Church Patronage (Scotland) Act 1711

The Church Patronage (Scotland) Act 1711 or Patronage Act is an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain (10 Ann. C A P. XII). The long title of the act is An Act to restore the Patrons to their ancient Rights of presenting Ministers to the Churches vacant in that Part of Great Britain called Scotland. Its purpose was to allow the noble and other Patrons in Scotland to gain control over the Church of Scotland parish churches again, having lost that custom in the so-called Glorious Revolution.

The Roman Catholic Church in Scotland received large endowments of land, from the Monarch or landowners, to support Parishes, Abbeys, etc, often with the condition that the donor and his heirs had the right to nominate a suitable cleric or clerics to the enjoy the proceeds of the endowment. In the absence of a specific Patron, the Pope was regarded as the universal Patron. His patronage was exercised through local bishops.

The Church in Scotland was Reformed under the guidance of John Knox and other Reformers. The King took over the lands of Abbeys and Bishoprics, turning many into Lordships for his supporters, or giving some of them to Universities or Town Councils. The lands associated with supporting Parish clergy – or Ministers, as they were now called – were generally undisturbed. The King took over the role of default Patron, in the absence of any specific Patron. The First Book of Discipline (1560) and the Second Book of Discipline (1578) laid down the rules for the reformed Church of Scotland . Both stipulated that Ministers should be chosen by congregations. The First Book never became civil law, and neither did the part of the Second Book relating to Patronage, as the right of the heirs of original donors to nominate suitable clerics to a Parish was called.

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