The Grey Friars in OxfordLittle, A. G. (Andrew George)
History
The Grey Friars in Oxford
Little, A. G. (Andrew George)
Franciscans -- Great Britain
Reckoning William’s ‘steps’ at half a yard each[152], and correcting his
apparent mistake in addition, we find that the church measured
seventy-nine yards from east to west, the choir containing thirty-four
yards, and the nave forty-five. At its widest part the church measured
twenty yards, ten yards of which were taken up by the north aisle. Hence
the width of the nave properly so called, and of the choir, which in
friars’ churches is, where it exists, of the same width as the nave[153],
was ten yards. The choir was aisleless, and the north aisle was probably
the only one in the church: this, too, narrowed from ten yards to four
towards the east end of the nave. In 1535 Friar Henry Standish, Bishop of
St. Asaph, bequeathed £40 ‘for the building of an aisle joining to the
church of the Grey friars, Oxon[154],’ probably on the south side, but it
is almost certain that this was never built.
The wider aisle must have extended nearly the whole length of the nave to
allow space for the north door and the ten chapels, all of which were
built on to the north wall. They would be in part sepulchral chantries,
supported by noble families or gilds, often containing the image or shrine
of some saint, while the shrine of the patron saint stood behind the high
altar. They were presumably later additions, and whether the church in its
original form attained the proportions here described must remain
doubtful. But there is no reason to suppose it was afterwards enlarged to
any great extent. In the thirteenth century, benefactors, great and small,
were willing and eager to help the friars to raise those splendid
buildings which drew forth the fierce denunciations of later reformers;
and though much of the church was doubtless built, like that at London,
‘from good common alms[155],’ there can be little question that the chief
‘founder and benefactor’ was the wealthy Richard Plantagenet, Earl of
Cornwall, and King of the Romans[156]. It was in the choir of this church
that his heart was buried[157]
‘under a sumptuous pyramid of admirable workmanship[158].’
Here, too, five years later the remains of his third wife, Beatrice of
Falkenstein, were interred, ‘before the great altar[159];’ and many other
monuments of nobles and famous men must have given the interior of the
church an imposing appearance. Among those buried here were several of the
Golafres: the tomb of Sir John Golafre, who died at Quinton, Bucks, in
1379[160], was in the chancel; that of his younger brother, William, was
probably in the same part of the church[161]. Sir John’s illegitimate son,
John Golafre, knight and lord of Langley, bequeathed his body to be buried
next his father’s, if he should die in England[162]; but
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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