Prebendary

2025-09-24T04:18:37Z

2A00:23C7:C8BC:C501:8489:CAA5:734D:5C26: Added country

{{short description|Member of clergy}}
{{wikt | prebendary}}
[[File:Salisbury Cathedral Quire.jpg|thumb|Prebendal stalls in the Choir of [[Salisbury Cathedral]] in England<ref>See list of holders in 'Canons residentiary of Salisbury', in ''Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541-1857'': Volume 6, Salisbury Diocese, ed. Joyce M. Horn (London, 1986), [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/fasti-ecclesiae/1541-1847/vol6/pp93-105 pp. 93-105]</ref>]]
A '''prebendary''' is a member of the [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] or [[Anglicanism |Anglican]] [[clergy]], a form of [[canon (priest) |canon]] with a role in the administration of a [[cathedral]] or [[collegiate church]]. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of the [[Choir (architecture) |choir]] stalls, known as '''prebendal stalls'''.

==History==
At the time of the [[Domesday Book]] in 1086, the [[Canon (priest)|canons]] and [[Ecclesiastical dignitary|dignitaries]] of the cathedrals of [[Kingdom of England|England]] were supported by the produce and other profits from the cathedral estates.<ref name =hobbs14>{{Citation | first = Diane E | last = Greenaway | contribution = The Medieval Cathedral | editor-first = Mary | editor-last = Hobbs | title = Chichester Cathedral: An Historical Survey | publisher = Phillimore & Co | page = 14}}.</ref> In the early 12th century, the endowed '''prebend''' was developed as an institution, in possession of which a cathedral official had a fixed and independent income. This made the cathedral canons independent of the bishop, and created posts that attracted the younger sons of the nobility.<ref>{{Citation | first = Norman F | last = Cantor | title = The Civilization of the Middle Ages | year = 1993 | page = 381}}.</ref> Part of the endowment was retained in a common fund, known in [[Latin]] as ''communia'',<ref>{{cite book |last=Walcott |first=M.E.C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2iBWAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA120 |title=Cathedralia: a constitutional history of Cathedrals of the Western Church. Being an account of the various dignities, offices, and ministries of their members, etc |publisher=Joseph Masters |year=1865 |location=London |page=120 |access-date=20 April 2022}}</ref> which was used to provide bread and money to a canon in residence in addition to the income from his prebend.<ref name=hobbs14 />

Most prebends disappeared in 1547, when nearly all [[Collegiate church|collegiate churches]] in [[England and Wales]] were dissolved by the ''Act for the Dissolution of Collegiate Churches and Chantries'' of that year, as part of the [[English Reformation|Reformation]]. The church of [[Church of St Endelienta, St Endellion|St Endellion]], Cornwall, is one of the few [[List of collegiate churches in England|still extant]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The Reliquary and Illustrated Archaeologist,: A Quarterly Journal and Review Devoted to the Study of Early Pagan and Christian Antiquities of Great Britain|url=https://archive.org/details/reliquaryandill02unkngoog|year=1893|publisher=J. R. Smith.|pages=[https://archive.org/details/reliquaryandill02unkngoog/page/n213 194]}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The best of Betjeman|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eShRAQAAIAAJ|year=1978|isbn=978-0-7195-3555-0|page=150 |quote=The Rector of St Endellion is also a Prebendary. This church is run by a college of priests like St George's Chapel, Windsor.| last1=Betjeman | first1=John | last2=Guest | first2=John }}</ref>

The office of prebendary is retained by certain [[Church of England]] [[diocese]]s (those of [[Diocese of Lichfield|Lichfield]], [[Diocese of Lincoln|Lincoln]], and [[Diocese of London|London]] being significant examples) as an honorary title for senior parish priests, usually awarded in recognition of long and dedicated service to the diocese. These priests are entitled to be called "Prebendary" (usually shortened to Preb.) and have a role in the administration of the relevant cathedral.<ref>Cutts, E. L. (1895) ''A Dictionary of the Church of England''; 3rd ed. London: SPCK, p. 476.</ref> Prebendaries have a prebendal stall in certain cathedrals and collegiate churches.<ref>[http://www.debretts.com/forms-address/professions/religion/church-england/prebendary "Prebendary, Church of England", Debretts] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150316012721/http://www.debretts.com/forms-address/professions/religion/church-england/prebendary |date=2015-03-16 }}</ref>

The [[Chapter (religion)|greater chapter]] of a cathedral includes both the residentiary canons (full-time senior cathedral clergy) and the prebendaries (and, in London, the Minor Canons). In the Church of England, when a diocesan bishop retires, moves to another diocese or dies, the monarch will summon the greater chapter to elect a successor. This election is ceremonial, as the monarch (following the advice of the prime minister) tells the members of the greater chapter whom they are to elect.{{Citation needed|date=April 2022}}

[[Wells Cathedral]] and [[Saint Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin]] still call their canons "prebendaries". They form the chapter of the cathedral and sit in their prebendal stalls when in residence in the cathedral.

==Prebend==
The ''prebend'' is the form of [[benefice]] held by a prebendary; historically, the [[stipend]] attached to it was usually drawn from specific sources in the income of a cathedral's estates. In the 21st century, many remaining prebendaries hold an honorary position which does not carry an income with it.

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* Lists of prebendaries in England and Wales since 1066: {{Citation | title = Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae | publisher = British History Online | type = series | contribution-url = http://www.british-history.ac.uk/catalogue.asp?type=false&gid=39 | contribution = 1066–1300}}; [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/catalogue.asp?type=false&gid=40 1300–1541] and [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/catalogue.asp?type=false&gid=41 1541–1857]
*[[Prebendaries of Aylesbury]] - The prebend of Aylesbury was attached to the See of Lincoln as early as 1092

[[Category:Anglican ecclesiastical offices]]
[[Category:Local Christian church officials]]
[[Category:Ecclesiastical titles]]

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Prebendary