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 The Province of York, or less formally the Northern Province, is one of two ecclesiastical provinces making up the Church of England and consists of 12 dioceses which cover the northern third of England and the Isle of Man. York was elevated to ...

in the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Brit ...

. The diocese only covers the

Isle of Man ) , anthem = " O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europ ...

. The Cathedral Church of St German where the bishop's seat is located, is in the town of Peel. St German's was elevated to cathedral status on 1 November 1980. Cathedra Sodor and Man

The bishop is an ''ex officio'' member of the Legislative Council of the Isle of Man (the upper house of

Tynwald Tynwald ( gv, Tinvaal), or more formally, the High Court of Tynwald ( gv, Ard-whaiyl Tinvaal) or Tynwald Court, is the legislature of the Isle of Man. It consists of two chambers, known as the branches of Tynwald: the directly elected House ...

, the parliament of the

) and of

Tynwald Court Tynwald ( gv, Tinvaal), or more formally, the High Court of Tynwald ( gv, Ard-whaiyl Tinvaal) or Tynwald Court, is the legislature of the Isle of Man. It consists of two chambers, known as the branches of Tynwald: the directly elected House of ...

. The bishop's residence is Thie yn Aspick (Bishop's House),

Douglas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals *Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking * Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil ...

. The right to appoint the Bishop of Sodor and Man is vested in the

British crown The Crown is the state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, overseas territories, provinces, or states). Legally ill-defined, the term has different ...

; the Monarch acts, perhaps somewhat anomalously (in view of Man's status as a Crown Dependency), on the advice of the

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...

. However, unlike diocesan bishops in England, who are formally elected by the canons of the cathedral church in accordance with the monarch's '' congé d'elire'', the Bishop of Sodor and Man is appointed directly by the monarch by letters patent. Peter Eagles was appointed Bishop of Sodor and Man, and was installed at the Cathedral Church of St German at Peel on 30 September 2017.

Diocese

The name "Sodor and Man" is from an earlier diocese which included not only the Isle of Man but also the

Hebrides The Hebrides (; gd, Innse Gall, ; non, Suðreyjar, "southern isles") are an archipelago off the west coast of the Scottish mainland. The islands fall into two main groups, based on their proximity to the mainland: the Inner and Outer Hebri ...

. The name for this whole area in the original Norse was ''Suðreyjar'' (''Sudreys'' or "southern isles"). In

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

, the corresponding adjective was ''Sodorensis'', later abbreviated in the English title as Sodor. In the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

, the diocese was considered part of Scotland, and was under the control of neither the

Archbishop of York The archbishop of York is a senior bishop in the Church of England, second only to the archbishop of Canterbury. The archbishop is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and the metropolitan bishop of the province of York, which covers ...

nor 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 Just ...

. During the Great Schism, the

Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

created a different line of bishops in the southern part of the diocese which became part of the

. An Act of

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...

in 1542, during the reign of King

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

, included the diocese in the

.Powicke ''Handbook of British Chronology'' 2nd ed. p. 254 The termination "and Man" appears to have been added in the 17th century, as later generations did not realise that "Sodor" originally included the Isle of Man. The designation "Sodor and Man" had become a fixture by 1684.

Tables

(Dates in italics indicate ''de facto ''continuation of office)

List of known Bishops of Mann

List of Bishops of Mann and the Isles

The bishops of Mann and the Isles ( la, Manniae et Insularum) were also styled bishops of Sodor (

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlement ...

: ''Suðreyjar''; la, Sodoren; meaning Southern Isles, which comprised the

, the

islands of the Firth of Clyde The Islands of the Firth of Clyde are the fifth largest of the major Scottish island groups after the Inner and Outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland. They are situated in the Firth of Clyde between Ayrshire and Argyll and Bute. There are about ...

and the

). }) or of

Orkney Orkney (; sco, Orkney; on, Orkneyjar; nrn, Orknøjar), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, situated off the north coast of the island of Great Britain. Orkney is 10 miles (16 km) north ...

( la, Orcadensis) , - , 1188–94 to 1203 , , Michael , , Died in office , - , 1210 to 1217 , ,

Nicholas Nicholas is a male given name and a surname. The Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Anglican Churches celebrate Saint Nicholas every year on December 6, which is the name day for "Nicholas". In Greece, the name and its ...

, , , - , 1217 to 1226 , , Reginald (II) , , , - , 1219 to 1225–26 , ,

Nicholas de Meaux Nicholas de Meaux, also known as Nicholas of Meaux, was a thirteenth-century Abbot of Furness and Bishop of the Isles. In 1217, with the death of Nicholas, Bishop of the Isles (died 1217), two candidates vied for the vacant position: Nicholas and ...

, , Abbot of

Furness Furness ( ) is a peninsula and region of Cumbria in northwestern England. Together with the Cartmel Peninsula it forms North Lonsdale, historically an exclave of Lancashire. The Furness Peninsula, also known as Low Furness, is an area of vill ...

, - , Until bef.1230 , , John (II), son of Hefar , , , - , 1230 to 1248 , , Simon , , Either a native of

Argyll Argyll (; archaically Argyle, in modern Gaelic, ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a historic county and registration county of western Scotland. Argyll is of ancient origin, and corresponds to most of the part of the ancient kingdom of ...

( la, Ergadiensis) or of

( la, Orcadensis). , - , 1248 to 1249 , , ''Laurence'' (bishop-elect) , ,

Archdeacon of Man The Archdeacon of Man (sometimes incorrectly referred to as ''Archdeacon of the Isle of Man'') is a senior cleric second only to the Bishop of Sodor and Man in the Anglican Diocese of Sodor and Man (which comprises the Isle of Man). This is unusual ...

