impropriation

The transfer following the dissolution of the monasteries in 1536 of the tithes and advowsons of parish churches to either the Crown or powerful lay persons. Tithes became a source of private wealth, as little tended to be passed on to the parochial curate, while advowsons were used by powerful patrons to nominate vicars of their own religious persuasion. In the 1620s the Feofees for Impropriations attempted to divert these resources for the support of a Puritan ministry, while the Arminians campaigned for institutional change to ensure that ecclesiastical rights were used for the benefit of the church, rather than private landowners.