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...

 of Gloucester

Gloucester

Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....

is the Ordinary

Ordinary

In those hierarchically organised churches of Western Christianity which have an ecclesiastical law system, an ordinary is an officer of the church who by reason of office has ordinary power to execute the church's laws...

 of the Church of England

Church of England

The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...

 Diocese of Gloucester in the Province of Canterbury

Province of Canterbury

The Province of Canterbury, also called the Southern Province, is one of two ecclesiastical provinces making up the Church of England...

.

The diocese covers the County of Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....

 and part of the County of Worcestershire

Worcestershire

Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...

 and has its see

Episcopal See

An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...

 in the City of Gloucester

Gloucester

Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....

 where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Indivisible Trinity

Gloucester Cathedral

Gloucester Cathedral, or the Cathedral Church of St Peter and the Holy and Indivisible Trinity, in Gloucester, England, stands in the north of the city near the river. It originated in 678 or 679 with the foundation of an abbey dedicated to Saint Peter .-Foundations:The foundations of the present...

.

The Bishop's residence is Bishopscourt, Gloucester.

The office has been in existence since the foundation of the see in 1541 under King Henry VIII

Henry VIII of England

Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...

 from part of the Diocese of Worcester

Anglican Diocese of Worcester

The Diocese of Worcester forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England.The diocese was founded in around 679 by St Theodore of Canterbury at Worcester to minister to the kingdom of the Hwicce, one of the many Anglo Saxon petty-kingdoms of that time...

. The current bishop is the Right Reverend Michael Perham

Michael Francis Perham

Michael Francis Perham has been the Bishop of Gloucester in the Church of England since 2004.-Education:Perham attended Hardye's School, Dorchester before going to Keble College, Oxford in 1971 to study theology...

 MA, the 40th Lord Bishop of Gloucester, who signs Michael Gloucestr.

List of bishops

Chronological list of 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...

s of the Diocese of Gloucester

Diocese of Gloucester

The Diocese of Gloucester is a Church of England diocese based in Gloucester, covering the non-metropolitan county of Gloucestershire. The cathedral is Gloucester Cathedral and the bishop is the Bishop of Gloucester...

, England

(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)

