The Grey Friars in OxfordLittle, A. G. (Andrew George)
History
The Grey Friars in Oxford
Little, A. G. (Andrew George)
Franciscans -- Great Britain
=Walter=, a canon of Dunstable, and =John=, a novice of the same priory,
escaped from their house through a broken window and joined the
Franciscans at Oxford in 1233. Walter afterwards returned with three
Minorites to the Chapter of Dunstable, seeking absolution. After
submitting to corporal punishment, he was absolved; he was further ordered
to restore the books and clothes (_quaternos et pannos_) which he had
taken with him, and to deliberate for a year--i.e. during his
noviciate--whether the discipline of the Order which he had entered was
more severe than that of the Order he had left; if it were so, he was to
remain a Minorite; if not, he was to return to Dunstable. John was found
by the Prior of Dunstable at London and similarly absolved: he afterwards
went to Rome[1237].
=John of Reading=, who became Abbat of Osney in 1229[1238], joined the
Minorites in 1235, probably at Northampton[1239]. He is probably the Abbat
to whom Bartholomew of Pisa refers as having assisted with his own hands
at the building of the Franciscan Church at Oxford[1240]. He was certainly
at Oxford about 1250, when Adam Marsh wrote to the Provincial that he was
in ill-health and requested that Friar Adam de Bechesoueres, the physician
of the Order, might be sent to Oxford to attend him[1241]. Another ‘Frater
Johannes Anglicus de Redingis’ was Visitor of Germany in 1229, and
Minister of Saxony 1230-1232[1242].
=Albert of Pisa= did not, as stated by Bartholomew of Pisa and others,
accompany Agnellus to England. He was (according to Eccleston) Minister of
Hungary, Germany (1223-1227), Bologna, the March of Ancona, the March of
Treviso, Tuscany, perhaps of Spain in 1227[1243]. He was one of the three
recommended by Agnellus as fit persons to succeed him as Provincial of
England, but he was not appointed by Elias till almost a year after the
death of the first Minister[1244] (c. 1236). He reached England on
December 13, and celebrated a Provincial Chapter at Oxford on February
2[1245]. On another occasion Eccleston tells us--
‘Friar Albert was present at the sermon of a young friar at Oxford;
and when the preacher boldly condemned loftiness of buildings and
abundance of food, he rebuked him for vainglory[1246].’
Soon after his arrival, Albert appointed lecturers at London and
Canterbury[1247], though he does not appear to have been a learned man
himself. His connexion with Oxford was slight, and his acts as Provincial
can hardly claim a place here. After remaining two years and a half in
England, he went to Rome to take part in the proceedings against
Elias[1248]. On the deposition of the latter (May 15, 1239), Albert was
elected Minister General. He died in the same or the following year[1249]
and was buried at Rome[1250].
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account