The dean of Westminster is the head of the chapter at Westminster Abbey. Due to the abbey's status as a royal peculiar, the dean answers directly to the British monarch (not to the bishop of London as ordinary, nor to the archbishop of Canterbury as metropolitan). Initially, the office was a successor to that of Abbot of Westminster, and was for the first 10 years cathedral dean for the Diocese of Westminster. The current dean is David Hoyle.
List of deans
NamePortraitTerm of officeWilliam Benson(formerly last abbot of the Benedictine abbey)15401549Richard Cox15491553Hugh Weston15531556Vacancy (restored as Benedictine abbey)John Feckenham, abbot15561559William Bill15601561Gabriel Goodman15611601Lancelot Andrewes16011605Richard Neile(in commendam as Bishop of Rochester from 1608)16051610George Montaigne16101617Robert Tounson16171620John Williams(in commendam as Bishop of Lincoln 1621–41,as Archbishop of York from 1641)16201644Richard Steward(not installed)16441651Vacancy (English Interregnum)16511660John Earle16601662John Dolben(in commendam as Bishop of Rochester from 1666In 1666, John Dolben was additionally appointed Bishop of Rochester, retaining the Deanery of Westminster in commendam. His successor as Dean, Thomas Sprat, was additionally appointed to Rochester in 1684. From then until 1802, it was customary for the Bishop of Rochester to hold the Deanery of Westminster in commendam. These eight deans held both offices concurrently.)16621683Thomas Sprat(in commendam as Bishop of Rochester from 1684)16831713Francis Atterbury(in commendam as Bishop of Rochester)17131723Samuel Bradford(in commendam as Bishop of Rochester)17231731Joseph Wilcocks(in commendam as Bishop of Rochester)17311756Zachary Pearce(in commendam as Bishop of Rochester)17561768John Thomas(in commendam as Bishop of Rochester from 1774)17681793Samuel Horsley(in commendam as Bishop of Rochester)17931802William Vincent18021815John Ireland18161842Thomas Turton18421845Samuel WilberforceMarch–October 1845William Buckland18451856Richard Chenevix Trench18561864Arthur Penrhyn Stanley18641881George Granville Bradley18811902Armitage Robinson19021911Herbert Edward Ryle19111925William Foxley Norris19251937Paul de Labilliere19381946Alan Don19461959Eric Abbott19591974Edward Carpenter19741985Michael Mayne19861996Wesley Carr19972006John Hall20062019David Hoyle2019Present
Notes
Died in office
References