Rhuddlan Friary [Map] Effigy. At a distance of a mile from the town of Rhuddlan, lying just beyond its castle, stand the ruins of what was once a Dominican Friary. Tradition assigns its origin as a Friary to seven Welsh gentlemen in 1197. If this be correct, then it must have been taken over by the Dominicans in the early part of the thirteenth century. The first historical notice is the appointment of Anian, the prior of Rhuddlan- "Y Brawd Du" - as Bishop of St. Asaph, in 1268. To-day little remains of this Friary. In years gone by, it formed a quarry for building, and now stand only the remains of the dormitory and domestic offices transformed into barns. Fixed in some of the walls in the open shippon were various effigies-all more or less in imperfect condition and exposed to the weather. Chief amongst these was the tombstone monument of William Fresney, Archbishop of Rages (Edessa), of which a description has been already published in Arch. Camb., 1912, pp. 121-5. The monument consists of a life-sized figure of the Archbishop, with crosier, mitre, chasuble, alb and maniple, with hand uplifted in blessing, and the inscription, now more or less illegible in parts-" Priez pour l'alme Frere William Ercheveske de Rages."

As the stone was beginning to show serious signs of weathering, the permission of Capt. Conwy, R.N., C.M.G., the owner of the property, was obtained for its removal to safer quarters, and on November 9th and 10th, 1923, the monument was safely removed from the Friary, under the superintendence of the Rev. W. J. Davies, Vicar of Rhuddlan, and Mr. J. O. Hughes, the estate agent, with some of his workmen, and re-erected against the north side of the sacrarium of the Parish Church.