Bishop of Exeter

The Bishop of Exeter is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury.[2] The current incumbent, since 30 April 2014, is Robert Atwell.[3] The incumbent signs his name as his Christian name or forename followed by Exon., abbreviated from the Latin Episcopus Exoniensis ("Bishop of Exeter").

Bishop of Exeter
Bishopric
anglican
Arms of the Bishop of Exeter: Gules, a sword erect in pale argent hilted or surmounted by two keys addorsed in saltire of the last[1]
Incumbent: Robert Atwell
Location
Ecclesiastical province	Canterbury
Residence	The Palace, Exeter
Information
First holder	Werstan Leofric (first Bishop of Exeter)
Established	905 (founded at Tawton) 912 (translated to Crediton) 1050 (translated to Exeter)
Diocese	Exeter
Cathedral	Exeter Cathedral (1112–present)

From the first bishop until the sixteenth century the Bishops of Exeter were in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. However, during the Reformation the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church, at first temporarily and later more permanently. Since the Reformation, the Bishop and Diocese of Exeter has been part of the reformed and catholic Church of England. The bishop's residence is The Palace, Exeter.[4]

History

The Anglo-Saxon dioceses after 950

The history of Christianity in the South West of England remains to some degree obscure. At a certain point the historical county of Devon formed part of the diocese of Wessex. About 703 Devon and Cornwall were included in the separate Diocese of Sherborne and in 900 this was again divided, the Devon bishop having from 905 his seat at Tawton (now Bishop's Tawton) and from 912 at Crediton, birthplace of St Boniface. Lyfing became Bishop of Crediton in 1027 and shortly afterwards became Bishop of Cornwall.

Tawton

According to Tristram Risdon (died 1640), the present village of Bishops Tawton, on the River Taw two miles south of Barnstaple in North Devon, was the earliest bishop's see in the shire of Devon, when in 905

"Edward, surnamed Senior, a nurse-father of the church, finding these western parts to want ecclesiastical discipline, by the advice of Pleymond, (sic) Archbishop of Canterbury, ordained a provincial synod and decreed that three new bishops should be consecrated, whereupon Edulph was appointed to Wells, Herstan to Cornwall and Werstan to Devon, who had here his see, where after him one only of his successors sat being hence removed to Crediton".[5]

Werstan's successor appears to have been Putta (bishop 906–910), who was murdered whilst travelling from his see at Tawton to visit the Saxon viceroy Uffa, whose residence was at Crediton.[6] It is believed that Copplestone Cross, mentioned in a charter dated 947 and situated 6 miles north-west of Crediton and 22 miles south-east of Bishops Tawton, was erected in commemoration of his murder.[7]

Crediton

The Diocese of Crediton was created out of the Diocese of Sherborne in 909 to cover the area of Devon and Cornwall.[8] Crediton was chosen as the site for its cathedral possibly due it having been the birthplace of Saint Boniface and the existence of a monastery there.[9]

In 1046, Leofric became the Bishop of Crediton. Following his appointment he decided that the see should be moved to the larger and more culturally significant and defensible walled town of Exeter. In 1050, King Edward the Confessor authorised that Exeter was to be the seat of the bishop for Devon and Cornwall and that a cathedral was to be built there for the bishop's throne. Thus, Leofric became the last diocesan Bishop of Crediton and the first Bishop of Exeter.[9]

Exeter

The two dioceses of Crediton and Cornwall, covering Devon and Cornwall, were permanently united under Edward the Confessor by Lyfing's successor Leofric, hitherto Bishop of Crediton, who became first Bishop of Exeter under Edward the Confessor, which was established as his cathedral city in 1050. At first the Abbey Church of St Mary and St Peter, founded by Athelstan in 932, rebuilt in 1019, etc., finally demolished 1971, served as the cathedral.

Cathedral

Main article: Exeter Cathedral

The present cathedral was begun by William de Warelhurst in 1112, the transept towers he built being the only surviving part of the Norman building, which was completed by Marshall at the close of the twelfth century. The cathedral is dedicated to St Peter.

As it now stands, the cathedral is in the decorated style. It was begun by Peter Quinel (1280–1291), continued by Bytton and Stapeldon, and completed, much as it has since remained, by John Grandisson during his long tenure of 42 years.

In many respects Exeter cathedral resembles those of France rather than others found in England. Its special features are the transept towers and the choir, containing much early stained glass. There is also an episcopal throne, separated from the nave by a choir screen (1324) and a stately West front. In a comparison with certain other English cathedrals, it is perhaps disadvantaged by the absence of a central tower and a general lack of elevation, but it is undoubtedly very fine.