; shipwrecked and drowned on voyage from Norway before taking up the office , - , 1249 to 1252 , , colspan=2 , - , 1253 to 1274 , ,

Richard Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'stro ...

e Natherton?, , Died in office. , - , 1275 , , ''Gilbert'' (bishop-elect) , , Elected, but not confirmed. , - , 1275–76 to 1303 , , Mark , , Marcus, Mauritius; a native of

Galloway Galloway ( ; sco, Gallowa; la, Gallovidia) is a region in southwestern Scotland comprising the historic counties of Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire. It is administered as part of the council area of Dumfries and Galloway. A native or ...

; promoted by

Alexander III, King of Scotland Alexander III (Medieval ; Modern Gaelic: ; 4 September 1241 – 19 March 1286) was King of Scots from 1249 until his death. He concluded the Treaty of Perth, by which Scotland acquired sovereignty over the Western Isles and the Isle of Man. His ...

; died in office , - , 1303 to 1305 , , colspan=2 , - , 1305 to 1321 , , Alan , , Died in office , - , 1321 to 1326–27 , , Gilbert Maclelan , , gd, Giolla-Brighde Mac Giolla-Faoláin; a native of

; died in office , - , 1327–28 to 1331 , ,

Bernard of Kilwinning Bernard (died c. 1331) was a Tironensian abbot, administrator and bishop active in late 13th- and early 14th-century Scotland, during the First War of Scottish Independence. He first appears in the records already established as Abbot of Kilwinn ...

, , Abbot of Kilwinning, Scotland , - , 1331 , , ''Cormac Cormacii'' (bishop-elect) , , gd, Cormac Mac Chormaic; elected before 6 July 1331, but was not confirmed. , - , 1331 to 1348 , , Thomas de Rossy , , Died in office , - , 1349 to 1374 , , William Russell , , Abbot of Rushen; died in office. , - , 1374 to 1387 , ,

John Dongan John Dongan ''Donegan, Donnegan, Donkan, Duncan(died 1413) was a medieval Manx prelate. After holding the position of Archdeacon of Down, he held three successive bishoprics, Mann and the Isles (Sodor), then the see of Derry and lastly, ...

, , Lost control of the northern part of the see (the Scottish isles) in 1387, but retained the Isle of Man.

List of Bishops of Sodor and Man

Assistant bishops

In contrast with mainland dioceses, the Manx diocese seldom (if ever) has assistant bishops, whether full- or part-time, stipendiary or retired.

In fiction

The Bishop of Sodor and Man is mentioned in the song "If you Want a Receipt for that Popular Mystery" sung by Colonel Calverley in the operetta ''

Patience (or forbearance) is the ability to endure difficult circumstances. Patience may involve perseverance in the face of delay; tolerance of provocation without responding in disrespect/anger; or forbearance when under strain, especially when face ...

'' (1881) by

Gilbert Gilbert may refer to: People and fictional characters *Gilbert (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters *Gilbert (surname), including a list of people Places Australia * Gilbert River (Queensland) * Gilbert River (South A ...

and Sullivan. The song lists the elements of a Heavy Dragoon, including "Style of the Bishop of Sodor and Man". The reference is to Rowley Hill (Bishop 1877-1887). The fictional

Island of Sodor The Island of Sodor is a fictional island featured as the setting for ''The Railway Series'' books by the Rev. Wilbert Awdry (and his son Christopher), begun in 1945, and for the popular '' Thomas & Friends'' television series since 1984, alt ...

, home to

Thomas the Tank Engine Thomas the Tank Engine is an anthropomorphised fictional tank locomotive in the British ''Railway Series'' books by Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher, published from 1945. He became the most popular and famous character in the series, ...

, is named after the diocese. In addition, the Sudrian Locale known popularly as Rolf's Castle is named after

Roolwer Roolwer, also known as Hrólfr, was an eleventh-century ecclesiast. He is the first named bishop of a jurisdiction which later became the Diocese of the Isles, and appears to have served at his post before, and perhaps during, the reign of Gofra ...

.Awdry, Rev. W. & G. - The Island Of Sodor: Its People, History & Railways - - Heinemann 1987 - pg.22

Notes

References

* Haydn, Joseph, ''Haydn's Book of Dignities''. Horace Ockerby. (1994, 1969 reprint)
Manxman's Homepage
via the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

Wayback Machine The Wayback Machine is a digital archive of the World Wide Web founded by the Internet Archive, a nonprofit based in San Francisco, California. Created in 1996 and launched to the public in 2001, it allows the user to go "back in time" and see ...

* National Archives
See of Sodor and Man
12 August 2003 (Appointment of Graeme Paul Knowles) * New, Anthony S.B., ''The Observer's Book of Cathedrals''

Frederick Warne & Co Frederick Warne & Co. is a British publisher founded in 1865. It is known for children's books, particularly those of Beatrix Potter, and for its Observer's Books. Warne is an imprint of Penguin Random House, a subsidiary of German media cong ...

Ltd. * Pepin, David, ''Discovering Cathedrals'' Shire Publications Ltd. * Powicke, F. Maurice and E. B. Fryde ''Handbook of British Chronology'' 2nd. ed. London: Royal Historical Society 1961
Tudor Place
* Whitaker, Joseph. ''Whitaker's Almanack 1883 to 2004''. J. Whitaker & Sons Ltd/A&C Black 2004 {{DEFAULTSORT:Bishop Of Sodor And Man Bishops of the Diocese of Sodor and Man Sodor and Man