Deans of Wells

Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541-1857: Volume 5, Bath and Wells Diocese. Originally published by Institute of Historical Research, London, 1979.

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'Deans of Wells', in Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541-1857: Volume 5, Bath and Wells Diocese, (London, 1979) pp. 5-8. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/fasti-ecclesiae/1541-1847/vol5/pp5-8 [accessed 25 March 2024]

DEANS OF WELLS

(with prebend of Wedmore I, later North Curry, annexed)

William FitzWilliams 1540-1547.

Licence to el. a dean sought 2 Nov. 1540; gr. by bp. 3 Dec. (Cal. Wells 11 252-3). Occ. as dean Christmas 1540 (ibid. p. 703). Surrendered deanery and preb. Wedmore 1 to king 13 March 1547 (Hist. MSS. Comm., 10th Rept., app. 3, pp. 271, 272; Cal. Wells 11 266). King gr. 'the late deanery of Wells' 9 July to Edward, duke of Somerset (C.P.R. 1547-8 pp. 190-1), and founded a new deanery as royal donative with preb. of North Curry annexed (ibid. p. 192; Dyer 111 293b).

John Goodman B.Cn.L. 1548-1550/1, 1554-1561.

William Turner D.M. 1551-1554, 1561-1568.

Goodman pres. by king to new deanery 7 Jan. 1548 (C.P.R. 1547-8 p. 192; Cal. Wells 11 266; Dyer 111 293b). Deposed by bp. Barlow, by 5 Jan. 1551, for holding preb. of Wiveliscombe in plurality; committed to Fleet prison by privy council 12 Feb. (Cal. S.P. Dom. 1547-80 p. 32; Cal. Wells 11 273; C.P.R. 1550-3 p. 52; Acts of the Privy Council 1550-2 p. 211).

Turner, a layman, pres. by king 24 March; Goodman released from prison 25 March (Cal. Wells 11 273; Acts of the Privy Council 1550-2 p. 279). Turner's position insecure (Cal. S.P. Dom. 1547-80 pp. 32, 33). Turner depriv. and Goodman restored by 6 March 1554 (Cal. Wells 11 277). Ecclesiastical comm. decided 18 June 1560 that Turner should be reinstated (ibid. p. 282). Suit between Goodman and Turner pending 28 Nov. (ibid. p. 288). Royal writ 21 March 1561 ordering Goodman to vacate deanery immediately (ibid. p. 289). Turner dean at bp's visitation 31 March (D/D/Ca 30 p. 7). Turner d. 7 July 1568 (m.i., St. Olave, Hart St., London) (A. Povah, Annals of St. Olave, Hart Street, and All Hallows, Staining (London, 1894) p. 79).

Robert Weston D.C.L. 1570-1573.

Weston, lord chancellor of Ireland and a layman, pres. by queen 30 Jan. 1570 (C.P.R. 1569-72 p. 2). D. 20 May 1573 (m.i., St. Patrick's cath., Dublin) (W. Monck Mason, Hist. and Ant. of the Cath. Ch. of St. Patrick (Dublin, 1819) p. liv; Cal. Wells 11 293).

Valentine Dale D.C.L. 1574-1589.

Dale, a layman, pres. by queen 8 Jan. 1574 and licence for absence, as resident ambassador to the king of France (C.P.R. 1572-5 p. 226; CA 1571-99 f. 8). D. by 18 Nov. 1589; buried 2 Dec. (P.R.O., PROB 11/74, PCC 92 Leicester; London, Guildhall, PR St. Gregory by St. Paul's).

John Herbert D.C.L. 1590-1602.

Herbert, queen's master of requests and a layman, pres. by queen 17 Jan. 1590 (Cal. Wells 11 316). Instal. by proxy 29 Jan. (ibid.). Occ. 19 Feb. 1602 (ibid. p. 345). Knighted in autumn (Cal. S.P. Dom. 1601-3 p. 246). Apparently res. by 26 Nov. (fn. 1)

Benjamin Heydon M.A. 1602-1607.

Apparently pres. by queen 26 Nov. 1602. (fn. 1) D. 2 Apr./9 Nov. 1607 (Cal. Wells 11 353; Cal. S.P. Dom. 1603-10 p. 380).

Richard Meredith B.D. 1607-1621.

Pres. by king 9 Nov. 1607 (Cal. S.P. Dom. 1603-10 p. 380). Letters missive for instal. 20 Nov. (CA 1591-1607 f. 210v). Instal. 21 Nov. (Cal. Wells 11 354). D. 15 Aug. 1621 (Brit. Libr., Lansd. MS. 984 f. 95/146).

Ralph Barlow D.D. 1621-1631.

Pres. by king 8 Sept. 1621 (Cal. S.P. Dom. 1619-23 p. 287-'Randolph Barlow'). Instal. 18 Sept. (Cal. Wells 11 377). D. 20 July 1631 (ibid. p. 393).

George Warburton M.A. 1631-1641.

Pres. by king 3 Aug. 1631 (P.R.O., C 66/2579). Instit. by bp. 20 Aug. (P.R.O., E 331 B & W/4). Instal. 25 Aug. (Cal. Wells 11 393). D. Dec. 1641 (Brit. Libr., Lansd. MS. 985 f. 1).

Walter Raleigh D.D. 1642-1646.

Instit. by bp. 13 Jan. 1642 (D/D/B Reg. 20 f. 67). Instal. 22 Jan. (Cal. Wells 11 425). D. 10 Oct. 1646 (Brit. Libr., Lansd. MS. 985 f. 49/94).

Robert Creyghton I D.D. 1660-1670.