Organisation

The bishops of Exeter, like the general population of the diocese, always enjoyed considerable independence, and the see was one of the largest and richest in England. The remoteness of the see from London prevented it from being bestowed on statesmen or courtiers, so that over the centuries the roll of bishops possessed more capable scholars and administrators than in many other sees. The result was a long and stable line of bishops, leading to active Christian observance in the area.

The diocese contained 604 parishes grouped in four archdeaconries: Cornwall, Barnstaple, Exeter, and Totnes. There were Benedictine, Augustinian, Premonstratensian, Franciscan and Dominican religious houses, and four Cistercian abbeys.

Modern history

This wealthy diocese was forced to cede land during the reign of Henry VIII, when Vesey was obliged to surrender fourteen of twenty-two manors, and the value of the see was reduced to a third of what it had been. Vesey, despite his Catholic sympathies, held the see until 1551, when he finally had to resign, and was replaced by the Bible translator Miles Coverdale. Following the accession of Mary, in 1553, Vesey was restored, but died soon after in 1554. He was succeeded by James Turberville, the last Catholic Bishop of Exeter. Turberville was removed from the see by the Reformist Elizabeth I in 1559, and died in prison, probably in or about 1570.

Henry Phillpotts served as Bishop of Exeter from 1830 to his death in office in 1869. He was England's longest serving bishop since the 14th century. The diocese was divided in 1876 along the border of Devon and Cornwall, creating the Diocese of Truro (but five parishes which were at the time in Devon were included in this diocese as they had always been within the Archdeaconry of Cornwall). The diocese covers the County of Devon. The see is in the City of Exeter where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter which was founded as an abbey possibly before 690. The current incumbent is Robert Atwell.

List of bishops

Pre-Reformation

Bishops at Tawton
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
c. 905	c. 906	Werstan
c. 906	c. 910	Putta
Bishops of Crediton
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
c.909	934	Eadwulf
934	c.952/53	Æthelgar
953	972	Ælfwold I
973	977	Sideman	Died on 30 April 977 or 1 or 2 May 977.
c.977/79	c.986/87	Ælfric
c.986/87	?	Ælfwold II
?	c.990	Alfred of Malmesbury[10]
?	c.1011/15	Ælfwold III
c.1011/15	c.1019/23	Eadnoth
1027	1046	Lyfing	Also Bishop of Cornwall and Worcester; died in March 1046.
1046	1050	Leofric	Consecrated on 19 April 1046; also Bishop of Cornwall; became the first Bishop of Exeter in 1050.
In 1050, Leofric transferred the see to Exeter.[9]
Source(s):[11][12]
Pre-Reformation Bishops of Exeter
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1050	1072	Leofric	The first bishop who united and transferred the sees of Crediton and Cornwall to Exeter
1072	1103	Osbern FitzOsbern
1107	1138	William Warelwast
1138	1155	Robert Warelwast
1155	1160	Robert of Chichester
1161	1184	Bartholomew Iscanus
1186	1191	John the Chanter
1194	1206	Henry Marshal
1206	1214	See vacant	Due to Pope Innocent III's interdict against King John's realms.
1214	1223	Simon of Apulia
1224	1244	William Briwere	Also recorded as William Brewer
1245	1257	Richard Blund	Also recorded as Richard Blundy
1258	1280	Walter Branscombe	Also recorded as Walter Bronescombe
1280	1291	Peter Quinel	Also recorded as Peter de Quivel or Quivil
1291	1307	Thomas Bitton	Also recorded as Thomas de Bytton
1308	1326	Walter de Stapledon
1326	1327	James Berkeley
1327		John Godeley	Also recorded as John Godele. Elected, but quashed.
1327	1369	John Grandisson
1370	1394	Thomas de Brantingham	Also recorded as Thomas Brantyngham
1395	1419	Edmund Stafford
1419		John Catterick	Also recorded as John Ketterick. Translated from Lichfield.
1420	1455	Edmund Lacey	Also recorded as Edmund Lacy. Translated from Hereford.
1455	1456	John Hales	Appointed, but resigned before consecration.
1458	1465	George Neville	Translated to York
1465	1478	John Booth
1478	1487	Peter Courtenay	Translated to Winchester
1487	1492	Richard Foxe	Translated to Bath and Wells
1493	1495	Oliver King	Translated to Bath and Wells
1496	1502	Richard Redman	Translated from St Asaph; later translated to Ely
1502	1504	John Arundel	Translated from Lichfield
1505	1519	Hugh Oldham
Source(s):[11][13][14]

During the Reformation

Bishops of Exeter during the Reformation
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1519	1551	John Vesey (resigned)
1551	1553	Myles Coverdale
1553	1554	John Vesey (restored)
1555	1560	James Turberville
Source(s):[11][13][14]

