Glossary: cession

One of several ways in which an incumbent's tenure could be terminated. Although pluralism was commonplace in the Church of England until severely limited by new statute law after the end of the period of the Database, many clergymen were not eligible to hold livings in plurality and certain combinations of offices were forbidden by ecclesiastical law. When a cleric was appointed to a living that could not be held alongside his current position, the latter living was deemed void by cession.