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Bishop of Worcester

Diocesan bishop in the Church of England

Summary

Diocesan bishop in the Church of England

Field	Value
bishopric	Worcester
border	anglican
coat	Diocese of Worcester arms.svg
coat_size	200
coat_caption	Arms of the Bishop of Worcester: Argent, ten torteaux gules, four, three, two and one
incumbent	Hugh Nelson
incumbent_note	since 17 January 2026
image	Bishop to the Forces Hugh Nelson (cropped).jpg
province	Canterbury
residence	The Old Palace, Worcester
established	680
cathedral	Worcester Cathedral
first_incumbent	Bosel
diocese	Worcester

The Bishop of Worcester is the head of the Church of England Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury, England. The title can be traced back to the foundation of the diocese in the year 680. From then until the 16th century, the bishops were in full communion with the Catholic Church. During the Reformation, the church in England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Catholic Church, at first temporarily and later more permanently. Since the Reformation, the Bishop and Diocese of Worcester has been part of the Church of England and the Anglican Communion.

The diocese covers most of the county of Worcestershire, including the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley and parts of the City of Wolverhampton. The Episcopal see is in the city of Worcester where the bishop's throne is located at the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary. The bishop's official residence is the Old Palace, Worcester. The bishops had two residences outside the city: Hartlebury Castle near Kidderminster from the 13th century to 2007 and a palace at Alvechurch until it was pulled down in the 17th century.

From the elevations of Oswald of Worcester in 961 at Worcester and 972 at York, until 1023 the see was usually held jointly with the (then rather poorer) Archbishopric of York.

On 29th July 2025, it was announced that Hugh Nelson, the current Bishop suffragan of St Germans in the Diocese of Truro — and Bishop to the Forces —, would be the next Bishop of Worcester. His installation service took place in January 2026.

List of bishops

Pre-Conquest

Bishops of Worcester	From	Until	Incumbent
680	691	Bosel	Resigned the See
691	693	Oftfor
693	717	Ecgwine of Evesham	Also recorded as Ecgwin, Egwin and Eegwine
718	744	Wilfrith (I.)	Also recorded as Wilfrid
743	775	Milred	Also recorded as Mildred and Hildred
775	777	Waermund	Also recorded as Wærmund
777	780/81	Tilhere
781	799	Heathured	Also recorded as Hathored, AEthelred and Æthelred
799	822	Denebeorht	Also recorded as Deneberht
822	845/48	Heahbeorht	Also recorded as Heahberht and Eadbert
845/48	872	Ealhhun	Also recorded as Alwin
873	915	Werferth	Also recorded as Waerfrith, Wærferth, Werfrith and Waerfrith
915	922	Æthelhun
922	929	Wilfrith (II.)
fl.929	957	Koenwald	Also recorded as Cenwald and Coenwald
957	959	Dunstan	Previously Abbot of Glastonbury; translated to London; and later to Canterbury
961	992	Oswald	Held both Worcester and York ( 971–992)
992	1002	Ealdwulf	Previously Abbot of Peterborough; held both Worcester and York (995–1002)
1002	1016	Wulfstan (I.)	Translated from London; also Archbishop of York (1002–1023)
1016	1033	Leofsige
1033	1038	Beorhtheah
	1040	Lyfing (1st term)	Deprived from Worcester; also Bishop of Crediton and Cornwall (1027–1046)
1040	1041	Ælfric Puttoc	Also Archbishop of York, 1023–1041; deprived from both
1041	1046	Lyfing (2nd term)	Restored to Worcester
1046	1061	Ealdred	Translated from Hereford; later to York
1062	1095	Wulfstan (II.)	Canonized on 14 May 1203 by Pope Innocent III
Source(s):

