Abbey of the Minoresses of St. Clare without Aldgate facts for kids

The Abbey of the Minoresses of St. Clare without Aldgate was a special kind of monastery for Franciscan women. These women, called "Minoresses" or "Poor Clares," lived a quiet, separated life in London. The abbey was founded in the late 1200s, just outside the old city walls near Aldgate. Over time, the area around it became known as The Minories, a name still used today.

Who Were the Minoresses?

The women at this abbey were part of the Order of St Clare. They were also known as Clarisses or, more commonly in English, Poor Clares. This group was the female branch of the Order of Friars Minor, also known as Franciscans.

The male Franciscans called themselves fratres minores, meaning "lesser brothers." This showed their humility. In the same way, the Poor Clares were called sorores minores, or "lesser sisters," which led to the English term "minoresses."

How the Abbey Started

The Aldgate abbey was definitely open by 1291. It was mentioned in a church record from that year. This record was made for Pope Nicholas IV to help raise money for a crusade to the Holy Land. Some people think the community might have started even earlier, around 1281.

The abbey's founder was Edmund Crouchback. He was the Earl of Leicester and Lancaster. Edmund was also the son of Henry III of England and brother of King Edward I. The new monastery was built to house a group of enclosed Poor Clares.

Edmund’s second wife, Blanche of Artois, brought the first nuns to England. She was a powerful woman, having been the queen of Navarre. Because of the high rank of the founders, the abbey was built very quickly.

A Less Strict Rule

The Poor Clares' rules were first set by their founder, Clare of Assisi. However, by the time the Aldgate abbey was built, their rules had become a bit less strict. This new set of rules, approved by Pope Urban IV, allowed the Order to own property. Clare's original rules did not allow this.

This slightly less strict rule was called the Isabella Rule. It was named after St Isabella, the sister of Louis IX of France. Isabella founded a Poor Clares' abbey in Paris in 1256.

An example of this less strict rule can be seen a century after the abbey started. Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester, the youngest son of King Edward III, placed his daughter Isabel (1386-1402) in the Abbey. When her mother, Eleanor, died in 1399, Isabel received valuable items. These included a bed of gold cloth, precious books, and 40 pounds. This shows that life in the abbey was not extremely harsh. Isabel later became the abbess.

Queen Blanche, who helped found the Aldgate Abbey, was a niece of King Louis and his sister Isabella. Isabella was very involved in creating the less strict rule. Both Louis and Isabella later became saints.

The Nuns Arrive

Many believe the first nuns for the Aldgate Abbey came from France. They likely came from Longchamp, the abbey founded by Blanche’s aunt, Isabella. We know that another Minoresses house in England, at Waterbeach, was started by nuns from Longchamp.

The rules for the Aldgate nuns were the same as those at Longchamp. A 15th-century manuscript from the Aldgate Abbey shows that the Isabella Rule was indeed used there. The Franciscan movement was very popular at this time. In France alone, over 300 male Franciscan houses were founded between 1220 and 1534.

Money and Gifts

The founder, Earl Edmund, gave the abbey its first money and land. These lands were in London and Derbyshire. Another early supporter was Sir Henry le Galeys, who was the Mayor of London. He died in 1302 and left money for a chapel in the nuns' church, where he was buried.

Even with this income and special permissions from King Edward II and Pope Boniface VIII, the nuns often struggled financially. In 1290, their buildings were in poor condition. In the 1300s, they were often excused from paying taxes because they were so poor.

However, during that same century, they received many large gifts. These came from important people like Queen Isabella, the widow of King Edward II. Other donors included Margaret, Countess of Norfolk and John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster.

Important Connections

The abbey's strong connections to the royal family gave it a special status from the start. In the early days, only women from noble families could become nuns there. But by the 1300s, daughters of wealthy merchants also joined.

Important and rich people did not just become nuns at the abbey. After her husband died in 1401, Margaret Beauchamp was allowed to live at the Abbey with three helpers. This was a special permission from the pope. Even more surprisingly, Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester, who had placed his daughter Isabel there, had a house right next to the abbey church. He was even allowed to have a private entrance directly into the church.

Challenges and Disasters

Like everyone else, the abbey likely suffered from the plague and other diseases. In 1514, the plague returned to London. It was so bad that King Henry VIII and a famous scholar named Erasmus left the city. In 1515, the plague came back, and it is said that 27 nuns from the abbey died that year.

Soon after the plague, the abbey buildings were destroyed by fire. The mayor, aldermen, and citizens of London gave money to help rebuild. They gave 200 marks. Then, at the request of Cardinal Wolsey, they gave another 100 marks in 1520 to finish the work. It's interesting that King Henry VIII also gave £200 at this time. He would later close and take over the abbey less than 20 years later.

Leaders of the Abbey (Abbesses)

The abbess was the head of the abbey. Here are some of the women who held this important role:

• Margaret (1294)
• Juliana (1301)
• Alice de Sherstede (1313)
• Katharine de Ingham (1355)
• Isabella de Lisle (1397)
• Eleanor Scrope (died 1398)
• Margaret Helmystede (1400)
• Isabella of Gloucester (1421-1422)
• Margaret (1441)
• Joan Barton (1479-1480)
• Alice FitzLewes (1501)
• Dorothy Cumberford (1524, 1526, and 1529)
• Elizabeth Salvage (who had to give up the abbey in 1539)

The Abbey's Seal

The abbey's seal in 1371 showed the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child. This was not a very common image for nunneries in England back then. At other times, the seals showed the Coronation of the Virgin.

The End of the Abbey

In 1535, a survey showed the abbey's income was about £342. This was a good amount of money. The abbey owned land and properties in and around London. It also had lands on the Isle of Wight, Berkshire, and Hertfordshire.

The abbey was officially closed in March 1539. This was part of the Dissolution, when King Henry VIII closed many monasteries. The nuns received pensions, which were like yearly payments. The abbess, Dame Elizabeth Salvage, received £40 a year for life. Other nuns received smaller amounts. However, the six lay sisters, who helped with daily tasks, did not seem to get any money.

What Happened to the Buildings?

After the abbey closed, its buildings were used for different things. For a while, they were the home of John Clerk, the Bishop of Bath and Wells. King Henry VIII took the bishop's own London home in return. The buildings also housed officers from the Tower of London.

In 1552, under King Edward VI, the abbey was given to Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk. He was the father of Lady Jane Grey. In 1554, it became a government building again. It housed the Ordnance Office, which stored weapons and supplies, moved from the Tower of London. Some of the abbey buildings lasted until they were destroyed by fire in 1797.

In 1964, the coffin of Anne de Mowbray, 8th Countess of Norfolk was found by accident at the abbey site. She had died at age eight. Her coffin was later reburied in Westminster Abbey.

See Also

• Poor Clares
• Franciscan Order
• Dissolution of the Monasteries

Images for kids

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  Ruins of the abbey of the Minoress of St Clare of Aldgate, London 1796

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  Ruins of the convent of St. Clare. From a view published by J. T. Smith, 1797.