List of Deans of Chichester
Encyclopedia
Bishop Ralph
is credited with the foundation of the current Chichester Cathedral
in Sussex
, England
. The original structure that had been built by Stigand
was largely destroyed by fire in 1114.
Ralph did not confine his activities just to rebuilding the cathedral, he provided for a more complete constitution of his chapter by also creating the offices of Dean, Precentor
, Chancellor
and Treasurer
. The function of these four officials was to ensure the proper conduct of church services, the care of the church building and the supervision of subordinates. Beneath these four officials were the canons of the cathedral who in the medieval period were about twenty six in number. The dean would have been elected by the canons, and would have the power to act in administrative matters only with their consent.
The dean and his staff, however, were subject to the bishop's authority.
The dean headed the cathedral community and had jurisdiction over all the Chichester city parishes, with the exception of All Saints, which was under the administration of the Archbishop of Canterbury
. The four ancient posts of dean and canons still exist within the cathedral and their functions are similar to their ancient role, although somewhat diminished, as other church organisations have now taken over some of their powers.
There follows a list of deans of Chichester, from Bishop Ralph's time, to the present, The Very Revd Nicholas Frayling
Ralph de Luffa
Ralph de Luffa was an English bishop of Chichester, from 1091 to 1123. He built extensively on his cathedral as well as being praised by contemporary writers as an exemplary bishop. He took little part in the Investiture Crisis which took place in England during his episcopate...
is credited with the foundation of the current Chichester Cathedral
Chichester Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, otherwise called Chichester Cathedral, is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Chichester. It is located in Chichester, in Sussex, England...
in Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The original structure that had been built by Stigand
Stigand
Stigand was an English churchman in pre-Norman Conquest England. Although his birthdate is unknown, by 1020, he was serving as a royal chaplain and advisor. He was named Bishop of Elmham in 1043, and then later Bishop of Winchester and Archbishop of Canterbury...
was largely destroyed by fire in 1114.
Ralph did not confine his activities just to rebuilding the cathedral, he provided for a more complete constitution of his chapter by also creating the offices of Dean, Precentor
Precentor
A precentor is a person who helps facilitate worship. The details vary depending on the religion, denomination, and era in question. The Latin derivation is "præcentor", from cantor, meaning "the one who sings before" ....
, Chancellor
Chancellor (ecclesiastical)
Two quite distinct officials of some Christian churches have the title Chancellor.*In some churches, the Chancellor of a diocese is a lawyer who represents the church in legal matters....
and Treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
. The function of these four officials was to ensure the proper conduct of church services, the care of the church building and the supervision of subordinates. Beneath these four officials were the canons of the cathedral who in the medieval period were about twenty six in number. The dean would have been elected by the canons, and would have the power to act in administrative matters only with their consent.
The dean and his staff, however, were subject to the bishop's authority.
The dean headed the cathedral community and had jurisdiction over all the Chichester city parishes, with the exception of All Saints, which was under the administration of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
. The four ancient posts of dean and canons still exist within the cathedral and their functions are similar to their ancient role, although somewhat diminished, as other church organisations have now taken over some of their powers.
There follows a list of deans of Chichester, from Bishop Ralph's time, to the present, The Very Revd Nicholas Frayling
Nicholas Frayling
The Very Reverend Nicholas Frayling is the Dean of Chichester Cathedral. Educated at the University of Exeter and Cuddesdon College, Frayling has lectured on inter-faith and political reconciliation. Formerly Canon Precentor of Liverpool Cathedral, he was appointed Dean of Chichester in...
Medieval
- 1115 Odo
- 1115 Richard
- 1125 Matthew
- 1144 Richard
- 1150 John de Greneford
- 1176 Jordan de Meleburn
- 1178 Seffride
- 1180 Matthew de Chichester
- 1190 Nicholas de Aquila
- 1197 Seffride
- 1220 Simon de Perigord
- 1230 Walter
- 1232 Thomas de Lichfield
- 1250 Geoffrey
- 1256 Walter de Glocestria
- 1295 Thomas de Berghstede
- 1302 William de Grenefeld
- 1307 John de S. Leophardo
- 1332 Henry de Garland
- 1342 Walter de Segrave
- 1356 William de LenneWilliam LennWilliam Lenn was a medieval Bishop of Chichester and Bishop of Worcester. The name Lenn was the old name for Lynn in Norfolk.Lenn went to Rome in his early life and became a doctor of canon law...
- 1369 Roger de Freton
- 1383 Richard Ie Scrope
- 1389-90 William de Lullyngton
15th Century
- 1400 John de Maydenhith
- 1407 John Haselee
- 1410 Henry Lovel
- 1415 Richard Talbot (Dublin)
- 1420 William Milton
- 1425 Jno. Patten or Waynflete
- 1429 John Crutchere
- 1478 John Waynfleet
- 1481 John Cloos
16th Century
- 1501 John Prychard
- 1504 Geoffrey Symson
- 1508 John Young
- 1526 William Fleshmonger
- 1541 Richard Caurden
- 1549 Giles Eyre
- 1551 Bartholomew TraheronBartholomew Traheron-Life:Born about 1510, he is said to have been a native of Cornwall. Bartholomew was early left an orphan, and was brought up under the care of Richard Tracy of Toddington, Gloucestershire....
- 1552 Thomas SampsonThomas SampsonThomas Sampson was an English Puritan theologian. A Marian exile, he was one of the Geneva Bible translators. On his return to England, he had trouble with conformity to the Anglican practices...
