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  Premonstratensian Canons (or Norbertines)                       

Canons differ from Monks in that Canons are clerics of the church, are usually ordained priests, and deal with the sacramental  aspect of the Church.  Over time, however, these Canon/Clerics developed their own communities and adopted the Rule of St. Augustine to govern them.  Below find 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.    Gasquet's text>>
           

Premonstratensian Canon
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The Canons Regular

The clergy of every large church were in ancient times called canonici—canons—as being on the list of those who were devoted to the service of the Church.  In the eighth century, Chrodegand, bishop of Metz, formed the clergy of his cathedral into a body, living in common under a rule and bound to the public recitation of the Divine Office.  They were known still as canons, or those living under a rule of life like the monks, from the true meaning of κανών, a rule.  The common life was in time abandoned in spite of the provisions of several Councils, and then institutions other than Cathedral Chapters became organised upon lines similar to those laid down by Chrodegand, and they became known as Canons Regular.  They formed themselves generally on the so-called Rule of St. Augustine, and became known, in England at least, as Augustinian Canons, Premonstratensian Canons, and Gilbertine Canons.

The Premonstratensian Canons

This branch of the Canons Regular was established by St. Norbert in A.D. 1119 at a place called Prémontré, a lonely and desolate valley near Laon in France.  Their founder gave them the Rule of St. Augustine, and they became known either as Premonstratensians, from their first foundation, or Norbertines, from their founder.  The habit of these canons was white, with a white rochet and even a white cap, and for this reason they were frequently known as White Canons.  Besides following the ordinary Augustinian Rule, these Canons made Prémontré into a “mother-house,” and the abbot of Prémontré was abbot-general of the entire Order : having the right to visit, either by himself of deputy, every house of the congregation ; to summon every superior to the yearly General Chapter ; and to impose a tax for the use of the Order upon all the houses.  This, so far as England is concerned, lasted in theory until A.D. 1512, when all the English houses were placed under the abbot of Welbeck.  Previously they had been for more than thirty years supervised on behalf of the abbot of Prémontré, by Bishop Redman, who also continued to hold the office of abbot of Shap.  In England, just before the dissolution, there were some thirty-four houses of the Order.  

English Monastic Life by F.A. Gasquet.  (pages 222-229)


Note
:  The distinctive white habit of the Order was revealed to St Norbert in a vision of the Blessed Virgin.   She presented him with the habit and told him that his followers would be angels proclaiming the glory of God to the world. 
From Corpus Christi Canonry in Manchester, a brief history.


Premonstratensian Houses in England (see Religious Houses index page):

St. Agatha’s

Abbey

 

Yorks.

Alnwick

Abbey

 

Northumberland.

Barlings

Abbey

 

Lincoln.

Beauchief

Abbey

 

Derby.

Begham, or Bayham

Abbey

 

Sussex.

Bileigh by Maldon

Abbey

 

Essex.

Blackwase, or Blackhouse

 

<>(cell of Lavendon
and of Bradsole).
<>Kent.

Blanchland

Abbey

 

Northumberland.

Brockley, or Brocke, West Greenwich

 

(removed to Bayham)

<>Kent.

Cokersande

Abbey

 

Lancaster.

Coverham

Abbey

 

Yorks.

Croxton

Abbey

 

Leicester.

Dale, or Stanley Park

Abbey

 

Derby.

Dereham, West

 

 

Norfolk.

Dodford

 

(cell of Hales Owen)

Worcester.

Dureford

Abbey

 

Sussex.

Easby (see St. Agatha’s).

 

 

 

Egleston

Abbey

 

Yorks.

Hagneby

Abbey

 

Lincoln.

Hales Owen  

Abbey

 

Worcester.

Hornby

 

(cell of Croxton)

Lancaster.

Langdon

Abbey

 

Kent.

Langley

Abbey

 

Norfolk.

Lavenden

Abbey

 

Bucks.

Leiston

Abbey

 

Suffolk.

Neubo

Abbey

 

Lincoln.

Newhouse

Abbey

 

Lincoln.

Otteham in Hailsham  (transl. to Bayham)

 

 

Sussex.

St. Radegund’s

 

 

Kent.

Shapp, or Hepp

Abbey

 

Westmoreland.

Sulby, Or Welford

Abbey

 

Northants.

Swainby (trans. to Coverham)

 

 

Yorks.

Talley, or Tallagh

Abbey

 

Carmarthen.

Titchfield

Abbey

 

Hants.

Torre

Abbey

 

Devon.

Tupholm

Abbey

 

Lincoln.

Welbeck

Abbey

 

Notts.

Wending

Abbey

 

Norfolk.

West Dereham

Abbey

 

Norfolk.

Brodholm

 

Female Religious (Nuns)

Notts.

Irford

 

Female Religious (Nuns)

Lincoln.





Premonstratensian Links:


The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré, the homepage of Corpus Christi Canonry in Manchester, UK.  Another extensive site with a copy of the Rule of St. Augustine, a Brief History, and a copy of the Constitution of the Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré 

Translations of two medieval 'Lives of St. Norbert,' Vita A and Vita B, from the Corpus Christi Canonry.

The International Site of the Order of The Canons Regular of Prémontré. This site includes many internal links, including the Rule of St. Augustine, a Brief Life of St. Norbert, and information on Norbertine Gregorian Chant.

The Norbertines of St. Norbert Abbey, Wisconsin, USA, and a brief history of the Order.

Premonstratensian Canons, an article from New Advent.

Corrections, questions?
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