The Dean of Durham is the "head" (''primus inter pares'' – first among equals) and chair of the Chapter, the ruling body of Durham Cathedral. The dean and chapter are based at the ''Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham'' in

Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham *County Durham, an English county * Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States *Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...

. The cathedral is the mother church of the

Diocese of Durham The Diocese of Durham is a Church of England diocese, based in Durham, and covering the historic county of Durham (and therefore including the part of Tyne and Wear south of the River Tyne, and excluding southern Teesdale). It was created in ...

and seat of the

Bishop of Durham The Bishop of Durham is the Anglican bishop responsible for the Diocese of Durham in the Province of York. The diocese is one of the oldest in England and its bishop is a member of the House of Lords. Paul Butler has been the Bishop of Durham ...

List of deans

Early modern

*1541–1551 Hugh Whitehead (last prior) *1551–1553 Robert Horne *1553–1558 Thomas Watson *1558–1559 Thomas Robertson (deprived) *1559–1561 Robert Horne ''(again)'' *1561–1563 Ralph Skinner *1563–1579

William Whittingham William Whittingham (c. 1524–1579) was an English Puritan, a Marian exile, and a translator of the Geneva Bible. He was well connected to the circles around John Knox, Bullinger, and Calvin, and firmly resisted the continuance of the English li ...

*1580–1581 Thomas Wilson ''(Lay dean)'' *1583–1595

Tobias Matthew Tobias Matthew (also Tobie and Toby; 13 June 154629 March 1628), was an Anglican bishop who was President of St John's College, Oxford, from 1572 to 1576, before being appointed Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University from 1579 to 1583, and Matthew ...

*1596–1606

William James William James (January 11, 1842 – August 26, 1910) was an American philosopher, historian, and psychologist, and the first educator to offer a psychology course in the United States. James is considered to be a leading thinker of the lat ...

*1606–1620

Adam Newton Adam Lee Newton (born 4 December 1980) is a former professional footballer who played for West Ham United, Peterborough United, Brentford and Luton Town. Born in England, he represented the England U21 national team and the Saint Kitts and Ne ...

''(Lay dean)'' *1620–1638 Richard Hunt *1639–1645

Walter Balcanquhall Walter Balcanquhall (1586? – 1645) was a Scottish clergyman who became a staunch royalist and supporter of the church policy of Charles I of England. He was chosen by James I as a delegate from the Church of Scotland to the Synod of Dort. ...

*1646

Christopher Potter Christopher Potter (1591 – 3 March 1646) was an English academic and clergyman, Provost of The Queen's College, Oxford, controversialist and prominent supporter of William Laud. Life He was born in Westmoreland, the nephew of Barnaby Potter. ...

*1646–1659 William Fuller *1660–1661

John Barwick John Barwick (1612–1664) was an early English royalist churchman and Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral. Early life He was born at Witherslack, in Westmorland. John was the third of five sons, and he and his brother Peter Barwick (later his biogr ...

*1661–1684

John Sudbury John Sudbury was Dean of Durham from his installation on 15 February 1661 until his death on 29 November 1684. He was born at Bury St Edmunds in 1604, educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge and ordained in 1629. He was Vicar of Leigh, Kent fr ...

*1684–1690 Denis Granville *1691–1699 Thomas Comber *1700–1728 John Montague *1728–1746 Henry Bland *1746–1774

The Hon ''The Honourable'' (British English) or ''The Honorable'' (American English; see spelling differences) (abbreviation: ''Hon.'', ''Hon'ble'', or variations) is an honorific style that is used as a prefix before the names or titles of certain ...

Spencer Cowper Spencer Cowper (23 February 1670 – 10 December 1728) was an English lawyer and politician who sat in the English House of Commons, English and British House of Commons between 1705 and 1727. Early life Cowper was the second son of Sir Willia ...

*1774–1777 Thomas Dampier *1777–1788 William Digby *1788–1794 John Hinchliffe

Late modern

*1794–1824 The Hon James Cornwallis :(The Earl Cornwallis from 1823) *1824–1827 Charles Hall *1827–1840 John Jenkinson *1840–1869

George Waddington George Waddington (; 7 September 1793 – 20 July 1869) was an English priest, traveller and church historian. Life He was the son of George Waddington (1754?-1824), vicar of Tuxford and Anne Dollond, youngest daughter of the optician Peter Do ...

*1869–1894 William Lake (also Warden of the University) *1894–1912

George Kitchin George William Kitchin (7 December 1827 – 13 October 1912) was the first Chancellor of the University of Durham, from the institution of the role in 1908 until his death in 1912. He was also the last Dean of Durham to govern the university. ...

*1912–1918 Hensley Henson *1918–1933 James Welldon *1933–1951 Cyril Alington *1951–1974 John Wild *1974–1979 Eric Heaton *1980–1988 Peter Baelz *1989–2002 John Arnold *2003–2015 Michael Sadgrove *17 July 201625 September 2022 Andrew Tremlett (became Dean of St Paul's

References

Sources

British History – ''Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae'' 1541–1857, Vol. 11 – Deans of Durham
{{Deans of Durham Deans of Durham Deans of Durham Durham, England-related lists