The archbishop of York is a senior bishop in the Church of England, second only to the archbishop of Canterbury. The archbishop is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and the metropolitan bishop of the province of York, which covers the northern regions of England (north of the Trent) as well as the Isle of Man.

The archbishop's throne (cathedra) is in York Minster in central York, and the official residence is Bishopthorpe Palace in the village of Bishopthorpe outside York. The current archbishop is Stephen Cottrell, since the confirmation of his election on 9 July 2020.

History

Roman

There was a bishop in Eboracum (Roman York) from very early times; during the Middle Ages, it was thought to have been one of the dioceses established by the legendary King Lucius. Bishops of York are known to have been present at the councils of Arles (Eborius) and Nicaea (unnamed). However, this early Christian community was later destroyed by the pagan Anglo-Saxons and there is no direct succession from these bishops to the post-Augustinian ones.

Middle Ages The Catholic diocese was refounded by Paulinus (a member of Augustine's mission) in the 7th century. Notable among these early bishops is Wilfrid. These early bishops of York acted as diocesan rather than archdiocesan prelates until the time of Ecgbert of York, who received the pallium from Pope Gregory III in 735 and established metropolitan rights in the north. Until the Danish invasion the archbishops of Canterbury occasionally exercised authority, and it was not until the Norman Conquest that the archbishops of York asserted their complete independence.

At the time of the Norman invasion York had jurisdiction over Worcester, Lichfield, and Lincoln, as well as claiming the dioceses in the Northern Isles and Scotland which were in fact independent. Davuit Broun, Scottish Independence and the Idea of Britain: From the Picts to Alexander III, p. 115 But the first three sees just mentioned were taken from York in 1072. In 1154 the suffragan sees of the Isle of Man and Orkney were transferred to the Norwegian archbishop of Nidaros (today's Trondheim), and in 1188 York finally accepted it had no authority over all of the Scottish dioceses except Whithorn, so that only the dioceses of Whithorn, Durham, and Carlisle remained to the archbishops as suffragan sees. Of these, Durham was practically independent, for the palatine bishops of that see were little short of sovereigns in their own jurisdiction. Sodor and Man were returned to York during the 14th century, to compensate for the loss of Whithorn to the Scottish Church.

Several of the archbishops of York held the ministerial office of Lord Chancellor of England and played some parts in affairs of state. As Peter Heylyn (1600–1662) wrote: "This see has yielded to the Church eight saints, to the Church of Rome three cardinals, to the realm of England twelve Lord Chancellors and two Lord Treasurers, and to the north of England two Lord Presidents." The bishopric's role was also complicated by continued conflict over primacy with the see of Canterbury.

English Reformation At the time of the English Reformation, York possessed three suffragan sees, Durham, Carlisle, and Sodor and Man, to which during the brief space of Queen Mary I's reign (1553–1558) may be added the Diocese of Chester, founded by Henry VIII, but subsequently recognised by the Pope.

Until the mid 1530s (and from 1553 to 1558) the bishops and archbishops were Catholics in communion with the pope in Rome. This is no longer the case, as the archbishop of York, together with the rest of the Church of England, is a member of the Anglican Communion.

Walter de Grey purchased York Place as his London residence, which after the fall of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, was renamed the Palace of Whitehall.

Styles and privileges

The archbishop of York is an ex officio member of the House of Lords and is styled Primate of England (whereas the archbishop of Canterbury is the Primate of All England); he is referred to as "The Most Reverend", retired archbishops are styled as "The Right Reverend". As archbishops are, by convention, appointed to the Privy Council they may, therefore, also use the style of "The Right Honourable" for life (unless they are later removed from the council). In debates in the House of Lords, the archbishop is referred to as "The Most Reverend Primate, the archbishop of York". "The Right Honourable" is not used in this instance. He may also be formally addressed as "Your Grace".

