dugdale, Baronage of England, II, p. 9 (Umich/eebo). and his wife Margaret, of Weeting Castle in Norfolk, of the founding family of Bromehill Priory of Austin canons,'Houses of Austin canons: The priory of Bromehill', in W. Page (ed.), A History of the County of Norfolk, Vol. 2, ed. William Page (V.C.H., London 1906), pp. 374-75 (British History online, accessed 11 May 2018). where Sir John de Sutton (another Blackfriars benefactor) succeeded Sir Richard de Playz as patron of the parish advowson.F. Blomefield, An Essay towards a Topographical History of the County of Norfolk (William Miller, London 1805), II, pp. 159-73 (Internet archive). Their granddaughter Margaret married that Sir John HowardG. Brenan and E.P. Statham, The House of Howard, 2 vols (Hutchinson & Co., London 1907), II, Table facing p. 32 (Internet archive). who is also named among the benefactors of Blackfriars by Taylor.R. Taylor, Index Monasticus (Lackington & Co./J. & A. Arch/Rodwell & Martin, London 1821), p. 103 (Google). These were patrons of the late 14th century.
Weever mentions the burial of Adam de Brandeston at Blackfriars, who was sometime M.P. and deputy butler of Ipswich,S. Alsford, 1998–2003, The Men Behind the Masque: Office-holding in East Anglian boroughs, 1272–1460, Ch. 3: The Monopolisation of Office, at note 67 and sources cited (The Orb – Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies). but was outlawed for felony.W.A. Copinger (ed.), County of Suffolk: Its History as Disclosed by Existing Records and Other Documents, Vol. I (Henry Sotheran & Co., London 1904), p. 279. His will requesting burial at the friars preachers was proved in December 1362.V.B. Redstone, 'Calendar of Pre-Reformation Wills, Testaments, Probates, Administrations, registered at... Bury St Edmunds', Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and Natural History XII Part 3 (1906), p. 3 (Suffolk Institute pdf p. 13). Gilbert Boulge ("Roulge"), an Ipswich wool merchant buried here, held a fourth part of a knight's fee in Debach in 1380.Calendar of Close Rolls, Richard II, Vol. I: A.D. 1377–1381 (HMSO, London 1914), pp. 31, 308 (Internet archive).
Excavation in the priory cemetery revealed about 250 burials,For burials excavated at the site, see S. Mays, 1991, The Medieval Burials from Blackfriars Friary, School Street, Ipswich, Suffolk. English Heritage: Ancient Monuments Laboratory Unpublished Report, No. 16/91. Also S. Mays, The Archaeology of Human Bones (Routledge, 2010), pp. 29-31 & 244-45. Also S. Mays & G. Turner-Walker, 'A medieval case of Paget's disease of bone with complications', Journal of Paleopathology 11 Part 1 (1999), pp. 29-40. including a man's skeleton from which the right hand had been severed, the wound having healed in his lifetime. The form of the injury indicated violent assault rather than a surgical or judicial amputation, and the victim had sustained other fractures. The unusual pathology suggested identification with Richard de Holebrok, of Tattingstone near Ipswich: in 1327 Richard was attacked at Tattingstone by a large mob led by Benedict, John and William de Braham, who tied him to a tree and cut off his hand.Calendar of Patent Rolls, Edward III: A.D. 1327–1330 (HMSO, London 1891), p. 74 (Internet archive).S.A. Mays, 'Healed limb amputations in human osteoarchaeology and their causes: A case study from Ipswich, UK', International Journal of Osteoarchaeology Vol. 6 issue 1 (January 1996), pp. 101-13. Dame Alice de Holebrok, widow of Sir John, was among the burials observed by Weever at the Ipswich Greyfriars, and should be of this Tattingstone family.W.A. Copinger, The Manors of Suffolk: Notes on their History and Devolution Vol. 6: The Hundreds of Samford, Stow and Thedwestry (Author/Taylor, Garnett, Evans & Co. Ltd., Manchester 1910), p. 104. Later a Holebrok married a Fastolf: John and Agnes Fastolf, who had tombs at Blackfriars, were probably among the Holebrok descendants who succeeded to their manors at Bentley and Holbrook.W.A. Copinger, The Manors of Suffolk: Notes on their History and Devolution Vol. 5: The Hundreds of Lothingland and Mutford, Plomesgate and Risbridge (Author/Taylor, Garnet, Evans and Co. Ltd., Manchester 1909), p. 12 and p. 64 (Internet archive).
In around 1389 or 1391 it is recorded that a Provincial chapter was celebrated at Ipswich Blackfriars (probably one of many). Not long afterwards a disagreement arose as to who was the rightful prior. In 1397 the Master-general declared in favour of F. John de Stanton (and against F. William), at the same time assigning F. John Sygar as lector, and making other arrangements.Palmer, 'The Friar-Preachers, or Blackfriars, of Ipswich', p. 76.
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