Residents of the abbey: canonesses, canons, ministerials and beguines

Introduction

The historiography about the inhabitants of Thorn Abbey is mostly limited to the social upper layer: canonesses (or chapter ladies), canons (priests) and their relations in the noble world. The charters from 950 to 1300 paint a more differentiated social picture, in which underlying social strata such as those of the ministerials (=semi-free persons) and beguines are also brought into the limelight. In the following attention is also paid to these "neglected" groups.

A women's convent or a double monastery? 

While the charters and other sources give no information about the exact time of the foundation of the religious community of Thorn, they are not clear about its character either. Was it a women's convent, or a so-called double monastery of both women and men? A charter from 1102 indicates a cohabitation of female and male clergy (charter no. 5). In the document we meet the freeman Anselm, who "offers" his daughter Mechteld to the "altar of the Blessed Virgin Mary" , i.e. the church at Thorn. The witnesses are the abbess Burghardis, the deaconess Heilwich, the "sorores" (=sisters) Fagala, Bezla, Richildis and Aleid, and the "fratres" (=brothers) Gerald, Bennekinus, Everard and Hendrik.

Seventy years later, in a charter from 1172, Count Godfried of Heinsberg transfers a maiden named Aleid, belonging to the church of Geilenkirchen, to the church of Thorn, with a number of counsellors at the service of Abbess Odilia (charter no. 6). The canoness Sigewiz and sextoness Amabilia are accompanied by the entire convent and canons Dirk and Willem. A more nuanced picture of the composition of the Thorn monastery then unfolds. It may be assumed that the convent refers to the female monastics. These are distinguished from (as yet) two canons. An image is conjured up of a religious community of women, consisting of canonesses, to which some pastors, called canons, were added. There is no mention of a noble status for canonesses and canons; this only occurs much later in a letter from the Thorn monastic women to Pope Clement V in 1310 (see also theme 1). 

It seems that in Thorn, just as in for example not far away Kloosterrade (Rolduc), a ban imposed by the Second Lateran Council (1139) on so-called double monasteries with communal living and praying of women and men had a devastating effect. The Council called for a choice of either women or men, but not both. In 1172 it appeared that the women in Thorn had won the day.

Ministerials

The charter of 1172 also draws our attention to a social group, which has so far been overlooked in the historiography. The girl Aleid, given to the church of Thorn by the Count of Heinsberg, has the status of "ministerial" (=semi-free person). The charter removes any doubt about her future social status, by stating, that "she (also) (will) be ministerial of the church of Thorn and(will) enjoy the same rights as our ministerials, as is also right." Ministerials also already appear in the charter of 1102 (charter no. 5). In it they are witnesses in addition to the brothers and sisters and are mentioned by name: Geldolf, guardian; Ulrik with the beard, Evezo, Dirk, Malram and Herbrand. Their appearance as witnesses may indicate that they had considerable social status in the monastic community. 

The Thorn charters do not detail their social origins, functions and activities. We therefore rely for information on literature such as has appeared on ministerialism elsewhere. Ministerials were semi-free men in the twelfth century. A study of the Counts of Gelre, neighbours of Thorn, reveals that in the course of that century they gained in stature and managed to rise in Gelre to become confidants of the count. 

If this line is extended to Thorn, it is plausible that the ministerials here also fulfilled (managerial) domestic tasks for the canonesses and canons, took care of the management of the land property and fulfilled financial tasks. In a charter of 1244 (charter no. 12), in which an estate division takes place between the abbess Hildegonde of Born and the convent, the ministerials are distinguished from the officials. One gets the impression that their social status had risen even further since 1172, which is confirmed - in the same charter - by the provision that they should be recognized by the convent in all their rights. Going back to the charter of 1172, it remains extraordinary that it mentions a female ministerial; usually only male ministerials are mentioned. 

Beguines

The social picture of the religious community becomes even more differentiated in a charter from 1287 (charter no. 57). In it, mention is made of twelve beguines who were chosen by Abbess Guda of Rennenberg and the convent (the combined canonesses and canons) to "serve God, the Blessed Virgin and the convent and the monks."

Many a word has been written about the history of beguines. They are single pious lay women, leading religious and socially subservient lives, turned away from but not out of the world. From the approval of the beguine system by Pope Innocent III in 1216, this beguine system (also due to a surplus of unmarried women) flourished and beguines lived within walled courts, particularly in many cities in the Low Countries. To this day cities such as Bruges, Ghent, Leuven, Kortrijk, Breda and Amsterdam still have large beguinages - but without nuns.

The charter of 1287 details the servitude expected of the beguines in Thorn. In addition, "all rents and revenues, ... in corn and money, all years are equally distributed among the beguines." This is the basis of their livelihood. In addition to income from lands, the beguines receive money to be spent on wood and candles. The duties of the beguines are mostly charitable in nature. For example, when one of the canonesses is ill, a beguine has to provide nursing care. When the convent woman dies, the beguine has to stay with the body to pray until the burial. Similarly, when a canon dies, a beguine is required to remain vigilant until the burial. On all feast days and all seasons (memorial services), beguines are expected to ring the bells and perform all other requested boarding duties. If a beguine is charged with improper conduct, slander or any other offense, she is removed from the convent as punishment. The abbess has the right of sanction. If a beguine dies or otherwise leaves, the abbess has the right, after taking the advice of the three or four oldest canonesses, to hire another woman of "good walk and name." Regarding the accommodation of the beguines, it is noted in passing that they reside in a beguinage. No further description of this is given. Much later, starting in 1772, the beguines find shelter in the so-called Pottery House. This building ows its name to its former function as the abbey's pottery.

In conclusion

The charters depict an abbey between 1000 and 1300 that was not only a religious centre, but also a vibrant socioeconomic entity, in which different groups were responsible for their own areas of task. In addition to the canonesses and canons, whose main duties consisted of praying, organising the monastery and providing pastoral care and spiritual assistance, there were ministerials, who provided important domestic and agricultural services, and beguines, who cared for the sick and performed more general boarding duties during the worship services on high days and other church holidays. 

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