Dean of Wells
Encyclopedia
The Dean of Wells is the head of the Chapter
of Wells Cathedral
in the Mendip
district of Somerset
, England
. The current Dean
is the Very Revd John Clarke
, who lives in The Dean's Lodging, 25 The Liberty, Wells.
Chapter (religion)
Chapter designates certain corporate ecclesiastical bodies in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Nordic Lutheran churches....
of Wells Cathedral
Wells Cathedral
Wells Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral in Wells, Somerset, England. It is the seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, who lives at the adjacent Bishop's Palace....
in the Mendip
Mendip
Mendip is a local government district of Somerset in England. The Mendip district covers a largely rural area of ranging from the Mendip Hills through on to the Somerset Levels. It has a population of approximately 110,000...
district of Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, 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 current Dean
Dean (religion)
A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...
is the Very Revd John Clarke
John Clarke (Dean of Wells)
The Very Rev. John Martin Clarke is the current Dean of Wells. He was born on 20 February 1952 and attended West Buckland School, Hertford College, Oxford and Edinburgh University. After a period of study at Edinburgh Theological College he was ordained in 1977...
, who lives in The Dean's Lodging, 25 The Liberty, Wells.
List of the Deans of Wells
- 1140–1164 Ivo
- 1164–1189 Richard of Spaxton
- 1190–1213 Alexander
- 1213–1216 Leonius
- 1216–1219 Ralph of Lechlade
- 1219–1236 Peter of Chichester
- 1236–1241 William of Merton
- 1241–1253 John Saracenus
- 1254–1256 Giles of Bridport
- 1256–1284 Edward of Cnoll
- 1284–1292 Thomas Bytton
- 1292–1295 William Burnell
- 1295–1302 Walter Haselshaw
- 1302–1305 Henry Husee
- 1305–1333 John Godelee
- 1333–1333 Richard of Bury
- 1334–1335 Wibert of Littleton
- 1335–1349 Walter of London
- 1349–1350 Thomas Fastolf
- 1350–1361 John of Carleton
- 1361–1379 Stephen Penpel
- 1379–1381 John Fordham
- 1381–1396 Thomas Thebaud of Sudbury
- 1397–1398 Henry Beaufort
- 1398–1401 Nicholas Slake
- 1401–1410 Thomas Tuttebury
- 1410–1413 Richard Courtenay
- 1413–1413 Thomas Karneka
- 1413–1423 Walter Medeford
- 1423–1424 John Stafford
- 1425–1446 John Forest
- 1446–1467 Nicholas Carent
- 1467–1472 William Witham
- 1472–1498 John GunthorpeJohn Gunthorpe-Education and career:He was a student at Cambridge University and he had already entered into clergyship and had received holy orders. By private appointment Gunthorpe served as a secretary to Queen Elizabeth I. By 1452 he was the master of the arts at Cambridge University and served as a junior...
- 1498–1525 William Cosyn (formerly Archdeacon of Bath)
- 1525–1529 Thomas Wynter
- 1529–1537 Richard Woleman
- 1537–1540 Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of EssexThomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of EssexThomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex, , was an English statesman who served as chief minister of King Henry VIII of England from 1532 to 1540....
- 1540–1547 William Fitzjames/Fitzwilliam
- 1548–1550 John Goodman
- 1551–1554 William Turner
- 1554–1560 John Goodman
- 1560–1568 William Turner
- 1570–1573 Robert Weston
- 1574–1589 Valentine DaleValentine Dale-Life:He supplicated the university of Oxford in 1541 for the degree of B.A., but does not appear to have been admitted. He was, however, elected a fellow of All Souls' College in 1542...
- 1590–1602 John Herbert*
- 1602–1607 Benjamin Heydon
- 1607–1621 Richard Meredith
- 1621–1631 Ralph Barlow
- 1631–1641 George Warburton
- 1642–1644 Walter Ralegh
- 1660–1670 Robert Creyghton
- 1670–1704 Ralph BathurstRalph BathurstRalph Bathurst was an English theologian and physician.-Early life:He was born in Hothorpe, Northamptonshire in 1620 and educated at King Henry VIII School, Coventry.He graduated with a B.A...
