though some secondary literature speak of the nuns brought to launch the new english abbey being of spanish origin, in all probability they came from france, and more exactly from longchamp, founded by blanche’s aunt, isabella. we know that around 1293-1294 another house of minoresses founded in england at waterbeach in cambridgeshire was populated by a group from longchamp under the command of a former abbess of longchamp, jeanne of nevers. moreover, the rule prescribed for the aldgate nuns by pope boniface viii was that of longchamp. that the isabella rule was in fact implemented at aldate can be seen from a 15th-century english-language manuscript once belonging to the abbey, and whose text represents the isabella rule. as to the choice of women franciscans for both longchamp and aldgate, an indication of the impetus of the franciscan movement can be gained from the fact that in france alone, between 1220 and 1534 some 328 male franciscan houses were founded.