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 Lichfield

Lichfield

Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north 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 Lichfield

Diocese of Lichfield

The Diocese of Lichfield is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury, England. The bishop's seat is located in the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Chad in the city of Lichfield. The diocese covers 4,516 km² The Diocese of Lichfield is a Church of England...

 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 4,516 km² (1,744 sq. mi.) of the counties of Staffordshire

Staffordshire

Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...

, Shropshire

Shropshire

Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...

, Warwickshire

Warwickshire

Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...

 and West Midlands

West Midlands (county)

The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...

. The bishop's seat

Cathedra

A cathedra or bishop's throne is the chair or throne of a bishop. It is a symbol of the bishop's teaching authority in the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, and has in some sense remained such in the Anglican Communion and in Lutheran churches...

 is located in the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Chad

Lichfield Cathedral

Lichfield Cathedral is situated in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England. It is the only medieval English cathedral with three spires. The Diocese of Lichfield covers all of Staffordshire, much of Shropshire and part of the Black Country and West Midlands...

 in the city of Lichfield

Lichfield

Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham...

. The Bishop's residence is Bishop's House, Lichfield. In the past, the title has had various forms (see below). The present bishop is the Right Reverend Jonathan Gledhill

Jonathan Gledhill

Jonathan Michael Gledhill is the 98th Bishop of Lichfield. He was enthroned in Lichfield Cathedral on 15 November 2003....

, the 98th Lord Bishop of Lichfield, who signs Jonathan Lichfield.

History

The diocese of Mercia

Mercia

Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...

 was founded 656 by Diuma

Diuma

Diuma was a medieval Bishop of Mercia.Diuma was consecrated after 655 but his death date is unknown. He was an Irishman, and one of the four priests that were introduced into the kingdom of Mercia in 653 by Peada of Mercia son of Penda king of Mercia. Peada had become a Christian when he married...

 with its see at Repton

Repton

Repton is a village and civil parish on the edge of the River Trent floodplain in South Derbyshire, about north of Swadlincote. Repton is close to the county boundary with neighbouring Staffordshire and about northeast of Burton upon Trent.-History:...

. When Chad

Chad of Mercia

Chad was a prominent 7th century Anglo-Saxon churchman, who became abbot of several monasteries, Bishop of the Northumbrians and subsequently Bishop of the Mercians and Lindsey People. He was later canonized as a saint. He was the brother of Cedd, also a saint...

 was made Bishop in 669, he moved his seat to Lichfield, thus the diocese was named after that city. In 691 the area over which the bishop held authority was divided to form the smaller dioceses of Lichfield, Leicester

Diocese of Leicester

The Diocese of Leicester is a Church of England diocese based in Leicester and including the current county of Leicestershire. The cathedral is Leicester Cathedral, where the Bishop of Leicester has his seat....

, Lindsey

Diocese of Lincoln

The Diocese of Lincoln forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England. The present diocese covers the ceremonial county of Lincolnshire.- History :...

, 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...

 and Hereford

Diocese of Hereford

The Diocese of Hereford is a Church of England diocese based in Hereford, covering Herefordshire, southern Shropshire and a few parishes within Worcestershire in England; and a few parishes within Powys and Monmouthshire in Wales....

.

It was briefly the seat of an archbishop

Archbishop

An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...

 under Hygeberht from 787 to 799 (officially dissolved in 803) during the ascendancy of the kingdom of Mercia. Offa

Offa

Offa may refer to:Two kings of the Angles, who are often confused:*Offa of Angel , on the continent*Offa of Mercia , in Great BritainA king of Essex:*Offa of Essex A town in Nigeria:* Offa, Nigeria...

, King of Mercia

Mercia

Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...

 seemed to resent his own bishops paying allegiance to 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...

 in Kent

Kent

Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...

 who, whilst under Offa's control, was not of his own kingdom of Mercia. Offa therefore created his own archbishopric in Lichfield, who presided over all the bishops from the Humber

Humber

The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal River Ouse and the tidal River Trent. From here to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary between the East Riding of Yorkshire on the north bank...

 to the Thames

River Thames

The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...

, in 786, with the consent of Pope Adrian I

Pope Adrian I

Pope Adrian was pope from February 1, 772 to December 25, 795. He was the son of Theodore, a Roman nobleman.Shortly after Adrian's accession the territory ruled by the papacy was invaded by Desiderius, king of the Lombards, and Adrian was compelled to seek the assistance of the Frankish king...

