The Dominican friars reached Leicester around 1247. At that time the Augustinian canons at Leicester Abbey (of Our Lady of the Meadows) cared for all the parishes within the walls of medieval Leicester. Through a highly unusual arrangement, the canons gave the friars the church of St Clement, a poor parish between two arms of the river Soar. Through the benefaction of Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester (the son of a friend of St Dominic, the homonymous 5th earl) and King Henry III, the friars built their priory around this parish church of St Clement’s. It became known as “The Blak Frears in the Ashes”, presumably because of the many ash trees in its grounds. In its medieval heyday the priory numbered thirty-three friars, and hosted three provincial chapters. On 10 November 1538 the priory was surrendered to the king’s agents. Those friars of our province who did not apostasise fled to Flanders.