Dean of York
Encyclopedia
The Dean of York is the member of the clergy
who is responsible for the running of the York Minster
cathedral.
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
who is responsible for the running of the York Minster
York Minster
York Minster is a Gothic cathedral in York, England and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe alongside Cologne Cathedral. The minster is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office of the Church of England, and is the cathedral for the Diocese of York; it is run by...
cathedral.
11th–12th centuries
- 1093–c.1135: HughHugh (dean)Hugh, first dean of York, was appointed by archbishop Thomas I before December 1093. He was present at a royal council at Gloucester on 25 December 1093 and visited Fountains Abbey with archbishop Thurstan on 9 October 1132...
- c.1138–1143: William of Sainte-BarbeWilliam of St. BarbaraWilliam of St. Barbara or William of Ste Barbe was a medieval Bishop of Durham.-Life:From William's name, it is presumed that he was a native of Sainte-Barbe-en-Auge in Calvados in Normandy. He was a canon of York Minster in 1128. He was Dean of York by December of 1138.William was elected to the...
(afterwards Bishop of Durham) - c.1147–1157: Robert de GantRobert of GhentRobert of Ghent or Robert de Gant was the fourteenth and seventeenth Lord Chancellor and Lord Keeper of England, from 1140 to 1141, and from 1142 to 1154. He was also Dean of York. He was the uncle of Gilbert de Gant, Earl of Lincoln.-References:...
(also Lord Chancellor 1140–1154) - 1158–1186: Robert Butevilain
- 1186–1189: Hubert WalterHubert WalterHubert Walter was an influential royal adviser in the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries in the positions of Chief Justiciar of England, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Lord Chancellor. As chancellor, Walter began the keeping of the Charter Roll, a record of all charters issued by the...
(afterwards Bishop of SalisburyBishop of SalisburyThe 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...
, then Archbishop of CanterburyArchbishop of CanterburyThe 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...
) - 1189–1194: Henry MarshalHenry MarshalHenry Marshal was a medieval Bishop of Exeter.-Life:Marshal was a younger son of John Marshal and Sybilla, the sister of the earl of Salisbury, Patrick. This made him a younger brother of William Marshal, the advisor to Kings Henry II, Richard I, John and Henry III...
(afterwards Bishop of Exeter) - 1194–1214: Simon de ApuliaSimon of Apulia-Life:Nothing is known of Simon's early life beyond the fact that he was a native of southern Italy and that he was a canon lawyer and a magister....
(afterwards Bishop of ExeterBishop of ExeterThe 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....
)
13th century
- 1214–unknown: William Testard
- c.1217–c.1220: Hamo
- 1220–1233: Roger de Insula
- 1233–1238: Geoffrey de Norwich
- 1239–1243: Fulk Basset (afterwards Bishop of LondonBishop of LondonThe 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...
) - 1244–1249: Walter de KirkhamWalter of Kirkham-Early life:Walter was probably a native of Kirkham, Yorkshire. From about January 1224 Walter held the office of Keeper of the Wardrobe jointly with Walter Brackley. Brackley was out of office by February of 1229, but Walter continued to hold the office until 15 August 1231. He held the office...
(afterwards Bishop of Durham) - c.1252–1256: Sewal de BovilSewal de Bovil-Life:Nothing is known of Bovil's origins or his parents, but he attended Oxford University at around the same time as Edmund of Abingdon, who became Bovil's good friend. He first appears as a canon of York Minster in 1236, and was holding the prebend of Fenton by October 1240. He was Archdeacon of...
(afterwards Archbishop of YorkArchbishop of YorkThe 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...
) - 1257–1258: Geoffrey de LudhamGodfrey LudhamGodfrey Ludham was Archbishop of York from 1258 to 1265.-Life:Ludham's parents were Richard and Eda of Ludham, Norfolk, and he had a brother Thomas who was also a priest. Matthew Paris gives him the name Godfrey Kineton, but without any explanation of why that was his name...
(afterwards Archbishop of York) - 1258–1260: Roger de Holderness (alias Roger of Skeffling).
- c.1262–1279: William de LangtonWilliam LangtonWilliam Langton was a medieval English priest and nephew of Archbishop Walter de Gray. William was selected but never consecrated as Archbishop of York and Bishop of Carlisle....
(alias William of Rotherfield; elected Archbishop of York and Bishop of CarlisleBishop of CarlisleThe 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...
, but did not take possession of either office) - 1279–1290: Robert de Scarborough
- 1290–1297: Henry de NewarkHenry of Newark-Life:Nothing is known of Henry's ancestry, but he probably took his name from Newark-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire, where he owned some property. He wrote in 1298 that he had been brought up in the Gilbertine order of monks, but where exactly is unclear. Likewise, where he was educated is unknown....
