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Gilbertines

The Gilbertines were the only order of monastics homegrown in England and begun with seven nuns. Included here are links to information about Gilbertines on the internet, and information from Abbot Gasquet's book English Monastic Life. Gasquet published the book through The Antiquaries Book series in 1904. It is now out of print and not generally available. There may be a number of factual errors in the text, or points on which historians or theologians do not agree. You will also find Benedictine Links below. Gasquet's text>>

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The Gilbertines

The Canons of St. Gilbert of Sempringham are said to have been established in A.D. 1139, although the actual foundation as early as A.D. 1131, others as late as A.D. 1148. St. Gilbert, the founder, was Rector of Sempringham and composed his rule from those of St. Austin and St. Benedict. It was a dual Order, for both men and women ; the former followed St. Augustine’s code with some additions, whilst the women took the Cistercian recension of the Benedictine Rule.
These canons, according to Dugdale, had a black habit with a white cloak and a hood lined with lamb’s wool. The women were in black with a white cap. In the double monasteries the canons and nuns lived in separate houses having no communication. At first the Order flourished greatly. St. Gilbert in his lifetime founded thirteen houses, nine for men and women and four for men only. In these there are said to have been seven hundred canons and fifteen hundred sisters.
The order was under the rule of a general superior, called the master or prior-general. His leave was necessary for the admission of members, and in fact, to initiate business or at least give validity to the proposals of any house. There were, in all, some twenty-six of these establishments in England at the time of the general dissolution. Four only of these were considered as ranking among the greater monasteries whose income was above £200 a year.

English Monastic Life by F.A. Gasquet. (pages 229)

Note: Gilbert admired the Cistercian movement and to some degree adopted its rule. He also wanted to officially bring his nuns in under its rule and scope. His request, however, at the General Chapter assembly in France in 1148 was denied as the Cistercians did not accept women. According to the Catholic Community Forum, only two Gilbertine houses existed outside England, with both those located in Westmeath, Ireland.

Gilbertine Religous Houses in England (Additions made to Gasquet's indexed (fromUCL) list in red. For more English Religious Houses, see the index page):

Alvingham	Priory	Double House (Male & Female)	Lincoln.
Bollington, or Bullington		Double House (Male & Female)	Lincoln.
Cambridge, St. Edmund’s			Cambridge.
Cattley (or Catley)		Double House (Male & Female)	Lincoln.
Chicksand			Beds.
Clattercote			Oxford.
Fordham			Cambridge.
Haverholme		Double House (Male & Female)	Lincoln.
Hitchin, or Newbigging			Herts.
Holland Brigge			Lincoln.
Lincoln, St. Catherine’s			Lincoln.
Maimond, or Marmund			Cambridge.
Malton, Old			Yorks.
Marlborough			Wilts.
Marmond			Cambridge.
Mattersey			Notts.
Newstead (in Lindsey)			Lincoln.
Ormesby, or Nun Ormesby			Lincoln.
Ovingham, or Overton			Yorks.
Pulton			Wilts
Sempringham		Double House (Male & Female)	Lincoln.
Shouldham		Double House (Male & Female)	Norfolk.
Sixhill		Double House (Male & Female)	Lincoln.
Watton		Double House (Male & Female)	Yorks.
Welles			Lincoln.
York, St. Andrew’s			Yorks.
Tunstall, near Redburn		Female Religious (Nuns)	Devon.

Gilbertine Links:

A short, short history from the Catholic Community Forum.

'House of Gilbertines: The priory of Shouldham', A History of the County of Norfolk: Volume 2 (1906), pp. 412-14. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=38298. Through British History Online.

'Houses of the Gilbertine order: The priory of Sempringham', A History of the County of Lincoln: Volume 2 (1906), pp. 179-87. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=38029. Through British History Online.

A History of Nottinghamshire by Cornelius Brown, published 1896. Ranskill and Mattersey. Through the Nottinghamshire History site.

An article on the Gilbertine Order from New Advent.

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