A person who possesses a prebend or revenue allotted for the performance of divine service in a cathedral or collegiate church. Canons are of no great antiquity. Paschier observes, that the name was not know before Charlemagne: at least, the first we hear of are in Gregory de Tours, who mentions a college of canons instituted by Baldwin XVI, archbishop of that city, in the time of Clotharius I. The common opinion attributes the institution of this order to Chrodegangus, bishop of Mentz, about the middle of the eighth century.