DEANS OF BRISTOL
[The chapter books cited in Le Neve, which were still in existence in 1752, have
since disappeared. References to them, which cannot now be verified, are given
in square brackets.]
William Snow
(fn. 1) B.D. 1542-1551.
Apptd. by king in foundation charter 4 June 1542 (L. & P. XVII nos. 443 (9),
1154 (60)). D. 26 June x 1 Oct. 1551 (C.P.R. 1550-3 p. 158 - 'John Snow' in
error; Wilts. R.O., D1/2/16 pt. ii f. 45r-v; Ep./A/10/1/1 p. 86).
John Whiteheare B.D. 1551-1552.
Pres. by king 26 June 1551 in reversion after Snow (C.P.R. 1550-3 p. 158).
Instit. 1 Oct.; instal. s.d. (Ep./A/10/1/1 p. 86). Res. by 12 Oct. 1552 (ibid.;
C.P.R. 1550-3 p. 268).
George Carew D.D. 1552-1554.
Royal gr. 12 Oct. 1552 to William Herbert, earl of Pembroke, of next pres. to
deanery (C.P.R. 1550-3 p. 268). Carew instal. by proxy 5 Nov. (Ep./A/10/1/1 p.
86). Occ. 8 Feb. 1553 (Hist. MSS. Comm., D. & C. Wells MSS. II 275).
Depriv. by 20 Aug. 1554 (C.P.R. 1554-5 p. 202).
Henry Jolliffe B.D. 1554-1559.
Pres. by king and queen 20 Aug. 1554 (C.P.R. 1554-5 pp. 203, 208; cf. Cant.
Inst. sede vac. p. 19). Instal. by proxy 9 Sept. (Ep./A/10/1/1 p. 86). Depriv. of
offices by 10 Nov. 1559 (C.P.R. 1558-60 pp. 258, 421; Ep./A/10/1/1 p. 85).
George Carew D.D. (again) 1559-1580.
Restored 10 Nov. 1559 (Ep./A/10/1/1 p. 85). Dean of Exeter 1571, but held
this in commendam until res. by 16 Feb. 1580 (Lamb., Reg. Grindal II f. 316r-v;
Ep./A/10/1/1 p. 85). (fn. 1)
John Sprint D.D. 1580-1590.
Pres. by queen; commission 16 Feb. 1580 of abp's vicar-general for his
admission; instit. 1 March (Lamb., Reg. Grindal II f. 319r-v; DC/A/8/1 f. 2v). (fn. 1)
Instal. 8 March (Ep./A/10/1/1 p. 85). D. 10 March 1590 (Salisbury Cath. Libr.,
CA 16 f. 9).
Anthony Watson B.D. 1590-1598.
Pres. by queen 16 Apr. 1590 (P.R.O., C 66/1354). Instal. 22 July (Ep./A/10/1/1
p. 85). Bp. of Chichester 1596, but held deanery in commendam until 1598.
Simon Robson D.D. 1598-1617.
Pres. by queen 21 Apr. 1598 (P.R.O., C 66/1478; Ep./A/10/1/1 p. 84). Instal.
by proxy 29 May (Ep./A/10/1/1 p. 84). Subscribed to oaths 10 Oct. (ibid.). D.
by 6 May 1617 (burial, St. Augustine the Less, Bristol) (Reg. of St. Augustine the
Less, Bristol, 1577-1700, ed. A. Sabin (Gloucester, 1956) p. 44; P.R.O., C
66/2147).
Edward Chetwynd D.D. 1617-1639.
Pres. by king 20 June 1617 (P.R.O., C 66/2147). Instal. 26 June (Ep./A/10/1/1
p. 84). D. 13 May 1639 (m.i., Bristol cath.)(Survey of Cath. I 780).
Matthew Nicholas D.C.L. 1639-1660.
Pres. by king 10 June 1639 (P.R.O., C 66/2858). Instal. 22 June (DC/A/8/1 f.
2v). Dean of St. Paul's 1660.
Henry Glemham D.D. 1660-1667.
