Dean of Wells explained

The Dean of Wells is the head of the Chapter^[1] of Wells Cathedral^[2] in the Mendip district of Somerset, England. The dean's residence is The Dean's Lodging, 25 The Liberty, Wells.^[3]

List of deans

High Medieval

• 1140–1164: Ivo
• 1164–1189: Richard of Spaxton
• 1190–1213: Alexander
• 1213–1216: Leonius
• 1216–1219: Ralph of Lechlade
• 1219–1236: Peter of Chichester
• 1236–1241: William of Merton
• 1241–1253: John Saracenus
• 1254–1256: Giles of Bridport
• 1256–1284: Edward of Cnoll
• 1284–1292: Thomas Bytton
• 1292–1295: William Burnell
• 1295–1302: Walter Haselshaw

Late Medieval

• 1302–1305: Henry Husee
• 1305–1333: John Godelee
• 1333–1333: Richard of Bury
• 1334–1335: Wibert of Littleton
• 1335–1349: Walter of London
• 1349–1350: Thomas Fastolf
• 1350–1361: John of Carleton
• 1361–1379: Stephen Penpel
• 1379–1381: John Fordham
• 1381–1396: Thomas Thebaud (of Sudbury)
• 1397–1398: Henry Beaufort
• 1398–1401: Nicholas Slake

• 1401–1410: Thomas Tuttebury
• 1410–1413: Richard Courtenay
• 1413–1413:

Thomas Karneka^[4]

• 1413–1423: Walter Medeford
• 1423–1424: John Stafford
• 1425–1446: John Forest
• 1446–1467: Nicholas Carent
• 1467–1472: William Witham
• 1472–1498: John Gunthorpe

Early modern

• 1498–1525: William Cosyn
• 1525–1529: Thomas Wynter (also Archdeacon of York, Archdeacon of Richmond (1526–1529), Archdeacon of Suffolk (1526–1529) and Archdeacon of Norfolk (from 1529))
• 1529–1537: Richard Woleman
• 1537–1540: Thomas Cromwell
• 1540–1547: William Fitzwilliam (or Fitzjames)
• 1548–1550: John Goodman (deprived)
• 1551–1554: William Turner (deprived)
• 1554–1561: John Goodman (reinstated)
• 1561–1568: William Turner (restored)
• 1570–1573: Robert Weston
• 1574–1589: Valentine Dale
• 1590–1602: John Herbert
• 1602–1607: Benjamin Heydon
• 1607–1621: Richard Meredith
• 1621–1631: Ralph Barlow

• 1631–1641: George Warburton
• 1642–1644: Walter Ralegh
• 1660–1670: Robert Creighton
• 1670–1704: Ralph Bathurst
• 1704–1713: William Grahme (or Graham)
• 1713–1733: Matthew Brailsford
• 1733–1736: Isaac Maddox
• 1736–1738: John Harris
• 1739–1766: Samuel Creswicke
• 1766–1799: Lord Francis Seymour

Late modern

• 1799–1812: George Lukin
• 1812–1831: Hon Henry Ryder
• 1831–1845: Edmund Goodenough
• 1845–1854: Richard Jenkyns
• 1854–1881: George Johnson
• 1881–1891: Edward Plumptre
• 1891–1911: Thomas Jex-Blake
• 1911–1933: Armitage Robinson
• 1933–1950: Richard Malden
• 1951–1958: Frederic Harton
• 1958–1962: Christopher Woodforde
• 1962–1973: Irven Edwards
• 1973–1989: Patrick Mitchell
• 1990–2003: Richard Lewis
• 200431 December 2015 (ret.): John Clarke
• 31 December 201520 November 2016: Andrew Featherstone (Acting)
• 20 November 20166 January 2023 (ret.): John Davies^{[5] [6]}
• 6 January 202316 June 2024: Anne Gell (Acting)^[7]
• 16 June 2024^[8] present: Toby Wright^[9]

Further reading

• Robinson, J. A., The First Deans of Wells (1921)

Notes and References

1. http://www.wellscathedral.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Deans-of-Wells.doc List of Deans
2. Web site: Photo of Cathedral . 2009-05-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170322110951/http://www.thedusthole.co.uk/site/htmledit/upload/pages/images/wells_cathedral.jpg . 2017-03-22 . dead .
3. Book: Crockford's Clerical Directory 2008/2009 . December 2007 . Lambeth . Church House Publishing . 978-0-7151-1030-0.
4. Web site: Colleges: The cathedral of Wells British History Online . 2024-02-26 . www.british-history.ac.uk.
5. Web site: Next Dean of Wells Appointed. Diocese of Bath and Wells. 23 August 2016. 23 August 2016. 26 August 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160826203327/http://www.bathandwells.org.uk/2016/08/next-dean-of-wells-announced/. dead.
6. Web site: Wells Cathedral . John Davies to retire as Dean of Wells . 6 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230107182714/https://www.wellscathedral.org.uk/john-davies-to-retire-as-dean-of-wells/ . 7 January 2023 . 11 January 2023 .
7. Web site: Anne Gell to become Acting Dean of Wells. . . Wells Cathedral . 28 December 2023.
8. Web site: Diocese of Bath & Wells . We welcome the new Dean of Wells . 26 June 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240804203453/https://bathandwells.org.uk/news/we-welcome-the-new-dean-of-wells.php . 4 August 2024 . 4 August 2024 . and Web site: Diocese of Bath & Wells . Installation Sermon . 16 June 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240804210926/https://d3hgrlq6yacptf.cloudfront.net/60638a2c87045/content/pages/documents/wells--tobie-wright-installation-sermon.pdf . 4 August 2024 . 4 August 2024 .
9. Web site: Next Dean of Wells to be Toby Wright . . 22 January 2024 . 15 January 2024.