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Women
Early Cistercian legislation forbade the reception
of women, although those who were dignified might be refreshed
in
the vill.(11) By the mid-twelfth
century the General
Chapter made concessions and it was agreed that women might
enter the church on the day of its dedication and the Octave,
but breastfeeding women were still prohibited.(12)
Over the years individual abbeys might negotiate more flexible
terms and in 1401 the abbot of Kirkstall was notified of a papal
receipt
permitting women to enter his church on those days when access
was given to men.(13) Whilst
women were allowed into the church on certain stated occasions
they were
still forbidden from entering any of the other buildings.
In April 1244 the queen received permission
from Innocent IV (1243-54) that she and ten of her women
might
enter the oratories and cloisters of Cistercian and other
religious houses for prayers, notwithstanding other customs;
in 1250 Innocent IV allowed noble women in, but they were
not
allowed to send the night or to eat meat (Statutes II
1250: 23).
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Those who disregarded these rules were punished:
in 1246 the prior and cellarer of Beaulieu
were dismissed for they had served meat to guests attending the
dedication of the church and had permitted Queen Eleanor to stay
in the infirmary for almost three weeks to tend the young Prince
Edward, who had taken ill after the ceremony.(14)
Clearly, as far as the General Chapter was concerned, there were
to be no concessions to status, or at least, any concessions simply
extended to their admittance and not include overnight stays. This
is quite different to the Benedictines - in the twelfth century
Abbot Geoffrey of St Albans (1119-46) actually constructed a chamber
for the queen(15) (thalamus
reginae), where she might reside when visiting the abbey;
the chronicler of St Albans states that she was the only woman
permitted
to stay within the precinct.(16)
By the fifteenth century there were, however, further concessions.
Following a visitation of Hailes
Abbey in 1437, it was agreed that whilst no women should stay the
night within the abbey precinct, an exception was made if any
of
the monks mothers and sisters had travelled a long distance
to visit. Any monk of the house who wished to speak with a female
had to do so in the hall, in the presence of the prior or his deputy;
if a monk introduced women in suspicious circumstances
he was to be excommunicated.(17)
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