Pres. by king 19 July 1660 (P.R.O., C 66/2918). Instit. 28 July by vicargeneral of dean and chapter of Canterbury, the abpc. and the bpc. of Bristol both
being vac. (Lamb., Reg. Juxon & Sheldon f. 7r-v). Instal. 14 Sept. (Ep./A/10/1/1
p. 84; cf. P.R.O., E 331 Bristol/6). Bp. of St. Asaph and dean of St. Paul's 1667.
Richard Towgood B.D. 1667-1683.
Pres. by king 20 Dec. 1667 (P.R.O., C 66/3092). Instal. 1 May (DC/A/8/1 f.
2v). D. 21 Apr. 1683 (m.i., Bristol cath.)(Survey of Cath. I 785-6).
Samuel Crossman B.D. 1683-1684.
Pres. by king 24 May 1683 (P.R.O., C 66/3237). Instal. 1 June (Ep./A/10/1/1
p. 83). D. 4 Feb. 1684 (m.i., Bristol cath.)(Survey of Cath. I 786; P.R.O., C
66/3245).
Richard Thompson D.D. 1684-1685.
Pres. by king 12 May 1684 (Ep./A/42/2; P.R.O., C 66/3245). Warrant 7 Jan.
1685 for another pres. (Cal. S.P. Dom. 1684-5 p. 277 - 'Nathaniel' in error); 2nd
pres. by king 12 Jan. (P.R.O., C 66/3249). Instit. 2 Feb. (Ep./A/10/1/1 p. 83).
Warrant 11 Apr. for mand. to dean and chapter for instal. (previous mand. void
because of d. of late king)(Cal. S.P. Dom. 1685 no. 529). Instal. 24 May
(Ep./A/10/1/1 p. 83). D. 29 Nov. 1685 (m.i., Bristol cath.)(Survey of Cath. I
786; Cal. S.P. Dom. 1685 no. 2005).
William Levett D.D. 1685-1694.
Warrant 5 Dec. 1685 for pres. by king (Cal. S.P. Dom. 1685 no. 2005). Instal.
10 Jan. 1686 (DC/A/8/1 f. 2v). D. 11 Feb. 1694 (m.i., Christ Church cath.,
Oxford)(Survey of Cath. I 786).
George Royse D.D. 1694-1708.
Warrant 15 Feb. 1694 for pres. by king and queen (Cal. S.P. Dom. 1694-5 p.
28). Instit. 7 March (P.R.O., E 331 Bristol/12). Instal. 10 March (DC/A/8/1 f.
2v). D. 23 Apr. 1708 (Hearne's Collections II 103).
Hon. Robert Booth B.D. 1708-1730.
Warrant 20 May 1708 for pres. by king (P.R.O., SP 44/151 p. 168). Instal. 20
June (Ep./A/10/1/1 p. 83). D. by 11 Aug. 1730 (burial, Bristol cath.)(Bristol
Cath. Reg. p. 28).
Samuel Creswick D.D. 1730-1739.
Pres. by king pubd. 21 Aug. 1730 (Lond. Gaz. no. 6910); issued 31 Aug.
(P.R.O., C 66/3581). Instit. 5 Sept. (Ep./A/5/1/1 ff. 20v-21). Instal. 8 Sept.
(Ep./A.10/1/1 p. 83). Dean of Wells 1739.
Thomas Chamberlayne D.D. 1739-1757.
Pres. by king pubd. 4 Dec. 1739 (Lond. Gaz. no. 7863); issued 17 Dec.
(Ep./A/42/2; P.R.O., C 66/3601). Instit. 19 Dec. (Ep./A/5/1/1 ff. 2v-3). D. 15
Sept. 1757 (Gent. Mag. 1757, xxvii 436; Lond. Gaz. no. 9729).
William Warburton D.D. 1757-1760.
Pres. by king issued 10 Oct. 1757 (Ep./A/42/2); pubd. 11 Oct. (Lond. Gaz. no.
9729). Instit. 15 Oct. (Ep./A/5/1/2 p. 40). Instal. 25 Oct. (DC/A/8/2 f. 393v).
Bp. of Gloucester 1760.
Samuel Squire D.D. 1760-1761.
Pres. by king pubd. 7 June 1760 (Lond. Gaz. no. 10006); issued 9 June
(Ep./A/42/2; P.R.O., C 66/3668). Instit. 13 June (Ep./A/5/1/2 p. 44). Instal. by
proxy 23 June (DC/A/8/2 f. 427v). Bp. of St. Davids 1761.
