Bishop of Worcester

Diocesan bishop in the Church of England

For the Catholic bishopric in Worcester, Massachusetts, see Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester.

Bishop of Worcester

Bishopric
anglican

Arms of the Bishop of Worcester: Argent, ten torteaux gules, four, three, two and one[1]

Incumbent:
vacant
(acting: Martin Gorick, Bishop of Dudley)
Location
Ecclesiastical province| Canterbury
Residence| The Old Palace, Worcester
Information
First holder| Bosel
Established| 680
Diocese| Worcester
Cathedral| Worcester Cathedral

* Christianity portal

The Bishop of Worcester is the head of the Church of England Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury, England. The title can be traced back to the foundation of the diocese in the year 680.[2][3] From then until the 16th century, the bishops were in full communion with the Catholic Church. During the Reformation, the church in England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Catholic Church, at first temporarily and later more permanently. Since the Reformation, the Bishop and Diocese of Worcester has been part of the Church of England and the Anglican Communion.

The diocese covers most of the county of Worcestershire, including the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley and parts of the City of Wolverhampton.[4] The Episcopal see is in the city of Worcester where the bishop's throne is located at the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary.[5] The bishop's official residence is the Old Palace, Worcester.[6] The bishops had two residences outside the city: Hartlebury Castle near Kidderminster from the 13th century to 2007 and a palace at Alvechurch until it was pulled down in the 17th century.

From the elevations of Oswald of Worcester in 961 at Worcester and 972 at York, until 1023 the see was usually held jointly with the (then rather poorer) Archbishopric of York.

## List of bishops

[edit]

### Pre-Conquest

[edit]

Bishops of Worcester

From  | Until  | Incumbent  | Notes
680  | 691  | Bosel | Resigned the See
691  | 693  | Oftfor |
693  | 717  | Ecgwine of Evesham | Also recorded as Ecgwin, Egwin and Eegwine
718  | c.744  | Wilfrith (I.) | Also recorded as Wilfrid
c.743  | c.775  | Milred | Also recorded as Mildred and Hildred
775  | 777  | Waermund | Also recorded as Wærmund
777  | c.780/81  | Tilhere |
781  | c.799  | Heathured | Also recorded as Hathored, AEthelred and Æthelred
c.799  | 822  | Denebeorht | Also recorded as Deneberht
822  | c.845/48  | Heahbeorht | Also recorded as Heahberht and Eadbert
c.845/48  | 872  | Ealhhun | Also recorded as Alwin
873  | 915  | Werferth | Also recorded as Waerfrith, Wærferth, Werfrith and Waerfrith
915  | 922  | Æthelhun |
922  | 929  | Wilfrith (II.) |
fl.929  | 957  | Koenwald | Also recorded as Cenwald and Coenwald
957  | 959  | Dunstan | Previously Abbot of Glastonbury; translated to London; and later to Canterbury
961  | 992  | Oswald | Held both Worcester and York ( 971–992)
992  | 1002  | Ealdwulf | Previously Abbot of Peterborough; held both Worcester and York (995–1002)
1002  | 1016  | Wulfstan (I.) | Translated from London; also Archbishop of York (1002–1023)
1016  | 1033  | Leofsige |
1033  | 1038  | Beorhtheah |
c. 1038/39 | 1040  | Lyfing (1st term)  | Deprived from Worcester; also Bishop of Crediton and Cornwall (1027–1046)
1040  | 1041  | Ælfric Puttoc | Also Archbishop of York, 1023–1041; deprived from both
1041  | 1046  | Lyfing (2nd term)  | Restored to Worcester
1046  | 1061  | Ealdred | Translated from Hereford; later to York
1062  | 1095  | Wulfstan (II.) | Canonized on 14 May 1203 by Pope Innocent III
Source(s):[3][7][8]

### Conquest to Reformation

[edit]

