Church

A Dictionary of London by Henry A Harben.

This word was employed in early times to denote (1) A Christian community organised as a self-governing unit for administrative purposes. (2) The spiritual and administrative charge of some dependent section of such a unit. (3) The temporal emoluments and profits belonging to such a unit or to some section of it. Prior to the 13th century, the term so used never included tithes.


Oratories or altars served by a single priest are the origin of most of the village churches the word oratory (oratoria) meaning a prayer station. They were also called capellae (chapels). The clergy who ministered at these oratories were the mass-priests of their founders, and their patrons levied tribute on the offerings made by the faithful in such chapelries. There was no compulsion to pay tithes to them.

In the 12th century the term "church" was applied to these oratories.

See Churches.

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