Post-Reformation

Post-Reformation Bishops of Exeter
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1560	1571	William Alley	Also recorded as William Alleyn
1571	1578	William Bradbridge
1579	1594	John Woolton
1595	1597	Gervase Babington	Translated to Worcester
1598	1621	William Cotton
1621	1626	Valentine Cary
1627	1641	Joseph Hall	Translated to Norwich
1642	1659	Ralph Brownrigg
1660	1662	John Gauden	Translated to Worcester
1662	1667	Seth Ward	Translated to Salisbury
1667	1676	Anthony Sparrow	Translated to Norwich
1676	1688	Thomas Lamplugh	Translated to York
1689	1707	Sir Jonathan Trelawny, Bt.	Translated from Bristol; later translated to Winchester
1708	1716	Ofspring Blackall
1717	1724	Lancelot Blackburne	Translated to York
1724	1742	Stephen Weston
1742	1746	Nicholas Clagett	Translated from St David's
1747	1762	George Lavington
1762	1777	Frederick Keppel
1778	1792	John Ross
1792[15]	1796	William Buller
1797	1803	Reginald Courtenay	Translated from Bristol
1803	1807	John Fisher	Translated to Salisbury
1807	1820	George Pelham	Translated from Bristol; later translated to Lincoln
1820	1830	William Carey	Translated to St Asaph
1830		Christopher Bethell	Translated from Gloucester; later translated to Bangor
1831	1869	Henry Phillpotts
1869	1885	Frederick Temple	Translated to London
1885	1900	Edward Bickersteth
1901	1903	Herbert Edward Ryle	Translated to Winchester
1903	1916	Archibald Robertson
1916	1936	Lord William Cecil
1936	1948	Charles Curzon	Translated from Stepney
1949	1973	Robert Mortimer
1973	1985	Eric Mercer	Translated from Birkenhead
1985	1999	Hewlett Thompson	Translated from Willesden
1999	2013[16]	Michael Langrish	Translated from Birkenhead
2014	present	Robert Atwell	[3] Translated from Stockport
Source(s):[11][13]

Assistant bishops

Among those who have served as assistant bishops of the diocese have been:

• mid-1860s: James Chapman, Rector of Wootton Courtenay and former Bishop of Colombo[17][18][19]
• While he was Rector of Down St Mary (1897–1903), Kestell Kestell-Cornish, retired Bishop of Madagascar, sometimes assisted the bishop[20]
• 1947 – 1952 (ret.): Rocksborough Smith, Rector of Lapford and former Bishop of Algoma[21]

See also

• Bishop of Cornwall

References

1. Debrett's Peerage, 1968, p.432
2. Crockford's Clerical Directory, 100th edition, (2007), Church House Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7151-1030-0.
3. Diocese of Exeter – Election of new Bishop of Exeter formally confirmed (Accessed 9 May 2014)
4. "Robert Ronald Atwell". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
5. Risdon, Tristram (d.1640), Survey of Devon, 1811 edition, London, 1811, with 1810 Additions, p.321
6. Chattaway, Joseph, An Historical Sketch of the Danmonii: Or Ancient Inhabitants of Devonshire, 1830, p.79
7. http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-443618-copplestone-cross-copplestone-devon
8. Crediton Festival 2009 Archived 21 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on 5 June 2008.
9. Exeter: Ecclesiastical History. Retrieved on 5 June 2008.
10. Joseph Thomas (1 January 2010). The Universal Dictionary of Biography and Mythology. Cosimo, Inc. p. 93. ISBN 978-1-61640-069-9.
11. "Historical successions: Exeter (including precussor offices)". Crockford's Clerical Directory. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
12. Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I. (1986). Handbook of British Chronology (3rd, revised ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 287. ISBN 0-521-56350-X.
13. Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I. (1986). Handbook of British Chronology (Third Edition, revised ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 246–248. ISBN 0-521-56350-X.
14. Horn, J. M. (1962). "Bishops of Exeter". Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1300–1541: Volume 9: Exeter Diocese. British History Online. pp. 1–3.
15. "No. 13457". The London Gazette. 8 September 1792. p. 694.
16. BBC News – Bishop Langrish retires from office (Accessed 1 July 2013)
17. "Church News". Church Times (#100). 31 December 1864. p. 419. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 26 December 2019 – via UK Press Online archives.
18. "Consecration of St Peter's Church, Newlyn, Penzance". Church Times (#174). 2 June 1866. p. 175. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 26 December 2019 – via UK Press Online archives.
19. "Church News". Church Times (#243). 28 September 1867. p. 337. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 26 December 2019 – via UK Press Online archives.
20. "Clerical obituary". Church Times (#2407). 12 March 1909. p. 332. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 14 March 2020 – via UK Press Online archives.
21. "Smith, Rocksborough Remington". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. (subscription or UK public library membership required)

Sources

• Some text adapted from Catholic Encyclopaedia, 1908.