The Temporalities
Legally, the incumbent is a corporation sole i.e."a legal entity vested in an individual and his successors by reason of his office" and any particular occupant had the right to receive the income and make use of its assets to support him in his ministry. Traditionally, these were the tithes, the glebe, fees, the parsonage house plus the church where his responsibilities were shared with the churchwardens and if he was a rector he had to finance the maintenance of the chancel from his own resources.
During a vacancy, the temporalities were normally administered by the churchwardens who could disburse monies to cover the costs of providing spiritual attention and other legally recognized expenses until the new incumbent entered, when they had to pay any balance in hand over to him.
Read more about this topic: Incumbent (ecclesiastical)