The Prior of Christ Church was the

prior Prior (or prioress) is an ecclesiastical title for a superior in some religious orders. The word is derived from the Latin for "earlier" or "first". Its earlier generic usage referred to any monastic superior. In abbeys, a prior would be l ...

Christ Church Cathedral Priory Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England. It forms part of a World Heritage Site. It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, currently Justin Welby, leader of the Ch ...

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. ...

, attached to

Canterbury Cathedral Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England. It forms part of a World Heritage Site. It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, currently Justin Welby, leader of the ...

Context

began life as cathedral for its city, diocese and archdiocese, headed by 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 Justi ...

and run by a Dean. However, when the cathedral was re-formed as a monastic institution (known as Christ Church

Priory A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or nuns (such as the Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans, and Carmelites), or monasteries of mon ...

) as well as a cathedral, a

Prior Prior (or prioress) is an ecclesiastical title for a superior in some religious orders. The word is derived from the Latin for "earlier" or "first". Its earlier generic usage referred to any monastic superior. In abbeys, a prior would be l ...

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 Nicholas Wotton (c. 1497 – 26 January 1567) was an English diplomat, cleric and courtier. Life He was a son of Sir Robert Wotton of Boughton Malherbe, Kent, and a descendant of Sir Nicholas Wotton, Lord Mayor of London in 1415 and 1430, who ...

.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.

List

*Henry 1080–1096 *

Ernulf Ernulf (1040 – 15 March 1124) was a French Benedictine monk who became prior of Christ Church in Canterbury, abbot of Peterborough, and bishop of Rochester in England. A jurist and an architect as well, he was responsible for greatly expanding ...

1096–1107 *Conrad 1108–1126 *Gosford 1126–1128 *Elmer 1128–1137 *Jeremy / Jeremiah 1137–1143 *Walter Durdens 1143–1149 *Walter Parvus 1149–1153 *Wybert 1153–1167 *Odo 1167–1175 *Benedict 1175–1177 *Harlewine 1177–1179 *Alan 1179–1186 *Honorius 1186–1189 *

Roger Norreis Roger Norreis (died between 1223 and 1225) was Abbot of Evesham in England. He was a controversial figure, installed in several offices against opposition. In his appointment to Evesham, he was accused of immoral behaviour and failing to follow m ...

1189–1190 *Osbern/Osbert de Bristow 1190–1191 *Geoffry (sic) 1191–1205 *John de Chatham 1205-c.1218 *Walter III c.1218–1222 *

John of Sittingbourne John of Sittingbourne (died before 1238) was Archbishop of Canterbury-elect in 1232. John was a monk of Christ Church Priory, Canterbury, and was selected as prior Prior (or prioress) is an ecclesiastical title for a superior in some ...

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 *Henry de Eastry 1285–1331 *Richard Oxinden/Oxenden 1331–1338 *Robert Hathbrand 1338–1370 *Richard Gillingham 1370–1376 *Stephen Mongeham 1376–1377 *John Fynch 1377–1391 *

Thomas Chillenden Thomas Chillenden (died 15 August 1411) was Prior of Christ Church Priory, Canterbury from 1391 to 1410. Under him, from 1391 to 1400, the Cathedral-Priory church's nave was rebuilt in the Perpendicular style of English Gothic architecture. Life ...

1391–1411 *John Woodnesborough 1411–1428 *William Molash 1428–1438 *John Salisbury –1446 *John Elham 1446–1449 *Thomas Goldstone 1449–1468Quarreled with the city mayor *John Oxney 1468–1471 *William Petham 1471–1472 *William Sellynge 1472–1495 *Thomas Goldstone II 1495–1517 *

Thomas Goldwell Thomas Goldwell (15013 April 1585) was an English Catholic clergyman, Bishop of Saint Asaph, the last of those Catholic bishops who had refused to accept the English Reformation. Life Thomas Goldwell was the son of William Goldwell of Great ...

1517–1539

Sources

* Table of priors and deans at the west end of the south aisle of Canterbury Cathedral nave. See also reference.
''Victoria County History''
at ''British History Online''

References

{{reflist, 30em