Deans of Durham

Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541-1857: Volume 11, Carlisle, Chester, Durham, Manchester, Ripon, and Sodor and Man Dioceses. Originally published by Institute of Historical Research, London, 2004.

'Deans of Durham', in Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541-1857: Volume 11, Carlisle, Chester, Durham, Manchester, Ripon, and Sodor and Man Dioceses, (London, 2004) pp. 77-81. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/fasti-ecclesiae/1541-1847/vol11/pp77-81 [accessed 12 April 2024]

Hugh Whitehead (fn. 1) D.D. 1541–1551.

Apptd. by king in foundation charter 12 May 1541 (L. & P. XVI no. 878 (25, 33); DCM/B/BA/1 f. 2). D. 15 Oct. x 18 Nov. 1551 (DCM/C/BA/1 f. 225; C.P.R. 1550–3 p. 110; DCM/B/BA/1 f. 232*).

Robert Horne D.D. 1551–1553.

Pres. by king 18 Nov. 1551 (C.P.R. 1550–3 p. 110; DCM/B/BA/1 f. 232*). Occ. as dean to 2 Oct. 1553 (DCM/B/BA/1 ff. 232v–233). Summoned 15 Sept. 1553 to appear before privy council; further summons 7 Oct., by which time had probably escaped to the Continent (Acts of the Privy Council 1552–4 pp. 349, 355; cf. C.H. Garrett, Marian Exiles (Cambridge, 1938) p. 188).

Thomas Watson B.D. 1553–1558.

Pres. by queen 19 Nov. 1553 (C.P.R. 1553–4 p. 83). Instit. 18 Nov. (Reg. Tunstall & Pilkington no. 295). Bp. of Lincoln 1557, but permission gr. by Cardinal Pole, abp. of Canterbury, to hold deanery in commendam (Cal. S.P. Dom. 1547–80p. 91). Res. deanery by 23 July 1558 (C.P.R. 1557–8 p. 400; Reg. Tunstall & Pilkington p. 116), although occ. as dean 5 Aug. (DCM/B/BA/2 f. 57).

Thomas Robertson D.D. 1558–1559.

Pres. by king and queen 23 July 1558 (C.P.R. 1557–8 p. 400; Reg. Tunstall & Pilkington p. 116). Refused to subscribe to royal supremacy and Articles; deanery sequestrated 25 Sept. 1559 (Royal Visitation of 1559 pp. 23–4, 108; N. Sanders, De Visibili Monarchia (1571) p. 226). Robertson and his successor Robert Horne are both listed in cath. treasurer's roll for year ending 28 Sept. 1559 (DCM/L/BA 1558–9).

Robert Horne D.D. (again) 1559–1561.

Listed as dean after Thomas Robertson in accounting year ending 28 Sept. 1559 (DCM/L/BA 1558–9). Restored by queen 31 Oct., with restitution of deanery revenue from 1 Sept. (C.P.R. 1558–60 p. 48). Bp. of Winchester 1561.

Ralph Skinner M.A. 1561–1563.

Pres. by queen 20 Dec. 1560 (C.P.R. 1560–3 p. 61). Instal. 3 March 1561 (DCM/ B/BA/2 f. 134). D. 27 (or possibly 24) Jan. 1563 (Durham cath. libr. MS. C. IV. 33 p. i), although said to be buried at Sedgefield 21 Jan. (Hutchinson, Hist. & Ant. Durham II 142–3).

William Whittingham M.A. 1563–1579.

Pres. by queen 19 July 1563 (C.P.R. 1560–3 p. 493; Reg. Tunstall & Pilkington no. 425). Instit. s.d. (P.R.O., E 331 DURHAM/1). Instal. 8 Oct. (Durham cath. libr. MS. C. IV. 33 p. 505). D. 10 June 1579 (Brit. Libr., Lansdowne MS. 981 f. 149/179; Acts of the Privy Council 1578–80 p. 167).

Thomas Wilson (fn. 2) LL.D. 1580–1581.

Pres. by queen 4 Feb. 1580 (C.P.R. 1578–80 no. 1538). Instal. by proxy 18 Feb. (DCM/B/AA 1578–83; DCM/B/BA/4 f. 1v). Wilson appointed a proctor 4 May to undertake the burdens incumbent on the dean, Wilson himself being unable to reside because of his duties as a principal Secretary of State; 29 Oct. Durham chapter registered Wilson's royal dispensation from residence (B/BA/4 ff. 3r–v, 12r–v, 21v, 23v; cf. Acts of the Privy Council. 1580–1 passim). D. 20 May 1581 (P.R.O., C 142/233 no. 41; Acts of the Privy Council. 1581–2 pp. 35, 168; P.R.O., C 66/1228).

