Chapelry

/ˈtʃæpəlri/ noun

Definition

A subdivision of a parish served by a chapel, or the territory and people under a chapel's jurisdiction.

Etymology

From chapel plus -ry (from Old French -erie), a suffix meaning 'office, place, or jurisdiction'—same root as 'bakery' or 'monastery'.

Kelly Says

Chapelries created a two-tier religious system where you might attend your local chapel but still legally belong to the main parish church—a medieval solution to growing populations that's baked into British geography.

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