ADVOWSON APPENDANT Meaning and
Definition
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Advowson appendant refers to the legal right or entitlement to present a candidate for a vacant ecclesiastical benefice, such as a parish church, to a bishop or archbishop. The term "advowson" is derived from the Latin "advocatio" meaning "advocacy" or "right of patronage."
In English law and ecclesiastical practice, advowsons were historically granted to lords of manors or other significant landowners as a privilege and source of power. This right allowed them to nominate and present a member of the clergy for appointment to a benefice within their own jurisdiction or the patronage of a higher ecclesiastical authority. An advowson could be "appendant" to a specific manor or property, which meant it was inherent to and associated with that particular landholding.
An advowson appendant could be inherited, bought, or sold separate from the land it was attached to. If the advowson appendant was separated from the land, it could be bought and owned by different individuals or entities, who had the power to present a candidate for the benefice.
The right to present a candidate for a benefice was not absolute and subject to certain limitations imposed by ecclesiastical laws and regulations. Additionally, the bishop or archbishop had the final authority to accept or reject the presented candidate, although they typically gave significant weight to the patron's preference.
Advowson appendant represents an important aspect of ecclesiastical and legal history, demonstrating the relationship between landownership, patronage, and the appointment of clergy in medieval and early modern England.
Etymology of ADVOWSON APPENDANT
The word "advowson" is derived from the Anglo-French word "avoeson" or "avoesoun", which came from the Old French word "avoveison" meaning "admission" or "presentation to a benefice". This, in turn, ultimately originated from the Latin word "advocatio", which means "patronage" or "protection".
The word "appendant" is derived from the Old French word "appendant", which means "appurtenant" or "that which is attached". It came from the Latin word "appendere", which means "to hang" or "to attach".
Thus, the term "advowson appendant" combines these two words to refer to a type of advowson, which denotes the right to appoint a priest or clergyman to a vacant benefice (a church position with revenue attached).
