Among the assets and interests of a number of the larger monasteries and houses of black canons the control of a borough held an important place. The history of these towns belongs strictly to that of municipal, not of monastic institutions, and though they differed in several important respects from royal boroughs and those of secular mesne lords they do not form a homogeneous group. Their origins, growth and organization were so varied and so gradual that a series of monographs would be necessary before any attempt could be made to regard them as a class. Certain characteristics can, however, be seen in many, if not in most, and almost without exception they failed to achieve the complete independence and autonomy for which they struggled, and which the other towns of England had less difficulty in securing.

The control of the monastic boroughs normally resided with the prior or abbot concerned, who was in all cases the feudal lord, but at some houses the town had in early times been allotted to the convent's share in the division of property and was therefore immediately controlled by one of the obedientiaries: thus at Bury the sacrist was in power, at Coventry the cellarer, and at Faversham the cellarer and chamberlain. In any case, the effective duties of administration and exploitation were in the hands of a secular official, the reeve, bailiff or steward, who collected the rents, taxes and fines and presided over the courts as the representative of the abbot and convent.