| Bishopric: | Blackburn |
| Border: | anglican |
| Incumbent: | Philip North |
| Province: | York |
| Residence: | Bishop's House, Salesbury |
| Established: | 1927 |
| Cathedral: | Blackburn Cathedral |
| First Incumbent: | Percy Herbert |
| Diocese: | Blackburn |
The Bishop of Blackburn is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Blackburn in the Province of York.
The diocese covers much of the county of Lancashire and has its see in the town of Blackburn, where the seat of the diocese is located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Mary. Despite having a cathedral Blackburn is not a city.
The office has existed since the foundation of the see from part of the Diocese of Manchester in 1926 under George V. The current bishop is Philip North, since the confirmation on 25 April 2023 of his election.[1] The bishop's residence is Bishop's House, Salesbury.
| Bishops of Blackburn | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes | |
| 1927 | 1942 | Percy Herbert | Translated from Kingston-upon-Thames; nominated 18 December 1926 and confirmed 26 January 1927; translated to Norwich 22 July 1942. | |
| 1942 | 1954 | Wilfred Askwith | Nominated 2 November and consecrated 30 November 1942; translated to Gloucester 7 July 1954. | |
| 1954 | 1960 | Walter Baddeley | Translated from Whitby; nominated 10 September and confirmed 2 October 1954; died in office 11 February 1960. | |
| 1960 | 1971 | Charles Claxton | Translated from Warrington; nominated 1 July and confirmed 18 July 1960; resigned 30 November 1971; died 7 March 1992. | |
| 1972 | 1981 | Robert Martineau | Translated from Huntingdon; nominated 21 December 1971 and confirmed 24 January 1972; resigned 31 October 1981; died 28 June 1999.[2] | |
| 1982 | 1989 | Stewart Cross | Translated from Doncaster; nominated 26 January 1982 and confirmed 26 February 1982; died in office 27 December 1989. | |
| 1989 | 2003 | Alan Chesters | Previously Archdeacon of Halifax since 1985; nominated and consecrated in 1989; resigned 31 March 2003. | |
| 2004 | 2012 | Nicholas Reade | Previously Archdeacon of Lewes and Hastings since 1997; nominated 4 August 2003,[3] consecrated at York Minster 2 March 2004 and installed at Blackburn Cathedral 27 March 2004; resigned 31 October 2012. | |
| 2013 | 2022 | Julian Henderson[4] | Retired 31 August 2022.[5] | |
| 2023 | present | Philip North | Acting since 1 September 2022; translated from Burnley on 25 April 2023. | |
| Sources:[6] [7] | ||||
Among those who have served as assistant bishops in the diocese were: