Site of late 16th century great house, Fryers Mansion, on the former Carmelite Friary site, Maldon (EHER 7729)

Now destroyed. The site of a late 16th century great house built by Vincent Harris on the site of the dissolved Carmelite Friary in 1572. It was known as 'Fryers' and later 'Fryers Mansion' or 'Mansion House'. The mansion was demolished in 1805 and replaced by the, still extant, early 19th century brick buildings Friary East (EHER 38229) and Friary West (EHER 38232). An excavation in 1990-1991 recorded evidence for 16th-18th century drainage and landscaping, which was probably associated with the period of use of the site for the mansion.

Carmelite Friary (EHER 7728) was dissolved in 1538 and in 1543 the land and buildings were leased to William Harrys of Mundon. Later, in 1544, it was sold to George Duke and John Sterre. In 1570 the friary is spoken of as 'the place or Mansion House of the said Vincent Harris'. <1> After 1544, the priory site was acquired by Thomas Mildmay who later sold it to Vincent Harris, son of William Harrys (who leased the site in 1543), in 1563. Vincent Harris built a 'Mansion House' on or near the friary site in around 1572. In 1805 the house was demolished and the present two brick buildings constructed (EHER 38229 and EHER 38232). In 1807 a transfer of ownership (a document in the Essex Record Office now) mentions a stable, coach house, brew house, kitchen garden and dung hill. <2> <3> <4> In 1572 Vincent Harris, who had bought the land in 1563, built a mansion known as the 'Fryers' on the site. In 1805, Fryers Mansion was demolished and the brick buildings Friary East (EHER 38229) and Friary West (EHER 38232) were erected in its stead. <4> 1990-1991. Trial trenching and archaeological excavation. Excavations were carried out prior to extension of a car park and construction of a new library. An agricultural building (see EHER 7728) originally built in the late 13th century appears to have been dismantled and the area turned into a general midden. In the mid 16th century rubbish pits were dug and a conduit was constructed and in 18th century the area was landscaped and probably given over to horticultural activity. <5> <6> After the friary (EHER 7728) had been demolished, culverts and post holes were dug in two periods of activity between the 16th-19th centuries, and later the site was turned into gardens and subdivided. <6> <7> Note: The exact footprint and location of Fryers Mansion is not known.