Guy Carleton (1605–1685) was an Anglican clergyman. He was Dean of Carlisle from 1660 to 1671,

Bishop of Bristol A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...

from 1672 to 1679 and

Bishop of Chichester The Bishop of Chichester is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chichester in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers the counties of East and West Sussex. The see is based in the City of Chichester where the bishop's sea ...

from 1678 to 1685.

Life

He is said by

Anthony à Wood Anthony Wood (17 December 1632 – 28 November 1695), who styled himself Anthony à Wood in his later writings, was an English antiquary. He was responsible for a celebrated ''Hist. and Antiq. of the Universitie of Oxon''. Early life Anthony W ...

to have been a kinsman of George Carleton. He was a native of Brampton Foot, in

Gilsland Gilsland is a village in northern England about west of Hexham, and about east of Carlisle, which straddles the border between Cumbria and Northumberland. The village provides an amenity centre for visitors touring Hadrian's Wall and othe ...

, Cumberland. He was educated at the free school in Carlisle, and was sent as a servitor to

Queen's College, Oxford The Queen's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, England. The college was founded in 1341 by Robert de Eglesfield in honour of Philippa of Hainault. It is distinguished by its predominantly neoclassical architecture, ...

, where he later became a Fellow. In 1635 he was made a proctor to the university. When the

First English Civil War The First English Civil War took place in England and Wales from 1642 to 1646, and forms part of the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms. They include the Bishops' Wars, the Irish Confederate Wars, the Second English Civil War, the Anglo ...

broke out, he followed the royal army, although he had been ordained and held two livings. In an engagement with the enemy he was taken prisoner and confined in Lambeth House. He managed to escape by the help of his wife, who conveyed a cord to him, by which he was to let himself down from a window, and then make for a boat on the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

. The rope was too short, and in dropping to the ground he broke one of his bones, but succeeded in getting to the boat. His wife had to sell some of her clothes and work for their daily food, but they contrived to get out of the country, and joined the exiled king Charles II of England. Immediately after the Restoration of 1660, Carleton was made dean of Carlisle. In 1671 he was promoted to the bishopric of Bristol, and in 1678 translated to the see of Chichester, but he was unpopular, and had his palace stoned during a 1679 visit by the

Duke of Monmouth Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ranke ...

References

Attribution

Deans of Carlisle 1605 births 1685 deaths Bishops of Bristol Bishops of Chichester 17th-century Church of England bishops People from Gilsland {{ChurchofEngland-bishop-stub