60 A MEDIAEVAL CITY

Some priests were vicars, that is, while the living
or " cure " of souls was held by the rector, the
vicar was the actual priest in charge, for the rector
probably held more than one benefice and could
not serve personally in more than one. Generally
it was a corporate body, like the Dean and Chapter,
or a monastery, that was the rector of a number of
livings at the same time.

Of the many clergy serving the Minster the
Dean, who was the incumbent, ranked first. Much
of the revenue of the Dean and Chapter, the
Governing Body, came from landed possessions in
York and various parts of the surrounding country.
These possessions, divided into prebends, provided
livings for the thirty-six prebendaries or canons,
who collectively formed the Chapter. Each canon
served at the Minster during a specified portion of
the year, when he lived at his residence at York.
The residences of the prebendaries were mostly
round the Minster Close. While his own parish was
served vicariously while he was at York, each canon
had a minor-canon or vicar-choral to act as his
deputy at York when he was absent. These vicars-
choral formed a corporate body and lived collegiately
in the Bedern. The numerous chantries in the
Minster were served by priests who also lived
collegiately but at St. William's College. The
College, at the head of which was a Provost, was
founded about the middle of the century. Previously
these priests had lived in private houses.

The parish priest was occupied in performing
the services in his church, in hearing confessions,
in teaching the children, in visiting, interrogating,
consoling, and ministering the Sacraments to the
sick and dying, and in guiding and sharing the life
of his parish generally. Each parish church had