(go to HistoryfishHome)
 (back to Monastic Pages Home)
(go to Abbey Pages Home)
Leave a Comment
<<Back       Next>>

  Cistercians                       

The Cisterians, sometimes called Trappist Monks, were a reformed, strict Benedictine Order whose members desired a return to a more literalist interpretation of the Benedictine Rule.  They were also known as the 'white monks' because their habit was undyed wool, and so off-white.  On this page you will find links to some of this information, as well as 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, notes & links>>
           

Cistercians
 Download  636 KB JPEG of this image.
  

Cistercians

     The congregation of Citeaux was at one time the most flourishing of the offshoots of the great Benedictine body.  The monastery of Citeaux was established by St. Robert of Molesme in A.D. 1092.  The saint was a Benedictine, and felt himself called to something different to what he had found in the monasteries of France.  The peculiar system of the Cistercians, however, was the work of St. Stephen Harding, an Englishman, who at an early age had left his own country and never returned thither.  He struck out a new line, which was a still further departure from the ideal of St. Benedict that was the Cluniac system.  The Cistercians, whilst strictly maintaining the notion that each monastery was a family endowed with the principles of fecundity, formed themselves into an Order, in the sense of an organized corporation, under the perpetual pre-eminence of the abbot and house of Citeaux, and with yearly Chapters at which all superiors were bound to attend.  It was the chief object of the administration to secure absolute uniformity in all things and everywhere.  This was obtained by the Chapters, and by their visitations of the abbot of Citeaux, made anywhere and everywhere at will.  The Order spread during the first century of its existence with great rapidity.  It is said that , by the middle of the twelfth century, Citeaux had five hundred dependencies, and that fifty years later there were more than three times that number.  In England the first abbey was founded by King Henry I, at Furness in A.D.1127 and of the hundred houses existing at the general suppression three-fourths had been founded in the twelfth century.  The rest, with the exception of St. Mary Grace, London, established in A.D. 1349 by Edward III., were founded in the early part of the thirteenth century.   

English Monastic Life by F.A. Gasquet.  (pages 218-221)


Note: 
The Cisterian Order is alive and well today.  The term 'Trappist' applied today refers to 'conservative' groups who seek to continue the austerity of the original Cistercian reforms.


Cistercian Abbeys in England (Most male religious Cistercian Houses in England were abbeys, so I've listed all the Gasquet indexed Cistercian houses here.  For more English Religious Houses, see the index page):

    Aberconway

    Abbey

     

    Denbigh.

    Albalanda

     

    (see Whiteland).

    Carmarthen.

    Basinwerk

    Abbey

     

    Flint.

    Beaulieu

            

    Abbey

     

    Hants.

     

    Bindon

    Abbey

     

    Dorset.

    Bittleden

    Abbey

     

    Bucks.

    Bordesley  

    Abbey

     

    Worcester.

    Boxley

    Abbey

     

    Kent.

    Bruerne, or Brueria

    Abbey

     

    Oxford.

    Buckfast

    Abbey

     

    Devon.

    Buckland  

    Abbey

     

    Devon.

    Buildwas  

    Abbey

     

    Salop.

    Byland

    Abbey

     

    Yorks.

    Calder  

    Abbey

     

    Cumberland.

    Cleeve  

    Abbey

     

    Somerset.

    Coggeshall

    Abbey

     

    Essex.

    Combe

    Abbey

     

    Warwick.

    Combermere

    Abbey

     

    Radnor.

    Croxden

    Abbey

     

    Stafford.

    Cwmhyre  

    Abbey

     

    Radnor.

    Dieulacres  

    Abbey

     

    Stafford.

    Dore

     

     

    Hereford.

    Dunkeswell  

    Abbey

     

    Devon.

    Dunscroft, in Hatfield

     

    (cell to Rievaulx)

    Yorks.

    Flaxley  

    Abbey

     

    Gloucester.

    Ford

    Abbey

     

    Devon.

    Fors de Caritate, Wensleydale  

     

    (translated to           Jervaulx)

    Yorks.

    Fountains  

    Abbey

     

    Yorks.

    Furness

    Abbey

     

    Lancaster.

    Garendon

    Abbey

     

    Leicester.

    Grace Dieu  

    Abbey

     

    Monmouth.

    Haselden in Rodmarton  

     

    (removed to         Kingswood)

    Gloucester.

    Hayles  

    Abbey

     

    Gloucester.

    Holm Cultram

    Abbey

     

    Cumberland.

    Horewell  

     

    (cell to Stoneleigh)

    Warwick.

    Hulton

    Abbey

     

    Stafford.

    Jervaulx, or Jorvaulx

    Abbey

     

    Yorks.

    Kingswood

    Abbey

     

    Wilts.

    Kirkstall

    Abbey

     

    Yorks.

    Kirksted  

    Abbey

     

    Lincoln.

    Kymmer  

    Abbey

     

    Merioneth.

    Llantarnam, or Caerleon

    Abbey

     

    Monmouth.

    London, St. Mary Graces  

    Abbey

     

    Middlesex.

    Louth Park

    Abbey

     

    Lincoln.

    Margam

    Abbey

     

    Glamorgan.

    Meaux, or Melsa

    Abbey

     

    Yorks.

    Merevale

    Abbey

     

    Warwick.

    Neath

    Abbey

     

    Glamorgan.

    Netley, Letley, or Edwardstow

    Abbey

     

    Hants.

    Newenham by Axminster

     

     

    Devon.

    Newminster

     

     

    Northumberland.

    Newnham

     

     

    Devon.

    Oxford, St. Bernard’s College

     

     

    Oxford.

    Pipewell

    Abbey

     

    Northants.

