Augustinian canon

The term ‘Augustinian canon regular’ is used to refer to the clergy of a wide range of religious establishments in the Middle Ages. From the late 11th century onwards the Rule of St Augustine of Hippo* was adopted widely by congregations of clergy who wished to live communally in the manner of the Apostles. Houses of canons subscribing to St Augustine’s Rule were founded across the whole of Europe, covering the continent from Poland to Spain and from Scandinavia to Italy (Dickinson, 1950, p. 59). Houses of Augustinian canons began to be founded in England and other parts of the British Isles from the early 12th century and, by the end of the Middle Ages, they were the most numerous...