. The Pope's official representatives were received warmly by Offa and were present at the Council of Chelsea (787), often called 'the contentious synod', where it was proposed that the Archbishopric of Canterbury be restricted in order to make way for Offa's new archbishop. It was vehemently opposed, but Offa and the papal representatives defeated Archbishop Jaenbert, installing Higbert as the new Archbishop of Lichfield

Higbert, Archbishop of Lichfield

Hygeberht was the Bishop of Lichfield from 779 until the elevation of Lichfield to an archbishopric some time after 787, during the reign of the powerful Mercian king Offa...

. Pope Adrian sent Higbert his ceremonial garment, obviously denoting his support for this move. In gratitude, Offa promised to send an annual shipment of gold to the pope for alms and supplying the lights in St. Peter's

St. Peter's Basilica

The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian as ' and commonly known as Saint Peter's Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. Saint Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world...

 church in Rome

Rome

Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...

. However the Archbishopric of Lichfield only lasted for 16 years, ending after Offa's death, when at the Fifth Council of Clovesho it was restored to Archbishop Æthelhard

Æthelhard

Æthelhard was a Bishop of Winchester then an Archbishop of Canterbury in medieval England. Appointed by King Offa of Mercia, Æthelhard had difficulties with both the Kentish monarchs and with a rival archiepiscopate in southern England, and was deposed around 796 by King Eadberht III Præn of Kent...

 of Canterbury by Pope Leo III

Pope Leo III

Pope Saint Leo III was Pope from 795 to his death in 816. Protected by Charlemagne from his enemies in Rome, he subsequently strengthened Charlemagne's position by crowning him as Roman Emperor....

.

The bishop's seat was briefly moved to Chester

Bishop of Chester

The Bishop of Chester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chester in the Province of York.The diocese expands across most of the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, including the Wirral Peninsula and has its see in the City of Chester where the seat is located at the Cathedral...

 in 1075, but by 1102 was in Coventry

Bishop of Coventry

The Bishop of Coventry is the Ordinary of the England Diocese of Coventry in the Province of Canterbury. In the Middle Ages, the Bishop of Coventry was a title used by the bishops known today as the Bishop of Lichfield....

. From 1228 Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield became the official title with seats at both cathedrals, though various older names remained in common usage.

After the Reformation

English Reformation

The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....

 of the 1530s the cathedral at Coventry

St. Mary's Priory and Cathedral

St Mary's Priory and Cathedral was a religious institution in Coventry, England, founded in the 12th century by transformation of the former monastery of St Mary, and destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the early 16th century...

 was demolished, and after the Restoration of Charles II in 1660 the bishop used the style Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry. In 1837 the ancient bishopric was divided. The archdeaconry of Coventry (comprising northern and eastern Warwickshire) was transferred to the see of Worcester and the style Bishop of Lichfield adopted.

