GILBERTINES. - Religious order, the only one of English origin, founded by St. Gilbert of Sempringham, around the years 1131-35, with double monasteries on the model of the Order of Fontevrault. William, abbot of Rievaulx, and Alexander, bishop of Lincoln, contributed to the foundation with advice and donations of land.
In 4 separate divisions there lived in the monasteries the choir nuns, the converse sisters, the lay brothers and the priests called canons, under a single administration held by the nuns. These, under the Rule of St. Benedict and the Cistercian statutes, partly lived exclusively the contemplative life, partly attended to domestic matters. Of the religious, under the so-called Rule of St. Augustine and the statutes composed by St. Gilbert, the lay brothers worked the land and provided for maintenance, and the canons, added later in 1148, occupied themselves with the spiritual direction of the monastery. The Order soon had great diffusion and erected new houses on the estates offered by nobles and prelates. Nevertheless it never went beyond the boundaries of England except for 2 houses in Ireland. It was approved by Pope Eugene III in 1148. At the death of the founder it counted 700 religious and 500 nuns. When it was suppressed by Henry VIII together with the other Orders, it counted 26 monasteries.
The entire Order was governed by a master general, also called master of Sempringham from the place of his residence. He was elected in the annual General Chapter which the superior and the superior of each monastery attended. His authority was absolute and he continually visited his houses, accompanied by some canons and nuns, who then took part in the General Chapter. The religious wore a black talar habit with a white mantle and hood lined with lambskin; the nuns wore white habits, similar in form to those of the men.
Bibliography3 works
Ulderico Vicentini