    Prene, or Preone  

     

    (cell of Wenlock)

    Salop.

    Quarre  (Isle of Wight)

    Abbey

     

    Hants.

    Radmore in Cannock Chase  

     

    (trans. to        Stonleigh)

    Stafford.

    Regill  

     

    (cell of Fenley)

    Somerset.

    Revesby, or Rewesby

    Abbey

     

    Lincoln.

    Rewley

    Abbey

     

    Oxford.

    Rievaulx, or Rievalle

    Abbey

     

    Yorks.

    Robertsbridge

    Abbey

     

    Sussex.

    Roche, or Du Rupe in Maltby

    Abbey

     

    Yorks.

    Rufford

    Abbey

     

    Notts.

    Rushen

     

     

    Isle of Man.

    Salley, or Sawley

    Abbey

     

    Yorks.

    Sawtre

    Abbey

     

    Hunts.

    Sibton  

    Abbey

     

    Suffolk.

    Stanlegh, or Stanley

    Abbey

     

    Wilts.

    Stoneleigh, or Stanley in Arden

    Abbey

     

    Warwick.

    Strata Florida (Stratflour)

    Abbey

     

    Cardigan.

    Strata Marcella (Strat Margel)

    Abbey

     

    Montgomery.

    Stratford Langthorn, West Ham  

    Abbey

     

    Essex.

    Swineshed

    Abbey

     

     Lincoln.

    Thame

    Abbey

     

    Oxford.

    Tiltey  

    Abbey

     

    Essex.

    Tintern  

    Abbey

     

    Monmouth.

    Vale Royal

    Abbey

     

    Cheshire.

    Valle Crucis, or De Valle Dei

    Abbey

     

    Denbigh.

    Vaudey

    Abbey

     

    Lincoln.

    Wardon de Sartis

    Abbey

     

    Beds.

    Waverley

    Abbey

     

    Surrey.

    <>Whalley, or Locus Benedictus                

    Abbey


    Lancaster.

    Whitland, or Blanchland

    Abbey

     

    Carmarthen.

    Woburn

    Abbey

     

    Beds.

    Basedale

     

    Female House (Nuns)

    Yorks.

    Brewood White Ladies

     

    Female House (Nuns)

    Salop.

    Cokehill

     

    Female House (Nuns)

    Worcester.

    Douglas

     

    Female House (Nuns)

    Isle of Man.

    Elreton

     

    Female House (Nuns)

    Yorks.

    Esholt

     

    Female House (Nuns)

    Yorks.

    Goykwell, or Gowkeswell

     

    Female House (Nuns)

    Lincoln.

    Greenfield

     

    Female House (Nuns)

    Lincoln.

    Hampole

     

    Female House (Nuns)

    Yorks.

    Hevening, or Heyninges

     

    Female House (Nuns)

    Lincoln.

    Keldholme, Kirkby Moorside

     

    Female House (Nuns)

    Yorks.

    Kirkles

     

    Female House (Nuns)

    Yorks.

    Legbourne

     

    Female House (Nuns)

    Lincoln.

    Llanclere

     

    Female House (Nuns)

    Glamorgan.

    Llanleir

     

    Female House (Nuns)

    Cardigan.

    Llanlurgan

     

    Female House (Nuns)

    Montgomery.

    Markham

     

    Female House (Nuns)

    Norfolk.

    Nunappleton

     

    Female House (Nuns)

    Yorks.

    Nuncoton

     

    Female House (Nuns)

    Lincoln.

    Sewardesley

     

    Female House (Nuns)

    Northants.

    Sinningthwaite, or Senningthwaite

     

    Female House (Nuns)

    Yorks.

    Stixwold

     

    Female House (Nuns)

    Lincoln.

    Swine, or Swinhey

     

    Female House (Nuns)

    Yorks.

    Tarrent, or Kaines

     

    Female House (Nuns)

    Dorset.

    Whiston

     

    Female House (Nuns)

    Worcester.

    Wickham

     

    Female House (Nuns)

    Yorks.

    Wintney

     

    Female House (Nuns)

    Hants.

    Wykeham

     

    Female House (Nuns)

    Yorks.


Cistercian Links:

Lovely and detailed site covering Cistercian Life from the Cistercians in Yorkshire.  Lists of abbeys and lots of articles addressing the daily life of yesterday's and today's Cistercian Monks.  A tremendous resource.

The Benedictine Index, resource index for Cistercian information through the Order of Saint Benedict website.

Trappist's Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance website (in English).

A visit to La Trappe monastery and an introduction to Trappist Beer through Vader Abts Trappist Biersite.

Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Georgia, USA, where you can order souveniers and 'fudge-tastic' fudge through their Abbey Store.

Cistercians, an article from New Advent.



Corrections, questions?  email me
                 


Historyfish pages, content, and design copyright (c) Richenda Fairhurst, 2008
All rights reserved. No commercial permissions are granted.

The Historyfish site, as a particular and so unique "expression," is copyright. However, some (most) source material is part of the public domain, and so free of copyright restrictions. Where those sections are not clearly marked, please contact me so I can assist in identifying and separating that material from the Historyfish site as a whole.

When using material from this site, please keep author, source, and copyright permissions with this article.

Historyfish  intends to generate discussion through shared information and does not claim to provide, in any way, formal, legal, or factual advice or information. These pages are opinion only.  Opinions shared on historyfish are  not necessarily the opinions of historyfish editors, staff, owners or administrators.  Always consult proper authorities with questions pertaining to copyrights, property rights, and intellectual property rights.


It is my intent to follow copyright law (however impossibly convoluted that may be). Please contact me should any material included here be copyright protected and posted in error. I will remove it from the site. Thank you.