List of bishops

Bishops of Mercia (based at Repton)
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
?	aft 655	Diuma Diuma Diuma was a medieval Bishop of Mercia.Diuma was consecrated after 655 but his death date is unknown. He was an Irishman, and one of the four priests that were introduced into the kingdom of Mercia in 653 by Peada of Mercia son of Penda king of Mercia. Peada had become a Christian when he married...	Dwyna; Duma.
dates unclear		Ceollach Ceollach Ceollach was a medieval Bishop of Mercia. His consecration dates and death dates are unknown. He was Irish by birth and was trained in Ireland. Before his death, he left or resigned his see and went to the monastery of Iona.-External links:*...	Cellach, a Scot; resigned and returned to Scotland.
c658	c 662	Trumhere	Trumhere, Abbot of Ingethling.
c 662	c 667	Jaruman Jaruman Jaruman was the fourth Bishop of Mercia. He fought against apostasy outside his diocese. He served as bishop in the time of King Wulfhere of Mercia, on whose behalf he undertook several missions to Saxon tribes which had lapsed into paganism...
Bishop of the Mercians and Lindsey People (based at Lichfield)
669	672	Chad Chad of Mercia Chad was a prominent 7th century Anglo-Saxon churchman, who became abbot of several monasteries, Bishop of the Northumbrians and subsequently Bishop of the Mercians and Lindsey People. He was later canonized as a saint. He was the brother of Cedd, also a saint...	Saint Chad; Ceadda. Translated from York (after his consecration was first declared invalid and then restored; died in office.
Bishops of Lichfield
672	c674	Winfrith	Winfride; Winfrid. Deprived by Theodore Theodore of Tarsus Theodore was the eighth Archbishop of Canterbury, best known for his reform of the English Church and establishment of a school in Canterbury.... , 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... .
c 676	bef 692	Seaxwulf	Saxulf; Sexulf. Abbot of Medeshamstede (Peterborough); Saint Sexwulf.
691	bet 716–727	Headda	Headdi; Eatheadus of Sidnacester.
bef 731	737	Aldwine	Aldwyn; Aldwini.
737	bet 749–767	Witta Witta (Bishop of Lichfield) Witta was a medieval Bishop of Lichfield. He was consecrated in 737 and died between 749 and 757.-External links:*...	Huitta.
bef 757	765	Hemele Hemele Hemele was a medieval Bishop of Lichfield. He was consecrated before 757 and died in 765.-External links:*...	Hemel.
c 765	c 769	Cuthfrith	Cuthred; died in office.
c 769	bet 777–779	Berhthun Berhthun (bishop) Berhthun was a medieval Bishop of Lichfield.Berhthun was consecrated about 769 and died between 777 and 779.-External links:*...	Died in office.
779	787	Hygeberht	Higbert; created Archbishop by King Offa Offa of Mercia Offa was the King of Mercia from 757 until his death in July 796. The son of Thingfrith and a descendant of Eowa, Offa came to the throne after a period of civil war following the assassination of Æthelbald after defeating the other claimant Beornred. In the early years of Offa's reign it is likely...  in 787.
Archbishop of Lichfield
787	799	Hygeberht	Higbert; Bishop until 787.
Bishops of Lichfield
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
bet 799–801	bet 814–816	Ealdwulf	Adulphus; title of Archbishop laid aside.
bet 814–816	bet 817–818	Herewine
818	830	Æthelwold
830	bet 830–836	Hunberght Hunberght Hunberght was a medieval Bishop of Lichfield.Hunberght was consecrated in 830 and died sometime between 830 and 836.-External links:*...	Humbert II.
bet 830–836	bet 841–845	Cynefrith	Cumbert; Cineferth; Saint Cumbert.
bet 843–845	bet 857–862	Tunberht	Tunbright; Tunfrith; Tumfriht.
bet 857–862	bet 866–869	Wulfsige Wulfsige of Lichfield Wulfsige was a medieval Bishop of Lichfield.Wulfsige was consecrated between 857 and 862 and died between 866 and 869.-External links:*...
bet 866–869	bet 869–883	Burgheard Burgheard of Lichfield Burgheard was a medieval Bishop of Lichfield.Burgheard was consecrated between 866 and 869 and died between 869 and 883.-External links:*...
bet 869–883	bet 889–900	Wulfred Wulfred of Lichfield Wulfred was a medieval Bishop of Lichfield.Wulfred was consecrated either between 869 and 883 or 875 and 883 and died between 889 and 900.-External links:*...
bet 889–900	bet 903–915	Wigmund Wigmund (bishop) Wigmund or Wilferth was a medieval Bishop of Lichfield.He was consecrated between 889 and 900 and died between 903 and 915.-External links:*...	Omitted from Haydn's; not the same man as the Archbishop of York who died in 854.
bet 903–915	bet 935–941	Ælfwine Ælfwine of Lichfield Ælfwine was a medieval Bishop of Lichfield. He was consecrated between 903 and 915 and died between 935 and 941.-External links:*...
bet 935–941	bet 946–949	Wulfgar Wulfgar of Lichfield Wulfgar was a medieval Bishop of Lichfield.Wulfgar was consecrated between 935 and 941 and died between 946 and 949.-External links:*...
bet 946–949	bet 963–964	Cynesige	Kinsey; Kynsy; Kinsius.
bet 963–964	975	Wynsige	Winsey; Winsius.
