A medieval nunnery was similar to a monastery, a place where a community of people gathered to worship God, away from the distractions of everyday life. The strictness and austerity of the establishment could vary widely, depending upon who was in charge of the nunnery. In some cases, double houses of monks and nuns existed, such as at Whitby, where Hild, a Princess of the Northumberland Royal Family, oversaw both houses. However, double houses were more popular early in the medieval period, before the eleventh century.
Life in a Medieval Nunnery
Throughout the Middle Ages, and across the whole of Europe, medieval monasteries were typically better supported than medieval nunneries. Monasteries were better able to attract patrons, and so, had more money to run prosperous communities.
The Valor Ecclesiasticus of 1535, in the reign of Henry VIII shows that the nunneries of Yorkshire, in the North of England, ranged in value from £8 to £60; making all the nunneries in this county worth less than all but four houses of monks and canons.
Medieval nunneries, despite their aims of living separate lives to the rest of the community, did need male help to function. Men were needed to carry out the daily religious services, as women were not permitted to say Mass or give Communion, and also for manual labour on nunnery property.
What Kind of Women Became Medieval Nuns?
In theory, the vocation of nun was open to any woman. However, in practice, nunneries could be highly selective places. Wealthier houses often operated a selection process, where women were expected to bring a substantial dowry to the House upon entry, just as they would if entering into a marriage contract. Obviously, anyone without the means to raise such a dowry would be unable to enter such a house.
However, poorer houses were often glad to accept women of lesser means. The Scottish raids of 1314-1318 into the North of England, left several English nunneries, including Sinningthwaite, relying on charity to rebuild their communities.
Nunneries were often places where women who didn’t otherwise fit into society, were sent, or chose to live. For example, an illegitimate female child could be brought up in a monastery, rather than with its mother. A young woman who didn’t wish to marry, or a widow might also choose a nunnery as an alternative to life alone. And of course, the community provided protection from the attentions of would-be suitors, particularly for wealthy widows, who were particularly welcome in a nunnery, as they usually had some form of wealth or property from their marriage.
A woman could spend most of her life in a nunnery – many Houses took young girls, whom they educated. Some of these girls went back into everyday life once they grew up, others took their vows and entered religious life. Life in a medieval nunnery offered for many, a sense of community and purpose, and the chances to experience responsibility, which were not offered to women elsewhere in medieval society.
Source
Jennings, Bernard Yorkshire Monasteries Smith Settle, 1999
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