The Dean of Wells is the head of the Chapter of

Wells Cathedral Wells Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Wells, Somerset, England, dedicated to St Andrew the Apostle. It is the seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, whose cathedra it holds as mother church of the Diocese of Bath and Wells. Built as a ...

in the Mendip district of

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. The

dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean Titles * ...

's residence is The Dean's Lodging, 25 The Liberty, Wells.

List of deans

High Medieval

*1140–1164: Ivo *1164–1189: Richard of Spaxton *1190–1213:

Alexander Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...

*1213–1216: Leonius *1216–1219: Ralph of Lechlade *1219–1236: Peter of Chichester *1236–1241: William of Merton *1241–1253: John Saracenus *1254–1256:

Giles of Bridport Giles of Bridport was a medieval Bishop of Salisbury. Giles was archdeacon of Berkshire in the diocese of Salisbury as well as Dean of Wells

*1256–1284: Edward of Cnoll *1284–1292: Thomas Bytton *1292–1295: William Burnell *1295–1302:

Walter Haselshaw Walter Haselshaw was a medieval English Bishop of Bath and Wells The Bishop of Bath and Wells heads the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells in the Province of Canterbury in England. The present diocese covers the overwhelmingly great ...

Late Medieval

*1302–1305:

Henry Husee Henry Husee was the Dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by t ...

*1305–1333:

John Godelee John Godelee was the Dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by ...

*1333–1333:

Richard of Bury Richard de Bury (24 January 1287 – 14 April 1345), also known as Richard Aungerville or Aungervyle, was an English priest, teacher, bishop, writer, and bibliophile. He was a patron of learning and one of the first English collectors of books. ...

*1334–1335:

Wibert of Littleton Wibert of Littleton was the Dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most kn ...

*1335–1349:

Walter of London Walter of London was the Dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known ...

*1349–1350:

Thomas Fastolf Thomas Fastolf, sometimes spelt Fastolfe (died June 1361), was an English canon lawyer and Bishop of St David's from 1352 until his death. Probably educated at Cambridge and then overseas, he held the degree of Doctor of Laws and his first care ...

*1350–1361:

John of Carleton John of Carleton was the Dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known ...

*1361–1379:

Stephen Penpel Stephen Penpel was the Dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known b ...

*1379–1381:

John Fordham John Fordham (died 1425) was Bishop of Durham and Bishop of Ely. Fordham was keeper of the privy seal of Prince Richard from 1376 to 1377 and Dean of Wells before being named Lord Privy Seal in June 1377. He held that office until December 1381 ...

*1381–1396: Thomas Thebaud ( of Sudbury) *1397–1398: Henry Beaufort *1398–1401:

Nicholas Slake Nicholas Slake was the Dean of Wells during 1398. Career He was appointed: *Prebendary of Erdington in Bridgnorth 1394 *Prebendary of Shirecote in Tamworth *Prebendary of Wenlocksbarn in St Paul's Cathedral 1394 - 1395 *Prebendary of Brightli ...

*1401–1410: Thomas Tuttebury *1410–1413: Richard Courtenay *1413–1413: Thomas Karneka *1413–1423: Walter Medeford *1423–1424: John Stafford *1425–1446:

John Forest John Forest (1471 – 22 May 1538) was an English Franciscan friar and martyr. Confessor to Queen Catherine of Aragon, Forest was burned to death at Smithfield for heresy, in that he refused to acknowledge the King as head of the church. Life ...

*1446–1467: Nicholas Carent *1467–1472:

William Witham William Witham (or Wytham) was incumbent at St Marylebone until 12 November 1454, when he exchanged the office for that of Archdeacon of Stow. He was then Archdeacon of Leicester (from 1458), Dean of Arches (from ) and Dean of Wells The Dean of ...

*1472–1498: John Gunthorpe

Early modern

*1498–1525:

William Cosyn William Cosyn was priest, a JP for Somerset from 1506–1516, and Dean of Wells Cathedral from 1498–1525. Biography William Cosyn was born between 1470 and 1475 in London to Robert Cosyn and his wife Elizabeth (née King).Aelred Watkin, ed. ...

*1525–1529: Thomas Wynter (also Archdeacon of York, Archdeacon of Richmond (1526–1529), Archdeacon of Suffolk (1526–1529) and Archdeacon of Norfolk (from 1529)) *1529–1537: Richard Woleman *1537–1540:

Thomas Cromwell Thomas Cromwell (; 1485 – 28 July 1540), briefly Earl of Essex, was an English lawyer and statesman who served as chief minister to King Henry VIII from 1534 to 1540, when he was beheaded on orders of the king, who later blamed false char ...

