In the Church of England, the legal right to appoint or recommend a parish priest is called an advowson, and its possessor is known as a patron. The patron can be a person or else or jointly or by rotation, the Crown, a bishop, a college, other Christian body, or a charity. Appointment (being invested as) a parish priest gave the incumbent many more privileges than today of having their benefice also termed a living – notably a wide range of lower to upper middle class incomes, depending on the type of benefice, hence most old summaries of parishes state the gross or net value of a living, whether present or in the Tudor-period King's Books which is an indicative starting point. The strength of the rights waned markedly after the Tudor period. However, Oxford and Cambridge colleges if enjoying status as improprietors of the foregoing rectory of the parish would often nominate a candidate theologian to the diocesan bishop. Appointment is governed under the Patronage (Benefices) Rules 1987.
