Prior of Christ Church
The prior of Christ Church served in Christ Church Cathedral Priory in Canterbury, attached to Canterbury Cathedral.
Context
[edit]Canterbury Cathedral began life as cathedral for its city, diocese and archdiocese, headed by the Archbishop of Canterbury 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 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.[1]
List
[edit]- Henry 1080–1096
- Ernulf 1096–1107
- Conrad 1108–1126
- Gosford 1126–1128
- Elmer 1128–1137
- Jeremy / Jeremiah 1137–1143[2]
- Walter Durdens 1143–1149
- Walter Parvus 1149–1153
- Wybert 1153–1167
- Odo 1167–1175
- Benedict 1175–1177[3]
- Harlewine 1177–1179
- Alan 1179–1186[4]
- Honorius 1186–1189[5]
- Roger Norreis 1189–1190[6]
- Osbern/Osbert de Bristow 1190–1191[7]
- 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[8]
- Henry de Eastry 1285–1331[9]
- Richard Oxinden/Oxenden 1331–1338[10]
- 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 1449–1468[11]
- John Oxney 1468–1471
- William Petham 1471–1472
- William Sellynge 1472–1495
- Thomas Goldstone II 1495–1517
- Thomas Goldwell 1517–1539
Sources
[edit]- Table of priors and deans at the west end of the south aisle of Canterbury Cathedral nave. See also reference.[1]
- Victoria County History at British History Online
References
[edit]- ^ a b 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.
- ^ Quarreled with Theobald, the archbishop, ending in Jeremiah's resignation on papal orders
- ^ He witnessed the murder of Thomas Becket in 1170. His next role was as Abbot of Peterborough Abbey, and he took some contact relics of Becket with him to that abbey.
- ^ His next office was as abbot of Tewkesbury.
- ^ Went to Verona in person to plead the case of the monastery against archbishop Baldwin, but died abroad.
- ^ Baldwin's appointee, unsuitable for the role and resented by the monks
- ^ Appointed by Baldwin in exchange for backing down in the dispute, but forced to resign by the monks soon after Baldwin's departure for the crusade
- ^ Opposed by a faction of monks who accused him of oppressive rule and mismanagement; eventually resigned to join the Cistercian abbey at Beaulieu; priory temporarily taken into king's hands, but returned on protests by the monks.
- ^ Quarrels with his monks; advised archbishops Reynolds (a comparatively young man) and Mepeham
- ^ Advised archbishop Mepeham, but archbishop Stratford was more independent and the prior's good relations with the archbishop were again lost.
- ^ Quarreled with the city mayor