On the Ajipropriation of the Rectory of Zacock. 359 



Eectory and Sectorial tithes were held by a monastic house. The 

 way in which these came into the possession of the various houses 

 was by Appropriation of the Eectory, as it was called ; of which 

 we shall see an example in the case of Lacock. 



The endowments of the religious houses consisted amongst other 

 things of Advowsons, or the right of presentation to various 

 benefices, usually those of the churches where the Abbey or Priory 

 was Lord of the Manor. It should be remembered, however, that 

 this implies nothing more than the right of nominating a suitable 

 person to the Bishop for institution to the benefice, not any par- 

 ticipation in the income of the living. But as it was not un- 

 common for the Eector of a well-endowed parish to procure his 

 duties to be discharged by a deputy, styled the vicarius, while he 

 himself did not reside, it seems soon to have suggested itself as a 

 possible augmentation of the monastic revenues to appoint the 

 house itself as Eector, and make arrangements for what was called 

 a perpetual vicariate. It may also have been considered that 

 regulars, as the religious were called, would ensure a more diligent 

 and conscientious discharge of the incumbent's duties than the 

 secular clergy, whom it was the fashion to represent as lax in 

 morals, and remiss in discipline. Be that, however, as it may, by 

 the time of the foundation of Lacock Abbey in 1232, the appropri- 

 ation of benefices was a recognised method of increasing the 

 income of a religious house, and was controlled by various well 

 understood regulations. The Bishop was required to make the 

 appropriation on due cause being shewn to him for so doing, and 

 all vested interests, and the spiritual oversight of the parish, had 

 to be carefully considered. A considerable number of deeds were 

 thus required to be executed, and we are fortunate in possessing 

 what seems to be a pretty complete series in the case of Lacock. 

 In this instance the matter was further complicated by the fact 

 that the Abbey possessed only half the advowson, or the right of 

 alternate presentation to the living, the other half being in the 

 hands of the lords of the manor of Lackham in the parish of 

 Lacock. 1 This seems to render it probable that in the first instance 

 1 Appendix No. I. v. note. 



