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Cfte Ristorp of the Franciscan friarp of 

 Jedburght iDith some account of ^dam 

 Bellt its l>istorian Friar. 



By George Watson, Jedburgh. 



Among the interesting place-names of Jedburgh which can 

 be traced back into the historic past is that of "The Friars," 

 })opularly termed "The Back o' the Freers." This is a kind 

 of back street or lane, which rvins parallel to and equidistant 

 with the High Stret^t ; and in its vicinity are several mansions 

 to which it lias given its name, such as Friars Mount, 

 Glenfriai-s, etc., while that of Friars Lane has the same 

 origin. T51ackfriars Church in High (Street owes its name to 

 the same source ; but the prefix " Black ' is obviously a 

 mistake, and should have been "Grey." 



The origin of the place-name " Friai's " is tt) be found in 

 the fact that a colony of Franciscan friars, numbering about 

 thirty members, was established between the pi-esent Friarsgate 

 and High Street fully three centuries ago. ]n addition to 

 twelve other coiwents of the Franciscan order in Scotland, 

 these Minorites or Grey Friars who settled in the town 

 belonged to the reformed class tei-med Observantines, who 

 bound themselves to a more rigid " observance " (whence their 

 name) of the rule instituted by St. Francis, and thus to a 

 more austere and ascetic life,— having become dissatisfied with 

 the relaxed discipline of the other portion (tenned Conventuals 

 or Recollects) of the order. Neither individuals nor communities 

 of this subdivision were allowed to possess property of any 



