Bishop of London

Bishop of London is in Bishop.

616 Death of Æthelberht King of Kent

1189 Richard I Appoints his Bishops

1189 Dec New Bishops Consecrated

1559 Consecration of new Bishops

In 604 Bishop Mellitus was appointed Bishop of London.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 604. This year Augustine (age 64) consecrated two bishops, Mellitus and Justus. Mellitus he sent to preach baptism to the East-Saxons. Their king was called Seabert, the son of Ricola, Ethelbert's (age 54) sister, whom Ethelbert (age 54) placed there as king. Ethelbert (age 54) also gave Mellitus the bishopric of London; and to Justus he gave the bishopric of Rochester, which is twenty-four miles from Canterbury, Kent [Map].

Death of Æthelberht King of Kent

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 616. This year died Ethelbert (age 66), king of Kent, the first of English kings that received baptism: he was the son of Ermenric. He reigned fifty-six winters, and was succeeded by his son Eadbald. And in this same year had elapsed from the beginning of the world five thousand six hundred and eighteen winters. This Eadbald renounced his baptism, and lived in a heathen manner; so that he took to wife the relict of his father. Then Laurentius, who was archbishop in Kent, meant to depart southward over sea, and abandon everything. But there came to him in the night the apostle Peter, and severely chastised him19, because he would so desert the flock of God. And he charged him to go to the king, and teach him the right belief. And he did so; and the king returned to the right belief. In this king's days the same Laurentius, who was archbishop in Kent after Augustine, departed this life on the second of February, and was buried near Augustine. The holy Augustine in his lifetime invested him bishop, to the end that the church of Christ, which yet was new in England, should at no time after his decease be without an archbishop. After him Mellitus, who was first Bishop of London, succeeded to the archbishopric. The people of London, where Mellitus was before, were then heathens: and within five winters of this time, during the reign of Eadbald, Mellitus died. To him succeeded Justus, who was Bishop of Rochester, whereto he consecrated Romanus bishop.

Note 19. Literally, "swinged, or scourged him." Both Bede and Alfred begin by recording the matter as a vision, or a dream; whence the transition is easy to a matter of fact, as here stated by the Norman interpolators of the "Saxon Annals".

In 666 Bishop Wine of London was consecrated Bishop of London.

In 675 Bishop Earconwald was appointed Bishop of London.

In 693 Bishop Waldhere was consecrated Bishop of London.

Between 705 and 716 Bishop Ingwald was appointed Bishop of London.

Between 867 and 896 Bishop Heahstan was appointed Bishop of London.

In 958 Archbishop Dunstan (age 49) was appointed Bishop of London.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 959. This year died King Edwy, on the calends of October; and Edgar (age 16) his brother took to the government of the West-Saxons, Mercians, and Northumbrians. He was then sixteen years old. It was in this year he sent after St. Dunstan (age 50), and gave him the bishopric of Worcester; and afterwards the bishopric of London. In his days it prosper'd well; and God him gave, that he dwelt in peace the while that he lived. Whate'er he did, whate'er he plan'd, he earn'd his thrift. He also rear'd God's glory wide, and God's law lov'd, with peace to man, above the kings that went before in man's remembrance. God so him sped, that kings and earls to all his claims submissive bow'd; and to his will without a blow he wielded all as pleased himself. Esteem'd he was both far and wide in distant lands; because he prized the name of God, and God's law traced, God's glory rear'd, both far and wide, on every side. Wisely he sought in council oft his people's good, before his God, before the world. One misdeed he did, too much however, that foreign tastes he loved too much; and heathen modes into this land he brought too fast; outlandish men hither enticed; and to this earth attracted crowds of vicious men. But God him grant, that his good deeds be weightier far than his misdeeds, to his soul's redemption on the judgment-day.

In 1051 Bishop William of Normandy was consecrated Bishop of London.

On 25 Dec 1085 Bishop Maurice was appointed Bishop of London.

In 1108 Bishop Richard de Belmeis was appointed Bishop of London.

Florence of Worcester Continuation. 22 Feb 1128. A man of worth and advanced years, who was a canon of the church of Lyons, was elected bishop of London; for Richard, bishop of that city, was dead, and this person, named Gilbert, and surnamed The Universal1, was appointed in his stead by king Henry and archbishop William, with the assent of the clergy and people. He was consecrated by the archbishop himself, in the mother church of Canterbury, on Sunday, the eleventh of the calends of February (22nd January). Sigefrid, bishop of Chichester, and John, bishop of Rochester, assisted and took part in the ceremony, in the presence of the abbots, and other great and noble persons, assembled at Canterbury on the occasion; his profession having been first made in the same way his predecessors had done, by which he promised canonical submission and obedience in all things to the archbishop and his successors. Urban (age 52), bishop of Glamorgan or Llandaff, considering that he had not been justly dealt with in regard to certain questions with Bernard, bishop of St. David's, which he had litigated in the council of the preceding year, crossed the sea, after the feast of the Purification of St. Mary [2nd February], and proceeding to Rome, laid the cause of his journey, supported by clear attestations from his own diocese, before the apostolical pope. The pope lent a favourable ear to his pretensions and statements, and addressed letters to king Henry and archbishop William, and the other bishops of England, enjoining them by his apostolical authority to suffer no opposition from any one to Urban's (age 52) just demands.