*1540–1547: William Fitzwilliam (''or''

Fitzjames The House of FitzJames Stuart, or simply FitzJames, is a noble house founded by James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick. He was the illegitimate son of James II & VII, King of England, Scotland and Ireland, a monarch of the House of Stuart.Ruvigny, ...

) *1548–1550:

John Goodman John Stephen Goodman (born June 20, 1952) is an American actor. He gained national fame for his role as the family patriarch Dan Conner in the American Broadcasting Company, ABC comedy series ''Roseanne'' (1988–1997; 2018), for which he rec ...

''(deprived)'' *1551–1554: William Turner ''(deprived)'' *1554–1561: John Goodman ''(reinstated)'' *1561–1568: William Turner ''(restored)'' *1570–1573: Robert Weston *1574–1589: Valentine Dale *1590–1602: John Herbert *1602–1607: Benjamin Heydon *1607–1621: Richard Meredith *1621–1631: Ralph Barlow *1631–1641: George Warburton *1642–1644: Walter Ralegh *1660–1670:

Robert Creighton Robert Creighton or Crichton (1593–1672) was a Scottish royalist churchman who became Bishop of Bath and Wells. Life He was son of Thomas Creighton and Margaret Stuart, who claimed kinship with the ancient Lords of Ruthven, and was born at Du ...

*1670–1704:

Ralph Bathurst Ralph Bathurst, FRS (1620 – 14 June 1704) was an English theologian and physician. Early life He was born in Hothorpe, Northamptonshire in 1620 and educated at King Henry VIII School, Coventry. He graduated with a B.A. degree from Trinity C ...

*1704–1713: William Grahme (''or'' Graham) *1713–1733: Matthew Brailsford *1733–1736:

Isaac Maddox Isaac Maddox (27 July 1697 – 27 September 1759) was an Anglican clergyman, successively bishop of St Asaph and of Worcester. Life Isaac was the son of a Dissenter, Edward Maddox, stationer of London. He was orphaned at an early age, and b ...

*1736–1738: John Harris *1739–1766:

Samuel Creswicke Samuel Creswicke was an Anglican priest. He was the Dean of Bristol The Dean of Bristol is the head of the Chapter of the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, Bristol, England. The Dean is Mandy Ford, since her installation on 3 ...

*1766–1799: Lord Francis Seymour

Late modern

*1799–1812:

George Lukin George William Lukin was the Dean of Wells between 1799 and his death on 27 November 1812. He was born in Braintree, Essex on 26 September 1739 and educated at Eton and Christ's College, Cambridge. He was Prebendary of Westminster Westmin ...

*1812–1831: Hon

Henry Ryder Henry Dudley Ryder (21 July 1777 – 31 March 1836) was a prominent English evangelical Anglican bishop in the early years of the nineteenth century. He was the first evangelical to be raised to the Anglican episcopate. Life Ryder was the ...

*1831–1845:

Edmund Goodenough Edmund Goodenough (1786–1845) was an English churchman, dean of Wells from 1831. Life Goodenough was the youngest son of Samuel Goodenough, bishop of Carlisle, by his wife, Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Dr. James Ford, physician extraordinary ...

*1845–1854: Richard Jenkyns *1854–1881: George Johnson *1881–1891: Edward Plumptre *1891–1911:

Thomas Jex-Blake Thomas William Jex-Blake (1832–1915) was an Anglican priest and educationalist. He was born on 26 January 1832, the son of lawyer Thomas Jex-Blake and the brother of Sophia Jex-Blake, who was a pioneer in women doctors in the United Kingdom. He ...

*1911–1933: Armitage Robinson *1933–1950:

Richard Malden Richard Henry Malden, BD, (19 October 1879 – August 1951), Dean of Wells, was a prominent Anglican churchman, editor, classical and Biblical scholar, and a writer of ghost stories. Career Educated at Eton College and King's College, Cambridg ...

*1951–1958:

Frederic Harton Frederic Percy Harton (10 June 18893 November 1958) was an Anglican priest and author during the twentieth century. He was the husband of writer Sibyl Harton. He trained for the priesthood at King's College, London (spending time at Bishop's Co ...

*1958–1962: Christopher Woodforde *1962–1973: Irven Edwards *1973–1989: Patrick Mitchell *1990–2003: Richard Lewis *2004–31 December 2015 (ret.): John Clarke *31 December 2015 – 20 November 2016: Andrew Featherstone (Acting) *20 November 2016 – present: John Davies

List of deans

High Medieval

Late Medieval

Early modern

Late modern

References

Further reading