▁History ▁ ▁Goth ic ▁church ▁Christ ▁Church ▁Grey fri ars ▁had ▁its ▁orig ins ▁in ▁the ▁convent ual ▁church ▁of ▁a ▁Francis can ▁monaster y , ▁the ▁name ▁' G rey fri ars ' ▁ ▁being ▁a ▁reference ▁to ▁the ▁grey ▁hab its ▁worn ▁by ▁Francis can ▁fri ars . ▁The ▁first ▁church ▁on ▁the ▁site ▁was ▁built ▁in ▁the ▁mid - th ir teenth ▁century , ▁but ▁this ▁was ▁soon ▁replaced ▁by ▁a ▁much ▁larger ▁building , ▁begun ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 2 9 0 s ▁and ▁finished ▁in ▁about ▁ 1 3 6 0 . ▁This ▁new ▁church ▁was ▁ ▁the ▁second ▁largest ▁in ▁medieval ▁London , ▁meas uring ▁ ▁long ▁and ▁ ▁wide , ▁ ▁with ▁at ▁least ▁eleven ▁alt ars . ▁It ▁was ▁built ▁partly ▁at ▁the ▁exp ense ▁of ▁ ▁Mar guer ite ▁of ▁France , ▁second ▁wife ▁of ▁King ▁Edward ▁I . ▁ ▁She ▁was ▁buried ▁at ▁the ▁church , ▁as ▁was ▁Isabel la , ▁wid ow ▁of ▁Edward ▁II . ▁The ▁heart ▁of ▁Ele an or ▁of ▁Prov ence , ▁wife ▁of ▁Henry ▁III , ▁was ▁also ▁ ▁inter red ▁there . ▁ ▁Richard ▁Wh itt ington , ▁Lord ▁Mayor ▁of ▁London ▁founded ▁a ▁library ▁in ▁connection ▁with ▁the ▁church ▁in ▁ 1 4 2 9 . ▁ ▁The ▁monaster y ▁was ▁dissol ved ▁in ▁ 1 5 3 8 ▁during ▁the ▁English ▁Re formation . ▁The ▁building ▁ ▁and ▁f itt ings ▁suffered ▁heavy ▁damage ▁in ▁this ▁period . ▁T omb s ▁disappeared , ▁sold