The surname of the archbishop of York is not always used in formal documents; often only the first name and see are mentioned. The archbishop is legally entitled to sign his name as "Ebor" (from the Latin for York). The right to use a title as a legal signature is only permitted to bishops, peers of the Realm and peers by courtesy. The current archbishop of York usually signs as "+Stephen Ebor".

In the English and Welsh order of precedence, the archbishop of York is ranked above all individuals in the realm, with the exception of the sovereign and members of the royal family, the archbishop of Canterbury and the lord chancellor.Whitaker's Almanack, 2008 – (Precedence, England and Wales) Immediately below him is the prime minister and then the lord president of the council.

Present The archbishop of York is the metropolitan bishop of the province of York and is the junior of the two archbishops of the Church of England after the archbishop of Canterbury., Handbook of British Chronology, 3rd Edition, pp. 224, and 281–284. The See is currently occupied by Stephen Cottrell since 9 July 2020.

The Province of York includes 10 Anglican dioceses in Northern England: Blackburn, Carlisle, Chester, Durham, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield, Leeds, and York, as well as 2 other dioceses: Southwell and Nottingham in the Midlands and Sodor and Man covering the Isle of Man.

List of archbishops

Pre-Conquest Bishops of York From Until Incumbent Notes 625 633 Paulinus Formerly a monk at St. Andrew's Monastery in Rome; translated to Rochester; canonised.St. Paulinus, Archbishop of York. Retrieved on 20 November 2008. 633 664 See vacant 664 669 Chad Resigned the see of York; later became bishop of Mercia and Lindsey; canonised. 664 678 Wilfrid (I) Ejected from York; later became bishop of Selseycanonised. 678 706 Bosa Canonised. 706 714 John of Beverley Translated from Hexham; resigned the see; canonised in 1037. 714 732 Wilfrid II Resigned the see; canonised. 735 Ecgbert York elevated to archbishopric in 735. Pre-Conquest archbishops of York From Until Incumbent Notes 735 766 Ecgbert York elevated to archbishopric in 735. Æthelbert Also known as Æthelbeorht, Adalberht, Ælberht, Aelberht, Aldbert or Æthelbert. 796 Eanbald (I) 796 Eanbald (II) Wulfsige 837 854 Wigmund 854 Wulfhere Fled the Danes in 872, returned in 873. 900 Æthelbald Sometimes known as Æthelbeald, Athelbald, or Ethelbald. 931 Hrotheweard Sometimes known as Lodeward. 931 956 Wulfstan (I) 971 Oscytel Also known as Oscytel. Translated from Dorchester. 971 Edwald Also known as Edwaldus or Ethelwold. 971 992 Oswald Held both the sees of York and Worcester; canonised. 995 1002 Ealdwulf Held both the sees of York and Worcester. 1002 1023 Wulfstan (II) Also known as Lupus. Also held the see of Worcester (1002–1016). 1023 1051 Ælfric Puttoc Also held the see of Worcester (1040–1041). 1051 1060 Cynesige Also known as Kynsige. 1061 1069 Ealdred Also known as Aldred. Held the see of Worcester 1046–1061, of Hereford 1056–1060, and of York 1061–1069. Footnote(s): and Source(s):, Handbook of British Chronology, 3rd Edition, p. 224.

