I understand that glebe land was originally owned by a church and income from the land was part of the rector's income. This was altered in 1976 when glebe land was taken into the ownership of the diocese. I'd be grateful if anyone could tell me what would have happened to the proceeds from the sale of the land prior to 1976. Don Tomkinson

Hello Don, "Prior to 1976" covers an awful lot of years and Parliament and the Church was not quiet on the matter in that somewhat extended period ! If you can get hold of a copy of "Ecclesiastical Law", reprinted from Halsbury's "Laws of England" there are several pages on the subject with many references in small print. Record Offices or good local reference libraries should have a copy. In so far as any six or seven-line summary can remotely approach the truth, "all money paid on any sale, exchange or partition, except where the sale is in consideration of a rent-charge, is to be paid to the Church Commissioners. The proceeds "may be reinvested by the commissioners in lands convenient to be held by the corporation on whose behalf the money was received, .......If the incumbent so requests the whole or any part of the sum.......... may be applied in redeeming any annual or other periodical sums charged in perpetuity on the benefice .............or in or in defraying the cost of improvements to the parsonage house............ I think you might be better off making a trip to the library !! Jim Halsey On 12/30/06, Donald Tomkinson <[email protected]> wrote: > I understand that glebe land was originally owned by a church and > income from the land was part of the rector's income. This was altered > in 1976 when glebe land was taken into the ownership of the diocese. > I'd be grateful if anyone could tell me what would have happened to > the proceeds from the sale of the land prior to 1976. > > Don Tomkinson >