Francis Ayscough D.D. 1761-1763.
Pres. by king issued 29 May 1761 (Ep./A/42/2); pubd. 30 May (Lond. Gaz. no.
10108). Instit. 30 May (Ep./A/5/1/2 p. 46). Instal. 5 June (DC/A/8/2 f. 442).
D. 15 Aug. 1763 (Gent. Mag. 1763, xxxiii 415; Cal. Home Office Papers 1760-5
no. 1152).
Cutts Barton D.D. 1763-1780.
Warrant 21 Sept. 1763 for pres. by king (Cal. Home Office Papers 1760-5 no.
1152); pres. issued 1 Oct. (Ep./A/42/2). Instit. 19 Oct. (Ep./A/1/1 f. 10v).
Instal. 20 Oct. (DC/A/8/2 f. 465). D. 10 Dec. 1780 (Gent. Mag. 1780, 1 590;
Lond. Gaz. no. 12162).
John Hallam D.D. 1781-1799.
Pres. by king issued 16 Feb. 1781 (Ep./A.42/2); pubd. 17 Feb. (Lond. Gaz. no.
12162). Instit. 22 Feb. (Ep./A/1/1 f. 87). Instal. 22 March (DC/A/1/1). Res.
16 Nov. 1799 (Ep./A/1/2 f. 91v; Lond. Gaz. no. 15219).
Charles Peter Layard D.D. 1800-1803.
Pres. by king pubd. 7 Jan. 1800 (Lond. Gaz. no. 15219). Instit. 21 Feb.; instal.
22 Feb. (DC/A/8/2 f. 685). D. 10 Apr. 1803 (m.i., N. choir aisle, Bristol cath.,
seen Aug. 1995) or 11 Apr. (Gent. Mag. 1803, lxxiii (1) 481).
Bowyer Edward Sparke D.D. 1803-1810.
Instit. 21 May 1803 (Ep./A/1/2 f. 111r-v). Pres. by king pubd. 24 May (Lond.
Gaz. no. 15586 - 'Edward Bowyer Sparke'). Instal. 28 May (DC/A/1/1;
DC/A/8/3 p. 62). Bp. of Chester 1810.
John Parsons D.D. 1810-1813.
Pres. by king pubd. 27 Jan. 1810 (Lond. Gaz. no. 16336). Instit. 5 Feb.
(Ep./A/1/2 f. 139). Instal. 7 Feb. (DC/A/1/1). Bp. of Peterborough 1813.
Henry Beeke D.D. 1813-1837.
Pres. by king pubd. 14 Dec. 1813 (Lond. Gaz. no. 16824). Instit. 30 Dec.
(Ep./A/1/3 f. 17). Instal. 1 Jan. 1814 (DC/A/1/1). D. 9 March 1837 (Gent.
Mag. 1837, new ser. vii 546-7; Ep./A/1/4).
Thomas Musgrave D.D. 1837.
Pres. by king pubd. 27 March 1837 (Lond. Gaz. no. 19479); issued 11 Apr.
(Ep./A/42/2). Instit. 11 May (Ep./A/1/4). Instal. 13 May (DC/A/8/5 p. 83) or 14
May (DC/A/1/1). Bp. of Hereford in Oct.
John Lamb D.D. 1837-1850.
Pres. by queen pubd. 2 Oct. 1837 (Lond. Gaz. no. 19546); issued 12 Oct.
(Ep./A/42/2). Instit. 20 Oct. (Ep./A/1/4; Glos. R.O., GDR 351 p. 137). Instal.
21 Oct. (DC/A/8/5 p. 97). D. 19 Apr. 1850 (Gent. Mag. 1850, new ser. xxxiii
667-8; Ep. A/1/4).
Gilbert Elliot M.A. 1850-1891.
Pres. by queen pubd. 1 May 1850 (Lond. Gaz. no. 21092); issued 18 May
(Ep./A.42/2). Instit. 21 May (Ep./A/1/4; Glos. R.O., GDR 351 marginal note on
p. 305). Instal. 25 May (DC/A/1/1). D. 11 Aug. 1891 (The Times, 12 Aug. p. 4;
Lond. Gaz. no. 26219; Ep./A/1/6).