GLEBE (Lat. gleba, a clod or lump of earth), the land possessed as part of an eccle siastical benefice, or from which the revenues of the benefice arise. The assignment of glebe-lands was formerly held to be of such absolute necessity, that without them no church could be regularly consecrated. In England, the word manse includes both the parsonage-house and the glebe, whereas in Scotland it is applied exclusively to the house. The fee-simple of the glebe is held by the law of to be in abeyance, from the French brayer, to expect—that is to say, it is only " in the remembrance, expectation, and intendment of the law;" but after induction, the freehold of the glebe is in the parson, and he possesses most of the powers of a proprietor, with the exception of the power of alienation. Previous to the reformation the clergy possessed certain powers of aliena tion at common law; and if a bishop, with the assent of his chapter, or an abbot, with the assent of his convent, or the like, alienated glebe-lands, the deed would not have been void, because the fee-simple was in the holder of the benefice for the time being; but by 1 Eliz. c. 19, and' 13 Eliz. c. 10, all gifts, grants, feoffments, conveyances, or other estates, shall he utterly void and of none effect, notwithstanding any consent or confirmation whatsoever. Neither could the incumbent exchange the lands or any por tion of them without the authority of an act of parliament. This restriction was clone away by 55 Geo. III. c. 147, for enabling spiritual persons to exchange parsonage or glebe houses or glebe-lands for others of greater value or more conveniently situated for their residence and occupation. By 5 and 6 Vict. c. 54, it is now provided that the com missioners appointed to carry into effect the commutation of tithes, shall have power to ascertain and define the boundaries of the glebe-lands of any benefice, and also power, with consent of the ordinary and patron, to exchange the glebe-lands for other lands within the same or any adjoining parish, or otherwise conveniently situated. The sub sequent act 17 and 18 Vict. c. 84 moreover provides that the incumbent of any benefice entitled to glebe, shall, with such consents as are specified in the act, be entitled to annex such glebe or other lands by deed to any church or chapel within the parish, dis trict, or place wherein such glebe or land is situate. In addition to his glebe-lands, tho rector or vicar is also seized in the edifice of the church itself (see Gunnell). It was long *go provided (28 Henry VIII. c. 11, s. 6), that if an incumbent died after having
manured and sown the glebe-lands, he might make his testament of the profits of the corn; but if his successor be inducted la fore the severance thereof from the ground, he shall have the tithe; for although the executor represent the person of the testator, yet he cannot represent him as parson.
Glebe, in Scotland,In Scotland, as in England, a glebe forms, as a general rule, a portion of every ecclesiastical benefice of the established church, and is thus an addition to the stipend, and sometimes a very important one. Ministers in royal burghs, how ever, cannot claim glebes, unless in.„the ease in which there is a landward district attached to the palish. Even then, if ministers, only the first can claim a glebe. Where parishes are disjoined, or separated into two portions, moreover, it doe not necessarily follow that the portion erected into a new parish shall contain a glebe By 5 Geo. IV. c. 72, provision is made for payment of compensation out of the publi revenue, in lieu of manse and glebe, to ministers whose stipends do not exceed if;200. I there arc arable lands, the glebe must not be less than four acres. If there is no arab] land, the minister is entitled to sixteen soums of grass adjacent to the church. A sour is as much as will pasture ten sheep or one cow, so that the actual extent vane with the richness of the soil and consequent quality of the pasture. The bytery possesses the power of designing glebes, the heritor from whose propert the glebe is designed having recourse against the other heritors of the parish. 13, 1572, c. 48, it is enacted that the glebe shall not be alienated by the incumbent. A the act limits its prohibition to such alienation as may be detrimental to the sue cessor of the incumbent, it has been doubted whether the latter might not feu. Tb court, however, has been very unwilling to sanction this proceeding; and from the fac that land tends steadily to increase, whereas money diminishes in value, it seems of ver doubtful propriety even where the arrangement is very advantageous at the time. Whe: the church is changed, or transported, as it is called, to a new site, the court soil authorize the sale or excambion of the glebe, but such excambions must be sanctions by the presbytery. Where minerals are found on the glebe, they are worked under th superintendence of the heritors and presbytery for the behoof of the incumbent. Tree growing on the glebe are thought to belong to him. See TEIND COURT.