A precinct or liberty comprising the site of the former House of Carmelite or White Friars on the south side of Fleet Street between Bridewell and the Temple.
Site marked by the precinct of Whitefriars, O.S. 1880.
"Fratres beatae Mariae de monte Carmeli," founded by Sir Richard Gray, 1241 (S. 399).Licence granted to them to enlarge their house by the enclosure of "Crockerelane" (q.v.), 1349, and again by a plot of ground 500 ft. long by 20 broad, 24 Ed. III. (Cal. P.R. 1348-50, pp. 298 and 512).
Again enlarged by grant of land 100 ft. in length, extending to the Thames, 19 Rich. II. (ib. 1391-6, p.705).
Lane near the house to be cleansed and gate to be kept locked at night, 49 Ed. III. (Cal. L. Bk. H. p. 7).
Chapel of St. Nicholas within the White Friars, 1540 (L. and P. H. VIII. XV. p. 567).
Forms of name: "S. Mary of the Carmelite Friars," 1349 (Ct. H.W. I. 620). "Manor of the Carmelite friars, Fletestrete," 1341 (Cal. P.R. 1340-3, p. 267). " Friars of St. Mary de Fletestrete," 1375 (Ct. H.W. II. 184). " lez Whyte Frers," 5 Ed. VI. (Cal. L. and M. Ft. of Fines, II. 81).
Buildings described as existing at the dissolution of the monastery, 32 H. VIII. (L. and P. H. VIII. XV. 478, and XVI. 327).
Surrendered 30 H. VIII. (S. 40o).
Mansions and buildings within the site granted to William Buttes or Butte, doctor of medicine, 1540 (H. MSS. Corn. 13th Rep. 407).
It is evident from the foregoing entries that the Friars received substantial additions of land, subsequent to the original grant and that the house was considerably enlarged by this means from time to time.
After the grant of the site by H. VIII. to private individuals, the church and house fell into disrepair and were pulled down, or rebuilt, so that within a comparatively short period of time the monastic buildings had completely disappeared and the site was covered by small courts and alleys as shown in the maps of the precincts of the 18th and 19th centuries.
The present Ashentree Court seems to occupy part of the site of the cloisters of the monastery, and there is a very interesting 17th century survey of the precinct in the British Museum, showing how the site was occupied at that date.
White Friars Wall was found to appertain to the Inner Temple, 1614 (I.T.R. II. 79).
The eastern boundary wall of the monastery seems to have been in Water Lane, and the western boundary wall at the corner of Lombard Street (Gent. Mag. Lib. XVI. 103), and extending south to the west of Temple Lane.
An interesting crypt, which formed part of the Monastery was discovered in 1895 in Britton's Court, Whitefriars Street, used as a cellar to one of the houses in the Court. It had a groined vault, of late 14th century date. A similar crypt adjoined it on the north, destroyed about twenty years previously (M. and H. Notes and Q. No. V. p. 37).
The precinct comprised the area from Whitefriars Street east to Temple Lane west, and north from the Thames almost to Fleet Street, in Farringdon Ward Without.
The inhabitants of the precinct claimed in 1580 to be exempt from the jurisdiction of the City and to enjoy their liberties as the friars had done before them (L. and P. Ed. VI. 1.654). They obtained further privileges from James I. in 1608. These privileges were only finally abolished by Act of Parliament in 1697.
There is an interesting account of the topography of the precinct and of the discoveries made of remains of the monastic house in the Journal of the British Archæological Association, 1910, N.S. 16.
The name Whitefriars commemorates the white habit worn by the Carmelite Friars.
A Dictionary of London. Henry A Harben. 1918.