Priors of Canterbury Cathedral
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This page is a list of priors of Christchurch Priory in Canterbury, now known as Canterbury Cathedral.
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[edit] Context
Canterbury Cathedral began life as cathedral for its city, diocese and archdiocese, headed by the Archbishop of Canterbury and run by a Dean. However, when the cathedral was re-formed as a monastic insitution (known as Christ Church Priory) as well as a cathedral, a Prior was put in charge of the monastery (with the Archbishop effectively acting as abbot). When in 1539 the monastery was dissolved and reverted to being solely a cathedral, the prior's duties reverted to a dean, the first of whom was Nicholas Wotton.
[edit] List
(*William Chillenden 1264-1270) |
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[edit] Notes
- ^ Quarrelled with Theobald, the archbishop, ending in Jeremiah's resignation on papal orders
- ^ He witnessed the murder of Thomas Becket in 1170. His next role was as Abbot of Peterborough Abbey, and he took some contact relics of Becket with him to that abbey.
- ^ His next office was as abbot of Tewkesbury.
- ^ Went to Verona in person to plead the case of the monastery against archbishop Baldwin, but died abroad.
- ^ Baldwin's appointee, unsuitable for the role and resented by the monks
- ^ Appointed by Baldwin in exchange for backing down in the dispute, but forced to resign by the monks soon after Baldwin's departure for the crusade
- ^ Chosen by the monks; appointment rejected by the pope, who instead named Robert Kilwardby to the post
- ^ Opposed by a faction of monks who accused him of oppressive rule and mismanagement; eventually resigned to join the Cistercian abbey at Beaulieu; priory temporarily taken into king's hands, but returned on protests by the monks.
- ^ Quarrels with his monks; advised archbishops Reynolds (a comparatively young man) and Mepeham
- ^ Advised archbishop Mepeham, but archbishop Stratford was more independent and the prior's good relations with the archbishop were again lost.
- ^ Quarreled with the city mayor
[edit] Sources
- Table of priors and deans at the west end of the south aisle of Canterbury Cathedral nave.
- Victoria County History at British History Online