Pluralities Act 1850

The term “benefice” in this Act shall be taken to mean benefice with the cure of souls, and no other, and therein to comprehend all parishes, perpetual curacies, donatives, endowed public chapels, parochial chapelries, and chapelries or districts belonging or reputed to belong, or annexed or reputed to be annexed, to any church or chapel, anything in any other Act to the contrary notwithstanding.

Anything in the F4M1Pastoral Measure 1968 to the contrary notwithstanding it shall not be lawful for any spiritual person, being head ruler of any college or hall within either of the universities of Oxford or Cambridge, or being warden of the university of Durham, and also holding any benefice, to take and hold there with any cathedral preferment or any other benefice, or for any such spiritual person, also holding any cathedral preferment, to take and hold therewith any benefice: Provided always, that nothing in this Act contained shall be construed to prevent any such spiritual person from holding any benefices or cathedral preferment permanently attaching to or forming part of the endowment of his office.

And Whereas no Faculty or Dispensation has been granted for the holding of Two or more Benefices in that Part of the United Kingdom called Ireland for upwards of Twenty Years last past, and it is expedient to prevent the future Grant thereof: Be it therefore enacted, That no Faculty or Dispensation shall be granted to any Spiritual Person to hold Two or more Benefices in Ireland; and that if any Spiritual Person, holding or taking any Benefice in Ireland, shall take or accept of any other Benefice to the holding whereof together with the Benefice so previously held a Faculty or Dispensation would before the passing of this Act have been necessary, and shall be admitted, licensed, or instituted to the same, every Benefice so previously held by such Spiritual Person shall be and become ipso facto void as if he had died or had resigned the same, any Law, Statute, Canon, or Usage to the contrary nothwithstanding;