Parson

A parson is an ordained Christian person responsible for a small area, typically a parish.

It is no longer a formal term denoting a specific position within Anglicanism, but has some continued historical and colloquial use.

The term is similar to rector and is in contrast to a vicar, a cleric whose revenue is usually, at least partially, appropriated by a larger organisation.

In places where there was no parson, the erenagh continued to receive two thirds of the income in kind from the church lands, and delivered the balance, after defraying maintenance, to the bishop in cash as a yearly rental.

The archbishop and the erenagh impropriated no part thereof because they received the entire income from the termon lands.