Conquest to Reformation

Bishops of Worcester	From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1096	1112	Samson
1113	1123	Theulf	Nominated in 1113; consecrated in 1115
1125	1150	Simon
1151	1157	John de Pageham
1158	1160	Alured
1163	1179	Roger	Also recorded as Roger of Gloucester
1180	1185	Baldwin	Translated to Canterbury
1185	1190	William of Northall
1191	1193	Robert FitzRalph	Previously Archdeacon of Nottingham
1193	1195	Henry de Sully	Previously Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey
1196	1198	John of Coutances
1199	1212	Mauger	Elected in 1199, but quashed by Pope Innocent III; later postulated to the See; consecrated in 1200
1213	1214	Randulf of Evesham (bishop-elect)	Elected in December 1213, but quashed by the Papal legate, Niccolò de Romanis, in January 1214
1214	1216	Walter de Gray	Translated to York
1216	1218	Sylvester	Also recorded as Sylvester of Evesham
1218	1236	William de Blois
1237	1266	Walter de Cantilupe
1266	1268	Nicholas of Ely	Formerly Archdeacon of Ely;translated to Winchester
1268	1302	Godfrey Giffard
1302	John St German (bishop-elect)	Elected in March 1302, but quashed in October 1302
1302	1307	William Gainsborough
1307	1313	Walter Reynolds	Translated to Canterbury
1313	1317	Walter Maidstone
1317	1327	Thomas Cobham	Previously Archbishop-elect of Canterbury in 1313
1327	Wulstan Bransford (bishop-elect)	Elected bishop but was quashed; later elected in 1339
1327	1333	Adam Orleton	Translated from Hereford; later to Winchester
1333	1337	Simon Montacute	Translated to Ely
1337	1338	Thomas Hemenhale	Translated from Norwich
1339	1349	Wulstan Bransford
1349	1353	John of Thoresby	Translated from St David's; later to York
1352	1361	Reginald Brian	Translated from St David's
1362	1363	John Barnet	Translated to Bath and Wells; and later to Ely
1363	1368	William Whittlesey	Translated from Rochester; later to Canterbury
1368	1373	William Lenn	Translated from Chichester
1373	1375	Walter Lyghe (bishop-elect)	Elected in 1373, but quashed in 1375
1375	1395	Henry Wakefield
1394	1401	Robert Tideman of Winchcombe	Translated from Llandaff
1401	1407	Richard Clifford	Previously Bishop-elect of Bath and Wells; later translated to London
1407	1419	Thomas Peverel	Translated from Llandaff
1419	1426	Philip Morgan	Translated to Ely
1425	1433	Thomas Poulton	Translated from Chichester
1433	1435	Thomas Brunce (bishop-elect)	Elected bishop, but never consecrated; later became Bishop of Rochester
1434	1443	Thomas Bourchier	Translated to Ely; and later to Canterbury
1443	1476	John Carpenter	Nominated in 1443; consecrated in 1444; resigned the See in 1476; apparently used the style "Bishop of Worcester and Westbury"
1476	1486	John Alcock	Translated from Rochester; later to Ely
1486	1497	Robert Morton	Nominated in 1486; consecrated in 1487
1497	1498	Giovanni de' Gigli
1498	1521	Silvestro de' Gigli
1521	1522	[[File:Raffaello, ritratto di papa leone X tra i cardinali luigi de' rossi e giulio de' medici, 1518, 02.jpg	60px]] Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici	Appointed apostolic administrator of the See of Worcester in 1521 and resigned in 1522; also Archbishop of Florence and Narbonne and Bishop of Eger; he was elected as Pope Clement VII in 1523.
1522	1535	[[File:1535 HIERONYMUS DE GINUTIIS - GHINUCCI GIROLAMO.JPG	60px]] Girolamo Ghinucci	Deprived of the See by Henry VIII when the king broke with Rome; later in 1535 Ghinucci was created a cardinal.
Source(s):

During the Reformation

Bishops of Worcester	From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1535	1539	[[File:Hugh Latimer from NPG.jpg	60px]] Hugh Latimer	Resigned the See
1539	1543	[[File:No image.svg	60px]] John Bell
1543	1551	[[File:Nicholas Heath by Hans Eworth.jpg	60px]] Nicholas Heath (1st term)	Translated from Rochester; deprived of the See
1552	1554	[[File:John Hooper by Henry Bryan Hall after James Warren Childe cropped.jpg	60px]] John Hooper	Translated from Gloucester, 20 May 1552 when Gloucester was reunited to Worcester; called "Bishop of Worcester and Gloucester" and "of Gloucester and Worcester"; deprived of the See.
1554	1555	[[File:Nicholas Heath by Hans Eworth.jpg	60px]] Nicholas Heath (2nd term)	Restored to the See; later translated to York
1555	1559	[[File:No image.svg	60px]] Richard Pate	Deprived of the See.
Source(s):