975	bet 1002–1004	Elphege Elphege of Lichfield Elphege was a medieval Bishop of Lichfield.Elphege was consecrated in 975 and died between 1002 and 1004.-External links:*...
bet 1002–1004	after 1017	Godwin Godwin (bishop) Godwin was a medieval Bishop of Lichfield.Godwin was consecrated between 1002 and 1004 and died after 1017.-References:...
after 1017	bet 1026–1027	Leofgar Leofgar Leofgar was a medieval Bishop of Lichfield.Leofgar was consecrated after 1017 and died sometime before about 1026. He was appointed by Cnut, the king of England, and nothing is known of why he was chosen or of his background.-External links:*...	Leosgar.
c 1027	1039	Brihtmær	Brithmar.
1039	1053	Wulfsige	Wulsy.
1053	1067	Leofwin Leofwin Leofwin was a medieval Bishop of Lichfield.Appointed to the see by King Edward the Confessor of England, Leofwin was a monk before becoming a bishop. For a time, he was abbot of the abbey of Coventry as well as bishop, but he was no longer abbot at the time of the Norman Conquest of England...	Abbot of Coventry.
1067	1075	Peter Peter of Lichfield Peter was a medieval Bishop of Lichfield. He moved the see from Lichfield to Chester in 1075.Peter had been a royal chaplain before being nominated to the see of Lichfield. Nothing else is known of his background, although presumably he was a Norman, as were most of King William I of England's...	Removed see to Chester.
Bishops of Chester
1075	1085	Peter
1086	1102	Robert de Limesey Robert de Limesey Robert de Limesey was a medieval Bishop of Chester. He moved the see from Chester to Coventry in 1102....	Prebendary of St Paul's; removed see to Coventry.
Bishops of Coventry
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1102	1117	Robert de Limesey	As above, title change only; died in office.
1117	1121	Vacant	For 4 years.
1121	1126	Robert Peche	Robert Pecham. Chaplain to Henry I Henry I of England Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106... ; died in office.
1126	1129	Vacant	For 2 years.
1129	1148	Roger de Clinton Roger de Clinton Roger de Clinton was a medieval Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield. He was responsible for organising a new grid street plan for the town of Lichfield in the 12th century which survives to this day.-Life:... , Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry	Also called Bishop of Lichfield & Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield.
1149	1159	Walter Durdent Walter Durdent Walter Durdent was a medieval Bishop of Coventry.Durdent was consecrated on 2 October 1149. He died on 7 December 1159. He was a Benedictine monk before his elevation to the episcopate. He was prior of Christ Church Priory in Canterbury when he was elected through the influence of Archbishop...
1161	1182	Richard Peche Richard Peche Richard Peche was a medieval Bishop of Coventry.Peche was probably the son of Robert Peche who was Bishop of Coventry from 1121 to 1128. He was definitely the son of a priest, as Ralph de Diceto wrote about him and justified the elevation of a son of priest to the episcopacy...
1183	1184	Gerard la Pucelle Gerard la Pucelle Gerard la Pucelle was a peripatetic Anglo-French scholar of canon law, clerk, and Bishop of Coventry.-Life:...
1184	1188	Vacant
1188	1198	Hugh Nonant Hugh Nonant Hugh Nonant was a medieval Bishop of Coventry in England. A great-nephew and nephew of two Bishops of Lisieux, he held the office of archdeacon in that diocese before serving successively Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury and King Henry II of England...
1198	1208	Geoffrey de Muschamp
1208	1215	Vacant
1215	1223	William de Cornhill William de Cornhill William de Cornhill was a medieval Bishop of Coventry.Some sources say William was the son of Henry de Cornhill, who was sheriff of London from 1187 to 1189 and was a brother to Reginald de Cornhill, one of John's chief administrators. Other sources say that William was either Reginald's son or...
1224	1228	Alexander de Stavenby Alexander de Stavenby Alexander de Stavenby was a medieval Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield.Alexander was probably a native of Sainsby, Lincolnshire and had two brothers, William and Gilbert, who held land there. He may have studied under Stephen Langton, later Archbishop of Canterbury, as Langton was from a village...	Became Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield.
Bishops of Coventry and Lichfield
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1228	1238	Alexander de Stavenby	Previously Bishop of Coventry.
1239		William de Raley William de Raley William de Raley was a medieval judge, administrator and bishop.-Life:In 1212 Raley was presented with the church of Bratton Fleming, with his occupation being described as "clerk". He is known to have served as a clerk of the bench in 1214, and again from 1219 to 1229...	William Raleigh; elected by both the chapter of Coventry and that of Lichfield but being also elected Norwich Bishop of Norwich The Bishop of Norwich is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Norwich in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers most of the County of Norfolk and part of Suffolk. The see is in the City of Norwich where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided...  he accepted that office.
