Ecclesiastical Commissioners Act 1850

XXII Benefices annexed to Sees of Gloucester and Bristol, Oxford, and Peterborough to be severed from the Sees.

And whereas certain Benefices with Cure of Souls are annexed to or have long been accustomably held with the several Sees of Gloucester and Bristol, Oxford, and Peterborough; and it is expedient that such Benefices should be severed from the said Sees, and that the Endowments thereof should be applied as herein-after mentioned : Be it enacted, That so soon as conveniently may be the said several Benefices shall, by the Authority by the secondly and thirdly recited Acts provided, be detached and dissevered from the said Sees respectively, and the Tithes, Glebe, and other Endowments belonging to the said Benefices respectively shall, by the like Authority, by means of Division of United Parishes, Endowment of District Churches, or such other Arrangements as the Case may require, be distributed and appropriated in such Manner, within the Limits of the respective Parishes, as shall be deemed most conducive to the Spiritual Welfare of the Inhabitants thereof respectively; and that immediately from and after the Severance of each such Benefice the same shall, subject to such Distribution and Appropriation as aforesaid, be a Rectory or Vicarage, as the Case may be, with Cure of Souls, in the Patronage of the Bishop of the Diocese from which the same shall have been severed, and his Successors, but subject nevertheless to the Provisions of the first-recited Act relating to the Patronage of Bishops; and there shall be assigned, by such Authority as-aforesaid, to the Bishop in possession of each such Benefice at the Time of such its Severance from his See, an annual Sum, to be paid to him so long as he shall continue Bishop of the same See, out of the Funds in the Hands of the said Ecclesiastical Commissioners, not exceeding in Amount the average annual net Income theretofore accruing to such Bishop from such Benefice, after deducting all Charges thereupon and Outgoings therefrom, including for the Stipend or Stipends of any Curate or Curates employed by such Bishop the Rate of Stipend now by Law payable in the like Case to the Curate of nonresident Incumbents, or such greater Stipend or Stipends as shall have been actually paid by such Bishop: Provided always, that the Patronage of each such Benefice shall in the first instance be exercised in favour of the Curate (or of the Curate first licensed, if there be more than One Curate,) performing the Spiritual Duties of the Parish at the Time of the Severance, if he shall have performed such Duties for the Seven Years at the least last preceding such Severance.