Gilbert of Sempringham

(GUILBERT), St., founder of the order of Gilbertines, was the son of Josselin, lord of Sempringham and Tirington, and was born in 1083. After completing his studies at Paris, he was ordained priest by the bishop of Lincoln. and received from his father the stewardship of two estates. He then founded a house for seven poor maidens who had resolved to lead a life of chastity, and who made. vows of absolute seclusion. They were attended only by a few servants, from whom they received all they required through a window. The property with which he had endowed this institution was attended to by poor laborers, whom he also subjected to certain rules and observances. As similar institutions were soon erected in other places, Gilbert requested pope Eugene III to incorporate his foundation with the Cistercians. Eugene not complying with the request, he was obliged to provide in some other way for the guidance of his congregations, and in that view attached a convent of canons to each nunnery, framing at the same time very strict rules to keep them each separate; he placed the nuns under the rule of St. Benedict, and the canons under that of St. Augustine. The institution counted some 2200 men and several thousand women among its members, and hospitals for the poor, the sick, widows, and orphans were connected with their regular establishments. Gilbert died in 1189, aged 106 years. The strictness of his life had not protected him from calumny. He was, however, canonized by pope Innocent III in 1202. At the time of the Reformation the order possessed 21 houses, and 11 double convents inhabited by both nuns and monks, but they were so strictly divided that the nuns received even communion through a window, and the canons administered the extreme unction to dying nuns without seeing them. Whenever it became absolutely necessary that a nun and monk should hold communication with each other, a witness was obliged to attend; hence a body of ten canons was appointed, together with a number of lay brethren, subject to the rule of Citeaux. The order was never propagated outside of England, The rule of the order is given in full by Holstenius (tom. 2). See Hurter, Innocenz III u. s. Zeitgenossen, 4:230; Herzog, Real-Encyklop. 5:413 sq.; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Gen. 20:488.