This article traces the historical development of the dioceses and cathedrals of the Church of England. It is customary in England to name each diocese after the city where its cathedral is located. Occasionally, when the bishop's seat has been moved from one city to another, the diocese may retain both names, for example Bath and Wells. More recently, where a cathedral is in a small or little-known city, the diocesan name has been changed to include the name of a nearby larger city: thus the cathedral in Ripon now serves the diocese of Ripon and Leeds, and Southwell Cathedral is in Southwell and Nottingham. Cathedrals, like other churches, are dedicated to a particular saint or holy object, or Christ himself, but are commonly referred to by the name of the city where they stand. A cathedral is, simply, the church where the bishop has his chair or "cathedra".
The dioceses of the Church of England are administrative territorial units governed by a bishop, of which there are currently 44. These cover all of England, and also the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, the Isles of Scilly, and a small part of Wales. The Diocese of Gibraltar in Europe is also a part of the Church of England (rather than a separate Anglican church such as the Church in Wales), and covers the whole of mainland Europe, Morocco, Turkey and the territory of the former Soviet Union.
The structure of diocese within the Church of England was initially inherited from the Roman Catholic Church as part of the English Reformation. During the Reformation, a number of new dioceses were founded. No new dioceses were then created until the middle of the 19th century, when dioceses were founded mainly in response to the growing population, especially in the northern industrial cities.
The last dioceses were created in 1927. The 44 dioceses are divided into two Provinces, the Province of Canterbury (with 30 dioceses) and the Province of York (with 14 dioceses). The archbishops of Canterbury and York have pastoral oversight over the bishops within their province, along with certain other rights and responsibilities.
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The history of the cathedrals in Great Britain differs somewhat from that on the European continent. Their cathedrals have always been fewer in number than in Italy, France and other parts of Europe, while the buildings themselves have tended to be very large. While France, at the time of the French Revolution had 136 cathedrals, England had 27. Because of a ruling that no cathedral could be built in a village, any town in which a cathedral was located was elevated to city status, regardless of its size. To this day several large English cathedrals are located in small "cathedral cities", notably Wells and Ely Cathedrals, both of which rank among the greatest works of English Medieval Architecture.
In earlier times, populations were sparsely spread and towns were few. The total population of the kingdom of England in the 11th century is estimated at between one and two million, with Lincolnshire, East Anglia and East Kent the most densely populated areas. This is because many villages had been razed by the conquest armies.[1] Instead of exercising jurisdiction over definite areas, many of the bishops were bishops of tribes or peoples, as the bishops of the South Saxons, the West Saxons, the Somersætas, etc. The cathedra of such a bishop was often migratory.
In 1075 a council was held in London, under the presidency of Archbishop Lanfranc, which, reciting the decrees of the council of Sardica held in 347 and that of Laodicea held in 360 on this matter, ordered the bishop of the south Saxons to remove his see from Selsey to Chichester; the Wiltshire and Dorset bishop to remove his cathedra from Sherborne to Old Sarum, and the Mercian bishop, whose cathedral was then at Lichfield, to transfer it to Chester. Traces of the tribal and migratory system may still be noted in the designations of the Irish see of Meath (where the result has been that there is now no cathedral church) and Ossory, the cathedral church of which is at Kilkenny. Some of the Scottish sees were also migratory.
Between 1075 and the 15th century, the cathedrals of England were almost evenly divided between those ruled by secular canons headed by a dean and those ruled by monastic orders headed by a prior, all of which were Benedictine except Carlisle. Two cathedrals, Bath and Coventry, shared their sees with Wells and Lichfield, respectively.
The entire structure of the monastic and cathedral system was overthrown and reconstituted during the Reformation. Cathedrals which were once Roman Catholic came under the governance of the Church of England.
All the English monastic cathedral chapters were dissolved by Henry VIII and, with the exceptions of Bath and Coventry, were refounded by him as churches of secular chapters, with a dean as the head, and a certain number of canons ranging from twelve at Canterbury and Durham to four at Carlisle, and with certain subordinate officers as minor canons, gospellers, epistolers, etc. The precentorship in these churches of the "New Foundation", as they are called, is not, as in the secular churches of the "Old Foundation", a dignity, but is merely an office held by one of the minor canons.
Henry VIII also created six new cathedrals from old monastic establishments, in each case governed by secular canons. Of these, Westminster did not retain its cathedral status. Four more of England's large historic churches were later to become cathedrals, Southwell, Southwark, Ripon and St. Albans Abbey.
Historically, there was no distinction between the monastic cathedral chapters and those of the secular canons, in their relation to the bishop or diocese. In both cases the chapter was the bishop's consilium which he was bound to consult on all important matters and without doing so he could not act. Thus, a judicial decision of a bishop needed the confirmation of the chapter before it could be enforced. He could not change the service books, or "use" of the church or diocese, without capitular consent, and there are episcopal acts, such as the appointment of a diocesan chancellor, or vicar general, which still need confirmation by the chapter.