- 1553 William Pye
- 1558 Hugh Turnbull
- 1566 Richard Curteis
- 1570 Anthony Rushe
- 1577 Martin Culpepper
17th Century
- 1601 William ThorneWilliam Thorne (orientalist)William Thorne was an English clergyman and orientalist, Regius Professor of Hebrew at Oxford in 1598.-Life:He was born at Semley, Wiltshire, in 1568 or 1569, entered Winchester College in 1582. Proceeding to New College, Oxford, he matriculated on 15 April 1586, and was elected a fellow in the...
- 1630 Francis DeeFrancis Dee (bishop)-Life:He was the son of the Rev. David Dee of St. Mary's Hall, Oxford, who held the rectory of St. Bartholomew the Great, West Smithfield from 1587 to 1605, when he was deprived. Francis Dee was born in London, and was admitted a scholar of Merchant Taylors' School on 26 April 1591. He proceeded to...
- 1634-5 Richard StewardRichard StewardRichard Steward or Stewart was an English royalist churchman, clerk of the closet to Charles I and designated Dean of St. Paul's and Westminster, though not able to take up his position because of the wartime circumstances.-Life:...
- 1642 George AglionbyGeorge AglionbyGeorge Aglionby was an English royalist churchman, nominated in 1643 as Dean of Canterbury. He was a member of the Great Tew intellectual circle around Lucius Cary, and a friend and correspondent of Thomas Hobbes.-Life:...
(nominal) - 1646 Bruno RyvesBruno RyvesBruno Ryves was an English royalist churchman, editor in 1643 of the Oxford newsbook Mercurius Rusticus, and later dean of Chichester and dean of Windsor...
- 1660 Joseph HenshawJoseph HenshawJoseph Henshaw was bishop of Peterborough in the East of England from 1663 until his death. Henshaw was educated at London Charterhouse and Magdalen Hall of Hertford College, Oxford, receiving a B.A. in 1624 and a D.D. in 1639...
- 1663 Joseph Gulston
- 1669 Nathaniel, Lord Crew
- 1671 Thomas Lambrook
- 1672 George StradlingGeorge StradlingGeorge Stradling was Dean of Chichester Cathedral from 1672 until his death.-Life:Stradling was born at St Donat's Castle, Wales to Sir John Stradling, Baronet and travelled to France and Italy before studying at the University of Oxford...
- 1688 Francis Hawkins
- 1699 William Hayley
18th Century
- 1715 Thomas SherlockThomas SherlockThomas Sherlock was a British divine who served as a Church of England bishop for 33 years. He is also noted in church history as an important contributor to Christian apologetics.-Life:...
- 1727 John Newey
- 1725-36 Thomas Hayley
- 1739 John Hargraves
- 1741 William Ashburnham
- 1754 Thomas Ball
- 1770 Charles Harward
- 1790 Combe MillerCombe MillerCombe Miller was a Church of England clergman. He was the third son of Sir John Miller, 4th Baronet Miller of Froyle and Susan Combe.-Education:...
19th Century
- 1814-24 Christopher BethellChristopher BethellChristopher Bethell was Bishop of Bangor.Bethell was the second son of the Reverend Richard Bethell, the rector of St Peter's Wallingford, Berkshire, who died 12 January 1806 having married his wife Ann in 1771...
- 1824 Samuel SladeSamuel Slade-Education:Slade was educated at St Peter's College, Westminster and elected to Christ Church, Oxford University in 1789, where he received his Doctorate of Divinity.-Career:...
- 1830 George Chandler
- 1859-75 Walter Farquhar HookWalter Farquhar HookWalter Farquhar Hook , was an eminent Victorian churchman.-Background:He was the Vicar of Leeds responsible for the construction of the current Leeds Parish Church and for many ecclesiastical and social improvements to the city in the mid-nineteenth century...
- 1876 John William BurgonJohn William BurgonJohn William Burgon was an English Anglican divine who became the Dean of Chichester Cathedral in 1876. He is remembered for his passionate defence of the historicity and Mosaic authorship of Genesis and of Biblical inerrancy in general.-Biography:Burgon was born at Smyrna, the son of an English...
- 1888 Francis PigouFrancis PigouThe Very Rev Francis Pigou , DD was an eminent Anglican priest in the second half of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th.-Career:...
- 1892 Richard William RandallRichard William RandallThe Very Rev Richard William Randall , DD was an eminent Anglican priest in the second half of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th. Born into an ecclesiastical family in Bloomsbury on 13 April 1824 and educated at Winchester and Christ Church, Oxford, he was ordained in 1847. He was a...
20th Century
- 1902 John Julius HannahJohn Julius HannahThe Very RevJohn Julius Hannah, was an eminent Anglican priest in the last third of the 19th century and the first third of the 20th. Born into an ecclesiastical family in 1843 and educated at Trinity College, Glenalmond and Balliol College, Oxford, he was ordained after a period of study at Ripon...
- 1929 Arthur Stuart Duncan-JonesArthur Stuart Duncan JonesThe Very Rev Arthur Stuart Duncan Jones was an eminent Anglican priest and author in the first half of the 20th century....
- 1955 John Walter Atherton HusseyWalter HusseyWalter Hussey was an Anglican clergyman who had a great fondness for the arts, commissioning a number of musical compositions and visual art for the church as well as amassing his own collection....
- 1977 Robert Tinsley HoltbyRobert Tinsley HoltbyThe Very RevRobert Tinsley Holtby, FSA was an eminent Anglican priest and author in the second half of the Twentieth century.Born in Thornton-le-Dale on 25 February 1921 and educated at Scarborough College and St Edmund Hall, Oxford, he was ordained after a period of study at Ripon College...
- 1989 John David TreadgoldJohn David TreadgoldThe Very Rev John David Treadgold, LVO is an eminent Anglican priest in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Born on 30 December 1931 and educated at the University of Nottingham, he was ordained after a period of study at Wells Theological College in 1960. He was the Vicar Choral at Southwell...