Bishops of Worcester

From  | Until  | Incumbent  | Notes
1096  | 1112  | Samson |
1113  | 1123  | Theulf | Nominated in 1113; consecrated in 1115
1125  | 1150  | Simon |
1151  | 1157  | John de Pageham |
1158  | 1160  | Alured |
1163  | 1179  | Roger | Also recorded as Roger of Gloucester
1180  | 1185  | Baldwin | Translated to Canterbury
1185  | 1190  | William of Northall |
1191  | 1193  | Robert FitzRalph | Previously Archdeacon of Nottingham
1193  | 1195  | Henry de Sully | Previously Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey
1196  | 1198  | John of Coutances |
1199  | 1212  | Mauger | Elected in 1199, but quashed by Pope Innocent III; later postulated to the See; consecrated in 1200
1213 | 1214 | Randulf of Evesham (bishop-elect) | Elected in December 1213, but quashed by the Papal legate, Niccolò de Romanis, in January 1214
1214  | 1216  | Walter de Gray | Translated to York
1216  | 1218  | Sylvester | Also recorded as Sylvester of Evesham
1218  | 1236  | William de Blois |
1237  | 1266  | Walter de Cantilupe |
1266  | 1268  | Nicholas of Ely | Formerly Archdeacon of Ely;translated to Winchester
1268  | 1302  | Godfrey Giffard |
1302 | John St German (bishop-elect) | Elected in March 1302, but quashed in October 1302
1302  | 1307  | William Gainsborough |
1307  | 1313  | Walter Reynolds | Translated to Canterbury
1313  | 1317  | Walter Maidstone |
1317  | 1327  | Thomas Cobham | Previously Archbishop-elect of Canterbury in 1313
1327 | Wulstan Bransford (bishop-elect) | Elected bishop but was quashed; later elected in 1339
1327  | 1333  | Adam Orleton | Translated from Hereford; later to Winchester
1333  | 1337  | Simon Montacute | Translated to Ely
1337  | 1338  | Thomas Hemenhale | Translated from Norwich
1339  | 1349  | Wulstan Bransford |
1349  | 1353  | John of Thoresby | Translated from St David's; later to York
1352  | 1361  | Reginald Brian | Translated from St David's
1362  | 1363  | John Barnet | Translated to Bath and Wells; and later to Ely
1363  | 1368  | William Whittlesey | Translated from Rochester; later to Canterbury
1368  | 1373  | William Lenn | Translated from Chichester
1373 | 1375 | Walter Lyghe (bishop-elect) | Elected in 1373, but quashed in 1375
1375  | 1395  | Henry Wakefield |
1394  | 1401  | Robert Tideman of Winchcombe | Translated from Llandaff
1401  | 1407  | Richard Clifford | Previously Bishop-elect of Bath and Wells; later translated to London
1407  | 1419  | Thomas Peverel | Translated from Llandaff
1419  | 1426  | Philip Morgan | Translated to Ely
1425  | 1433  | Thomas Poulton | Translated from Chichester
1433 | 1435 | Thomas Brunce (bishop-elect) | Elected bishop, but never consecrated; later became Bishop of Rochester
1434  | 1443  | Thomas Bourchier | Translated to Ely; and later to Canterbury
1443  | 1476  | John Carpenter | Nominated in 1443; consecrated in 1444; resigned the See in 1476; apparently used the style "Bishop of Worcester and Westbury"[9][10]
1476  | 1486  | John Alcock | Translated from Rochester; later to Ely
1486  | 1497  | Robert Morton | Nominated in 1486; consecrated in 1487
1497  | 1498  | Giovanni de' Gigli |
1498  | 1521  | Silvestro de' Gigli |
1521 | 1522 |  Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici | Appointed apostolic administrator of the See of Worcester in 1521 and resigned in 1522; also Archbishop of Florence and Narbonne and Bishop of Eger; he was elected as Pope Clement VII in 1523.[11]
1522  | 1535  |  Girolamo Ghinucci | Deprived of the See by Henry VIII when the king broke with Rome; later in 1535 Ghinucci was created a cardinal.[12]
Source(s):[3][7][13][14][15]

### During the Reformation

[edit]

Bishops of Worcester

From  | Until  | Incumbent  | Notes
1535  | 1539  |  Hugh Latimer | Resigned the See
1539  | 1543  |  John Bell |
1543  | 1551  |  Nicholas Heath (1st term)  | Translated from Rochester; deprived of the See
1552  | 1554  |  John Hooper | Translated from Gloucester, 20 May 1552 when Gloucester was reunited to Worcester; called "Bishop of Worcester and Gloucester" and "of Gloucester and Worcester"; deprived of the See.[16][17][18][19]
1554  | 1555  |  Nicholas Heath (2nd term)  | Restored to the See; later translated to York
1555  | 1559  |  Richard Pate | Deprived of the See.
Source(s):[3][7][15][20][21]

