Beghards
BEGUARDS, or BO- GARDS, various spellings of a name said by some to be derived from their begging favor from God in prayer, and to the fact that they were religious mendicants. Another opinion is that they are named after St. Begghe, whom they took for their patroness. tiaries" of several monastic orders, Doprayer, In general Church history, "the terminicans and Franciscans. In a special sense, the tertiaries of the Franciscans.
By the third rule of St. Francis, those might have a certain loose connection with this order, who, without forsaking their worldly business, or forbearing to marry, yet dressed poorly, were continent, prayerful, and grave in manners. In France they they were called Beguini, and in Italy, Bizochi, and Bocasoti. They were greatly persecuted by successive Popes.
The name was also applied to certain religious people who associated themselves into a kind of monastic lodging house under a chief, while they were unmarried, retiring when they pleased. As they often supported themselves by weaving, they were sometimes called "Brother Weavers." They first attracted notice in the Netherlands in the 13th century. They were established at Antwerp in 1228, and adopted the third rule of St. Francis in 1290.