The largest of the mendicant orders are the Franciscans, the Friars Minor or Greyfriars. They were founded by St Francis of Assisi (c.1181-1226), who had given up is name, Giovanni Bernardone, and his worldly life in 1205. He lived as a hermit and was devoted to the care of the sick and the poor. In 1210, he drew up a rule for his small brotherhood repudiating all property on the basis of a radical apostolic way of life. The order was approved by Innocent III and, by 1219, had more than 5.000 members. St Francis was a gifted preacher, who travelled widely in Europe and the Holy Land.

In 1224, the first English Franciscan house was founded in London. The order spread rapidly so that in 1234 there were already 22 communities in England. The Greyfriars were generously supported by leading merchant families and the urban upper middle classes. Franciscan preachers were trained in schools and universities. Roger Bacon, Duns Scotus and William of Ockham are among the long line of famous Oxford Franciscans.

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