The Bishop of Exeter is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury.Crockford's Clerical Directory, 100th edition, (2007), Church House Publishing. . The current bishop is Mike Harrison, since 2024.
From the first bishop until the sixteenth century the Bishops of Exeter were in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. However, during the Reformation the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church, at first temporarily and later more permanently. Since the Reformation, the Bishop and Diocese of Exeter has been part of the reformed and catholic Church of England. The bishop's residence is The Bishop's Palace, Exeter.
History
Roman episcopal organization survived the fall of the Roman Empire in south-western Britain, which became the British kingdom of Dumnonia. In about 700, Aldhelm, abbot of Malmesbury wrote a letter to King Geraint of Dumnonia and his bishops. However, by this time eastern Devon had been conquered by the Anglo-Saxons and was part of the diocese of Bishop of Winchester, covering the whole of Wessex. In around 705 The diocese was divided in two and Aldhelm was appointed the first Bishop of Sherborne, covering eastern Devon. Over the next two centuries western Devon was conquered.
Crediton In about 909 the diocese of Sherborne was divided and the Diocese of Crediton was created to cover Devon and Cornwall.Crediton Festival 2009 . Retrieved on 5 June 2008. Crediton was chosen as the site for its cathedral possibly due it having been the birthplace of Saint Boniface and the existence of a monastery there.Exeter: Ecclesiastical History . Retrieved on 5 June 2008.
In 1046, Leofric became the Bishop of Crediton. Following his appointment he decided that the see should be moved to the larger and more culturally significant and defensible walled town of Exeter. In 1050, King Edward the Confessor authorised that Exeter was to be the seat of the bishop for Devon and Cornwall and that a cathedral was to be built there for the bishop's throne. Thus, Leofric became the last diocesan Bishop of Crediton and the first Bishop of Exeter.
Exeter The two dioceses of Crediton and Cornwall, covering Devon and Cornwall, were permanently united under Edward the Confessor by Lyfing's successor Leofric, hitherto Bishop of Crediton, who became first Bishop of Exeter under Edward the Confessor, which was established as his cathedral city in 1050. At first the Abbey Church of St Mary and St Peter, founded by Athelstan in 932, rebuilt in 1019, etc., finally demolished 1971, served as the cathedral.
The bishop of Exeter signs his name as his Christian name or forename followed by Exon., abbreviated from the Latin Episcopus Exoniensis ("Bishop of Exeter").
Cathedral
The present cathedral was begun by William de Warelhurst in 1112, the transept towers he built being the only surviving part of the Norman building, which was completed by Marshall at the close of the twelfth century. The cathedral is dedicated to St Peter.
As it now stands, the cathedral is in the decorated style. It was begun by Peter Quinel (1280–1291), continued by Bytton and Stapeldon, and completed, much as it has since remained, by John Grandisson during his long tenure of 42 years.
In many respects Exeter cathedral resembles those of France rather than others found in England. Its special features are the transept towers and the choir, containing much early stained glass. There is also an episcopal throne, separated from the nave by a choir screen (1324) and a stately West front. In a comparison with certain other English cathedrals, it is perhaps disadvantaged by the absence of a central tower and a general lack of elevation, but it is undoubtedly very fine.
Organisation The bishops of Exeter, like the general population of the diocese, always enjoyed considerable independence, and the see was one of the largest and richest in England. The remoteness of the see from London prevented it from being bestowed on statesmen or courtiers, so that over the centuries the roll of bishops possessed more capable scholars and administrators than in many other sees. The result was a long and stable line of bishops, leading to active Christian observance in the area.
The diocese contained 604 parishes grouped in four archdeaconries: Cornwall, Barnstaple, Exeter, and Totnes. There were Benedictine, Augustinian, Premonstratensian, Franciscan and Dominican religious houses, and four Cistercian abbeys.
Modern history This wealthy diocese was forced to cede land during the reign of Henry VIII, when Vesey was obliged to surrender fourteen of twenty-two manors, and the value of the see was reduced to a third of what it had been. Vesey, despite his Catholic sympathies, held the see until 1551, when he finally had to resign, and was replaced by the Bible translator Miles Coverdale. Following the accession of Mary, in 1553, Vesey was restored, but died soon after in 1554. He was succeeded by James Turberville, the last Catholic Bishop of Exeter. Turberville was removed from the see by the Reformist Elizabeth I in 1559, and died in prison, probably in or about 1570.
Henry Phillpotts served as Bishop of Exeter from 1830 to his death in office in 1869. He was England's longest serving bishop since the 14th century. The diocese was divided in 1876 along the border of Devon and Cornwall, creating the Diocese of Truro (but five parishes which were at the time in Devon were included in this diocese as they had always been within the Archdeaconry of Cornwall). The diocese covers the County of Devon. The see is in the City of Exeter where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter which was founded as an abbey possibly before 690. The current incumbent is Mike Harrison.