(afterwards Archbishop of YorkArchbishop of YorkThe 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...
) - 1296–1307: William HambletonWilliam Hamilton (Lord Chancellor)William Hamilton was deputy chancellor of England from 1286 to 1289, then Lord Chancellor from 1305 to his death on April 20, 1307. He was also Dean of York.-References:...
(also Lord Chancellor 1305–1307)
14th century
- 1307–1310: Raymond de Goth
- 1310–1312: William Pickering
- 1312–1333: Robert Pickering
- 1333–1336: William de Colby
- 1336–1340: William de La ZoucheWilliam ZoucheWilliam Zouche or William de la Zouche, was a medieval Archbishop of York.Zouche was a younger son of William, Lord Zouche of Haringworth, in Northamptonshire. He was appointed Archdeacon of Barnstaple in 1329. On 12 July 1330, he was collated Archdeacon of Exeter...
(afterwards Archbishop of YorkArchbishop of YorkThe 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...
) - 1342–1343: Elias Talleyrand de Perigord
- 1366–1380: Angelicus Grimaud (also was created a cardinalCardinal (Catholicism)A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
in 1366) - 1382–1385: Adam EastonAdam EastonAdam Easton was an English Cardinal, born at Easton in Norfolk.He joined the Benedictines at Norwich moving on to the Benedictine Gloucester College, Oxford where he became one of the most outstanding students of his generation, being especially proficient in Hebrew...
(also was created a cardinal in 1381) - 1385–1395: Edmund StaffordEdmund StaffordEdmund Stafford was the second son of Sir Richard Stafford of Clifton and Isabel Vernon, daughter of Sir Richard Vernon of Haddon. He became the Bishop of Exeter-Biography:...
- 1395–1397: Roger Walden
- 1398–1400: Richard CliffordRichard CliffordRichard Clifford was a Bishop-elect of Bath and Wells, Bishop of Worcester and Bishop of London as well as Lord Privy Seal.Clifford was appointed Lord Privy Seal on 14 November 1387, and resigned on 4 November 1401....
(also was Lord Privy SealLord Privy SealThe Lord Privy Seal is the fifth of the Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord President of the Council and above the Lord Great Chamberlain. The office is one of the traditional sinecure offices of state...
1397–1401; afterwards Bishop-elect of Bath and WellsBishop of Bath and WellsThe 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...
, then Bishop of WorcesterBishop of WorcesterThe 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...
and finally Bishop of LondonBishop of LondonThe 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...
)
15th century
- 1401–1406: Thomas LangleyThomas LangleyThomas Langley was an English prelate who held high ecclesiastical and political offices in the early to mid 1400s. He was Dean of York, Bishop of Durham, twice Lord Chancellor of England to three kings, and a Pseudocardinal. In turn Keeper of the King's signet and Keeper of the Privy Seal before...
(afterwards Bishop of Durham) - 1406–1416: John Prophete
- 1416–1420: Thomas PoltonThomas PoltonThomas Polton was a medieval Bishop of Hereford, Bishop of Chichester, and Bishop of Worcester.Polton was nominated to the see of Hereford on 15 July 1420, and consecrated as bishop on 21 July 1420....
(afterwards Bishop of HerefordBishop of HerefordThe 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...
, then Bishop of ChichesterBishop of ChichesterThe 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...
and finally Bishop of WorcesterBishop of WorcesterThe 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...
) - 1420–1425: William Grey (afterwards Bishop of LondonBishop of LondonThe 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...
, then Bishop of LincolnBishop of LincolnThe 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...
) - 1426–1436: Robert GilbertRobert Gilbert (bishop)Robert Gilbert was a medieval Bishop of London.Gilbert was elected 23 February 1436, provided on 21 May 1436, and consecrated on 28 October 1436. He died about 27 July 1448.-References:...
(afterwards Bishop of London) - 1436–1451: William Felter
- 1452–1477: Richard Andrew
- 1477–1488: Robert Booth
- 1488–1494: Christopher UrswickChristopher UrswickChristopher Urswick was a priest and confessor of Margaret Beaufort. He was Rector of Puttenham, Hampshire, and later Dean of Windsor...
(afterwards Dean of WindsorDean of WindsorThe Dean of Windsor is the spiritual head of the Canons of St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. The Dean chairs meetings of the Chapter of Canons as primus inter pares.-List of Deans of Windsor:* William Mugge, 1348* Walter Almaly, 1380...
