The Dean of Chester is based at

Chester Cathedral Chester Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral and the mother church of the Diocese of Chester. It is located in the city of Chester, Cheshire, England. The cathedral, formerly the abbey church of a Benedictine monastery dedicated to Saint ...

in the

Diocese of Chester The Diocese of Chester is a Church of England diocese in the Province of York covering the pre-1974 county of Cheshire and therefore including the Wirral and parts of Stockport, Trafford and Tameside. History Ancient diocese Before the si ...

and is the head of the Chapter at the cathedral.

List of deans

Early modern

*1541 Thomas Clerk (first Dean of Chester) *1541–1547 Henry Man (afterwards

Bishop of Sodor and Man The Bishop of Sodor and Man is the Ordinary of the Diocese of Sodor and Man (Manx Gaelic: ''Sodor as Mannin'') in the Province of York in the Church of England. The diocese only covers the Isle of Man. The Cathedral Church of St German where ...

1546) *1547–1558

William Clyff William Cliffe, Clyffe or Clyff (died 1558) was an English churchman and lawyer, dean of Chester from 1547. Life Cliffe was educated at the University of Cambridge, where he graduated LL.B. in 1514. He was admitted advocate at Doctors' Commons o ...

*1560–1567 Richard Walker *1567–1572

John Piers John Piers (Peirse) (1522/3 – 1594) was Archbishop of York between 1589 and 1594. Previous to that he had been Bishop of Rochester and Bishop of Salisbury. Life He was born at South Hinksey, near Oxford, and was educated at Magdalen Colleg ...

(afterwards

Dean of Salisbury The Dean of Salisbury is the primus inter pares, head of the cathedral chapter, chapter of Salisbury Cathedral in the Church of England. The Dean assists the archdeacon of Sarum and bishop of Ramsbury in the diocese of Salisbury. List of deans ...

1572) *1572–1579 Richard Longworth *1579–1580

Robert Dorset Robert Dorset was a Sixteenth-century English priest. Dorset was educated at Christ Church, Oxford. He was appointed Rector of Winwick in 1572, and of Ewelme in 1574. He was Dean of Chester The Dean of Chester is based at Chester Cathed ...

*1580–1589 Thomas Mawdesley *1589–1602 John Nutter *1602–1605 William Barlow (afterwards

Bishop of Rochester The Bishop of Rochester is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Rochester in the Province of Canterbury. The town of Rochester, Kent, Rochester has the bishop's seat, at the Rochester Cathedral, Cathedral Chur ...

1605) *1605–1607 Henry Parry (afterwards

Bishop of Gloucester The Bishop of Gloucester is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Gloucester, England, Diocese of Gloucester in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers the Gloucestershire, County of Gloucestershire and part ...

1607) *1607–1644 Thomas Mallory *1644–1657 William Nichols *1660–1682 Henry Bridgeman (also

1671) *1682–1691 James Arderne *1691–1718

Lawrence Fogg Laurence Fogg or Fogge (1623–1718) was dean of Chester. Fogg, son of Robert Fogg (who was an active worker for the parliament, rector of Bangor-is-y-Coed, Flintshire, ejected 1662, died 1676), was born at Darcy Lever, in the parish of Bolton ...

*1718–1721

Walter Offley Walter Offley (15 July 1682 – 18 August 1721) was an English Anglican priest, most notably Dean of Chester from 1718 until his death. Offley was born in Crewe and educated at Oriel College, Oxford. He was also concurrently the Archdeacon of S ...

*1721–1732

Thomas Allen Thomas Allen may refer to: Clergy *Thomas Allen (nonconformist) (1608–1673), Anglican/nonconformist priest in England and New England *Thomas Allen (dean of Chester) (died 1732) *Thomas Allen (scholar) (1681–1755), Anglican priest in England * ...

*1732–1758 Thomas Brooke *1758–1787

William Smith William, Willie, Will, Bill, or Billy Smith may refer to: Academics * William Smith (Master of Clare College, Cambridge) (1556–1615), English academic * William Smith (antiquary) (c. 1653–1735), English antiquary and historian of University C ...

