Bishop of Winchester
Bishop of Winchester | |
|---|---|
| Bishopric | |
| anglican | |
Arms of the Bishop of Winchester: Gules, two keys addorsed in bend the upper or the lower argent between them overlying the uppermost key a sword in bend sinister point upright of the third hilt and pommel or[1] | |
| Incumbent: Philip Mounstephen | |
| Location | |
| Ecclesiastical province | Canterbury |
| Residence | Wolvesey Palace, Winchester |
| Information | |
| First holder | Wine |
| Established | 634 (at Dorchester) 660 (translated to Winchester) |
| Diocese | Winchester |
| Cathedral | Winchester Cathedral (since 660) Dorchester (634–660) |
The Bishop of Winchester is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Winchester in the Church of England. The bishop's seat (cathedra) is at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire.
The Bishop of Winchester has always held ex officio the office of Prelate of the Most Noble Order of the Garter since its foundation in 1348. except during the period of the Commonwealth until the Restoration of the Monarchy.[2] Bishops of Winchester also often held the positions of Lord Treasurer and Lord Chancellor ex officio.
During the Middle Ages, the Diocese of Winchester was one of the wealthiest English sees, and its bishops have included a number of politically prominent Englishmen, notably the 9th century Saint Swithun and medieval magnates including William of Wykeham and Henry of Blois.
The Bishop of Winchester is appointed by the Crown, and is one of five Church of England bishops who sit ex officio among the 26 Lords Spiritual in the House of Lords, regardless of their length of service.[3] Philip Mounstephen has been the Bishop of Winchester since 10 October 2023.[4][5]
The Diocese of Winchester is one of the oldest and most important in England. Originally it was the episcopal see of the kingdom of Wessex or the West Saxons, with its cathedra at Dorchester Cathedral near Oxford under Saints Birinus and Agilbert. The cathedral at Dorchester was founded in AD 634 by Birinius, a Roman missionary. The see was transferred to Winchester in AD 660.
Winchester was divided in AD 909, with Wiltshire and Berkshire transferring to the new See of Ramsbury. Nevertheless, the domains of the Bishop of Winchester ran from the south coast to the south bank of the River Thames at Southwark, where the bishop had one of his palaces, making it one of the largest as well as one of the richest sees in the land. In more modern times, the former extent of the Diocese of Winchester was reduced by the formation of a new diocese of Southwark in south London,[a] a new diocese of Guildford in Surrey and a new diocese of Portsmouth in Hampshire. The most recent loss of territory was in 2022 when the Channel Islands were removed from the diocese of Winchester after a dispute with Bishop Tim Dakin led to a breakdown in relations. The Channel Islands were transferred to the Diocese of Salisbury by an Order in Council made under the Channel Islands Measure 2020.[7]
Traditionally, in the general order of precedence before 1533, the Bishop of Winchester was given precedence over all other diocesan bishops - that is, the first English bishop in rank behind the archbishops of Canterbury and York. But in 1533, Henry VIII of England raised the rank of the Bishop of London and the Bishop of Durham, relegating Winchester to third (but still above other remaining diocesan bishops).[citation needed] The order of precedence was implicitly recognised by the Bishoprics Act 1878.[8][b]
The Report of the Commissioners appointed by his Majesty to inquire into the Ecclesiastical Revenues of England and Wales (1835) found the Winchester see was the third wealthiest in England, after Canterbury and London, with an annual net income of £11,151.[9]
The official residence of the Bishop of Winchester is Wolvesey Palace in Winchester. Historic homes of the bishops included Wolvesey Castle, Farnham Castle, Bishop's Waltham Palace and Winchester Palace in Southwark. The bishop is the visitor to five Oxford colleges, namely Magdalen College, New College, St John's College, Trinity College, and Corpus Christi College.
