Webster's 1828 Dictionary
ADVOWSON
n.s as z. [The word was latinized, advocatio, from advoco, and avow is from advoco.] In English law, a right of presentation to a vacant benefice; or in other words, a right of nominating a person to officiate in a vacant church. The name is derived from advocatio, because the right was first obtained by such as were founders, benefactors or strenuous defenders, advocates, or the church. those who have this right are styled patrons. Advowsons are of three kinds, presentative, collative, and donative; presentative, when the patron presents his clerk to the bishop of the diocese to be instituted; collative, when the bishop is the patron, and institutes, or collates his clerk, by a single act; donative, when a church is founded by the king, and assigned to the patron, without being subject to the ordinary, so that the patron confers the benefice on his clerk, without presentation, institution, or induction.
Advowsons are also appendant, that is, annexed to a manor; or, in gross, that is annexed to the person of the patron.
Webster's 1913 Dictionary
ADVOWSON
Ad *vow "son, n. Etym: [OE. avoweisoun, OF. avoëson, fr. L. advocatio.Cf. Advocation. ] (Eng. Law )
Defn: The right of presenting to a vacant benefice or living in the church. [Originally, the relation of a patron (advocatus ) or protector of a benefice, and thus privileged to nominate or present to it. ]
Note: The benefices of the Church of England are in every case subjects of presentation. They are nearly 12, in number; the advowson of more than half of them belongs to private persons, and of the remainder to the crown, bishops, deans and chapters,universities, and colleges. Amer. Cyc.
New American Oxford Dictionary
advowson
ad vow son |adˈvouzən ədˈvaʊzən | ▶noun (in English ecclesiastical law ) the right to recommend a member of the Anglican clergy for a vacant benefice, or to make such an appointment. ORIGIN Middle English (in the sense ‘guardianship or patronage of a religious house or benefice, ’ with the obligation to defend it and speak for it ): from Old French avoeson, from Latin advocatio (n- ), from advocare ‘summon ’ (see advocate ).
Oxford Dictionary
advowson
advowson |ədˈvaʊz (ə )n | ▶noun Brit. (in ecclesiastical law ) the right to recommend a member of the Anglican clergy for a vacant benefice, or to make such an appointment. ORIGIN Middle English (in the sense ‘patronage of a religious house or benefice ’, with the obligation to defend it and speak for it ): from Old French avoeson, from Latin advocatio (n- ), from advocare ‘summon ’ (see advocate ).
The Wordsmith Dictionary