FREE CHAPEL

free chapel.Hist. Eccles. law. A church founded by the Crown (or by a person under royal

grant) and not subject to the bishop’s jurisdiction.

“[T]hose onely are Free-chappels, which are of the King’s Foundation, and by him exempted

from the Jurisdiction of the Ordinary; but the King may licence a Subject to found such a Chappel,

and by his Charter exempt it from the Ordinaries Visitation also…. [I]t is called free, in respect of

its exemption from the Jurisdiction of the Diocesan….” Thomas Blount, Nomo-Lexicon: A

Law-Dictionary (1670).[Blacks Law 8th]