[a. late L. commendātor, agent-n. f. commendāre; in ancient use ‘one who commends,’ but in med.L. the title of the member of a knightly order, entrusted with the management of a commenda or COMMANDERY; = COMMANDER 3. Cf. It. comendatore ‘one that hath comendas put to his charge’ Florio (sense 1); Sp. comendador ‘one that hath commandements given him in charge’; in sense 1, Du Cange has commendatārius, F. commendataire.]
1. One who holds a benefice in commendam.
1561. Q. Kennedy (title), Ane Oratioune set furth be Master Quintine Kennedy, commendatour of Crosragruell.
1679. Burnet, Hist. Ref., I. 428. The other [abbey] was of Bushlisham … in Berkshire, made by Barlow, Bishop of S. Davids, that was Commendator of it.
1708. J. Chamberlayne, St. Gt. Brit., II. I. v. (1743), 338. The abbacies of others were given to Laymen in Commendam, and they under the name of Commendators sat in Parliament and made up the first State of the clergy.
1875. W. M‘Ilwraith, Guide to Wigtownshire, 83. In 1560 the Pope appointed Thomas Hay … Commendator of the Monastery [of Glenluce].
† 2. The president of a COMMANDERY; a knight-commander. Obs.
1669. Woodhead, St. Teresa, II. xxvi. 158. He knew of severall persons, that … could not obtain from the same Commendators the like faculties.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. 190/1. The Commentator, or Great Master of the Order … is to be Knighted in the midst of the Knights.
3. = COMMENDADOR, as a Spanish title: lieutenant, viceroy.
1583. Stocker, Ciuile Warres Lowe Countries, I. 102 b. Don Lewis of Requesens, the great commendator of Castil.
1665. G. Havers, trans. P. della Valle’s Trav., 31. The Commendator of the Dutch [at Surat], came one day to give me a visit.
1777. Robertson, Hist. Amer. (1783), I. 232. Don Ferdinand de Toledo, great Commendator of Leon … a nobleman of the first rank.
Hence Commendatorship [from sense 1].
1861. Sat. Rev., XI. 301/2. Lord Robert Stewart … obtained … the Commendatorship of the Bishoprick.
