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Simple English definitions for legal terms
donative advowson
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A quick definition of donative advowson:
A donative advowson is a type of right in the church where the person who owns it can give a church position to someone without needing permission from a bishop. This used to be the only way to give church positions in England a long time ago. The person who owns the donative advowson is called the patron and they can give the position to someone by simply giving it as a gift. Nowadays, this type of right has been changed to a different type called the advowson presentative.
A more thorough explanation:
A donative advowson is a type of advowson in which the patron has the right to put a cleric in possession by a mere gift, or deed of donation, without any presentation to the bishop. This means that the patron can choose who will fill the vacant benefice without needing approval from the bishop.
For example, if a wealthy individual decides to build a church and endow it with funds, they may choose to have a donative advowson. This would allow them to select the clergyman who will serve the church without needing to go through the formal process of presenting the nominee to the bishop.
Donative advowsons were common in England in the past, but they were converted into presentative advowsons by the Benefices Act of 1898. Presentative advowsons require the patron to present the nominee to the bishop for approval before they can be instituted as the new clergyman.