1239		Nicholas Farnham Nicholas Farnham Nicholas Farnham was a medieval Bishop of Durham.Farnham was probably a native of Farnham, Surrey. He studied at Oxford University before moving on to study at Paris and Bologna. At Paris he first studied theology, but later moved to medicine. He taught at the University of Bologna as a teacher of...	Elected by the Chapter of Coventry but did not take office, later Bishop of Durham.
1239		William de Manchester	Dean of Lichfield; elected by the Chapter of Lichfield but did not take office
1239	December 1241	Hugh de Pateshull Hugh de Pateshull Hugh de Pateshull was a medieval Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield.Pateshull was the son of Simon of Pattishall and Simon's wife Amice. Simon was a royal justice...	Lord Treasurer; accepted after much controversy between the two chapters and at Henry III Henry III of England Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready... 's request; confirmed 25 December 1239; died in office.
December 1241	8 December 1241	Richard le Gras Richard le Gras Richard le Gras was Lord Keeper of England and Abbot of Evesham in the 13th century.Richard was prior of Hurley Priory before his election as abbot on 25 September 1236...	Abbot of Evesham Abbot of Evesham The Abbot of Evesham was the head of Evesham Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in Worcestershire founded in the Anglo-Saxon era of English history. The succession continued until dissolution of the monastery in 1540:-List:... , elected but declined office or died before the disputed election was resolved.
December 1241	1245	Vacant
1243		Robert de Monte Pessulano	Elected but refused the appointment, finding the election disagreeable to Henry III Henry III of England Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready... .
1245	1256	Roger Weseham	Dean of Lincoln; appointed by Pope Innocent IV Pope Innocent IV Pope Innocent IV , born Sinibaldo Fieschi, was pope from June 25, 1243 until his death in 1254.-Early life:... .
1258	1295	Roger de Meyland Roger de Meyland Roger de Meyland was a medieval Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield, England....	Roger Longespée; Roger de Molend.
1296	1321	Walter Langton Walter Langton Walter Langton was a bishop of Coventry and Lichfield and treasurer of England.He was probably a native of Langton West in Leicestershire....	Lord Treasurer and Lord Chancellor.
1322	1358	Roger Northburgh Roger Northburgh Roger Northburgh was Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield. He served as Lord Privy Seal from 1312 to 1316, as Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1321 to 1326, and as Lord High Treasurer of England from June to December of 1340...	Roger de Northbrugh; Archdeacon of Richmond; Lord Keeper and Lord Treasurer.
1360	1385	Robert de Stretton Robert de Stretton Robert de Stretton was Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield following the death of Roger Northburgh in 1358.-References:...	Canon of Lichfield.
1386	1386	Walter Skirlaw Walter Skirlaw Walter Skirlaw was an English bishop and diplomat. He was Bishop of Durham from 1388 to 1406...	Dean of St Martin's; 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... .
1386	1398	Richard le Scrope Richard le Scrope Richard le Scrope was Bishop of Lichfield then Archbishop of York.Scrope earned a Doctorate in canon law. He was provided to the see of Coventry and Lichfield on 18 August 1386, and consecrated on 19 August 1386. He was given the temporalities of the see on 15 November 1386. He was consecrated at...	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... .
1398	1414	John Burghill John Burghill John Burghill was a medieval Bishop of Llandaff and Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield.Burghill was nominated to Llandaff on 12 April 1396, and consecrated around 10 July 1396. He was translated to Coventry and Lichfield on 2 July 1398....	Translated from Llandaff Bishop of Llandaff The Bishop of Llandaff is the Ordinary of the Church in Wales Diocese of Llandaff.-Area of authority:The diocese covers most of the County of Glamorgan. The Bishop's seat is located in the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul , in the village of Llandaff, just north-west of the City of... .
1415	1419	John Catterick John Catterick John Catterick was a medieval Bishop of St David's, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield, and Bishop of Exeter....	John Keterich; translated from St David's; 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.... .