Post-Reformation

Bishops of Worcester	From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1559	1570	[[File:Edwin Sandys from NPG.jpg	60px]] Edwin Sandys	Translated to London; and later to York
1570 (designate)	[[Image:No image.svg	60px]] James Calfhill	Archdeacon of Colchester (1565–1570). Allegedly nominated by Queen Elizabeth I, but died before election.
1571	1576	[[Image:No image.svg	60px]] Nicholas Bullingham	Translated from Lincoln
1577	1583	[[File:Bp John Whitgift.jpg	60px]] John Whitgift	Translated to Canterbury
1584	1591	[[Image:No image.svg	60px]] Edmund Freke	Translated from Norwich
1593	1595	[[Image:No image.svg	60px]] Richard Fletcher	Translated from Bristol; later to London
1596	1597	[[File:Bp Thomas Bilson.jpg	60px]] Thomas Bilson	Translated to Winchester
1597	1610	[[File:Bishop Gervase Babington by Simon De Passe.jpg	60px]] Gervase Babington	Translated from Exeter
1610	1616	[[File:Marcus Gheeraerts I (Attr) - Portrait of Henry Parry, Bishop of Worcester.jpeg	60px]] Henry Parry	Translated from Gloucester
1617	1641	[[File:John Thornborough from NPG (crop).jpg	60px]] John Thornborough	Translated from Bristol
1641	1646	[[File:JohnPrideaux.jpg	60px]] John Prideaux	Deprived of the see when the English episcopacy was abolished by Parliament on 9 October 1646.
1646	1660	The see was abolished during the Commonwealth and the Protectorate.
1660	1662	[[File:GeorgeMorley.jpg	60px]] George Morley	Translated to Winchester
1662	[[File:JohnGauden.jpg	60px]] John Gauden	Translated from Exeter
1662	1663	[[File:John Earle from NPG.jpg	60px]] John Earle	Translated to Salisbury
1663	1670	[[Image:No image.svg	60px]] Robert Skinner	Translated from Bristol
1671	1675	[[File:Bp Walter Blandford.jpg	60px]] Walter Blandford	Translated from Oxford
1675	1683	[[Image:No image.svg	60px]] James Fleetwood
1683	1689	[[Image:No image.svg	60px]] William Thomas	Translated from St David's
1689	1699	[[File:Edward Stillingfleet by Mary Beale.jpg	60px]] Edward Stillingfleet
1699	1717	[[File:WilliamLloydBpOfStAsaph.jpg	60px]] William Lloyd	Translated from Lichfield and Coventry
1717	1743	[[File:John Hough portrait.jpg	60px]] John Hough	Translated from Lichfield and Coventry
1743	1759	[[Image:No image.svg	60px]] Isaac Maddox	Translated from St Asaph
1759	1774	[[Image:Bp James Johnson, Hartlebury.jpg	60px]] James Johnson	Translated from Gloucester
1774	1781	[[File:Bp Brownlow North by Henry Howard.jpg	60px]] Brownlow North	Translated from Lichfield and Coventry; later to Winchester
1781	1808	[[File:Richard-Hurd,-Bishop-of-Worcester.jpg	60px]] Richard Hurd	Translated from Lichfield and Coventry
1808	1831	[[Image:Folliott Herbert Walker Cornewall by William Owen.jpg	60px]] Folliott Cornewall	Translated from Hereford
1831	1841	[[Image:Robert James Carr.jpg	60px]] Robert Carr	Translated from Chichester
1841	1860	[[Image:Henry Pepys NGS.jpg	60px]] Henry Pepys	Translated from Sodor and Man
1861	1890	[[Image:Henry Philpott.jpg	60px]] Henry Philpott
1890	1901	[[File:Bp John Perowne.jpg	60px]] John Perowne	Resigned
1902	1905	[[File:Charles Gore NPG.jpg	60px]] Charles Gore	Translated to Birmingham; and later to Oxford
1905	1918	[[File:Bishop-Huyshe.jpg	60px]] Huyshe Yeatman-Biggs	Translated from Southwark; later to Coventry
1919	1931	[[Image:No image.svg	60px]] Ernest Pearce
1931	1941	[[Image:No image.svg	60px]] Arthur Perowne	Translated from Bradford
1941	1955	[[Image:No image.svg	60px]] William Wilson Cash
1956	1971	[[Image:No image.svg	60px]] Mervyn Charles-Edwards
1971	1981	[[Image:No image.svg	60px]] Robin Woods
1982	1996	[[Image:No image.svg	60px]] Philip Goodrich	Previously Bishop of Tonbridge (1973–1982)
1997	2007	[[Image:No image.svg	60px]] Peter Selby	Previously Bishop of Kingston-upon-Thames (1984–1992). Also Bishop to HM Prisons (2001–2007)
2007 (acting)	[[File:NWHLRC unveiling (David Walker cropped).jpg	60px]] David Walker	Bishop of Dudley. Episcopal commissary (acting diocesan bishop) during interregnum.
2007	2024	[[File:Official portrait of The Lord Bishop of Worcester crop 2.jpg	60px]] John Inge	Retired 9 October 2024.
2024–2026	acting	[[Image:No image.svg	60px]] Martin Gorick, Bishop of Dudley	Acting diocesan bishop during vacancy in See, from 9 October 2024.
2026	present	[[File:Bishop to the Forces Hugh Nelson (cropped).jpg	60px]] Hugh Nelson	Also Bishop to the Forces; previously Bishop of St Germans
Source(s):