Recent history
[edit]The former bishop of Winchester, Tim Dakin, was enthroned on 21 April 2012, having been elected on 14 October 2011. He was consecrated as a bishop at St Paul's Cathedral, London, on 25 January 2012. On 20 May 2021, it was reported that Dakin had "stepped back" as diocesan bishop for six weeks, in light of the threat of a diocesan synod motion of no confidence in his leadership. David Williams, Bishop of Basingstoke, also "stepped back" and Debbie Sellin, Bishop of Southampton, served as acting diocesan bishop.[10] Dakin's leave was later extended to the end of August 2021.[11] He retired on 6 February 2022.[12]
Debbie Sellin continued as acting diocesan bishop during the vacancy, with retired bishop Richard Frith serving as the Archbishop's Episcopal Commissary in the diocese.[13] In July 2023, it was announced that Philip Mounstephen would be the next Bishop of Winchester[14] and that he was to leave his post at Truro in autumn 2023.[15] Debbie Sellin remained acting diocesan bishop pending Mounstephen's election (which took place on 11 September)[16] and confirmation on 10 October.[17]
List of bishops
[edit]Saxon to Norman
[edit]| Bishops of Dorchester | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes |
| 634 | c. 650 | Birinus | Sent from Rome by the pope, founded missionary diocese; Saint Birinius |
| c. 650 | c. 660 | Agilbert | Resigned. |
| Bishops of Winchester | |||
| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes |
| 660 | 663 | Wine | also had his See at Dorchester |
| 670 | before 676 | Leuthere | |
| 676 | ?705 | Hædde | Canonized |
| c. 705 | 744 | Daniel | |
| 744 | betw. 749–756 | Hunfrith | |
| 756 | betw. 759–778 | Cyneheard | |
| betw. 759–778 | betw. 759–778 | Æthelheard | |
| betw. 759–778 | betw. 781–785 | Ecgbald | |
| betw. 781–785 | betw. 781–785 | Dudd | |
| betw. 781–785 | betw. 801–803 | Cyneberht | |
| betw. 801–803 | betw. 805–814 | Ealhmund | |
| betw. 805–814 | 836 | Wigthegn | |
| before 825 | 836 | Herefrith | Never attests without Wigthegn. |
| betw. 833–838 | 838 | Eadhun | |
| 838 or 839 | betw. 844–853 | Helmstan | |
| 852 or 853 | betw. 862–865 | Swithun | Canonized. Patron saint of Winchester. |
| betw. 862–867 | betw. 871–877 | Ealhferth | |
| betw. 871–877 | 878 or 879 | Tunbeorht | |
| 878 or 879 | 908 | Denewulf | |
| 909 | 932 or 933 | Frithestan | Canonized |
| 931 | 934 | Beornstan | Canonized |
| 934 or 935 | 951 | Ælfheah (I) | |
| 951 | 959 | Ælfsige (I) | Translated to Canterbury |
| 960 | 963 | Beorhthelm | Possibly translated from Selsey |
| 963 | 984 | Æthelwold (I) | Canonized |
| 984 | 1006 | Ælfheah (II) | Translated to Canterbury. Canonized. |
| 1006 | Cenwulf | ||
| 1006 | 1012 | Æthelwold (II) | |
| 1012 | 1032 | Ælfsige (II) | |
| 1032 | 1047 | Ælfwine | |
| 1047 | 1070 | Stigand | Translated from Elmham. Held Winchester with Canterbury 1052–1070. |
| Footnote(s):[c] and Source(s):[19][20] | |||
Norman to Reformation
[edit]| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1070 | 1098 | Walkelin | |
| 1100 | 1129 | William Giffard | |
| 1129 | 1171 | Henry of Blois | |
| 1173 | 1188 | Richard of Ilchester | |
| 1189 | 1204 | Godfrey de Luci | |
| 1205 | (Richard Poore) | Election quashed | |
| 1205 | 1238 | Peter des Roches | |
| 1238 | 1239 | (Ralph Neville) | Election quashed |
| 1240 | 1250 | William de Raley | Translated from Norwich |
| 1250 | 1260 | Aymer de Valence | |
| 1261 | 1262 | (Andrew of London) | Election quashed |
| 1261 | 1262 | (William de Taunton) | Election quashed |
| 1262 | 1268 | John Gervais | |
| 1268 | 1280 | Nicholas of Ely | |
| 1280 | (Robert Burnell) | Election quashed June 1280. | |
| 1280 | 1282 | (Richard de la More) | Never consecrated, resigned June 1282. |
| 1282 | 1304 | John of Pontoise | |
| 1305 | 1316 | Henry Woodlock | |
| 1316 | 1319 | John Sandale | |
| 1319 | 1323 | Rigaud of Assier | |
| 1323 | 1333 | John de Stratford | Translated to Canterbury |
| 1333 | 1345 | Adam Orleton | Translated from Worcester |
| 1345 | 1366 | William Edington | |
| 1366 | 1404 | Chancellor of England; founder of Winchester College and of New College, Oxford[21] | |
