August 386, is where it is believed that the beginnings of the Augustinian Monasteries began. Augustine on hearing a child's voice singing, was prompted to take up his scroll of scriptures and open them at random. The writings revealed the words 'Now is the time for you to rouse yourself from sleep...' Romans 13.11. On reading this, he was immediately converted to the Lord. His friend Alypius did the same and read 'Be patient with those weak in faith', Romans 14.1 and he was also immediately converted. As friends they made a decision in that moment to live their lives as celibates, without property and in total pursuit of God. St. Augustine's conversion is intimately connected with his monastic life.
The following year Augustine returned to his home Algeria in Africa. He converted his patrimony (an inheritance from a father or ancestor, a church, estate or revenue) into his first monastery. Years later the old Bishop Valerian persuaded Augustine to be ordained presbyter (an elder or pastor of the early Christian church, a minister or priest in rank between bishop and deacon) with the rite of succession as Bishop of Hippo. At the same time he granted him a garden for a monastery.
As Bishop of Hippo he continued to live as a monk with his brothers according to his first biographer Possidius, also a monk. Augustine wrote his monastic rule during this time, firstly for men and not long after for women. Augustine chose ten of his monks to become bishops including Possidius who became Bishop of Calama. Augustine established monastic life in the west and also sacerdotal (priestly) monasticism, in which ordained clerics form a vital part of the brotherhood.
In 430 A.D. on August 28th Augustine died. Not long afterwards the Vandals invaded Africa and Augustinian monasticism, fell into the background. During the next seven centuries there are glimpses of men and women living under the rule of St. Augustine, but it is not until the eleventh century that Augustinian's a regularly mentioned.
In 1106, the Augustinian's came to Britain establishing an Abbey in Colchester. This would tie in nicely with the founding of Markby Priory in 1160. As priests they were found running schools, hospitals, almshouses as well as churches. Their name of Black Canon derived from the wearing of a black hooded cloak over a black cassock.
*Information adapted from The Monastery of the Servants of God of St. Augustine Orland Florida.