1419	1419	James Cary James Cary (bishop) James Cary, or John Cary was a supposed English bishop. It is said that he was bishop of Coventry and Lichfield , and was translated to be bishop of Exeter, but died before taking up the latter office. On the other hand, according to Fasti ecclesiae Anglicanae Vol. 1-Notes:...	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....  but died before taking office thereof.
20 November 1420	13 March 1447	William Heyworth William Heyworth William Heyworth was a medieval Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield.Heyworth was nominated on 20 November 1419, and consecrated on 28 July 1420. He died between 15 March and 24 March 1447.-References:...
1447	1452	William Booth	Prebendary of St Paul's, London; 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... .
1452		Nicholas Close Nicholas Close Nicholas Close was an English priest, Bishop of Carlisle from 1450 to 1452. He was provided to the see of Carlisle in January of 1450, and consecrated on 15 March 1450. He was selected Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield on 30 August 1452 and served for a short time before his death in late October...	Translated from Carlisle Bishop of Carlisle The Bishop of Carlisle is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Carlisle in the Province of York.The diocese covers the County of Cumbria except for Alston Moor and the former Sedbergh Rural District... ; Chancellor of Cambridge.
1453	1459	Reginald Boulers Reginald Boulers Reginald Boulers was a medieval Bishop of Hereford and Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield.Boulers was nominated to Hereford on 14 August 1450, and consecrated on 14 February 1451. He was translated to Coventry and Lichfield on 7 February 1453....	Translated from Hereford Bishop of Hereford The Bishop of Hereford is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Hereford in the Province of Canterbury.The see is in the City of Hereford where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Mary and Saint Ethelbert which was founded as a cathedral in 676.The Bishop's residence is... .
1459	1490	John Hales John Hales (Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield) John Hales was a medieval Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield.Briefly during the restoration of King Henry VI of England in 1470 Hales was named Keeper of the Privy Seal, but he lost the office on the restoration of King Edward IV of England in 1471.Hales was nominated on 20 September 1459, and...	John Halse. Prebendary of St Paul's, London.
1493	1496	William Smyth William Smyth William Smyth was Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield from 1493 to 1496 and then Bishop of Lincoln until his death. He held political offices, the most important being Lord President of the Council of Wales and the Marches. He became very wealthy and was a benefactor of a number of institutions...	Archdeacon of Surrey; translated to Lincoln Bishop of Lincoln The Bishop of Lincoln is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Lincoln in the Province of Canterbury.The present diocese covers the county of Lincolnshire and the unitary authority areas of North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire. The Bishop's seat is located in the Cathedral... .
1496	1502	John Arundel John Arundel (bishop of Exeter) John Arundel was a medieval Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield and Bishop of Exeter.Arundel was nominated to Coventry and Lichfield on 3 August 1496 and consecrated on 30 November 1496....	Dean of Exeter; 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.... .
1503	1531	Geoffrey Blythe Geoffrey Blythe Geoffrey Blythe was the Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry.Blythe was born at Norton in Derbyshire to William Blythe and a sister of Thomas Rotherham, Archbishop of York. He was schooled at Eton and then entered King's College, Cambridge in 1483. He was ordained a priest on 4 April 1496...	Geoffry Blyth. Dean of York.
1534	1539	Rowland Lee Rowland Lee Bishop Rowland Lee was an English administrator and bishop of Coventry and Lichfield.He belonged to a Northumberland family and was educated at Cambridge. Having entered the Church he obtained several livings owing to the favour of Cardinal Wolsey; after Wolsey's fall he rose high in the esteem of...	Chancellor and Prebendary of Lichfield and Lord President of Wales. Title changed when Coventry Cathedral was dissolved.
Bishops of Lichfield and Coventry
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1539	1543	Rowland Lee	Previously Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield, before the Dissolution of the Monasteries Dissolution of the Monasteries The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their... .
1543	1554	Richard Sampson Richard Sampson Richard Sampson was an English clergyman and composer of sacred music, who was Anglican bishop of Chichester and subsequently of Coventry and Lichfield.-Biography:...	Translated from Chichester Bishop of Chichester The Bishop of Chichester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chichester in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers the Counties of East and West Sussex. The see is in the City of Chichester where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity... ; Lord President of Wales.
