The Prior of Christ Church was the

prior Prior (or prioress) is an ecclesiastical title for a superior in some religious orders. The word is derived from the Latin for "earlier" or "first". Its earlier generic usage referred to any monastic superior. In abbeys, a prior would be l ...

Christ Church Cathedral Priory Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England. It forms part of a World Heritage Site. It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, currently Justin Welby, leader of the Ch ...

in Canterbury, attached to

Canterbury Cathedral Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England. It forms part of a World Heritage Site. It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, currently Justin Welby, leader of the ...

Context

began life as cathedral for its city, diocese and archdiocese, headed by the

Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. The current archbishop is Justi ...

and run by a Dean. However, when the cathedral was re-formed as a monastic institution (known as Christ Church Priory) as well as a cathedral, a

Prior Prior (or prioress) is an ecclesiastical title for a superior in some religious orders. The word is derived from the Latin for "earlier" or "first". Its earlier generic usage referred to any monastic superior. In abbeys, a prior would be l ...

was put in charge of the monastery (with the Archbishop effectively acting as abbot). When in 1539 the monastery was dissolved and reverted to being solely a cathedral, the prior's duties reverted to a dean, the first of whom was Nicholas Wotton.A full list of the Priors and Deans of Canterbury is given in ''A History of Canterbury Cathedral'', ed. P. Collinson, N. Ramsay, M. Sparks. (OUP 1995, revised edition 2002), page 565.

List

*Henry 1080–1096 * Ernulf 1096–1107 *Conrad 1108–1126 *Gosford 1126–1128 *Elmer 1128–1137 *Jeremy / Jeremiah 1137–1143 *Walter Durdens 1143–1149 *Walter Parvus 1149–1153 *Wybert 1153–1167 *Odo 1167–1175 *Benedict 1175–1177 *Harlewine 1177–1179 *Alan 1179–1186 *Honorius 1186–1189 * Roger Norreis 1189–1190 *Osbern/Osbert de Bristow 1190–1191 *Geoffry (sic) 1191–1205 *John de Chatham 1205-c.1218 *Walter III c.1218–1222 * John of Sittingbourne 1222–1244 *Roger de Lee 1234–1244 *Nicholas de Sandwich 1244-1258 *Roger de St Elphege 1258–1263 * William (or Adam) Chillenden 1264–1274 *Thomas Ringmer(e) 1274–1284 *Henry de Eastry 1285–1331 *Richard Oxinden/Oxenden 1331–1338 *Robert Hathbrand 1338–1370 *Richard Gillingham 1370–1376 *Stephen Mongeham 1376–1377 *John Fynch 1377–1391 * Thomas Chillenden 1391–1411 *John Woodnesborough 1411–1428 *William Molash 1428–1438 *John Salisbury –1446 *John Elham 1446–1449 *Thomas Goldstone 1449–1468Quarreled with the city mayor *John Oxney 1468–1471 *William Petham 1471–1472 *William Sellynge 1472–1495 *Thomas Goldstone II 1495–1517 * Thomas Goldwell 1517–1539

Sources

* Table of priors and deans at the west end of the south aisle of Canterbury Cathedral nave. See also reference.
''Victoria County History''
at ''British History Online''

References

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