Tobias Matthew D.D. 1583–1595.

Pres. by queen 9 Aug. 1583 (P.R.O., C 66/1228). Instit. 8 Aug. (sic) (ibid., E 331 DURHAM/4). Instal. 31 Aug. (DCM/B/BA/5 ff. 1–2v). Bp. of Durham 1595.

William James D.D. 1596–1606.

Pres. by queen 8 Apr. 1596 (P.R.O., C 66/1454). Instal. 5 June (DCM/B/BA/6 f. 1r–v). Bp. of Durham 1606.

Adam Newton (fn. 3) 1606–1620.

Pres. by king with dispensation for non-resid. 15 Sept. 1606 (P.R.O., C 66/1708; DCM/B/BA/7 f. 3). Instal. 27 Sept. (DCM/B/BA/7 f. 1r–v). Created 1st Bart. 2 Apr. 1620 (Complete Baronetage, comp. G.E. Cokayne (Exeter, 1900–9) I 141. Res. 25 Apr. (DDR/EA/ACT/1/4 p. 23).

Richard Hunt D.D. 1620–1638.

Pres. by king 3 May 1620 (P.R.O., C 66/2234). Instit. 8 May (DDR/EA/ACT/ 1/4 p.24). Instal. 29 May (DCM/B/BA/9 f.624). D. 2 Nov. 1638 (m.i., Durham cath.) (Survey of Cath. I 255).

Walter Balcanquall D.D. 1639–1645.

Warrant 30 Jan. 1639 for pres. by king (Cal. S.P. Dom. 1638–9 p. 379); issued 3 Feb. (P.R.O., C 66/2796). Lic. from king 13 May for non-resid. for one year (Cal. S.P. Dom. 1639 p. 164). Instit. s.d. (P.R.O., E 331 DURHAM/15). Instal. 14 May (DCM/B/BA/13 f. 1). D. 25 Dec. 1645 (m.i., Chirk, Denbighs.) (Survey of Cath. I 255).

[Christopher Potter D.D. 1646.

Pres. by king Jan. 1646 (Wood, Athenae Oxon. III 180), but no evidence that he secured possession. D. 3 March (m.i., Oxford, Queen's College chap.) (Survey of Cath. 1659–60–'ecclesiae Wigorniensis decani, Dunelmensis designati').]

[William Fuller D.D. 1646–1659.

Pres. by king March 1646, but not instit. because still hoped to secure deanery of Ely (W. Kennett, Reg. Ecclesiastical & Civil (London, 1728) p. 28, quoting a letter of Dr. John Barwick of 14 Sept. 1659; D. Lloyd, Memoires (London, 1668) pp. 509–10). D. 12 May 1659 (m.i., London, St. Vedast Foster Lane) (Survey of Cath. I 256), and his m.i. also declares that he was dean of Durham. However, the king's pres. to Dean Barwick assumes that the last dean was Balcanquall (P.R.O., C 66/2929; DCM/Misc. Ch. 2482) and George Blades, at his burial 29 Nov. 1661, is said to have been 'Steward to deane Balcanquall and to deane Barwicke' as though neither Potter nor Fuller had held the deanery (Reg. Durham Cath. p. 94).]

John Barwick D.D. 1660–1661.

Pres. by king 10 Oct. 1660 (P.R.O., C 66/2929). Instal. 1 Nov. (DCM/C/A/1 f. 1r–v; P. Barwick, Life of the Rev. Dr. John Barwick (London, 1724) p. 301). Dean of St. Paul's 1661.

John Sudbury D.D. 1661–1684.

Warrant 4 Dec. 1661 for pres. by king (Cal. S.P. Dom. 1661–2 p. 168). Instit. 21 Dec. (DDR/EA/ACT/1/4 f. 106v). Instal. 15 Feb. 1662 (DCM/C/A/1 f. 33). D. 29 Nov. 1684 (Six North Country Diaries p. 49).

Denis Granville D.D. 1684–1690.

Said 19 Dec. 1674 to have the king's promise of the deanery at next vacancy (Cal. S.P. Dom. 1673–5 p. 472). Pres. by king 6 Dec. 1684 (Cal. S.P. Dom. 1684–5 p. 237). Instit. 9 Dec.; instal. by proxy 16 Dec. (DCM/C/A/1 ff. 66v– 67v). Left Durham for France 11 Dec. 1688 (Miscellanea (Surtees Soc., xxxvii, 1861) pp. xxxix, xl, 106). Dispensation for non-resid. and royal lic. 25 March 1689 'to travel abroad for the benefit of his health' (Cal. S.P. Dom. 1689–90 pp. 41, 44). Depriv. 1 Feb. 1690 as non-Juror (fn. 4) (Cal. S.P. Dom. 1690–1 p. 343).