*1787–1805

George Cotton George Edward Lynch Cotton (29 October 1813 – 6 October 1866) was the Bishop of Calcutta. He was also an English educator and clergyman, known for his connections with British India and the public school system. Life in England He was bor ...

Late modern

*1806–1815 Hugh Cholmondeley *1815-1820 Robert Hodgson (afterwards

Dean of Carlisle The Dean of Carlisle is based in Carlisle, United Kingdom, and is the head of the Chapter of Carlisle Cathedral in the Church of England's Diocese of Carlisle. There have been 41 previous incumbents. The current dean is Jonathan Brewster; he took ...

1820) *1820–1826

Peter Vaughan Peter Ewart Ohm (4 April 1923 – 6 December 2016), known professionally as Peter Vaughan, was an English actor known for many supporting roles in British film and television productions. He also acted extensively on stage. Vaughan played Gr ...

*1826–1828 Edward Coplestone (afterwards

Bishop of Llandaff The Bishop of Llandaff is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Church in Wales Diocese of Llandaff. Area of authority The diocese covers most of the County of Glamorgan. The bishop's cathedra, seat is in the Llandaff Cathedral, Cathedral Chu ...

1828) *1828–1831

Henry Phillpotts Henry Phillpotts (6 May 177818 September 1869), often called "Henry of Exeter", was the Anglican Bishop of Exeter from 1830 to 1869. He was one of England's longest serving bishops since the 14th century. Life Early life Henry Phillpotts ...

(afterwards

Bishop of Exeter The Bishop of Exeter is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. The current bishop is Mike Harrison (bishop), Mike Harrison, since 2024. From the first bishop until the sixteent ...

1831) *1831–1839

George Davys George Davys (1 October 1780 – 18 April 1864) was an English cleric, tutor to Princess Victoria, and later Bishop of Peterborough. He was previously Dean of Chester. He himself was educated at Loughborough Grammar School, where a house is na ...

(afterwards

Bishop of Peterborough The Bishop of Peterborough is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Peterborough in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers the counties of Northamptonshire (including the Soke of Peterborough) and Rutland. The see is in ...

1839) *1839–1867 Frederick Anson *1867–1885

John Howson John Howson ( – 6 February 1632) was an English academic and bishop. Life He was born in the London parish of St Bride's Church, and educated at St Paul's School. He was a student and then a canon of Christ Church, Oxford, and Vice-Chanc ...

*1886–1919 John Darby *1920–1937 Frank Bennett *1937–1953 Norman Tubbs (

Assistant Bishop An assistant bishop in the Anglican Communion is a bishop appointed to assist a diocesan bishop. Church of England In the established Church of England, assistant bishops are usually retired (diocesan or suffragan bishop, suffragan) bishops – in ...

until 1948) *1954–1962 Michael Gibbs *1963–1977 George Addleshaw *1978–1986 Ingram Cleasby *1987–2001 Stephen Smalley *200230 September 2017 (ret.)

Gordon McPhate Gordon Ferguson McPhate (born 1 June 1950) is a British retired Anglican priest, physician and academic. He spent his early career combining medicine and academia, while also holding non-stipendiary clergy appointments. He then served as Dean of ...

*2017–2018 (Acting) Jane Brooke *8 September 2018present

Tim Stratford Timothy Richard Stratford (born 26 February 1961) is an Anglican priest and author. Since 2018, he has been Dean of Chester in the Church of England. He was previously Archdeacon of Leicester from 2012 to 2018. Early life and education Stratfo ...

Diocese of Chester — New Dean of Chester Cathedral announced
(Accessed 10 April 2018)

Sources

'Deans of Chester', Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541-1857: volume 11: Carlisle, Chester, Durham, Manchester, Ripon, and Sodor and Man dioceses (2004) accessed 2011-01-24

References

{{Deans of Chester Lists of Anglicans Deans of Chester Lists of English people