Conquest to Reformation Archbishops of York (Conquest to Reformation) From Until Incumbent Notes 1070 1100 Thomas of Bayeux Also known as Thomas (I). 1100 1108 Gerard Translated from Hereford. 1109 1114 Thomas (II) 1119 1140 Thurstan He was elected in 1114, but was not consecrated until 1119. 1140 Waltheof of Melrose Nominated archbishop, but was quashed by King Stephen; later became Abbot of Melrose. 1140 Henry de Sully Abbot of Fécamp Abbey. Nominated archbishop, but was quashed by Pope Innocent II. 1143 1147 William (FitzHerbert) Deposed by Pope Eugene III; canonised in 1226. 1147 Hilary of Chichester Deposed by Pope Eugene III, elected bishop of Chichester. 1147 1153 Henry Murdac Formerly Abbot of Fountains Abbey. 1153 1154 William (FitzHerbert) (again) Restored by Pope Anastasius IV; canonised in 1226. 1154 1181 Roger de Pont L'Évêque Formerly archdeacon of Canterbury. 1191 1212 Geoffrey (Plantagenet) Formerly bishop-elect of Lincoln; elected archbishop in 1189, but was only consecrated in 1191. 1215 Simon Langton Elected archbishop of York in June 1215, but was quashed on 20 August 1215 by Pope Innocent III on request from King John; later became archdeacon of Canterbury. 1216 1255 Walter de Gray Translated from Worcester. 1256 1258 Sewal de Bovil Formerly Dean of York. 1258 1265 Godfrey Ludham Also known as Godfrey Kineton. Formerly Dean of York. 1265 William Langton Dean of York (1262–1279); elected archbishop in March 1265, but was quashed in November 1265.William de Langeton alias of Rotherfield . Retrieved on 20 November 2008. 1265 1266 Bonaventure Selected as archbishop in November 1265, but never consecrated and resigned the appointment in October 1266. 1266 1279 Walter Giffard Translated from Bath and Wells. 1279 1285 William de Wickwane 1286 1296 John le Romeyn Also known as John Romanus. 1298 1299 Henry of Newark Formerly Dean of York. 1300 1304 Thomas of Corbridge 1306 1315 William Greenfield Formerly Dean of Chichester 1317 1340 William Melton 1342 1352 William Zouche Also known as William de la Zouche. 1353 1373 Cardinal John of Thoresby Translated from Worcester; created a Cardinal in 1361.John Cardinal Thoresby. The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. Retrieved on 20 November 2008. 1374 1388 Alexander Neville Translated to St Andrews in 1388. 1388 1396 Thomas Arundel Translated from Ely; afterwards translated to Canterbury. 1397 1398 Robert Waldby Translated from Chichester. 1398 Walter Skirlaw Bishop of Durham, elected but put aside by King Richard II. 1398 1405 Richard le Scrope Translated from Lichfield. 1405 1406 Thomas Langley Elected archbishop in August 1405, but was quashed in May 1406. 1406 1407 Robert Hallam Nominated archbishop in May 1406 by Pope Innocent VII, but was vetoed by King Henry IV. 1407 1423 Henry Bowet Translated from Bath and Wells. 1423 1424 Philip Morgan Elected archbishop in 1423, but was quashed in 1424. 1424 1425 Richard Fleming Conferred as archbishop by Pope Martin V, but was refused by King Henry V, and Fleming resigned the appointment in July 1425. 1426 1452 Cardinal John Kemp Translated from London; created a Cardinal in 1439;John Cardinal Kempe. The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. Retrieved on 20 November 2008. translated to Canterbury. 1452 1464 William Booth Translated from Lichfield. 1465 1476 George Neville Translated from Exeter. 1476 1480 Lawrence Booth Translated from Durham. 1480 1500 Thomas Rotherham Translated from Lincoln. 1501 1507 Thomas Savage Translated from London. 1508 1514 Cardinal Christopher Bainbridge Translated from Durham; created a Cardinal in 1511.Christopher Cardinal Bainbridge. The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. Retrieved on 20 November 2008. 1514 1530 Cardinal Thomas Wolsey Translated from Lincoln in 1514; created a Cardinal in 1515;Thomas Cardinal Wolsey. The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. Retrieved on 20 November 2008. held with Bath and Wells 1518–23, Durham 1523–29 and Winchester 1529–30. Source(s):, Handbook of British Chronology, 3rd Edition, pp. 281–283., Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066–1300, volume 6, pp. 1–7., Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1300–1541, volume 6, pp. 3–5.

Post-Reformation