Bishop of Rochester

Not to be confused with the Episcopal Bishop of Rochester or the Roman Catholic Bishop of Rochester, both in New York State in the United States of America.

The Bishop of Rochester is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Rochester in the Province of Canterbury.

The diocese covers the west of the county of Kent and is centred in the city of Rochester where the bishop's seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was founded as a cathedral in 604. During the late 17th and 18th centuries it was customary for the Bishop of Rochester to also be appointed Dean of Westminster Abbey.

The bishop's residence, "Bishopscourt", is in Rochester.

The office was created in 604 at the founding of the diocese in the Kingdom of Kent under King Æthelbert. The current bishop is the Rt Revd James Langstaff.[1]

Contents

History

The Diocese of Rochester was historically the oldest and smallest of all the suffragan sees of Canterbury. Founded by St Augustine, who in 604 consecrated St Justus as its first bishop. (After two more Roman bishops, all subsequent bishops until 1066, beginning with Ithamar, were drawn from the Christianised inhabitants of Kent.) The diocesan territory consisted roughly of the western part of Kent, separated from the rest of the county by the River Medway, though the diocesan boundaries did not follow the river very closely. The restricted territory of the diocese meant that it needed only one archdeacon to supervise all 97 parishes.

From the foundation of the see the Archbishop of Canterbury had enjoyed the privilege of nominating the bishop, but Archbishop Theobald transferred the right to the Benedictine monks of the cathedral, who exercised it for the first time in 1148.

List of bishops

Pre-Conquest

Pre-Conquest Bishops of Rochester
From Until Incumbent Notes
604 624 Justus
624 633 Romanus
633 644 Paulinus of York
644 664 Ithamar
664 669 Damianus
669 676 Putta
676 678 Cwichelm
678 716 Gebmund
716 727 Tobias
727 741 Ealdwulf
741 747 Dunn
747 772 Eardwulf
772 785 Diora
785 805 Waermund (I)
805 844 Beornmod
844 868 Tatnoth
868 868 Badenoth
868 868 Waermund (II)
868 880 Cuthwulf
880 900 Swithwulf
900 c.926 Ceolmund
c.926 c.934 Cyneferth
c.934 949 Burgric
949 955 Beorhtsige
955 964 Daniel Bishop of Rochester or Selsey.
964 995 Ælfstan
995 1046 Godwine (I)
1046 1058 Godwine (II)
1058 1076 Siward

Conquest to Reformation

Bishops of Rochester (Conquest to Reformation)
From Until Incumbent Notes
1076 1077 Arnost
1077 1108 Gundulf Builder of Rochester Castle, the White Tower and Father of the Corps of Royal Engineers.
1108 1115 Ralph d'Escures
1115 1125 Ernulf
1125 1137 John
1137 1142 John II
1142 1148 Ascelin
1148 1182 Walter
1182 1185 Waleran
1185 1215 Gilbert Glanvill
1215 1227 Benedict of Sausetun
(Benedict of Sawston)
1227 1238 Henry Sandford
1238 1251 Richard Wendene
1251 1274 Lawrence of St Martin
1274 1278 Walter de Merton
1278 1283 John Bradfield
1283 1283 John Kirkby Resigned.
1283 1292 Thomas Ingoldsthorpe
1292 1319 Thomas Wouldham
1319 1353 Hamo Hethe
1353 1362 John Sheppey
1362 1364 William Whittlesey
1364 1373 Thomas Trilleck
1373 1389 Thomas Brinton
1389 1400 William Bottlesham
(William Bottisham)
1400 1404 John Bottlesham
1404 1419 Richard Young
1419 1422 John Kemp
1422 1435 John Langdon
1435 1437 Thomas Brunce
1437 1444 William Wells
1444 1468 John Low
1468 1472 Thomas Rotherham
(Thomas Scott)
1472 1476 John Alcock
1476 1480 John Russell
1480 1493 Edmund Audley
1493 1497 Thomas Savage
1497 1504 Richard FitzJames
1504 1535 John Fisher Cardinal, martyr and saint.

Post-Reformation

Post-Reformation Bishops of Rochester
From Until Incumbent Notes
1535 1540 John Hilsey
(John Hildesleigh)
1540 1544 Nicholas Heath
1544 1547 Henry Holbeach
1547 1550 Nicholas Ridley Martyr.
1550 1551 John Ponet
(John Poynet)
1551 1552 John Scory
1554 1558 Maurice Griffith
1559 1559 Edmund Allen
 Died before filling his position.
1560 1572 Edmund Gheast
(Edmund Guest)
1572 1576 Edmund Freke
1576 1578 John Piers
1578 1605 John Young
1605 1608 William Barlow
1608 1611 Richard Neile
1611 1628 John Buckeridge
1628 1630 Walter Curle
1630 1638 John Bowle
1638 1666 John Warner
1666 1683 John Dolben
1683 1684 Francis Turner
1684 1713 Thomas Sprat
1713 1723 Francis Atterbury
1723 1731 Samuel Bradford
1731 1756 Joseph Wilcocks
1756 1774 Zachary Pearce
1774 1793 John Thomas
1793 1802 Samuel Horsley
1802 1809 Thomas Dampier
1809 1827 Walker King
1827 1827 Hugh Percy Translated to Carlisle.
1827 1860 George Murray
1860 1867 Joseph Wigram
1867 1877 Thomas Claughton
1877 1891 Anthony Thorold
1891 1895 Randall Davidson Later Archbishop of Canterbury then Lord Davidson of Lambeth.
1895 1905 Edward Talbot
1905 1930 John Harmer
1930 1940 Linton Smith
1940 1961 Christopher Chavasse
1961 1988 David Say DD
1988 1994 Michael Turnbull
1994 2009 Michael Nazir-Ali PhD
2010 present James Langstaff MA Translated from Lynn.

References

  1. ^ Number 10 — Diocese of Rochester

Sources

External links