Gertrude More

Dame Gertrude More (born as Helen More, 25 March 1606, Low Leyton, Essex, England - died 17 August 1633, Cambrai, France) was a nun of the English Benedictine Congregation and chief founder of Stanbrook Abbey.

Her father, Cresacre More, was great-grandson of Thomas More; her mother, Elizabeth Gage, was sister of Sir John Gage, Bt. of Firle, Sussex, Lord Chamberlain to Queen Mary. Her mother died at early age and Helen's father became responsible for her care and education. Dom Benet Jones, a Benedictine monk, encouraged her to join his projected religious foundation, Our Lady of Comfort, in Cambrai. She was the first of nine postulants admitted to the order on 31 December 1623. Helen More came under the influence of Augustine Baker and took the religious name of Gertrude. Catherine Gascoigne, one of her peers, was chosen ahead of her as abbess.

Later, doubts arising as to More's mode of prayer, formal inquiry was made, resulting in approval at the General Chapter in 1633 during the sessions of which Dame Gertrude died from smallpox.^{[citation needed]}

Posthumous

Some papers found after her death and arranged by Father Baker, were afterwards published in two separate works: one entitled The Holy Practices of a Divine Lover, or the Sainctly Ideot's Devotions (Paris, 1657); the other, Confessiones Amantis, or Spiritual Exercises, or Ideot's Devotions, to which was prefixed her Apology, for herself and for her spiritual guide (Paris, 1658).

References

• Archive of Gertrude More's writings
• Catholic Encyclopaedia
• Biodata

Persondata
Name	More, Helen
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	25 March 1606
Place of birth
Date of death	17 August 1633
Place of death