Thomas Comber D.D. 1691–1699.

Warrant 22 Apr. 1691 for pres. by king and queen (Cal. S.P. Dom. 1690–1 p. 343). Instit. 9 May (P.R.O., E 331 DURHAM/23). Instal. 15 June (DCM/C/A/1 ff. 75v–76; Autobiographies of Thomas Comber I 24–5). D. 25 Nov. 1699 (m.i., Stonegrave, Yorks.) (Survey of Cath. I 256–7).

John Montague D.D. 1700–1728.

Instit. 19 Jan. 1700 (P.R.O., E 331 DURHAM/24). Instal. by proxy 31 Jan. (DCM/C/A/2 pp. 1–2). D. 23 Feb. 1728 (Hist. Reg. Chron. 1728, xiii 13; DCM/ C/A/2 p. 72).

Henry Bland D.D. 1728–1746.

Pres. by king issued 29 Feb. 1728 (P.R.O., C 66/3572); pubd. 2 Apr. (Lond. Gaz. no. 6661). Instit. 12 March; instal. by proxy 6 May (DCM/C/A/2 pp. 71–2). D. 24 May 1746 (Gent. Mag. 1746, xvi 273).

Hon. Spencer Cowper D.D. 1746–1774.

Pres. by king pubd. 30 May 1746, apparently in response to request by his brother, Lord Cowper (Lond. Gaz. no. 8540; Letters of Spencer Cowper, ed. E. Hughes (Surtees Soc., clxv, 1956) p. 57). Instit. 14 July (P.R.O., E 331 DURHAM/ 34). Instal. by proxy 21 July (DCM/C/A/2 pp. 101–2). D. 25 March 1774 (Six North Country Diaries p. 226; Monumental Inscr. Durham I 39).

Thomas Dampier D.D. 1774–1777.

Pres. by king pubd. 9 Apr. 1774 (Lond. Gaz. no. 11446). Instit. 21 Apr.; instal. 17 June (DCM/C/A/3 ff. 41v–42). D. 1 Aug. 1777 (Gent. Mag. 1777, xlvii 404).

William Digby D.C.L. 1777–1788.

Pres. by king pubd. 30 Aug. 1777 (Lond. Gaz. no. 11800). Instit. 18 Sept.; instal. 20 Sept. (DCM/C/A/3 ff. 46v–47). D. 18 Sept. 1788 (DCM/L/AA/VII p. 404; DCM/G/EB, Thomas Gibbon's Letter Book 1787–93, 30 Sept. 1788) or 19 Sept. (Gent. Mag. 1788, lviii (2) 841).

John Hinchliffe D.D. 1788–1794. Bp. of Peterborough.

Pres. by king pubd. 27 Sept. 1788 (Lond. Gaz. no. 13028). Dispensation from king and abp. of Canterbury 2 Oct. to hold deanery with bpc. of Peterborough (Northants R.O., PDC.CE/9). Instit. 16 Oct.; instal. 18 Oct. (DCM/C/A/3 f. 63r– v). D. 11 Jan. 1794 (Gent. Mag. 1794, lxiv (1) 93).

James Cornwallis D.C.L. 1794–1824. Bp. of Coventry and Lichfield.

Pres. by king pubd. 6 Feb. 1794 (Lond. Gaz. no. 13621). Instit. 10 Feb.; instal. 22 Feb. (DCM/C/A/4 pp. 27–8). Became 4th Earl Cornwallis Aug. 1823. D. 20 Jan. 1824 (Gent. Mag. 1824, xciv (1) 279).

Charles Henry Hall D.D. 1824–1827.

Pres. by king pubd. 11 Feb. 1824 (Lond. Gaz. no. 18001). Instit. 26 Feb.; instal. 6 March (DCM/C/A/4 f. 121r–v). D. 16 March 1827 (Gent. Mag. 1827, xcvii (1) 563).

John Banks Jenkinson D.D. 1827–1840. Bp. of St. Davids.

Pres. by king pubd. 31 May 1827 (Lond. Gaz. no. 18366). Instit. 13 June; instal. 7 July (DCM/C/A/4 ff. 144v–145). D. 7 July 1840 (Gent. Mag. 1840, new ser. xiv 321).

George Waddington D.D. 1840–1869.

Pres. by queen pubd. 24 Aug. 1840 (Lond. Gaz. no. 19887). Instit. 25 Sept. (P.R.O., E 331 DURHAM/51). Instal. 26 Sept. (DCMC/A/4 pp. 176–8). Became warden of university of Durham 1862, in accordance with Order in Council 4 June 1841, which annexed this office permanently to the deanery (Lond. Gaz. nos. 19986, 19991). D. 20 July 1869 (Monumental Inscr. Durham I 53).