This page traces the history of the Dioceses And Cathedrals Of The Church Of England . Since it is customary in that country to name nearly all Dioceses after their Cathedrals , the two terms are used somewhat interchangeably, even though they are technically quite separate things.
The Mediæval Church Of England was organized into 17 dioceses. About half of the diocesian cathedrals were also Monasteries , with the Abbot serving double duty as dean of the cathedral. The rest were served by a college of "secular" canons — non-monastic Priests living under no fixed rule of life. Both types often had Saxon foundations
After Henry VIII 's break with the Pope and the Dissolution Of The Monasteries , the formerly monastic cathedrals were "re-founded" with secular canons. Furthermore, a number of new dioceses were formed, using some of the largest and finest of the other dissolved monasteries as cathedrals. Together, these two groups — the old monastic cathedrals and the new sees — were known as cathedrals of the ; the old cathedrals which had always been served by secular canons were known as those of the '''Old Foundation.'''
No further cathedrals were founded until, in the mid 19th century, the huge population growth of north-central England meant that redistricting could no longer be ignored. Since then twenty new dioceses have been founded, each with a cathedral — some are great mediæval monasteries or Collegiate Church es which were not elevated by Henry VIII but might well have been; others are glorified parish churches; and others are totally new constructions.
If no split is recorded, the diocese is still whole as founded, though it may have Suffragan Bishop s
- Canterbury - 597-present
- Rochester - 604-present
- ---split to form Diocese of St Alban's, 1876-present
--split off (Essex) to form Diocese of St Chelmsford, 1914-present
- London - 604-present
- ---seat at St Paul's 604-1539
--split into Diocese of Westminster, with seat at Westminster Abbey, 1540-50
- ---seats at St Paul's and Westminster Abbey, 1550-60
- ---seat at St Paul's, 1560-present
- York - 625-present
- ---Lindisfarne added, 664-678
- ---split to form Diocese of Ripon and Leeds, 1836-present
--split to form Diocese of Wakefield, 1888-present
--split to form Diocese of Bradford, 1920-present
- ---Archdeaconry of Nottingham split off, merged to Diocese of Lincoln, 1837-1884
--Split off, merged with Archdeaconry of Derbyshire (from Diocese of Lichfield) to form Diocese of Southwell, 1884-1927
-Arcdeaconry of Derbyshire split off to form Diocese of Derby, 1927-present
--Diocese of Southwell, seat at Southwell, 1927-2005
--Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham, seat at Southwell, 2005-present
- ---split to form Diocese of Sheffield, 1914-present
- Ripon, 876, lapsed, re-formed 1836
- Winchester - 662-present
- ---Split off (northwestern corner) to form Diocese of Ramsay, 909-1058
--Merged with Ramsay to form Salisbury, 1058-present
- ---Split off (south London area) to form Diocese of Southwark, 1905-present
- ---Split off (Portsmouth area) to form Diocese of Portsmouth, 1927-present
- ---Split off (Guildford area) to form Diocese of Guildford, 1927-present
- Mercia
- ---founded 656 as Diocese of Lichfield
- ---archdiocese of Lichfield over Worcester, Leicester, Lincoln, Hereford, Elmham and Dunwich 786-796 (seized from Canterbury)
- ---seat at Chester 1076-1086
--Chester re-founded as Diocese of Chester, 1541-present
-split to form Diocese of Manchester, 1847-present
split to form Diocese of Blackburn, 1926-present
-split to form Diocese of Liverpool, 1880-present
- ---seat at Coventry, as Diocese of Coventry and Lichfield, 1086-1539
- ---seat at Lichfield, as Diocese of Lichfield and Coventry, 1539-1918
--Diocese of Lichfield - 1918-present
-Archdeaconry of Derbyshire split off, merged with Archdeaconry of Nottingham (from Diocese of York), into Diocese of Lincoln, 1837-1884
Split off Lincoln, merged with Archdeaconry of Nottingham (from Diocese of Lichfield) to form Diocese of Southwell, 1884-1927
split off Southwell to form Diocese of Derby, 1927-present
--Diocese of Coventry - 1918-present
- Dunwich / Norwich
- ---Seat at Dunwich, 630-673
- ---Seat at Elmham, 673-1070
- ---Seat at Thetford, 1070-1094
- ---Seat at Norwich, 1094-present
--Split off to form Diocese of Saint Edmundsbury and Ipswich (with part of Diocese of Ely), 1914-present
--Western part merged off into Ely, 1914-present
- Hereford - 676-present
- Worcester - 680 - present
- ---Split to form Diocese of Gloucester, 1541-present
- ---Split to form Diocese of Bristol, 1542-1836
--Merged into Diocese of Gloucester, 1836-1897
--Re-formed as Diocese of Bristol, 1897-present
- ---Split to form Diocese of Birmingham, 1906-present
- Somerset / Bath and Wells
- ---seat at Wells, 909-1090
- ---seat at Bath, 1090-1136
- ---seat at Wells, 1136-1206
- ---Glastonbury forcibly added, 1192
- ---as Diocese of Bath and Glastonbury, 1206-1219
- ---Diocese of Bath, 1219-1242
- ---Diocese of Bath and Wells, 1242-1539, joint seat
- ---Diocese of Bath and Wells, 1539-present, seat at Wells
- Lindisfarne / Durham, 635-present
- ---seat at Lindisfarne, 635-664
- ---added to York, 664-678
- ---re-formed, 678-875, seat at Lindisfarne
- ---875-995, seat at Chester-le-Street
- ---renamed and re-seated at Durham, 995-present
--split to form Diocese of Carlisle, 1133-present
--split to form Diocese of Newcastle, 1882-present
- Exeter, 1050-present
- ---split to form Diocese of Truro, 1876-present
- Lindine / Lindsey / Leicester
- ---seat at Leicester, pre-706-886
--seat moved to Dorchester, 886
-united with Lindine / Lindsey, 971
- ---as Lindine, seat at Lincoln, 628, 678-971
--seat moved to Dorchester, 971
-seat moved to Lincoln, 1072
split to form Diocese of Ely, 1109-present
---Bedfordshire merged off into Diocese Of St Alban's , 1914-present
---western Suffolk merged off to form Diocese Of St Edmundsbury And Ipswich (with part of Diocese of Norwich), 1914-present
split to form Diocese of Peterborough, 1541-present
---Leicester split as suffragan, 1888-1926
--Leicester fully split to form Diocese of Leicester, 1926-present
---Diocese of Dorchester, refounded as suffragan of Oxford by 2006
split to form Diocese of Oxford, 1542-present
---Dorchester added as suffragan bishop by 2006
- Selsey / Chichester
- ---Seat at Selsey, 680-1075
- ---Seat at Chichester, 1075-present
- Sherbourne, 705-1058
- ---Merged with Diocese of Ramsay, seat at Sherbourne, 1058-1078, included parts of Berkshire not in present diocese
--Seat of combined diocese moved to Salisbury, Diocese of Salisbury, 1078-present
-Sherbourne refounded as suffragan, 1925
-Ramsay refounded as suffragan, 1974
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