Monastic Orders

Monastic orders are a group of people living under a religious rule. The basic building block of it is seclusion and withdrawal from society for the people who choose to be a part. It is literally the act or “dwelling alone”, when the word is Monasticism is broken down in the Greek language. Monks take a religious vow, and the ultimate goal is to be above the rest of society. It is a lifetime commitment to spiritual work, and are actually present in multiple religions. In the time of Chaucer’s novel, The Canterbury Tales, there were many monastic orders in Britain. They include: Augustinians, Benedictines, Carmelites, Carthusians, Cistercians, Cluniacs, Dominicans, Franciscans, Gilbertines, Premonstratensians, and Tironensians. Between 1536 and 1541, Henry VII closed all British monasteries. Eventually, during the Victorian times, they were re-opened in Britain, along with convents.
The more recognized monastic order is Benedictines, as it is the oldest British monastic order and had more monasteries than any other kind in all of Europe. The biggest communities in this order were Abbeys (rules by Abbots), and Priories (rules by priors). There are also monks and nuns, who may also be known as monastics. Monks in this monastic order worked with education, books, copying old manuscripts, and starting new schools and universities around where they lived and worked. Monks here were also known for wearing black. An example of a current Benedictine monastery is the Downside Abbey.

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10459a.htm
http://www.request.org.uk/main/history/middle/monastery02.htm
http://www.wordwebonline.com/en/MONASTICORDER