| Description | These are mandates for installing the residentiary canons of the cathedral. Until the 19th century, residentiary canons were also called prebendaries. Under its foundation charter, the cathedral was provided with 12 residentiary canons. The prebends held by the canons were numbered, the archbishop holding the right of presentation to the 1st, 4th and 6th, the remaining being in the gift of the Crown.
Under the Ecclesiastical Duties and Revenues Bill of 1840 the number of canons was halved by suspending 6 prebends as they became vacant. Shortly afterwards, 2 prebends were permanently annexed to the archdeaconries of Canterbury and Maidstone. In 1936 and 1943, 2 residentiary canonries were left vacant, leaving the current total of canonries as 4.
Rather than by the numbers of prebends, the residentiary canons are now known by the titles of Canon Librarian, Canon Treasurer, Canon Impact and the archdeacon of Canterbury. The archdeacon of Maidstone is no longer a residentiary canon. The patronage of the residentiary canonries remains divided between the archbishop of Canterbury and the Crown. |