Religion:Chopchurch

From HandWiki

A chop-church, or church-chopper, was a parson who made a practice of exchanging ecclesiastical benefices and other terrenal favors.[clarification needed] The term is used in an ancient statute as a lawful trade, or occupation. An example, where the spelling is 'chopchyrche', occurs as the occupation of John Charles of Bishop's Milford, Wiltshire, as a defendant in a plea of debt, for 40/- (forty shillings) brought by John Wyot, merchant of Salisbury.[1]

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainChambers, Ephraim, ed (1728). "article name needed". Cyclopædia, or an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences (first ed.). James and John Knapton, et al. 

Notes

  1. National Archives; Plea Rolls of the Common Pleas, dated 1440; CP40 / 0717; http://aalt.law.uh.edu/AALT1/H6/CP40no717/aCP40no717fronts/IMG_0497.htm (entry number 3)