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From: Harry Duckworth <>
Subject: Re: ? re phrase in early English records
Date: Tue, 5 Mar 1996 19:22:17 GMT

"Presented to the Church of so-and-so" means appointed to be priest of
the parish of so-and-so. During the Middle Ages and well into the
modern period in England, certain people or institutions possessed, as
an item of property, the right to "present" its priest to a particular
parish. This right could be bought and sold, or left in a will. It
could belong to the King, to a bishop, to a member of the lay
aristocracy, to a college of Oxford or Cambridge, or to someone else.
The right was valuable because it provided a way to give a good job to a
family member, or someone to whom a favour was to be done.

Harry Duckwort

This thread:

• ? re phrase in early English records by "Alan C. Wright, Prof. of Chemistry" <>

  • Re: ? re phrase in early English records by Harry Duckworth <>