### Post-Reformation

[edit]

Bishops of Worcester

From  | Until  | Incumbent  | Notes
1559  | 1570  |  Edwin Sandys | Translated to London; and later to York
1570 (designate) |  James Calfhill | Archdeacon of Colchester (1565–1570). Allegedly nominated by Queen Elizabeth I, but died before election.
1571  | 1576  |  Nicholas Bullingham | Translated from Lincoln
1577  | 1583  |  John Whitgift | Translated to Canterbury
1584  | 1591  |  Edmund Freke | Translated from Norwich
1593  | 1595  |  Richard Fletcher | Translated from Bristol; later to London
1596  | 1597  |  Thomas Bilson | Translated to Winchester
1597  | 1610  |  Gervase Babington | Translated from Exeter
1610  | 1616  |  Henry Parry | Translated from Gloucester
1617  | 1641  |  John Thornborough | Translated from Bristol
1641  | 1646  |  John Prideaux | Deprived of the see when the English episcopacy was abolished by Parliament on 9 October 1646.
1646  | 1660  | The see was abolished during the Commonwealth and the Protectorate.[22][23]
1660  | 1662  |  George Morley | Translated to Winchester
1662  |  John Gauden | Translated from Exeter
1662  | 1663  |  John Earle | Translated to Salisbury
1663  | 1670  |  Robert Skinner | Translated from Bristol
1671  | 1675  |  Walter Blandford | Translated from Oxford
1675  | 1683  |  James Fleetwood |
1683  | 1689  |  William Thomas | Translated from St David's
1689  | 1699  |  Edward Stillingfleet |
1699  | 1717  |  William Lloyd | Translated from Lichfield and Coventry
1717  | 1743  |  John Hough | Translated from Lichfield and Coventry
1743  | 1759  |  Isaac Maddox | Translated from St Asaph
1759  | 1774  |  James Johnson | Translated from Gloucester
1774  | 1781  |  Brownlow North | Translated from Lichfield and Coventry; later to Winchester
1781  | 1808  |  Richard Hurd | Translated from Lichfield and Coventry
1808  | 1831  |  Folliott Cornewall | Translated from Hereford
1831  | 1841  |  Robert Carr | Translated from Chichester
1841  | 1860  |  Henry Pepys | Translated from Sodor and Man
1861  | 1890  |  Henry Philpott |
1890  | 1901  |  John Perowne | Resigned
1902  | 1905  |  Charles Gore[24] | Translated to Birmingham; and later to Oxford
1905  | 1918  |  Huyshe Yeatman-Biggs | Translated from Southwark; later to Coventry
1919  | 1931  |  Ernest Pearce |
1931  | 1941  |  Arthur Perowne | Translated from Bradford
1941  | 1955  |  William Wilson Cash |
1956  | 1971  |  Mervyn Charles-Edwards |
1971  | 1981  |  Robin Woods |
1982  | 1996  |  Philip Goodrich [25] | Previously Bishop of Tonbridge (1973–1982)
1997  | 2007  |  Peter Selby | Previously Bishop of Kingston-upon-Thames (1984–1992). Also Bishop to HM Prisons (2001–2007)
2007 (acting) |  David Walker | Bishop of Dudley. Episcopal commissary (acting diocesan bishop) during interregnum.[26]
2007  | 2024  |  John Inge | Retired 9 October 2024.[27]
2024 | acting |  Martin Gorick, Bishop of Dudley | Acting diocesan bishop during vacancy in See, since 9 October 2024.[28]
Source(s):[7][21][29]

## Assistant bishops

[edit]

Among those who have served as assistant bishops of the diocese are:

* 1936 – 1944 (d.): Ridley Duppuy, Canon Residentiary of Worcester Cathedral, Archdeacon of Worcester (from 1938), Vice-Dean of Worcester (from 1940) and former Bishop of Victoria[30]
* 1946 – January 1953 (ret.): Bertram Lasbrey, Rector of St Andrew's &c. Worcester and former Bishop on the Niger[31]
* 1953 – 1965 (ret.): Cyril Stuart, Rector of St Andrew's &c. Worcester (until 1965), Canon of Worcester thereafter, and former Bishop of Uganda[32]
* 1968 – 1991 (ret.): Nicholas Allenby, former Bishop of Kuching[33]
* 1989 – 2008 (d.): Kenneth Woollcombe, assistant priest in Upton Snodsbury (1989–?), former Bishop of Oxford and Assistant Bishop of London for Westminster[34]

