CHAPEL

In former times, when the kings of France were engaged in wars, they always carried St. Martin’s cope ( cappa ) into the field, which was kept as a precious relic, in a tent where ma was said, and thence the place was called capella , the chapel. The word was gradually applied to any consecrated place of prayer, not being the parish church. With us in England there are several sorts of chapels: 1. Royal chapels. (See Chapel Royal .) 2. Domestic chapels, built by noblemen for private worship in their families. 3. College chapels, attached to the different colleges of the universities. 4. Chapels of ease, built for the ease of parishioners, who live at too great a distance from the parish church, by the clergy of which the services of the chapel are performed. 5. Parochial chapels, which differ from chapels of ease on account of their having a permanent minister, or incumbent, though they are in some degree dependent upon the mother church. A parochial chapelry, with all parochial rites independent of the mother church, as to sacraments, marriages, burials, repairs, ., is called a reputed parish . 6. Free chapels; such as were founded by kings of England, and made exempt from episcopal jurisdiction. 7. Chapels which adjoin to any part of the church; such were formerly built by persons of consideration as burial-places. To which may be added chapels of corporation societies, and eleemosynary foundation; as the mayor’s chapel at Bristol, ., the chapels of the inns of court, chapels of hospitals and almshouses.— Burn. The word chapel in foreign countries frequently means the choir or chancel. This may po ibly be the meaning intended in the rubric preceding Morning Prayer, directing the Morning and Evening Prayers to be used in the accustomed place of the church, chapel, or chancel. It may allude to the college chapels, or such collegiate chapels as St. George’s at Windsor, or to the usage of some cathedrals of having early morning prayer (as at Gloucester, .) in the Lady chapel, or late evening prayer (as at Durham) in the Galilee chapel. Henry VII.’s chapel at Westminster was, at least in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, used for this purpose.— Jebb.