1554	1559	Ralph Baines Ralph Baines Ralph Baines or "Bayne" was the last Roman Catholic bishop of Lichfield and Coventry, in England.-Early life:Educated at St. John's College, Cambridge, Baines was ordained priest at Ely in 1519...	Ralph Bayne; deprived and died soon after.
1560	1579	Thomas Bentham Thomas Bentham Thomas Bentham , Bishop of Coventry, was a Protestant minister, one of the Marian exiles, who continued secretly ministering to an underground congregation in London...	Fellow of Magdalene College, Oxford.
1580	1609	William Overton William Overton (bishop) -Life:He became a Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford in 1551, and rector of Balcombe and vicar of Eccleshall in 1553. He was also made a prebendary at Chichester, Winchester, and Salisbury....	Prebendary of Winchester and Salisbury.
1609	1610	George Abbot	Dean of Winchester; 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... .
1610	1614	Richard Neile Richard Neile Richard Neile was an English churchman, bishop of several English dioceses and Archbishop of York from 1631 until his death.-Early life:...	Richard Neale; 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... .
1614	1618	John Overall John Overall (Bishop) John Overall was the 38th bishop of the see of Norwich from 1618 until his death one year later. He had previously served as Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield , as Dean of St Pauls Cathedral from 1601, as Master of Catharine Hall from 1598, and as Regius Professor of Divinity at Cambridge...	Dean of St Paul's, London; translated to Norwich Bishop of Norwich The Bishop of Norwich is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Norwich in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers most of the County of Norfolk and part of Suffolk. The see is in the City of Norwich where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided... .
1619	1632	Thomas Morton Thomas Morton (bishop) Thomas Morton was an English churchman, bishop of several dioceses.-Early life:Morton was born in York on 20 March 1564. He was brought up and grammar school educated in the city and nearby Halifax. In 1582 he became a pensioner at St John's College, Cambridge from which he graduated with a BA in...	Translated from Chester Bishop of Chester The Bishop of Chester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chester in the Province of York.The diocese expands across most of the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, including the Wirral Peninsula and has its see in the City of Chester where the seat is located at the Cathedral... ; translated to Durham.
1632	1643	Robert Wright Robert Wright (bishop) -Life:Wright was born of humble parentage in St Albans, Hertfordshire, in 1560, and probably attended the refounded free school there , where preference was given to poor scholars of the borough. He matriculated at Trinity College, Oxford in 1574 at the age of 14, was elected to a scholarship in...	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... .
1644	1660	Accepted Frewen Accepted Frewen Accepted Frewen was a priest in the Church of England and Archbishop of York from 1660 to 1664.He was born at Northiam, in Sussex, and educated at Magdalen College, Oxford, where in 1612 he became a Fellow. In 1617 and 1621 the college allowed him to act as chaplain to Sir John Digby, ambassador...	Dean of Gloucester; translated to York.
1661	1670	John Hacket John Hacket John Hacket was an English churchman, Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry from 1661 until his death.-Life:He was born in London and educated at Westminster and Trinity College, Cambridge. On taking his degree he was elected a fellow of his college, and soon afterwards wrote the comedy, Loiola , which...	Canon-resident of St Paul's, London.
1671	1692	Thomas Wood	Dean of Lichfield.
1692	1699	William Lloyd	Translated from St Asaph; 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... .
1699	1717	John Hough John Hough (bishop) John Hough was an English bishop. He is best known for the confrontation over his election as President at Magdalen College, Oxford that took place at the end of the reign of James II of England.-Life:...	Translated from Oxford Bishop of Oxford The Bishop of Oxford is the diocesan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Oxford in the Province of Canterbury; his seat is at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford... ; 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... .
1717	1730	Edward Chandler Edward Chandler (bishop) Edward Chandler was an English bishop.-Life:He graduated M.A. from Emmanuel College, Cambridge in 1693. He became Bishop of Lichfield in 1717, and was Bishop of Durham from 1730 to 1750....	Prebendary of Worcester; translated to Durham.