## References

[edit]

### Footnotes

[edit]

1. ^ Debrett's Peerage, 1968, p.1167
2. ^ Fryde et al. 1986, Handbook of British Chronology, p. 223.
3. ^ a b c d Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Ancient Diocese of Worcester". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
4. ^ Diocese of Worcester: Homepage. Retrieved on 10 December 2008.
5. ^ Worcester Cathedral: Homepage. Retrieved on 10 December 2008.
6. ^ Provincial Directory: Worcester. Anglican Communion. Retrieved on 10 December 2008.
7. ^ a b c d "Historical successions: Worcester". Crockford's Clerical Directory. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
8. ^ Fryde et al. 1986, Handbook of British Chronology, pp. 223–224, and 278.
9. ^ Oxford DNB – Carpenter, John (Accessed 20 February 2014)
10. ^ A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 2. College: The College of Westbury-on-Trym (Accessed 20 February 2014)
11. ^ Cardinal Giulio de' Medici Archived 21 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine. The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. Retrieved on 10 December 2008.
12. ^ Cardinal Girolamo Ghinucci Archived 29 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine. The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. Retrieved on 10 December 2008.
13. ^ Fryde et al. 1986, Handbook of British Chronology, pp. 278–280.
14. ^ Greenway 1971, "Bishops of Worcester", Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066–1300: Volume 2, pp. 99–102.
15. ^ a b Jones 1962, "Bishops of Worcester", Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1300–1541: Volume 4, pp. 55–58.
16. ^ Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541–1857, vol. 7, 1992, pp. 105–109
17. ^ "Hooper, John". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/13706. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
18. ^ Pollard, Albert Frederick (1911). "Hooper, John" . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 13 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 675–676.
19. ^ Lee, Sidney, ed. (1891). "Hooper, John" . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 27\. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
20. ^ Fryde et al. 1986, Handbook of British Chronology, p. 280.
21. ^ a b Horn 1996, "Bishops of Worcester", Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541–1857: Volume 7, pp. 105–109.
22. ^ Episcopacy. British Civil Wars, Commonwealth and Protectorate 1638–60. Retrieved on 25 April 2021.
23. ^ King, Peter (July 1968). "The Episcopate during the Civil Wars, 1642–1649". The English Historical Review. 83 (328). Oxford University Press: 523–537\. doi:10.1093/ehr/lxxxiii.cccxxviii.523. JSTOR 564164.
24. ^ "No. 27389". The London Gazette. 20 December 1901. p. 8979.
25. ^ The Rt Revd Philip Goodrich[dead link]. The Daily Telegraph, first published: 22 November 2001.
26. ^ "Trust chaplaincy service secured". 9 November 2007.
27. ^ "Bishop John to retire". Diocese of Worcester. 2 May 2024. Archived from the original on 1 June 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
28. ^ "Bishop Martin becomes Acting Bishop of Worcester". The Diocese of Worcester. 9 March 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
29. ^ Fryde et al. 1986, Handbook of British Chronology, pp. 280–281.
30. ^ "Duppuy, Charles Ridley". Who's Who. A & C Black. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
31. ^ "Lasbrey, Bertram". Who's Who. A & C Black. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
32. ^ "Stuart, Cyril Edgar". Who's Who. A & C Black. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
33. ^ "Allenby, David Howard Nicholas". Who's Who. A & C Black. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
34. ^ "Woollcombes to leave London". Church Times. No. 6584\. 21 April 1989. p. 3\. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 15 February 2021 – via UK Press Online archives.

### Bibliography

[edit]

* Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I., eds. (1986). Handbook of British Chronology (3rd, reprinted 2003 ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-56350-5.
* Greenway, D. E. (1971). Monastic Cathedrals (Northern and Southern Provinces). Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066–1300. Vol. 2\. British History Online.
* Horn, J. M. (1996). Ely, Norwich, Westminster and Worcester Dioceses. Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541–1857. Vol. 7\. British History Online.
* Jones, B. (1962). Monastic Cathedrals (Southern Province). Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1300–1541. Vol. 4\. British History Online.

## External links

[edit]

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