Aprebendary is a member of theCatholic orAnglicanclergy, a form ofcanon with a role in the administration of acathedral orcollegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of thechoir stalls, known asprebendal stalls.
At the time of theDomesday Book in 1086, thecanons anddignitaries of the cathedrals ofEngland were supported by the produce and other profits from the cathedral estates.[2] In the early 12th century, the endowedprebend 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.[3] Part of the endowment was retained in a common fund, known inLatin ascommunia,[4] which was used to provide bread and money to a canon in residence in addition to the income from his prebend.[2]
Most prebends disappeared in 1547, when nearly allcollegiate churches inEngland and Wales were dissolved by theAct for the Dissolution of Collegiate Churches and Chantries of that year, as part of theReformation. The church ofSt Endellion, Cornwall, is one of the fewstill extant.[5][6]
The office of prebendary is retained by certainChurch of Englanddioceses (those ofLichfield,Lincoln, andLondon 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.[7] Prebendaries have a prebendal stall in certain cathedrals and collegiate churches.[8]
Thegreater 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]
Wells Cathedral andSaint 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.
Theprebend is the form ofbenefice held by a prebendary; historically, thestipend 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.
The Rector of St Endellion is also a Prebendary. This church is run by a college of priests like St George's Chapel, Windsor.