Allegedly promised deanery when chaplain to Charles II in exile (Oxford, Bodleian libr., MS. J. Walker c. 3 f. 131). Pres. by king 29 June 1660 (P.R.O., C 66/2912). Instit. by bp. 18 July (D/D/B Reg. 20 f. 81). Bp. of Bath and Wells 1670.

Ralph Bathurst D.M. 1670-1704.

Warrant 4 May 1670 for pres. by king (Cal. S.P. Dom. 1670 p. 198). Instit. by bp. 22 June (D/D/B Reg. 21 f. 1). Instal. by proxy 28 June (CA 1666-83 p. 21). D. 14 June 1704 (The Epistolary Correspondence... of the Rt. Rev. Francis Atterbury (London, 1783-90) 111 206).

William Grahme D.D. 1704-1713.

Warrant 6 July 1704 for pres. by queen (P.R.O., SP 44/150 p. 240). Instit. by bp. 19 July (D/D/B Reg. 25 f. 2). Instal. 28 July (Cal. Wells 11 483). D. by 18 Apr. 1713 (P.R.O., SP 44/150 pp. 418-19).

Matthew Brailsford D.D. 1713-1733.

Warrant 18 Apr. 1713 for pres. by queen (P.R.O., SP 44/150 pp. 418-19). Instit. by bp. 16 May (D/D/B Reg. 25 f. 22v). Instal. 23 May (Cal. Wells 11 496). D. 13 Dec. 1733 (m.i., Wells cath.) (Wells Cath. p. 107).

Isaac Maddox D.D. 1733-1736.

Pres. by king 29 Dec. 1733 (P.R.O., C 66/3591). Instit. by bp. 8 Jan. 1734 (D/D/B Reg. 26 f. 16). Instal. s.d. (Cal. Wells 11 525). Bp. of St. Asaph 1736.

John Harris D.D. 1736-1738. Bp. of Llandaff.

Pres. by king 16 July 1736 (P.R.O., C 66/3596). Instit. by bp. 27 July (D/D/B Reg. 26 f. 25v). Instal. 28 July (Cal. Wells 11 531). D. 28 Aug. 1738 (Gent. Mag. 1738, viii 490).

Samuel Creswick D.D. 1739-1766. Dean of Bristol.

Pres. by king issued 5 Nov. 1739 (P.R.O., C 66/3601); pubd. 6 Nov. (Lond. Gaz. no. 7855). Instit. by bp. 22 Nov. (D/D/B Reg. 26 f. 38). Instal. 23 Nov. (Cal. Wells 11 535). D. 13 Jan. 1766 (Gent. Mag. 1766, xxxvi 47).

Hon. Francis Seymour 1766-1799.

Warrant 23 Jan. 1766 for pres. by king (P.R.O., SP 44/158 pp. 81-2); pubd. 28 Jan. (Lond. Gaz. no. 10595). Instit. by bp. 15 Feb. (D/D/B Reg. 28 f. 37v). Instal. s.d. (CA 1761-77 p. 142). D. 9 Feb. 1799; buried s.d. (Gent. Mag. 1799, lxix (1) 173; Wells Cath. Reg.).

George William Lukin D.C.L. 1799-1812. (fn. 2)

Warrant 16 March 1799 for pres. by king (P.R.O., SP 44/159 pp. 546-7). Instit. by bp. 14 Apr. (D/D/B Reg. 32 f. 170). Instal. 20 Apr. (CA 1792-1817 p. 142). D. 27 Nov. 1812 (Gent. Mag. 1812, lxxxii (2) 594).

Hon. Henry Ryder D.D. 1812-1831.

Warrant 7 Dec. 1812 for pres. by king (P.R.O., SP 44/160 pp. 432-3); pubd. 12 Dec. (Lond. Gaz. no. 16679). Instit. by bp. 16 Dec. (D/D/B Reg. 33 f. 97v). Instal. 17 Dec. (CA 1792-1817 p. 487). Bp. of Gloucester 1815, and of Coventry and Lichfield 1824, but held deanery in commendam until exch. 6 Sept. 1831 with Edmund Goodenough for preb. of Westminster (Lond. Gaz. no. 18846).

Edmund Goodenough D.D. 1831-1845.

By exch.; pres. by king pubd. 6 Sept. 1831 (Lond. Gaz. no. 18846). Instit. by bp. 20 Sept. (P.R.O., E 331 B & W/38). Instal. 23 Sept. (CA 1817-32 p. 575). D. 2 May 1845 (m.i., Wells cath.) (Wells Cath. p. 106).

Richard Jenkins D.D. 1845-1854.

Pres. by queen pubd. 4 June 1845 (Lond. Gaz. no. 20477). Instit. by bp. 21 June (P.R.O., E 331 B & W/41). Instal. s.d. (CA 1841-55 p. 78). D. 6 March 1854 (m.i., Wells cath.) (Wells Cath. p. 75).

George Henry Sacheverell Johnson M.A. 1854-1881.

Pres. by queen pubd. 27 March 1854 (Lond. Gaz. no. 21535). Instit. by bp. 8 Apr. (D/D/B Reg. 37 f. 25v). Instal. 8 Apr. (CA 1841-55 p. 237). D. 4 Nov. 1881 (The Times, 7 Nov. p. 9).

Footnotes

  • 1. The patent roll grant cited by Le Neve-Hardy does not now exist, but Heydon certainly became dean in 1602 (Godwin p. 449).
  • 2. William Jackson D.D. is given by Le Neve-Hardy as dean 1799 until bp. of Oxford 1812. Joseph Drury is said to have received letters missive for el. as dean in succession to Jackson 17 March 1812, but this is an error for pres. by king to preb. of Dulcote (Lond. Gaz. no. 16583).