Glebe+land

In the Anglican church traditions, a **glebe** was an area of land belonging to a benefice. This was property (in addition to the parsonage house and grounds) which was assigned to support the priest. Glebe came to be land owned by the Diocese in order to provide income to pay parochial clergy. Prior to 1 April 1978 part of the endowment of many benefices consisted of glebe. This was property (apart from the parsonage house and grounds) which was owned by the Incumbent by right of his office. An Incumbent could retain the glebe for his own use or he could let it and any income formed part of the stipend. The extent and location of this land is defined in [|'Glebe Terriers'] drawn up from time to time.

From 1 April 1978 glebe ceased to belong to individual Incumbents (in order to pool resources) and by virtue of Section 15 of the Endowments and Glebe Measure 1976 glebe became owned by the Diocesan Board of Finance of the Diocese to which the benefice owning the glebe belonged.

The distribution of glebe lands within a parish suggests the former arrangement of open fields where the the priest, like other members of the community would have pieces of land, which were at any one time were under different management, scattered throughout the village.

Fig 1 Distribution of glebe land in All Saints St Nicholas (1840s) yellow = glebe land