) - 1494–1496: William Sheffield
- 1497–1503: Geoffrey Blythe (afterwards Bishop of Coventry and LichfieldBishop 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...
)
16th century
- 1503–1507: Christopher BainbridgeChristopher BainbridgeChristopher Bainbridge was an English Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of York from 1508 until his death.-Early life:...
(also Dean of WindsorDean of WindsorThe Dean of Windsor is the spiritual head of the Canons of St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. The Dean chairs meetings of the Chapter of Canons as primus inter pares.-List of Deans of Windsor:* William Mugge, 1348* Walter Almaly, 1380...
; afterwards Bishop of Durham, then Archbishop of YorkArchbishop of YorkThe 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...
) - 1508–1512: James Harrington
- 1513–1514: Thomas Wolsey (afterwards Bishop of LincolnBishop of LincolnThe 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...
and Archbishop of York) - 1514–1516: John YoungJohn YongeJohn Yonge , English ecclesiastic and diplomatist, was born at Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, and educated at Winchester and New College, Oxford, where he became a fellow in 1485. Probably the son of John Yonge, Lord Mayor of London...
- 1516–1539: Brian Higden
- 1539–1544: Richard LaytonRichard LaytonRichard Layton was an English churchman, jurist and diplomat, dean of York and a principal agent of Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell in the Dissolution of the Monasteries.-Life:...
- 1544–1567: Nicholas WottonNicholas WottonNicholas Wotton was an English diplomat-Life:He was a son of Sir Robert Wotton of Boughton Malherbe, Kent, and a descendant of Nicholas Wotton, lord mayor of London in 1415 and 1430, and member of parliament for the city from 1406 to 1429.He early became vicar of Boughton Malherbe and of Sutton...
- 1567–1589: Matthew HuttonMatthew Hutton (Archbishop of York)Matthew Hutton was archbishop of York from 1595 to 1606.-Life:Hutton, the son of Matthew Hutton of Priest Hutton, in the parish of Warton, Lancashire, was born in that parish in 1529. He became a sizar at Trinity College, Cambridge in 1546. Graduating B.A. 1551–2, he became a fellow of Trinity in...
(afterwards Bishop of Durham and Archbishop of York) - 1589–1617: John ThornboroughJohn ThornboroughJohn Thornborough was an English bishop.-Life:In a long ecclesiastical career, he was employed as a chaplain by the Earl of Pembroke, and Queen Elizabeth...
(previously Bishop of LimerickBishop of LimerickThe Bishop of Limerick is an episcopal title which takes its name after the city of Limerick in the Province of Munster, Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it still continues as a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with other bishoprics.-History:The diocese of...
; afterwards Bishop of BristolBishop of BristolThe 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...
, then Bishop of WorcesterBishop of WorcesterThe 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...
)
17th century
- 1617–1624: George MeritonGeorge MeritonGeorge Meriton was an English churchman, Dean of Peterborough in 1612 and Dean of York in 1617.-Life:He was born in Hertfordshire, probably at Braughing. His father was a tenant of Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk, who inherited estates in Hertfordshire from his mother, and Meriton himself was...
- 1625–1644: John Scott
- 1644–1660: The deanery was abolished during the CommonwealthCommonwealth of EnglandThe Commonwealth of England was the republic which ruled first England, and then Ireland and Scotland from 1649 to 1660. Between 1653–1659 it was known as the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland...
and the ProtectorateThe ProtectorateIn British history, the Protectorate was the period 1653–1659 during which the Commonwealth of England was governed by a Lord Protector.-Background:...
. - 1660–1663: Richard Marsh
- Jan–Nov 1664: William SancroftWilliam SancroftWilliam Sancroft was the 79th Archbishop of Canterbury.- Life :Sancroft was born at Ufford Hall in Fressingfield, Suffolk, son of Francis Sandcroft and Margaret Sandcroft née Butcher...
(afterwards Dean of St Paul's, London, then Archbishop of CanterburyArchbishop of CanterburyThe 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...
) - 1664–1677: Robert Hitch.
- 1677–1697: Tobias Wickham
- 1697–1702: Thomas GaleThomas GaleThomas Gale was an English classical scholar, antiquarian and cleric.-Life:He was born at Scruton, Yorkshire...
18th century
- 1702–1728: Henry Finch
- 1728–1747: Richard OsbaldestonRichard OsbaldestonRichard Osbaldeston was a Church of England clergyman and Bishop of London from 1762 to 1764.-Life:He was born at Hunmanby in Yorkshire, a younger son of Sir Richard Osbaldeston, a prominent landowner and Member of Parliament, head of he Yorkshire branch of an old Lancashire family. His mother...
