Editing Minories (section)

== Toponymy ==
Minories' name is derived from the former [[Abbey of the Minoresses of St. Clare without Aldgate]], founded in 1294.<ref>"The City Churches" Tabor, M. p128:London; The Swarthmore Press Ltd; 1917.</ref> The ''minoresses'' were nuns, the name being an anglicisation of the latin ''sorores minores'' ("little sisters"), a name they took out of humility.

The Abbey was also known as the Abbey of St Clare, and by a variety of other variations.{{refn|group=nb|Also known variously as the Abbey of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Aldgate, the House of Minoresses of the Order of St Clare of the Grace of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Minoresses without Aldgate,  St Clare outside Aldgate and the Minories, London.}} The Abbey was a house of the Order of [[Clare of Assisi |St Clare of Assisi]] founded by St Clare, one of the first followers of [[Francis of Assisi|St Francis of Assisi]]. The order was and is the female branch of the Order of St Francis or [[Order of Friars Minor]] known as [[Franciscans]].
[[File:Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God Monastery, Feira de Santana, Brazil (Poor Clares).JPG|thumb|Modern Minoresses at the Immaculate Conception Monastery, Feira de Santana, Brazil]]

As an expression of humility, the male Franciscans had adopted for themselves the Latin term ''fratres minores'' ("lesser or little brothers"), rendered in English as "friars minor" or just "minors". In a similar way, the female Franciscans were known in Latin as ''sorores minores'' ("lesser or little sisters"), anglicised to "minoresses".

Members of the order were also known as [[Poor Clares]] or Clarisses, and the name St. Clare Street, just off the Minories reflects that. 
The name Minories can be found in other English towns, including [[Birmingham]], [[Colchester]], [[Newcastle upon Tyne]] and [[Stratford-upon-Avon]].

{{AI1|image=Map of London, 1300.svg|image-width=1000|image-left=-650|image-top=-140|width=350|height=430|float=left|caption= London around 1300: The [[Abbey of the Minoresses of St. Clare without Aldgate]] (or Abbey of St. Clare) is shown, sited on the road now known as Minories, which runs from [[Aldgate]] to [[Tower Hill]]. The road is immediately outside [[London Wall|London's Wall]] and its defensive ditch.}}