In its corporate capacity the chapter takes charge sede vacante of a diocese. In England, however (except as regards Salisbury and Durham), this custom has never obtained, the two archbishops having, from time immemorial, taken charge of the vacant dioceses in their respective provinces. When, however, either of the sees of Canterbury or York is vacant the chapters of those churches take charge, not only of the diocese, but of the province as well, and incidentally, therefore, of any of the dioceses of the province which may be vacant at the same time.
The normal constitution of the chapter of a secular cathedral church comprised four dignitaries (there might be more), in addition to the canons. These are the Dean, the Precentor, the Chancellor and the Treasurer. These four dignitaries, occupying the four corner stalls in the choir, are called in many of the statutes the quatuor majores personae of the church.
The dean (decanus) seems to have derived his designation from the Benedictine "dean" who had ten monks under his charge. The dean came into existence to supply the place of the provost in the internal management of the church and chapter. In England every secular cathedral church was headed by a dean who was originally elected by the chapter and confirmed in office by the bishop. The dean is president of the chapter, and with the in cathedral has charge of the performance of the services, taking specified portions of them by statute on the principal festivals. He sits in the chief stall in the choir, which is usually the first on the right hand on entering the choir at the west.
Next to the dean (as a rule) is the precentor (primicerius, cantor, etc.), whose special duty is that of regulating the musical portion of the services. He presides in the dean's absence, and occupies the corresponding stall on the left side, although there are exceptions to this rule, where, as at St Paul's, the archdeacon of the cathedral city ranks second and occupies what is usually the precentor's stall.
The third dignitary is the chancellor (scholasticus, écoldtre, capiscol, magistral, etc.), who must not be confused with the chancellor of the diocese. The chancellor of the cathedral church is charged with the oversight of its schools, ought to read divinity lectures, and superintend the lections in the choir and correct slovenly readers. He is often the secretary and librarian of the chapter. In the absence of the dean and precentor he is president of the chapter. The easternmost stall, on the dean's side of the choir, is usually assigned to him.
The fourth dignitary is the treasurer (custos, sacrisla, cheficier). He is guardian of the fabric, and of all the furniture and ornaments of the church, and his duty was to provide bread and wine for the Eucharist, and candles and incense, and he regulated such matters as the ringing of the bells. The treasurer's stall is opposite to that of the chancellor.
In many cathedral churches are additional dignitaries, as the praelector, subdean, vice-chancellor, succentor-canonicorum, and others, whose roles came into existence to supply the places of the other absent dignitaries, for non-residence was the fatal blot of the secular churches, and in this they contrasted very badly with the monastic churches, where all the members were in continuous residence. Besides the dignitaries there were the ordinary canons, each of whom, as a rule, held a separate prebend or endowment, besides receiving his share of the common funds of the church.
For the most part the canons also speedily became non-resident, and this led to the distinction of residentiary and non-residentiary canons, till in most churches the number of resident canons became definitely limited in number, and the non-residentiary canons, who no longer shared in the common funds, became generally known as prebendaries only, although by their non-residence they did not forfeit their position as canons, and retained their votes in chapter like the others.
This system of non-residence led also to the institution of vicars choral, each canon having his own vicar, who sat in his stall in his absence, and when the canon was present, in the stall immediately below, on the second form. The vicars had no place or vote in chapter, and, though irremovable except for offences, were the servants of their absent canons whose stalls they occupied, and whose duties they performed. Outside Britain they were often called demi-prebendaries, and they formed the bachcrur of the French churches. As time went on the vicars were themselves often incorporated as a kind of lesser chapter, or college, under the supervision of the dean and chapter.
The mediæval Church of England was organized into 17 dioceses. About half of the diocesian cathedrals were also monasteries, with the abbot serving double duty as dean of the cathedral. The rest were served by a college of "secular" canons — non-monastic priests living under no fixed rule of life. Both types often had Saxon foundations.