- 1704–1713 William Grahme (Graham)
- 1713–1733 Matthew Brailsford
- 1733–1736 Isaac MaddoxIsaac MaddoxIsaac Maddox 27th July 1697-27th September 1759) was an Anglican clergyman, successively bishop of St Asaph and of Worcester. He was a member of the Royal Society. -Life:Isaac was the son of a Dissenter, Edward Maddox, stationer of London...
- 1736–1738 John HarrisJohn Harris (bishop)John Harris was Bishop of Llandaff from 1729 to 1738, as well as serving as Dean of Hereford Cathedral and of Wells Cathedral.-Life:...
, Bishop of LlandaffBishop of LlandaffThe 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... - 1739–1766 Samuel Creswicke
- 1766–1799 Lord Francis Seymour
- 1799–1812 George William Lukin
- 1812–1831 Hon Henry RyderHenry RyderThe Right Reverend the Hon. Henry Dudley Ryder was a prominent English Evangelical Anglican clergyman in the early years of the nineteenth century...
(also Bishop of GloucesterBishop of GloucesterThe 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...
1815–1824; Bishop of Lichfield & CoventryBishop of LichfieldThe 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...
1824–1836) - 1831–1845 Edmund GoodenoughEdmund Goodenough-Life:Goodenough was the youngest son of Samuel Goodenough, bishop of Carlisle, by his wife, Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Dr. James Ford, physician extraordinary to Queen Charlotte, was born at Baling, Middlesex, on 3 April 1785. At an early age he was sent to Westminster School, where in 1797,...
- 1845–1854 Richard JenkynsRichard JenkynsRichard Jenkyns was a British academic administrator at the University of Oxford and Dean at Wells Cathedral.Jenkyns was appointed a Fellow of Balliol College, Oxford in 1802, a Tutor in 1813, Bursar in 1814, and Master from 23 April 1819 until his death in 1854...
- 1854–1881 George Johnson
- 1881–1891 Edward Hayes PlumptreEdward Hayes PlumptreEdward Hayes Plumptre was an English divine and scholar, and was born in London.-Life:This son of E.H. Plumptre was born in London. A scholar of University College, Oxford, he graduated with a double-first class degree in 1844. In the same year he was elected Fellow of Brasenose College. Married...
- 1891–1911 Thomas Jex-BlakeThomas Jex-BlakeThe Very Rev Dr Thomas William Jex-Blake was an eminent Anglican clergyman and educationalist.He was born in 1832 the son of lawyer Thomas Jex-Blake and the brother of Sophia Jex-Blake and educated at Rugby and University College, Oxford. He began a career as a school master at Marlborough and was...
- 1911–1933 Joseph Armitage Robinson
- 1933–1950 Richard Malden
- 1951–1958 Frederick Percy Harton
- 1958–1962 Christopher WoodfordeChristopher WoodfordeThe Very Rev Dr Christopher Woodforde was an eminent Anglican clergyman and noted author in the mid 20th century. He was born on 29 November 1907 and educated at King's School, Bruton and Peterhouse, Cambridge. Ordained in 1932 he began his ecclesiastical career with curacies at King's Lynn,...
- 1962–1973 Irven David EdwardsIrven David EdwardsIrven David Edwards was an Anglican priest in the mid 20th century.Edwards was born at Stretton, East Staffordshire, the son of the Reverend John Edwards, at one time a prebendary of Lichfield Cathedral, and his wife Beatrice. He was educated at Repton School and Christ's College, Cambridge...
- 1973–1989 Patrick Reynolds MitchellPatrick Reynolds MitchellThe Very Rev Patrick Reynolds Mitchell KCVO is an eminent Anglican clergyman. He was born on 17 March 1930 and educated at Eton and Merton College, Oxford. Ordained in 1955 he began his ecclesiastical career with a Curacy at St. Mark's Church, Mansfield following which he was Priest-Vicar of...
- 1990–2003 Richard Lewis
- 2004–present John ClarkeJohn Clarke (Dean of Wells)The Very Rev. John Martin Clarke is the current Dean of Wells. He was born on 20 February 1952 and attended West Buckland School, Hertford College, Oxford and Edinburgh University. After a period of study at Edinburgh Theological College he was ordained in 1977...
Further reading
- Robinson, J. A., The First Deans of Wells (1921)