PRE 



PRE 





PRAYER, in theology, a petiUon put 

 up to God, either for the obtaining some 

 future favour, or the returning of thanks 

 for a past one. 



PREBEND, the maintenance a pre- 

 bendary receives out of the estate of a 

 cathedral or collegiate church. Prebends 

 are distinguished into simple and digni- 

 tary ; a simple prebend has no more than 

 the revenue for its support : but a pre- 

 bend with dignity, has always a jurisdic- 

 tion annexed to it. 



PREBENDARY, an ecclesiastic who 

 enjoys a prebend. The difference be- 

 tween a prebendary and a canon is, that 

 the former receives his prebend, in con- 

 sideration of his officiating in the church ; 

 but the latter merely by his being re- 

 ceived into the cathedral or college. 



PREBEXDARY, golden, of Hereford, called 

 also prebendarius episcopus, is one of the 

 twenty-eight minor prebendaries, who 

 lias, ex officio, the first canon's place that 

 falls. He was anciently confessor of the 

 bishop and cathedral, and had the offer- 

 ings at the altar ; on which account he 

 was called the golden prebendary. 



PRECEDENCE, or PRECEDEXCY, a 

 place of honour to which a person is en- 

 titled : this is either of courtesy or of 

 right. The former is that which is due 

 to age, estate, &c. which is regulated by 

 custom and civility : the latter is settled 

 by authority, and when broken in upon, 

 gives an action at law. 



The order of precedency, which is ob- 

 served in general, is this : that persons of 

 every degree of honour or dignity take 

 place according to the seniority of their 

 creation, and not of years, unless they 

 are descended from the blood-royal ; in 

 which case, they have place of all others 

 of the same degree. 



The younger sons of the preceding 

 rank take place from the eldest son of 

 the next mediate, viz. the younger sons 

 of Dukes from the eldest sons of Earls ; 

 the younger sons of Earls from the eldest 

 sons of Barons. All the chain of prece- 

 dency is founded upon this gradation, and 

 thus settled by act of parliament, 31 

 Henry VIII. c. 10, anno 1539. 



But there have been since some altera- 

 tions made in this act, by several decrees 

 and establishments in the succeeding 

 reigns, whereby all the sons of Viscounts 

 and Barons are allowed to precede Baro- 

 nets. And the eldest sons and daughters 

 of Baronets have place given them be- 

 fore the eldest sons and daughters of any 

 Knights, of what degree or order soever, 



though superior to that of a Baronet , 

 these being but temporary dignities, 

 whereas that of Baronets is hereditary : 

 and the younger sons of Baronets are 

 to have place next after the eldest of 

 Knights. 



There are some great officers of state, 

 who take place, although they are not 

 noblemen, above the nobility of higher 

 degrees ; so there are some persons, 

 who, for their dignities in the church, 

 degrees in the universities, and inns of 

 court, officers in the state, or army, al- 

 though they are neither knights, nor gen- 

 tlemen born, yet take place amongst 

 them. Thus, all colonels and field-offi- 

 cers who are honourable, as also the mas- 

 ter of the ordnance, quarter-master gene- 

 ral, doctors of divinity, law, physic, and 

 music ; deans, chancellors, prebendaries, 

 heads of colleges in universities, and Ser- 

 jeants at law, are, by courtesy, allow- 

 ed place before ordinary Esquires. And 

 all bachelors of divinity, law, physic, and 

 music ; masters of arts, barristers in the 

 inns of courts; lieutenant-colonels, ma- 

 jors, captains, and other commissioned 

 military officers ; and divers patent offi- 

 cers in the King's household may equal, 

 if not precede, any gentleman that has 

 none of these qualifications. 



In towns corporate, the inhabitants of 

 cities are preferred to those of boroughs ; 

 and those who have borne magistracy to 

 all others. And herein a younger alder- 

 man takes not precedency from his senior 

 being knighted, or as being the elder 

 Knight, as was the case of Alderman 

 Craven, who, though no Knight, had 

 place, as senior alderman, before all the 

 rest who were Knights, at the coronation 

 of King James. This is to be understood 

 as to public meetings relating to the 

 town ; for it is doubted whether it will 

 hold good in any neutral place. It has 

 been also determined in the Earl Mar- 

 shal's court of honour, that all who have 

 been Lord Mayors of London, shall every 

 where take place of all Knights-bache- 

 lors, because they have been the King's 

 lieutenants. 



It is also quoted by Sir George Mac- 

 kenzie, in his Observations on Prece- 

 dency, that in the case of Sir John Crook, 

 Serjeant at law, it was adjudged by the 

 judges in court, that such Serjeants as 

 were his seniors, though not knighted, 

 should have preference notwithstanding 

 his knighthood. The precedency among 

 men is as follows : 