List of bishops
Pre-Conquest Bishops of CreditonFromUntilIncumbentNotesc.909 934 Eadwulf 934 c.952/53 Æthelgar 953 972 Ælfwold I 973 977 Sideman Died on 30 April 977 or 1 or 2 May 977.c.977/79 c.986/87 Ælfric c.986/87 ? Ælfwold II ? c.990 Alfred of Malmesbury ? c.1011/15 Ælfwold III c.1011/15 c.1019/23 Eadnoth 1027 1046 Lyfing Also Bishop of Cornwall and Worcester; died in March 1046. 1046 1050 Leofric Consecrated on 19 April 1046; also Bishop of Cornwall; became the first Bishop of Exeter in 1050.In 1050, Leofric transferred the see to Exeter. Source(s):
Pre-Reformation Dates of reign Name Portrait ArmsIzacke, Richard (c.1624–1698), (improved and continued to the year 1724 by Samuel Izacke), Remarkable Antiquities of the City of Exeter, 3rd Edition, London, 1731, A Perfect Catalogue of all the Bishops of this Church ... together with the Coats of Armory and Mottoes Described, pp.25-50 1050–1072The first to unite and transfer the Sees of Crediton and Cornwall to ExeterLeofric Pre-heraldic1072–1103Osbern FitzOsbern Pre-heraldic1107–1138William Warelwast Pre-heraldic1138–1155Robert Warelwast Pre-heraldic1155–1160Robert of Chichester Pre-heraldic1161–1184Bartholomew Iscanus Pre-heraldic1186–1191John the Chanter Pre-heraldic1194–1206Henry Marshal Pre-heraldic1206–1214See vacant due to Pope Innocent III's interdict against King John's realmsVacant1214–1223Simon of Apulia 1224–1244Aliter William BrewerWilliam Briwere 1245–1257Aliter Richard BlundyRichard Blund 1258–1280Aliter Walter BronescombeWalter Branscombe 1280–1291Aliter Peter de Quivel or QuivilPeter Quinel 1291–1307Aliter Thomas de ByttonThomas Bitton 1308–1326Walter de Stapledon 1326–1327James Berkeley 1327Also recorded as John Godele. Elected, but quashedJohn Godeley 1327–1369John Grandisson 1370–1394Aliter Thomas BrantynghamThomas de Brantingham 1395–1419Edmund Stafford 1419Aliter John Ketterick, translated from LichfieldJohn Catterick 1420–1455Also recorded as Edmund Lacy. Translated from HerefordEdmund Lacey 1455–1456Appointed, but resigned before consecrationJohn Hales 1458–1465Translated to YorkGeorge Neville 1465–1478John Booth 1478–1487Translated to WinchesterPeter Courtenay 1487–1492Translated to Bath and WellsRichard Foxe 1493–1495Oliver King 1496–1502Translated from St Asaph; later translated to ElyRichard Redman 1502–1504Translated from LichfieldJohn Arundel 1505–1519Hugh Oldham
During the Reformation Dates of reign Name Portrait Arms 1519–1551(deposed, Roman Catholic)John Vesey 1551–1553ProtestantMyles Coverdale1553–1554recovered, Roman Catholic)John Vesey 1555–1560James Turberville
Post-Reformation Post-Reformation Bishops of Exeter FromUntilIncumbentNotes15601571 William Alley Also recorded as William Alleyn15711578 William Bradbridge15791594 John Woolton15951597 Gervase Babington Translated to Worcester15981621 William Cotton16211626 Valentine Cary16271641 Joseph Hall Translated to Norwich1642 1646 Ralph Brownrigg Deprived of the see when the English episcopacy was abolished by Parliament on 9 October 1646; died 1659. 1646 1660 The see was abolished during the Commonwealth and the Protectorate.16601662 John Gauden Translated to Worcester16621667 Seth Ward Translated to Salisbury16671676 Anthony Sparrow Translated to Norwich16761688 Thomas Lamplugh Translated to York16891707 Sir Jonathan Trelawny, Bt. Translated from Bristol; later translated to Winchester17081716 Ofspring Blackall17171724 Lancelot Blackburne Translated to York17241742 Stephen Weston17421746 Nicholas Clagett Translated from St David's17471762 George Lavington17621777 Frederick Keppel17781792 John Ross17921796 William Buller17971803 Reginald Courtenay Translated from Bristol18031807 John Fisher Translated to Salisbury18071820 George Pelham Translated from Bristol; later translated to Lincoln18201830 William Carey Translated to St Asaph1830 Christopher Bethell Translated from Gloucester; later translated to Bangor18311869 Henry Phillpotts18691885 Frederick Temple Translated to London18851900 Edward Bickersteth19011903 Herbert Edward Ryle Translated to Winchester19031916 Archibald Robertson19161936 Lord William Cecil19361948 Charles Curzon Translated from Stepney19491973 Robert Mortimer19731985 Eric Mercer Translated from Birkenhead19851999 Hewlett Thompson Translated from Willesden19992013BBC News – Bishop Langrish retires from office (Accessed 1 July 2013) Michael Langrish Translated from Birkenhead20142023 Robert Atwell Translated from Stockport; (Accessed 9 May 2014) retired 30 September 2023. 2024 present Mike Harrison Translated from Dunwich, 25 September 2024. Source(s):
Assistant bishops Among those who have served as assistant bishops of the diocese have been: mid-1860s: James Chapman, Rector of Wootton Courtenay and former Bishop of Colombo 19001918 (d.): Alfred Earle, Dean of Exeter, remained Bishop of Marlborough despite resigning its duties as suffragan for West London While he was Rector of Down St Mary (1897–1903), Kestell Kestell-Cornish, retired Bishop of Madagascar, sometimes assisted the bishop 19471952 (ret.): Rocksborough Smith, Rector of Lapford and former Bishop of Algoma
See also Bishop of Cornwall
References
Sources Some text adapted from Catholic Encyclopaedia, 1908.