Assistant bishops

Among those who have served as assistant bishops of the diocese are:

19361944 (d.): Ridley Duppuy, Canon Residentiary of Worcester Cathedral, Archdeacon of Worcester (from 1938), Vice-Dean of Worcester (from 1940) and former Bishop of Victoria
1946January 1953 (ret.): Bertram Lasbrey, Rector of St Andrew's &c. Worcester and former Bishop on the Niger
19531965 (ret.): Cyril Stuart, Rector of St Andrew's &c. Worcester (until 1965), Canon of Worcester thereafter, and former Bishop of Uganda
19681991 (ret.): Nicholas Allenby, former Bishop of Kuching
19892008 (d.): Kenneth Woollcombe, assistant priest in Upton Snodsbury (1989–?), former Bishop of Oxford and Assistant Bishop of London for Westminster

References

Footnotes

Bibliography

References

Debrett's Peerage, 1968, p.1167
{{Harvnb. Fryde. Greenway. Porter. Roy. 1986, ''Handbook of British Chronology'', p. 223.
{{Catholic
[http://www.cofe-worcester.org.uk/ Diocese of Worcester: Homepage]. Retrieved on 10 December 2008.
[http://www.worcestercathedral.co.uk/ Worcester Cathedral: Homepage]. Retrieved on 10 December 2008.
[http://www.anglicancommunion.org/tour/diocese.cfm?Idind=233&view=alpha Provincial Directory: Worcester]. ''Anglican Communion''. Retrieved on 10 December 2008.
(2025-07-29). "Appointment of Bishop of Worcester". Prime Minister's Office.
Worcester, Diocese of. "Next Bishop of Worcester announced - Diocese of Worcester".
Worcester, Diocese of. "Welcoming our new Bishop of Worcester - Diocese of Worcester".
"New bishop looks forward to meeting communities". BBC News.
"Historical successions: Worcester". Crockford's Clerical Directory.
{{Harvnb. Fryde. Greenway. Porter. Roy. 1986, ''Handbook of British Chronology'', pp. 223–224, and 278.
[http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/4729 Oxford DNB – Carpenter, John] (Accessed 20 February 2014)
[http://british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=40286 A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 2. College: The College of Westbury-on-Trym] (Accessed 20 February 2014)
[https://cardinals.fiu.edu/bios1513.htm#Medici Cardinal Giulio de' Medici] . ''The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church''. Retrieved on 10 December 2008.
[https://cardinals.fiu.edu/bios1535.htm#Ghinucci Cardinal Girolamo Ghinucci] . ''The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church''. Retrieved on 10 December 2008.
{{Harvnb. Fryde. Greenway. Porter. Roy. 1986, ''Handbook of British Chronology'', pp. 278–280.
{{Harvnb. Greenway
{{Harvnb. Jones
{{Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae
"Hooper, John".
{{cite EB1911
{{cite DNB
{{Harvnb. Fryde. Greenway. Porter. Roy. 1986, ''Handbook of British Chronology'', p. 280.
{{Harvnb. Horn
[http://bcw-project.org/church-and-state/sects-and-factions/episcopalians Episcopacy]. ''British Civil Wars, Commonwealth and Protectorate 1638–60''. Retrieved on 25 April 2021.
King, Peter. (July 1968). "The Episcopate during the Civil Wars, 1642–1649". Oxford University Press.
{{London Gazette. (20 December 1901)
(July 2021)
(2007-11-09). "Trust chaplaincy service secured".
(2 May 2024). "Bishop John to retire".
(9 March 2023). "Bishop Martin becomes Acting Bishop of Worcester".
{{Harvnb. Fryde. Greenway. Porter. Roy. 1986, ''Handbook of British Chronology'', pp. 280–281.
"Duppuy, Charles Ridley".
"Lasbrey, Bertram".
"Stuart, Cyril Edgar".
"Allenby, David Howard Nicholas".
(21 April 1989). "Woollcombes to leave London".

Wikipedia Source

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