Note 1. Gilbert the Universal, so called from his extensive learning. See his character shortly drawn in Henry of Huntingdon's caustic style. "Letter to Walter," p.310 of his works in the Antiq. Lib.

Richard I Appoints his Bishops

On 15 Sep 1189 King Richard "Lionheart" I of England (age 32) held a Council meeting at Pipewell [Map] at which he appointed a number of Bishops:

Bishop William Longchamp was elected Bishop of Ely.

Bishop Godfrey Lucy was elected Bishop of Winchester.

Bishop Richard Fitzneal (age 59) was elected Bishop of London.

Archbishop Hubert Walter (age 29) was elected Bishop of Salisbury.

1189 Dec New Bishops Consecrated

On 31 Dec 1189 two of Richard I's new bishops were consecrated ...

Bishop William Longchamp was consecrated Bishop of Ely.

Bishop Richard Fitzneal (age 59) was consecrated Bishop of London.

In 1228 Bishop Roger Niger was appointed Bishop of London.

On 10 Jun 1229 Bishop Roger Niger was consecrated Bishop of London.

In 1241 Bishop Fulk Basset (age 52) was elected Bishop of London.

On 09 Oct 1244 Bishop Fulk Basset (age 55) was consecrated Bishop of London.

On 17 Aug 1313 Bishop Gilbert Segrave (age 47) was elected Bishop of London.

On 25 Nov 1313 Bishop Gilbert Segrave (age 47) was consecrated as Bishop of London.

On 22 Oct 1361 Archbishop Simon Sudbury (age 45) was appointed Bishop of London.

On 12 Sep 1375 Archbishop William de Courtenay (age 33) was translated to Bishop of London.

On 05 Jan 1382 Bishop Robert Braybrooke was appointed Bishop of London.

On 10 Nov 1405 Archbishop Roger Walden was elected Bishop of London.

On 22 Jun 1407 Bishop Richard Boteville was translated to Bishop of London.

On 20 Jul 1425 Bishop William Grey was appointed Bishop of London.

In 1431 Bishop Robert Fitzhugh was appointed Bishop of London.

Chronicle of Gregory 1433. 16 Sep 1433. And that same yere a-non aftyr the xij day, the xxix day of Janyver was the Lorde Fehewe (age 34) ys brothyr a was stallyd Byschoppe of London.

On 08 Feb 1450 Bishop Thomas Kempe (age 60) was consecrated as Bishop of London.

On 21 Aug 1489 Bishop Richard Hill was elected Bishop of London, Dean Chapel Royal.

On 15 Nov 1489 Bishop Richard Hill was consecrated Bishop of London.

On 20 Oct 1501 Archbishop William Warham (age 51) was appointed Bishop of London.

In 1504 Bishop William Barnes was appointed Bishop of London.

Around 05 Jun 1506 Bishop Richard Fitzjames was translated to Bishop of London.

Before 1514 Bishop John Young (age 51) was appointed as suffragan Bishop of London.

In 1522 Bishop Cuthbert Tunstall (age 48) was appointed Bishop of London.

In 1530 Bishop John Stokesley (age 55) was appointed Bishop of London.

In 1539 Bishop Edmund "Bloody" Bonner of London (age 39) was appointed Bishop of London.

In 1553 Bishop Edmund "Bloody" Bonner of London (age 53) was appointed Bishop of London.

1559 Consecration of new Bishops

In 1559 five new Bishops were consecrated including:

Archbishop Edwin Sandys (age 40) was consecrated Bishop of Worcester.

Bishop William Barlow (age 61) was consecrated Bishop of Chichester.

Archbishop Edmund Grindal (age 40) was consecrated Bishop of London.

After Jul 1559 Archbishop Edmund Grindal (age 40) was elected Bishop of London.

In 1570 Archbishop Edwin Sandys (age 51) was consecrated Bishop of London.

On 10 Jan 1595 Bishop Richard Fletcher (age 50) was translated to Bishop of London.

On 15 Jul 1628 Archbishop William Laud (age 54) was appointed Bishop of London.

In Oct 1633 Archbishop William Juxon (age 51) was appointed Bishop of London.

In 1663 Bishop Humphrey Henchman (age 71) was translated to Bishop of London.

In 1675 Bishop Henry Compton (age 43) was appointed Bishop of London.

Evelyn's Diary. 03 Sep 1676. Dined at Captain Graham's, where I became acquainted with Dr. Compton (age 44) (brother to the Earl of Northampton (age 54)), now Bishop of London, and Mr. North, son to the Lord North, brother to the Lord Chief-Justice and Clerk of the Closet, a most hopeful young man. The Bishop (age 44) had once been a soldier, had also traveled in Italy, and became a most sober, grave, and excellent prelate.

In 1723 Bishop Edmund Gibson (age 54) was consecrated in Bishop of London.

In 1764 Bishop Richard Terrick (age 54) was elected Bishop of London.

In 1897 Bishop Mandell Crichton (age 53) was consecrated Bishop of London.