Carmelite Friary Founded in 1293

This wooden scupture represents one of the 'white friars' of Maldon.

The friars came into England in the reigns of Henry III and Edward I. They were quite different in theory from the monks and canons, the principle of whose life was seclusion from the world. The friars were to go out into the world and preach, they were to live on alms and have no endowment, and they were not bound in the same manner to their houses. The idea of poverty broke down to a certain extent in practice, and they did acquire property; but, with a few exceptions, their possessions were always comparatively insignificant. Four orders were represented in Essex-the Black Friars at Chelmsford, the Grey Friars at Colchester, the Crossed Friars at Colchester, and the White or Carmelite Friars at Maldon.

From: 'Religious houses: Introduction', A History of the County of Essex: Volume 2 (1907), pp. 84-92. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=39826 Date accessed: 14 March 2012.