Tenure	Incumbent	Notes
Diocese of Gloucester
1541 to 1550	John Wakeman John Wakeman John Wakeman was an English Benedictine, the last Abbot of Tewkesbury and first Bishop of Gloucester, both posts in the English county of Gloucestershire. In the earlier part of his life he went by the name John Wiche.-Life:...	Last abbot of Tewkesbury
1550 to 1553	John Hooper John Hooper John Hooper, Johan Hoper, was an English churchman, Anglican Bishop of Gloucester and Worcester. A Protestant Reformer, he was killed during the Marian Persecutions.-Biography:...	Deprived
1554 to 1558	James Brooks James Brooks (Bishop) James Brooks D.D. was an English Catholic bishop.Born in May 1512, in Hampshire, southern England, he became a Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Oxford in 1532, took the B.A. that same year and in 1546 the D.D. He was Master of Balliol College, Oxford in the years 1547–1555...	Died in office
1558 to 1562	vacant
1562 to 1579	Richard Cheyney Richard Cheyney Richard Cheyney was an English churchman, bishop of Gloucester from 1562. Opposed to Calvinism, he was an isolated and embattled bishop of the reign of Elizabeth, though able to keep his see.-Life:...	Translated from Bristol Bishop of Bristol The Bishop of Bristol heads the Church of England Diocese of Bristol in the Province of Canterbury, in England.The present diocese covers parts of the counties of Somerset and Gloucestershire together with a small area of Wiltshire...
1579 to 1581	vacant
1581 to 1598	John Bullingham John Bullingham -Life:He was a native of Gloucestershire. He was elected a probationer fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford, July 1550, being then B.A. In the latter part of Edward VI's reign he went as a voluntary exile to France, staying at Rouen, to avoid the Protestant reforms in England. On the accession of...	Translated from Bristol Bishop of Bristol The Bishop of Bristol heads the Church of England Diocese of Bristol in the Province of Canterbury, in England.The present diocese covers parts of the counties of Somerset and Gloucestershire together with a small area of Wiltshire...
1598 to 1604	Godfrey Goldsborough Godfrey Goldsborough Godfrey Goldsborough was a Church of England clergyman and bishop of Gloucester from 1598-1604. He was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge. He also served as a Prebendary of Worcester.-References:...	Prebendary of Worcester
1604 to 1607	Thomas Ravis Thomas Ravis Thomas Ravis was a Church of England clergyman and academic.-Early life:He was born at Old Malden in Surrey, probably in 1560, and was educated at Westminster School...	Dean of Christ College, Oxford; elected 4 March 1604; translated to London Bishop of London The Bishop of London is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 458 km² of 17 boroughs of Greater London north of the River Thames and a small part of the County of Surrey...
1607 to 1610	Henry Parry Henry Parry (bishop) Henry Parry was an English bishop.-Life:He was born in Wiltshire, and came as scholar to Corpus Christi College, Oxford in 1576. He graduated M.A. there in 1586....	Dean of Chester; translated to Worcester Bishop of Worcester The Bishop of Worcester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury, England. He is the head of the Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury...
1610 to 14 June 1612	Giles Thomson Giles Thomson -Life:He was born in London, and educated at Merchant Taylors' School, and to University College, Oxford where he matriculated in 1571. He became a Fellow of All Souls College in 1580, and Divinity Reader at Magdalen College. Queen Elizabeth made him one of her chaplains.He became Dean of Windsor...	Dean of Windsor; consecrated 9 June 1611; died in office
1612 to 1624	Miles Smith Miles Smith Miles Smith was a scholar, theologian, and bibliophile.-Life:He attended Corpus Christi College, Oxford, but graduated from Brasenose, in the same University, where he "proved at length an incomparable theologist." In time, he became resident canon of Hereford Cathedral and earned his Doctor of...	Canon-resident of Hereford
1625 to 1655	Godfrey Goodman Godfrey Goodman Godfrey Goodman was the Anglican Bishop of Gloucester, and a member of the Protestant Church. He was the son of Godfrey Goodman and Jane Croxton, landed gentry living in Wales...	Dean of Rochester; sequestrated 1640; died in communion with Rome, 1655
1655 to 1660	vacant
1660 to 1672	William Nicholson William Nicholson (bishop) William Nicholson was an English clergyman, a member of the Westminster Assembly and Bishop of Gloucester.-Life:The son of Christopher Nicholson, a rich clothier, he was born at Stratford St. Mary, Suffolk, on 1 November 1591. He became a chorister of Magdalen College, Oxford, in 1598, and...	Archdeacon of Brecknock
1672 to 1681	John Pritchett John Pritchett John Pritchett was an English churchman, bishop of Gloucester from 1672.-Life:He was the son of Walter Pritchett of Cowley Hall. He studied at the University of Oxford from 1622, graduating M.A. in 1629. He was collated to the joint rectory of St Andrew Undershaft-St Mary Axe in 1641, but was...	Vicar of St Giles, Cripplegate
1681 to 1691	Robert Frampton Robert Frampton Robert Frampton was a bishop of the Church of England and later a nonjuror.-Life:He was born in Dorset, England in February 1622, to Robert and Elizabeth Frampton. He studied at Corpus Christi College, Oxford and Christ Church, Oxford, where he received the B.A. . He would later be honored with...	Dean of Gloucester; deprived
1691 to 26 August 1714	Edward Fowler Edward Fowler Edward Fower was an English churchman, Bishop of Gloucester from 1691 until his death.- Early life and education :He was born at Westerleigh, Gloucestershire, and was educated at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, later moving to Trinity College, Cambridge.- Writings :Fower was suspected of Pelagian...	Prebendary of Gloucester; died in office
1715 to 1722	Richard Willis Richard Willis (bishop) -Life:He was born in Ribbesford, Worcestershire, where his father was a tanner. He was educated at Bewdley grammar school and Wadham College, Oxford, where he matriculated in 1684 and graduated B.A. in 1688. He became a Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford....	Dean of Lincoln; translated to Salisbury Bishop of Salisbury The Bishop of Salisbury is the ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Salisbury in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers much of the counties of Wiltshire and Dorset...