| Diocese | Founded | Monastic or secular? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canterbury | 597 | Monastic | None |
| Rochester | 604 | Monastic | None |
| London | 604 | Monastic | None |
| York | 625 | Secular | None |
| Dorchester/Winchester | 634 (Dorchester) /662 (Winchester) |
Monastic | |
| Lichfield | 669 | Secular | After 1100, the see was occasionally Coventry or Chester |
| Leicester / Dorchester | 670 (Leicester) / 875 (Dorchester) |
Merged with Lindsey, 971. | |
| Hereford | 676 | Secular | None |
| Lindsey | 678 | Merged with Dorchester, 971. | |
| Worcester | 680 | Monastic | None |
| Selsey | 681 | Selsey Abbey was founded in 681 and was the cathedra for the Kingdom of Sussex. The bishopric was moved to Chichester by order of the Council of London in 1075. | |
| Bath and Wells | 909 | Monastic/Secular | Bath was monastical and Wells a college of secular canons; after 1090 Wells was usually reckoned as the cathedral |
| Durham | 995 | Monastic | Transferred in that year from Chester-le-Street, itself a transfer from Lindisfarne |
| Exeter | 1050 | Secular | None |
| Diocese | Founded | Monastic or secular? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln | 1072 | Secular | Transferred in that year from Dorchester |
| Chichester | 1075 | Secular | Transferred in that year from Selsey |
| Salisbury | 1078 | Secular | Transferred in that year from Sherborne |
| Norwich | 1091 | Monastic | Transferred in that year from Thetford, itself a transfer from Elmham |
| Ely | 1109 | Monastic | None |
| Carlisle | 1133 | Monastic | None |
After Henry VIII's break with the Pope and the dissolution of the monasteries, the formerly monastic cathedrals were "re-founded" with secular canons. Furthermore, a number of new dioceses were formed, using some of the largest and finest of the other dissolved monasteries as cathedrals. Together, these two groups — the old monastic cathedrals and the new sees — were known as cathedrals of the New Foundation; the old cathedrals which had always been served by secular canons were known as those of the Old Foundation.
| Diocese | Founded | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Westminster | 1540 | Its cathedral was Westminster Abbey; but the diocese only existed 1540-50. From 1550-60, Westminster Abbey was a second cathedral, along with St. Paul's, for the diocese of London. Since then it has not been a cathedral. |
| Chester | 1541 | None |
| Gloucester | 1541 | None |
| Peterborough | 1541 | None |
| Bristol | 1542 | None |
| Oxford | 1542 | None |
No further cathedrals were founded until, in the mid 19th century, the huge population growth of north-central England meant that redistricting could no longer be ignored. Since then twenty new dioceses have been founded, each with a cathedral — some are great mediæval monasteries or collegiate churches which were not elevated by Henry VIII but might well have been; others are glorified parish churches; and others are totally new constructions. In the following table, bold type indicates the creation of a new diocese, whilst plain type is used to indicate changes to existing dicoeses.
| Diocese | Year | From | Cathedral History |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ripon | 1836 | created from part of York and Chester | Great mediæval collegiate church |
| Oxford | 1836 | took in Berkshire, from Salisbury | College chapel of Christ Church, Oxford |
| Bristol | 1836 | abolished: Bristol went to Gloucester, Dorset went to Salisbury | |
| Lichfield | 1837 | Lichfield and Coventry became Lichfield; Coventry went to Worcester; Lichfield left with Derbyshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire | |
| Ely | 1837 | took in Bedfordshire and Huntingdonshire from Lincoln; part of Suffolk from Norwich | |
| Peterborough | 1837 | took in Leicestershire from Lincoln | |
| Lincoln | 1839 | took in Nottinghamshire from York | |
| Oxford | 1845 | took in Buckinghamshire from Lincoln | |
| Rochester | 1845 | took in part of Hertfordshire from Lincoln | |
| Rochester | 1846 | took in Essex from London | |
| Manchester | 1847 | created from part of Chester | Great mediæval collegiate church |
| Carlisle | 1847 (1856) | took in part of Chester in Westmorland, Cumberland and Furness/Cartmel | |
| Truro | 1876 | created from part of Exeter | New cathedral (completed 1910) |
| St Albans | 1877 | created from part of Rochester | Great mediæval monastery |
| Liverpool | 1880 | created from part of Chester | Parish church, initially; later a huge wholly new cathedral was built |
| Newcastle | 1882 | created from part of Durham | Parish church |
| Southwell | 1884 | created from part of Lincoln (Nottinghamshire) and Lichfield (Derbyshire) | Southwell Minster: a great mediæval collegiate church |
| Wakefield | 1888 | created from part of Ripon | Parish church |
| Bristol | 1887 | created | previous cathedral |
| Southwark | 1905 | created from part of Rochester | Great mediæval monastery |
| Birmingham | 1906 | created from part of Worcester | 18th century parish church |
| St. Edmundsbury and Ipswich | 1914 | created from part of Ely and Norwich | Parish church, with remnants of mediæval monastery visible |
| Chelmsford | 1914 | created from part of St Albans | Parish church |
| Sheffield | 1914 | created from part of York, small part of Southwell | Parish church |
| Coventry | 1918 | created from part of Worcester | Very large parish church (and sometime cathedral); after destruction in the second world war, a wholly new cathedral was built |
| Bradford | 1920 | created from part of Ripon | Parish church |
| Blackburn | 1926 | created from part of Manchester | Parish church |
| Derby | 1927 | created from part of Southwell (Derbyshire) | Parish church |
| Leicester | 1927 | created from part of Peterborough | Parish church |
| Portsmouth | 1927 | created from part of Winchester | Parish church |
| Guildford | 1927 | created from part of Winchester | New cathedral |
If no split is recorded, the diocese is still whole as founded, though it may have suffragan bishops