Beaulieu

Lay Brothers: The Work Force

One of the few surviving features of the Abbey is the Domus Conversorum, the living quarters of the Lay Brothers. An unusual feature of the Cistercian system was the emphasis on lay brothers, or conversi, as associates of the choir monks. They came to monastic life as adults and were monks only in the sense that they took monastic vows and wore habits. They were usually illiterate and did not take part in singing t he choral offices, although they were expected to learn simple prayers and attend services on stated occasions. The main function of the lay brother was to carry out the practical tasks like cooking, maintenance, and craft work together with the work on o utlying farms which were needed to keep the Abbey running. Their presence freed the choir monks and allowed them to spend their time solely in the service of God. The lay brother system was not unique to the Cistercians but no other religious order gave t hem such a large and well defined place.

The lay brothers lived in their own building within the Abbey complex, known today as the 'Domus'. Originally twice its present length, the remaining part of the two-storeyed building has been much restored over the years. The ground floor was used as the refectory or dining hall whilst upstairs served as the dormitory. The lay brothers were confined to their part of the Abbey by `the Lane', a passageway outside the Domus on the west side of the Cloisters, and separated from it by a wall.

The lay brothers worked from sunrise to sunset, with a 1/2 hour mid-morning break, a mid-day meal and 40 minute rest, then an afternoon break for 20 minutes. There was no work Sunday or feast days, apart from special dut ies involving livestock.

Not all the lay brothers were housed at any one time within the Abbey. The acquisition of scattered properties which had to be farmed led to a system of monastic 'granges' it was the lay brothers who were responsible for thei r management. Some of the `the Granges' were local, others as far away as the county border, but all were directed primarily to the production of corn and wool, for the use of the Abbey for export. Cattle were kept for their practical worth rather than th eir food value as the regulations of the Monastic Diet largely prohibited meat eating. The lay brother in charge of each farm unit was known as the `Master of the Grange', and under him were o ther lay brothers whose number varied according to the size of the farm. Each of them, no matter the distance they had to travel, was expected to attend services at Beaulieu Abbey on 87 days of the year, each Sunday, 25 designated feast days and for the q uarterly blood letting.

During the 14th century the numbers of lay brothers dropped dramatically, in 1270 there were about 140, in 1390 it was just 30, a trend reflected in Cistercian abbeys throughout England and Europe. The reasons are unclear: the Black Death, a severe outbreak of plague, probably played some part, but the lay brothers had grown increasingly independent and difficult to control. The Abbey economy suffered badly for there were no lay brothers to farm the `granges' and it was necess ary to lease land to private individuals. The shortage of s people to provide practical help may also have led to an increased growth in the village which was gradually developing outside the Abbey walls. By the 15th century numbers were so low that the D omus was adapted to accommodate important guests. After the Abbey closed it became the Parson's House.