A Perpetual Curate was a clergyman of the Church of England officiating as parish priest in a small or sparsely peopled parish

Parish

A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...

 or district

which was not served by a rector or vicar

and to which he had been nominated by the impropriator and licensed by *(usually) the bishop

Bishop

A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...

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As noted below the term perpetual was not to be understood literally but was used to indicate he was not a curate (assistant parish priest) but the parish priest and of higher standing.

Perpetual curates did not undergo institution or induction and did not receive the temporalities.

Unlike rectors and vicars their income did not derive from the possession of tithes but from the diocese

Diocese

A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...

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Such appointments became 'perpetual' in that the incumbent could only be removed by his licensor *(usually) the bishop.

Appointees might be inexperienced, aged or infirm or otherwise judged to be capable of handling only light responsibilities.

Refer Priest-in-Charge

Priest in charge

A priest in charge or priest-in-charge is a priest in charge of a parish who does not receive the temporalities of the parish. He or she is not legally responsible for the churches and glebe, simply holds a licence rather than freehold and is not appointed by advowson.The appointment of priests in...

"Before the Pluralities Act of 1838 perpetual curacies were not formally regarded as benefices. In cases where a perpetual curacy received an augmentation from Queen Anne's Bounty

Queen Anne's Bounty

Queen Anne's Bounty was a fund established in 1704 to augment the incomes of the poorer clergy of the Church of England. The bounty was funded by the tax on the incomes of all Church of England clergy, which was paid to the Pope until the Reformation, and thereafter to the Crown.In 1890, the total...

 the livings were declared perpetual cures and the incumbents bodies politic. In the wake of the legislation relating to the Bounty and the increasing prevalence of the appointment of other types of curate, in particular stipendiary curates and assistant curates, the office was increasing described as a perpetual curacy to mark its superior status.

A curate not a perpetual curate was a temporary curate.