Advowson

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Advowson \Ad*vow"son\ (?; 277), n. [OE. avoweisoun, OF.
     avo["e]son, fr. L. advocatio. Cf. {Advocation}.] (Eng. Law)
     The right of presenting to a vacant benefice or living in the
     church. [Originally, the relation of a patron (advocatus) or
     protector of a benefice, and thus privileged to nominate or
     present to it.]


     [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: The benefices of the Church of England are in every
           case subjects of presentation. They are nearly 12,000
           in number; the advowson of more than half of them
           belongs to private persons, and of the remainder to the
           crown, bishops, deans and chapters, universities, and
           colleges. --Amer. Cyc.
           [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  advowson
       n : the right in English law of presenting a nominee to a vacant
           ecclesiastical benefice

From Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) [bouvier]:

  ADVOWSON, ecclesiastical law. From advow or advocare, a right of
  presentation to a church or benefice. He who possesses this right is called
  the patron or advocate, (q.v.) when there is no patron, or he neglects to
  exercise his right within six months, it is called a lapse, i. e. a title is
  given to the ordinary to collate to a church; when a presentation is made by
  one who has no right it is called a usurpation.
       2. Advowsons are of different kinds, as Advowson appendant, when it
  depends upon a manor, &c. - Advowson in gross, when it belongs to a person
  and not to a manor. - Advowson presentative, where the patron presents to
  the bishop. - Advowson donative, where the king or patron puts the clerk
  into possession without presentation. - Advowson of the moiety of the
  church, where there are two several patrons and two incumbents in the same
  church. - A moiety of advowson, where two must join the presentation, of one
  incumbent. - Advowson of religious houses, that which is vested in the
  person who founded such a house. Techn. Dict.; 2 Bl. Com. 21; Mirehouse on
  Advowsons; Com. Dig. Advowson, Quare Impedit; Bac. Ab. Simony; Burn's Eccl.
  Law, h.t.; Cruise's Dig. Index, h.t.