1722 to 1731	Joseph Wilcocks Joseph Wilcocks Joseph Wilcocks was an English churchman, bishop of Gloucester, and bishop of Rochester and dean of Westminster....	Prebendary of Westminster; translated to Rochester Bishop of Rochester The Bishop of Rochester is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Rochester in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers the west of the county of Kent and is centred in the city of Rochester where the bishop's seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin...
1731 to 1733	Elias Sydall Elias Sydall Elias Sydall was an English bishop of St David's and bishop of Gloucester.-Life:He was the son of a glover of Norwich. He matriculated at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge in 1688, graduating B.A. in 1692 and M.A. in 1695. He became D.D. in 1705. He was a Fellow of Corpus from 1696 to 1703.He...	Translated from St David's
1734 to 1752	Martin Benson	Prebendary of Durham
1752 to 1759	James Johnson James Johnson (bishop) Rt. Rev. James Johnson DD was an English prelate, successively Bishop of Gloucester and of Worcester .-Life:James Johnson was born in Melford, Suffolk, to the Rev. James Johnson and Anne Cuthbert. His grandfather was George Johnson, a Judge and Councilor of Charles II...	Canon-resident of St Paul's
1759 to 1779	William Warburton William Warburton William Warburton was an English critic and churchman, Bishop of Gloucester from 1759.-Life:He was born at Newark, where his father, who belonged to an old Cheshire family, was town clerk. William was educated at Oakham and Newark grammar schools, and in 1714 he was articled to Mr Kirke, an...	Dean of Bristol, preacher of Lincoln's Inn Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
1779 to 1781	The Hon. James Yorke	Translated from St David's; translated to Ely Bishop of Ely The Bishop of Ely is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Ely in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese roughly covers the county of Cambridgeshire , together with a section of north-west Norfolk and has its see in the City of Ely, Cambridgeshire, where the seat is located at the...
1781 to 1789	Samuel Hallifax Samuel Hallifax Samuel Hallifax or Halifax was an English churchman and academic, holder of several chairs at Cambridge and bishop of two sees.-Life:...	Translated to St Asaph
1789 to 1802	Richard Beadon Richard Beadon Richard Beadon DD was Master of Jesus College, Cambridge 1781–1789 and later Vice-Chancellor of the University, Bishop of Gloucester and Bishop of Bath and Wells.-Life:...	Archdeacon of London; translated to Bath & Wells Bishop of Bath and Wells The Bishop of Bath and Wells heads the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells in the Province of Canterbury in England.The present diocese covers the vast majority of the county of Somerset and a small area of Dorset. The Episcopal seat is located in the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew in...
21 April 1802 to 1815	George Huntingford	Warden of Winchester College
8 July 1815 to 1824	The Hon. Henry Ryder Henry Ryder The Right Reverend the Hon. Henry Dudley Ryder was a prominent English Evangelical Anglican clergyman in the early years of the nineteenth century...	Translated to Lichfield & Coventry Bishop of Lichfield The Bishop of Lichfield is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Lichfield in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 4,516 km² of the counties of Staffordshire, Shropshire, Warwickshire and West Midlands. The bishop's seat is located in the Cathedral Church of the Blessed...
11 March 1824 to 1830	Christopher Bethell Christopher Bethell Christopher 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...	Translated to Exeter Bishop of Exeter The Bishop of Exeter is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. The incumbent usually signs his name as Exon or incorporates this in his signature....
11 July 1830 to 1836	James Monk	Becoming Bishop of Gloucester & Bristol
Diocese of Gloucester and Bristol
1836 to 6 June 1856	James Monk	Hitherto Bishop of Gloucester
9 July 1856 to 1861	Charles Baring Charles Baring Charles Thomas Baring was an English bishop, noted as an Evangelical.-Life:He became a bishop at a period when Lord Palmerston, influenced by Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury, was promoting Evangelicals....	Rector of Limpsfield; translated to Durham
December 1861 to 1863	William Thomson	Prior of Queen's College, Oxford; translated to York Archbishop of York The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
30 January 1863 to 1897	Charles Ellicott Charles Ellicott Charles John Ellicott was a distinguished English Christian theologian, academic and churchman. He briefly served as Dean of Exeter, then Bishop of the sees of Gloucester and Bristol.-Early life and family:... DD	Dean of Exeter; becoming Bishop of Gloucester
Diocese of Gloucester
1897 to 1905	Charles Ellicott DD	Hitherto Bishop of Gloucester & Bristol
1905 to 1924?	Edgar Gibson DD
1924 to 1945	Arthur Headlam
1946 to 1953	Clifford Woodward Clifford Woodward Clifford Salisbury Woodward M.C. was Bishop of Bristol from 1933 to 1946 and Bishop of Gloucester from 1946 to 1953.-Life:...
1954 to 1962	Wilfred Askwith KCMG DD	Translated from Blackburn Bishop of Blackburn The Bishop of Blackburn is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Blackburn in the Province of York.The diocese covers much of the county of Lancashire and has its see in the town of Blackburn, where the seat of the diocese is located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Mary...
1962 to 1975	Basil Guy MA
1975 to 1992	John Yates John Yates (bishop) John Yates was an Anglican bishop in the Church of England. He was a bishop for 22 years, serving as the Bishop of Whitby from 1972 to 1975, the Bishop of Gloucester from 1975 to 1992 and the Bishop at Lambeth from 1992 to 1994.-Early life:Yates was born in Burslem, Staffordshire on 17 April 1925... MA
1992 to 1993	Peter Ball MA CGA
December 1993 to 31 December 2003	David Bentley BA
2004 to present	Michael Perham MA

External links

• Bishop of Gloucester's homepage