1731	1749	Richard Smalbroke Smalbroke family The Smalbroke family was a powerful family between the early 15th and early 19th centuries, owning large areas of land in Birmingham, England.-15th-16th centuries:...	Translated from St David's.
1750	1768	The Hon Frederick Cornwallis Frederick Cornwallis Frederick Cornwallis was Archbishop of Canterbury, and the twin brother of Edward Cornwallis.Cornwallis was born in London, England, the seventh son of Charles Cornwallis, 4th Baron Cornwallis. He was educated at Eton College and graduated from Christ's College, Cambridge...	Canon of Windsor; Dean of St Paul's, London (1766); translated to 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... .
1768	1771	John Egerton John Egerton (bishop) John Egerton was an Anglican bishop.-Family:Egerton was the eldest son of Henry Egerton, the Bishop of Hereford, himself a younger son of the 3rd Earl of Bridgewater. Egerton served under his father as Dean of Hereford and was later Bishop of Bangor from 1756-68, Bishop of Lichfield from 1768-71...	Translated from Bangor Bishop of Bangor The Bishop of Bangor is the Ordinary of the Church in Wales Diocese of Bangor.The diocese covers the counties of Anglesey, most of Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire and a small part of Montgomeryshire... ; translated to Durham.
1771	1774	Brownlow North Brownlow North Brownlow North was a bishop of the Church of England.-Life:He was a half-brother to Frederick North, Lord North, both being sons of Francis North, 1st Earl of Guilford....	Dean of Canterbury; 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... .
1775	1781	Richard Hurd	Master of the Temple; 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... .
1781	1824	The Hon James Cornwallis James Cornwallis, 4th Earl Cornwallis James Cornwallis, 4th Earl Cornwallis was a British clergyman and peer.Cornwallis was the third son of Charles Cornwallis, 1st Earl Cornwallis and his wife, Elizabeth... (after 1823: The Rt Hon The Earl Cornwallis)	Dean of Canterbury; grand-nephew of the Hon Frederick Cornwallis (above); died in office.
10 March 1824	31 March 1836	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 from Gloucester Bishop of Gloucester The Bishop of Gloucester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Gloucester in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers the County of Gloucestershire and part of the County of Worcestershire and has its see in the City of Gloucester where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church... ; died in office.
3 July 1836	24 January 1837	Samuel Butler Samuel Butler (schoolmaster) Samuel Butler FRS was an English classical scholar and schoolmaster of Shrewsbury, and Bishop of Lichfield. His grandson was Samuel Butler , noted author of the novel "Erewhon"....	Became Bishop of Lichfield when the Diocese of Coventry Diocese of Coventry The Diocese of Coventry is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury. It is headed by the Bishop of Coventry, who sits at Coventry Cathedral in Coventry, and is assisted by one suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Warwick. The diocese covers Coventry and Warwickshire.The diocese is...  was created.
Bishops of Lichfield
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
24 January 1837	4 December 1839	Samuel Butler	Previously Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry; died in office.
23 January 1840	11 October 1843	James Bowstead	Translated from Sodor & Man Bishop of Sodor and Man The Bishop of Sodor and Man is the Ordinary of the Diocese of Sodor and Man in the Province of York in the Church of England. The diocese covers the Isle of Man. The see is in the town of Peel where the bishop's seat is located at the Cathedral Church of St German, elevated to cathedral status on 1... .
3 December 1843	19 October 1867	John Lonsdale John Lonsdale The Right Reverend John Lonsdale was the third Principal of King's College London who later served as Bishop of Lichfield....	Archdeacon of Middlesex and Principal of King's College, London; died in office.
4 January 1868	11 April 1878	George Selwyn	Translated from New Zealand; died in office.
24 June 1878	28 July 1891	William Maclagan	Vicar of St Mary Abbots, Kensington; 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... .
29 September 1891	15 March 1913	The Hon Augustus Legge Augustus Legge The Right Reverend The Honourable Augustus Legge DD , was Bishop of Lichfield from 1891 until 1913.-Biography:...	Died in office.
13 June 1913	15 June 1937	John Kempthorne
29 July 1937	11 January 1953	Edward Woods	Died in office.
29 September 1953	1 December 1974	Stretton Reeve
2 January 1975	29 February 1984	Kenneth Skelton	Bishop of Matabeleland; retired.
12 October 1984	2003	Keith Sutton
2003	present	Jonathan Gledhill Jonathan Gledhill Jonathan Michael Gledhill is the 98th Bishop of Lichfield. He was enthroned in Lichfield Cathedral on 15 November 2003....