ECR 60 11 04

Reference code

ECR 60 11 04

Title

Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction: Livings

Level

Sub-series

Administrative / Biographical history

The disposal of livings was a matter of deep interest to the Fellows, who claimed a dispensation from Queen Elizabeth allowing a living to be held in conjunction with a Fellowship, in spite of the express prohibition of the Founder. In 1766 a regular system was set up and thefirst of these volumes records the agreement of the Fellows to it. All vacant livings were to be offered first to the Provost then to the Fellows in order of seniority, for their personal use. No Fellow could hold more than one College living at a time, and if he wished for the new living he would have to resign the old. Any not claimed were offered as a "first friendly option" to the senior Fellow not to have used such an option, then as a "second friendly option". Fellows thus had a certain amount of individual patronage at their disposal, though the Provost took first and fifth turns in rotation in each class of friendly option. If a living was still not filled, the College as a whole decided who to present. The first book records various signed resolutions of the Fellows amending this system, including an indignant protest in 1781 against the Provost always having first personal choice. Conducts who had served eight years were entitled to the first vacant living no Fellow wanted as his personal option, with the exception of certain of the wealthier livings such as Burnham and Worplesdon. Adjustments were made to this list from time to time.