Editing Glebe (section)

==Medieval origins==
In the [[Roman Catholic]], [[Anglican]] and [[Presbyterian]] traditions, a glebe is land belonging to a [[benefice]] and so by default to its [[incumbent (ecclesiastical)|incumbent]].  In other words, "glebe is land (in addition to or including the parsonage house/rectory and grounds) which was assigned to support the priest".{{sfn|Coredon|2007|p=140}}

The word ''glebe'' itself comes from [[Middle English]], from the [[Old French]] {{lang|fro|glèbe}} (originally from {{langx|la|gleba}} or {{lang|la|glaeba}}, "clod, land, soil").

Glebe land can include strips in the [[open-field system]] or portions grouped together into a compact plot of land.{{sfn|McGurk|1970|p=17}} In early times,{{Clarify timeframe|date=March 2022}} [[tithes]] provided the main means of support for the parish clergy, but glebe land was either granted by any [[lord of the manor]] of the church's parish (sometimes the manor would have boundaries coterminous with the parish but in most instances it would be smaller),<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.british-history.ac.uk/place.aspx?region=2 |title= Institute of Historical Research |work= History of the County of Oxfordshire, of Surrey, of Sussex etc.}}{{Verify source|date=May 2016|reason= The link needs to be to a section that contains this fact not (as it is in May 2016) a link to a whole library of books}}</ref> or accumulated from other donations of particular pieces of land.  Occasionally all or part of the glebe was  [[wikt:appropriate#Verb|appropriated]], ''devoted'' or ''assigned'' to a [[priory]] or [[college]]. In the case where the whole glebe was given to [[impropriator]]s they would become the [[lay rector]](s)<ref name=styles/> (plural where the land is now subdivided), in which case the general law of [[tithe]]s would resume on that land, and in England and Wales [[chancel repair liability]] would now apply to the lay rectors just as it had to the [[rector (ecclesiastical)|rector]].

The amount of such land varied from parish to parish, occasionally forming a complete '''glebe farm'''.<ref>Such as the Glebe Farm {{harv|Styles|1945|pp=31–42}}.</ref> From 1571 onwards, the incumbent of the benefice would  record information about the glebe at ecclesiastical visitations in a "[[glebe terrier]]" (Latin ''terra'', land).{{sfn|Hey|1996|p=204}} Glebe land could also entail complete farms, individual fields, houses ([[messuage]]s), mills or works.   A holder of a benefice could retain the glebe for his own use, usually for agricultural exploitation, or he could  [[Farm (revenue commutation)|"farm"]] it (i.e., lease it, a term also used){{sfn|Malden|1911|pp=107–111}} to others and retain a rent as income.{{sfn|McGurk|1970|p=17}}