| 1404 | 1447 | Translated from Lincoln; Appointed Cardinal by Pope Martin V; The Bishop of Winchester in Shakespeare's First Part of Henry the Sixth | |
| 1447 | 1486 | ||
| 1487 | 1492 | Peter Courtenay | Translated from Exeter |
| 1493 | 1501 | Thomas Langton | Translated from Salisbury |
| 1501 | 1528 | Translated from Durham | |
| 1529 | 1530 | Archbishop of York. Held in commendam the see of Winchester. | |
| Source(s):[20][22][23][24] | |||
During the Reformation
[edit]| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1531 | 1551 | ||
| 1551 | 1553 | John Ponet | Translated from Rochester |
| 1553 | 1555 | ||
| 1556 | 1559 | John White | Translated from Lincoln |
| Source(s):[20][23][24][25] | |||
Post-Reformation
[edit]| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1560 | 1580 | ||
| 1580 | 1584 | ||
| 1584 | 1594 | Translated from Lincoln | |
| 1594 | 1595 | Translated from Lincoln | |
| 1595 | 1596 | ||
| 1597 | 1616 | Translated from Worcester | |
| 1616 | 1618 | Translated from Bath and Wells | |
| 1618 | 1626 | Translated from Ely | |
| 1627 | 1632 | Translated from Durham, later translated to York | |
| 1632 | 1646 | Translated from Bath and Wells. Deprived 1646, and died 1647. | |
| 1646 | 1660 | The see was abolished during the Commonwealth and the Protectorate.[26][27] | |
| 1660 | 1662 | Translated from Salisbury | |
| 1662 | 1684 | Translated from Worcester | |
| 1684 | 1706 | Translated from Bath and Wells | |
| 1707 | 1721 | Translated from Exeter | |
| 1721 | 1723 | Translated from Norwich | |
| 1723 | 1734 | Translated from Salisbury | |
| 1734 | 1761 | Translated from Salisbury | |
| 1761 | 1781 | Translated from Salisbury | |
| 1781 | 1820 | Translated from Worcester | |
| 1820 | 1827 | Translated from Lincoln | |
| 1827 | 1869 | Translated from Llandaff | |
| 1869 | 1873 | Translated from Oxford | |
| 1873 | 1891 | Translated from Ely | |
| 1891 | 1895 | Translated from Rochester | |
| 1895 | 1903 | Translated from Rochester, later translated to Canterbury | |
| 1903 | 1911 | Translated from Exeter | |
| 1911 | 1923 | Translated from Southwark | |
| 1923 | 1932 | Translated from Peterborough | |
| 1932 | 1942 | Translated from Southwark, later translated to York | |
| 1942 | 1952 | Translated from Coventry | |
| 1952 | 1961 | Translated from Durham | |
| 1961 | 1975 | Translated from Chelmsford | |
| 1975 | 1985 | ||
| 1985 | 1995 | Translated from Wakefield | |
| 1995 | 2011 | Translated from Stafford | |
| 2012 | 2022 | ||
| 2022 | 2023 | Debbie Sellin, Bishop of Southampton and acting diocesan bishop | |
| 2022 | 2023 | Richard Frith, Archbishop's Episcopal Commissary[13] | former Bishop of Hereford |
| 2023 | present | Translated from Truro; confirmed 10 October 2023.[4][5] | |
| Source(s):[20][29][30] | |||
Assistant bishops
[edit]Among those who have served as assistant bishops of the diocese are:
- 1457–1486 (d.): William Westkarre, Prior of Mottisfont Abbey (1451–d.), titular Bishop of Sidon/Zeitun and Assistant Bishop of Canterbury (1480);[31][32] sometime head of St Mary's College, Oxford (c. 1443); elected Prior of Holy Trinity Priory, Aldgate, 1445, but put aside; later a canon of Burscough Priory.[33]
- 1885 – 1887 (res.): Francis Cramer-Roberts, Vicar of Milford-on-Sea and former Bishop of Nassau[34]
- 1921–1922 (d.): James Macarthur, Archdeacon of the Isle of Wight (since 1906) and Assistant Bishop for the island; former Bishop of Southampton[35]
- 1947 – 1962 (ret.): Leslie Lang, Archdeacon of Winchester and Canon Residentiary of Winchester Cathedral, and former Bishop of Woolwich[36]
- 1963 – 1973 (ret.): Nigel Cornwall, Canon Residentiary of Winchester Cathedral and former Bishop of Borneo[37]
- 1982 – 1990 (ret.): Hassan Dehqani-Tafti, former Bishop in Iran and President Bishop, Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East[38]
- 1996 – 2020 (d.) John Dennis (bishop) Honorary Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Winchester and formerly Bishop of Knaresborough and Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich
See also
[edit]Footnotes
[edit]- ^ The area was transferred to the Diocese of Rochester in 1877 before being established as a separate diocese in 1905.[6]
- ^ The bishops are named in this order in the section.
