The work of the Lay Brothers made it possible for the monks to concentrate on the real work of the monastery, the worship of God. There were usually two or three times as many lay brothers as monks.
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As the abbeys were given more and more land, granges, or farmhouses, were built so that the lay brothers could live near enough to their work.
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The fall in population during the 14th century led to a sharp reduction in the number of men wishing to be lay brothers.
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