(afterwards Bishop of CarlisleBishop of CarlisleThe 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...
, then Bishop of LondonBishop of LondonThe 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...
) - 1747–1802: John FountayneJohn FountayneJohn Fountayne, M.A. , DD, was a Church of England clergyman and the longest serving Dean of York.-Life:Fountayne was the younger of two sons of John Fountayne...
19th century
- 1802–1822: George Markham
- 1823–1858: William CockburnSir William Cockburn, 11th BaronetSir William Cockburn, 11th Baronet was a Church of England clergyman. He was Dean of York and was famously defended on a charge of simony by his nephew Sir Alexander Cockburn, 12th Baronet in 1841....
(brother of George CockburnGeorge CockburnAdmiral of the Fleet Sir George Cockburn, 10th Baronet GCB was a British naval commander of the late 18th through the mid-19th centuries. He held important commands during the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812 and eventually rose to become Admiral of the Fleet and First Sea Lord.-Naval...
, uncle of Sir Alexander Cockburn, 12th BaronetSir Alexander Cockburn, 12th BaronetSir Alexander James Edmund Cockburn, 12th Baronet Q.C. was a Scottish lawyer, politician and judge. A notorious womaniser and socialite, as Lord Chief Justice he heard some of the leading causes célèbres of the 19th century.-Life:Cockburn was born in Alţâna, in what is now Romania and was then...
who defended him on a charge of simonySimonySimony is the act of paying for sacraments and consequently for holy offices or for positions in the hierarchy of a church, named after Simon Magus , who appears in the Acts of the Apostles 8:9-24...
) - 1858–1880: Augustus Duncombe
- 1880–1916: Arthur Purey-Cust
20th century
- 1917–1925: William Foxley NorrisWilliam Foxley NorrisWilliam Foxley Norris KCVO was Dean of York between 1917 and 1925 and of Westminster from then until his death in 1937.Born into a clerical family, he was educated at Charterhouse and Trinity College, Oxford before taking Holy orders at Leeds Clergy School...
(afterwards Dean of Westminster) - 1926–1932: Lionel FordLionel FordLionel George Bridges Justice Ford was an Anglican priest who served as Dean of York after two headmasterships at eminent English public schools....
- 1932–1941: Herbert BateHebert Newell BateHerbert Newell Bate was Dean of York between 1932 and 1941.Born in 1871 into a clerical family, he was educated at St Paul’s and Trinity College, Oxford and ordained in 1896. He was a Tutor of Keble College, Oxford until 1897 when he became a Fellow at Magdalen College, Oxford and Dean of Divinity...
- 1941–1963: Eric Milner-WhiteEric Milner-WhiteEric Milner-White CBE DSO OGS was a Dean of York in the Church of England; holding this post between 1941 and his death in 1963.-Early life and education:...
- 1964–1975: Alan RichardsonAlan Richardson (Dean of York)Alan Richardson KBE was educated at Liverpool University, Exeter College, Oxford and Ridley Hall, Cambridge. Ordained in 1928 he first post was as a curate at St Saviour's Liverpool. He was Vicar of Cambo and then Secretary of the Student Christian Movement...
- 1975–1984: Ronald JasperRonald Claud Dudley JasperRonald Claud Dudley Jasper CBE was Dean of York between 1975 and 1984.Born on 17 August 1917, he was educated at the University of Leeds and ordained after a period of study at the College of the Resurrection in 1940. He held curacies in Ryhope, Durham and Esh before being appointed Chaplain of...
. - 1984–1994: John SouthgateJohn SouthgateJohn Eliot Southgate is a former Dean of York in the Church of England; holding this post from 1984 until 1994 when he was replaced by the Very Revd Raymond Furnell....
- 1994–2003: Raymond FurnellRaymond FurnellThe Very Reverend Dr Raymond Furnell was the Dean of York Minster from 1994 to 2003.His first ecclesiastical post was as curate at Cannock, in the Diocese of Lichfield, from 1965 to 1969. From there, he moved to become vicar of Clayton part of Newcastle-under-Lyme, a position he held from...
(previously ProvostProvost (religion)A provost is a senior official in a number of Christian churches.-Historical Development:The word praepositus was originally applied to any ecclesiastical ruler or dignitary...
of St Edmundsbury)
21st century
- 2004–present: Keith Jones (previously Dean of ExeterDean of ExeterThe Dean of Exeter is the head of the Chapter of Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter, England. The chapter was established by Bishop William Briwere who set up the offices of Dean and chancellor of Exeter Cathedral, allowing the chapter to elect those officers.The current Dean lives at the...
)