Visitor
A Visitor, in United Kingdom law and history, is an overseer of an autonomous ecclesiastical or eleemosynary institution (i.e. a charitable institution set up for the perpetual distribution of the founder's alms and bounty), who can intervene in the internal affairs of that institution. These institutions usually comprise cathedrals, chapels, colleges, universities and hospitals.The British sovereign, the Lord Chancellor, the Lord President of the Council, the Archbishop of Canterbury, peers, diocesan bishops, etc. are the most common Visitors, though any person or office-holder can be nominated. The Queen usually delegates her visitatorial functions to the Lord Chancellor. During the reform of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge in the 19th century, Parliament ordered Visitations to the universities to make inquiries and to reform the university and college statutes. Bishops are usually the Visitors to their own cathedrals.
There is a ceremonial element to the role of Visitor, and the Visitor may be called upon to give advice where an institution expresses doubt as to its powers under its charter and statutes. However, the most important function of the Visitor (and one which has arisen more frequently in recent years) is within academic institutions, where the Visitor has to determine disputes arising between the academic institution and its members.