What does advowson mean?
An advowson is a legal right in English ecclesiastical law: the entitlement of a patron to present a candidate to fill a vacant benefice, or church living, such as a rectory or vicarage. Historically, advowsons were treated as valuable pieces of property — they could be owned by individuals, families, monasteries, or corporations, and they were frequently bought, sold, inherited, and settled alongside manors and estates. The patron did not appoint the priest outright; rather, the right was one of presentation, meaning the patron nominated a suitable candidate whom the bishop would then examine and institute if found acceptable. Although the Church of England's system of patronage has been reformed over time, advowsons still exist today and remain legally recognized interests. The word appears mainly in legal, historical, and genealogical contexts, making it a useful term for anyone researching English land tenure, parish records, or the history of church appointments.
nounThe legal right in English ecclesiastical law to present a candidate to a vacant benefice or other church living, held by a patron such as an individual, a family, or a corporate body.
- In English ecclesiastical law, the right of a patron to present a nominee to a vacant benefice or church living.
"The advowson of the parish church had belonged to the manor since the fourteenth century."
"When the rector died, the lord of the manor exercised his advowson and presented his younger son to the living."
"The charity commission records show that the advowson was transferred to the diocese in 1923."
The plural is used when referring to multiple rights of presentation held over different benefices.
"The trust administers several advowsons across rural parishes."
For centuries, owning land in England could come with the power to hand-pick your local vicar — that property right was called an advowson.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of advowson
Advowson entered Middle English from Old French 'avoeson', which derived from the Latin 'advocatio', meaning a calling to one's aid, formed from 'ad-' (to) plus 'vocare' (to call). The same Latin root gives English words such as advocate, evoke, and convoke. The term has been used in English legal writing since the medieval period to denote the right of presentation to a benefice.
How advowson is actually used
A formal legal and historical term, encountered chiefly in English property law, ecclesiastical history, and genealogical documents; it is rare in everyday speech.
Easily confused with advowson
Advocacy means public support for a cause or person, while advowson is a specific legal right to appoint clergy to a church living.