Regular Canons of St SEPULCHRE, a religious order, formerly instituted at Jerusalem in honour of the holy sepulchre, or the tomb of Jesus Christ.
Many of these canons were brought from the Holy Land into Europe, particularly into France, by Louis the Younger; into Poland, by Jaxa, a Polish gentleman; into Flanders, by the counts of that country; and many also came into England. This order was, however, suppressed by Pope Innocent VIII., who gave its revenues and effects to that of our Lady of Bethlem; and this also becoming extinct, they were bestowed on the knights of St John of Jerusalem. But the suppression did not take effect in Poland, where they still subsist, as also in several provinces of Germany. These canons follow the rule of St Augustin.