Bishop of Worcester

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., Handbook of British Chronology, p. 223. 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.Diocese of Worcester: Homepage. Retrieved on 10 December 2008. 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.Worcester Cathedral: Homepage. Retrieved on 10 December 2008. The bishop's official residence is the Old Palace, Worcester.Provincial Directory: Worcester. Anglican Communion. Retrieved on 10 December 2008. 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.

On 29th July 2025, it was announced that Hugh Nelson, the current Bishop suffragan of St Germans in the Diocese of Truro — and Bishop to the Forces —, would be the next Bishop of Worcester. His installation service took place in January 2026.

List of bishops

Pre-Conquest Bishops of WorcesterFromUntilIncumbentNotes 680 691 Bosel Resigned the See 691 693 Oftfor 693 717 Ecgwine of Evesham Also recorded as Ecgwin, Egwin and Eegwine 718 744 Wilfrith (I.) Also recorded as Wilfrid 743 775 Milred Also recorded as Mildred and Hildred 775 777 Waermund Also recorded as Wærmund 777 780/81 Tilhere 781 799 Heathured Also recorded as Hathored, AEthelred and Æthelred 799 822 Denebeorht Also recorded as Deneberht 822 845/48 Heahbeorht Also recorded as Heahberht and Eadbert 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 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):, Handbook of British Chronology, pp. 223–224, and 278.

Conquest to Reformation Bishops of WorcesterFromUntilIncumbentNotes 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 Giffard1302 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 13131327 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"Oxford DNB – Carpenter, John (Accessed 20 February 2014)A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 2. College: The College of Westbury-on-Trym (Accessed 20 February 2014) 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.Cardinal Giulio de' Medici . The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. Retrieved on 10 December 2008. 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.Cardinal Girolamo Ghinucci . The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. Retrieved on 10 December 2008. Source(s):, Handbook of British Chronology, pp. 278–280., "Bishops of Worcester", Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066–1300: Volume 2, pp. 99–102., "Bishops of Worcester", Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1300–1541: Volume 4, pp. 55–58.

During the Reformation Bishops of WorcesterFromUntilIncumbentNotes 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. 1554 1555 Nicholas Heath (2nd term) Restored to the See; later translated to York 1555 1559 Richard Pate Deprived of the See. Source(s):, Handbook of British Chronology, p. 280., "Bishops of Worcester", Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541–1857: Volume 7, pp. 105–109.

Post-Reformation Bishops of WorcesterFromUntilIncumbentNotes 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.Episcopacy . British Civil Wars, Commonwealth and Protectorate 1638–60. Retrieved on 25 April 2021. 1660 1662 George Morley Translated to Winchester1662 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 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 The Rt Revd Philip Goodrich. The Daily Telegraph, first published: 22 November 2001. 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. 2007 2024 John Inge Retired 9 October 2024. 2024–2026 acting Martin Gorick, Bishop of Dudley Acting diocesan bishop during vacancy in See, from 9 October 2024. 2026 present Hugh Nelson Also Bishop to the Forces; previously Bishop of St Germans Source(s):, Handbook of British Chronology, pp. 280–281.

Assistant bishops Among those who have served as assistant bishops of the diocese are: 19361944 (d.): Ridley Duppuy, Canon Residentiary of Worcester Cathedral, Archdeacon of Worcester (from 1938), Vice-Dean of Worcester (from 1940) and former Bishop of Victoria 1946January 1953 (ret.): Bertram Lasbrey, Rector of St Andrew's &c. Worcester and former Bishop on the Niger 19531965 (ret.): Cyril Stuart, Rector of St Andrew's &c. Worcester (until 1965), Canon of Worcester thereafter, and former Bishop of Uganda 19681991 (ret.): Nicholas Allenby, former Bishop of Kuching 19892008 (d.): Kenneth Woollcombe, assistant priest in Upton Snodsbury (1989–?), former Bishop of Oxford and Assistant Bishop of London for Westminster

References Footnotes

Bibliography

External links Diocese of Worcester