- ^ The second edition of the Handbook of British Chronology listed Eadmund to have been bishop of Winchester between 833 and 838,[18] but in the third edition he is no longer listed to have been bishop.[19]
Sources
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Debrett's Peerage, 1968, p.1160, as depicted there, expanded for clarity
- ^ Charles Dodd (1844) Manual of Dignities, from the Revolution to the Present Day p.45
- ^ "Lords Spiritual". The Church of England in Parliament. 26 February 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
- ^ a b "(section: Forthcoming Events)". St Mary-le-Bow. Archived from the original on 10 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
- ^ a b @BishopAngaelos (10 October 2023). "A joy to be at back at @BowBellsChurch for Confirmation of Election..." (Tweet). Archived from the original on 11 October 2023 – via Twitter.
- ^ "No. 27777". The London Gazette. 21 March 1905. p. 2169.
- ^ "Ink dries at last on transfer of Jersey deanery to Salisbury diocese".
- ^ "Bishoprics Act 1878, s. 5". Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
- ^ The National Cyclopaedia of Useful Knowledge Vol.III, London, Charles Knight, 1847, p.362
- ^ "Bishop of Winchester steps back after diocesan rebellion". Church Times. No. 8253. 21 May 2021. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
- ^ "Talks about Dakin's future to continue". Church Times. No. 8259. 2 July 2021. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
- ^ "Bishop of Winchester announces retirement". Diocese of Winchester. 16 July 2021. Archived from the original on 24 November 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
- ^ a b "Archbishop confirms arrangements following Bishop of Winchester's retirement". Diocese of Winchester. 10 January 2022. Archived from the original on 14 April 2023.
- ^ "Appointment of Bishop of Winchester". gov.uk. Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street. 6 July 2023.
- ^ "Bishop Philip to leave diocese". Diocese of Truro. 6 July 2023. Archived from the original on 6 July 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
- ^ "Bishop Philip Mounstephen Elected by College of Canons at Winchester Cathedral". Diocese of Winchester. 11 September 2023.
- ^ "(section: Forthcoming Events)". St Mary-le-Bow. Archived from the original on 10 October 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ Powicke & Fryde 1961, Handbook of British Chronology, 2nd Edition, p. 257.
- ^ a b Fryde et al. 1986, Handbook of British Chronology, 3rd Edition, p. 223.
- ^ a b c d "Historical successions: Winchester". Crockford's Clerical Directory. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
- ^ "Winchester College: Heritage". Winchester College. Archived from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
- ^ Fryde et al. 1986, Handbook of British Chronology, 3rd Edition, pp. 276–277.
- ^ a b Greenway 1971, Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066–1300: Volume 2, pp. 85–87.
- ^ a b Jones 1962, Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1300–1541: Volume 4, pp. 45–47.
- ^ Fryde et al. 1986, Handbook of British Chronology, 3rd Edition, p. 277.
- ^ Plant, David (2002). "Episcopalians". BCW Project. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Appointment of Bishop of Winchester". gov.uk. Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street. 6 July 2023.
- ^ Fryde et al. 1986, Handbook of British Chronology, 3rd Edition, pp. 277–278.
- ^ Horn 1974, Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541–1857: Volume 3, pp. 80–83.
- ^ Hierarchia Catholica Medii Aevi: II p. 238
- ^ Les Ordinations Épiscopales, Year 1457, Number 21
- ^ "Westkarre, William". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/98333. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ "Church news". Church Times. No. 1252. 21 January 1887. p. 46. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 20 December 2019 – via UK Press Online archives.
- ^ "Church news". Church Times. No. 2997. 2 July 1920. p. 10. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 20 September 2020 – via UK Press Online archives.
- ^
"Lang, Leslie Hamilton". Who's Who. A & C Black. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ^
"Cornwall, Nigel Edmund". Who's Who. A & C Black. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ^
"Dehqani-Tafti, Hassan Barnaba". Who's Who. A & C Black. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
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 0-521-56350-X.
- Greenway, D. E. (1971). "Bishops of Winchester". Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066–1300: Volume 2: Monastic Cathedrals (Northern and Southern Provinces). British History Online.
- Jones, B. (1962). "Bishops of Winchester". Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1300–1541: Volume 4: Monastic Cathedrals (Southern Province). British History Online.
- Horn, J. M. (1974). "Bishops of Winchester". Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541–1857: Volume 3: Canterbury, Rochester and Winchester Dioceses. British History Online.
- Powicke, F. Maurice; Fryde, E. B., eds. (1961). Handbook of British Chronology (2nd ed.). London: Offices of the Royal Historical Society.