Prior of Durham

Contents

The Prior of Durham was the head of the Roman Catholic Durham Cathedral Priory, founded c. 1083 with the move of a previous house from Jarrow. The succession continued until dissolution of the monastery in 1540, when the priory was replaced with a Church of England deanery church.[1]

After the Benedictine monastery was dissolved, the last Prior of Durham, Hugh Whitehead, became the first Dean of Durham, heading the cathedral's secular chapter.[2]

List

Priors of St Cuthbert's Cathedral Priory, Durham
FromUntilIncumbentCitation(s)Notes
1083died 1087Aldwin[3]Prior of Jarrow from 1073x4 before the priory's move to Durham
1087resigned 1109Turgot[3]Became Bishop of St Andrews [3]
1109died 1137 x 1138Algar[3]
?1138died 1149Roger[3]
1149died 1154Lawrence[3]
1154died 1158Absalom[3]
1161 x 1162resigned 1162 or 1163Thomas[3]Died 1173
1163died 1189Germanus[3]
1189died 1212 x 1213Bertram[3]
1212 x 1213died 1218William[3][4]
1218died 1234Ranulf Kerneth[5]
1234died 1244Thomas de Melsonby[5]
1244resigned 1258Bertram de Middleton[5]Still alive in 1266[5]
1258resigned 1273Hugh de Darlington[5]
1273resigned 1285Richard de Claxton[5]
1286resigned 1290Hugh de Darlington (again)[5]
elected 1290Richard de Hoton[6]Deprived of office 1300, replaced with Henry de Lusby; restored 1302; suspended and replaced by Lusby again 1306; restored 1307; died 1308.[7]
appointed 1300Henry de Lusby[6]Prior of Lindisfarne, appointed to Durham 1300-1302 and briefly in 1306. Died 1306.
1308resigned 1313William de Tanfield[8]Died 7 February 1314[8]
1313resigned 1321Geoffrey de Burdon[8]Still alive in 1333; previously prior of Finchale and prior of Lyytham[8]
elected 1321William de Guisborough[8]Elected 6 February, renounced election 8 February 1321
1321died 1341William de Cowton[8]
1341died 1374John Fossor[9]
1374died 1391Robert Berrington of Walworth[10]
1391died 1416John de Hemingbrough[11]
1416died 1446John de Washington[11]
1446resigned 1456William Ebchester[11]
1456died 1464John Burnby[11]
1464resigned 1479Richard Bell[11]
1479died 1484Robert Ebchester[11]
1484died 1494John Auckland[11]
14941519Thomas Castell[11]
1520office abolished 1540Hugh Whitehead[11]Surrendered the monastery to the king in 1540, and reappointed as first Dean of Durham with a chapter of twelve canons.[11] Died 1551.[12]

References

  1. 1."Durham Cathedral - North Bailey, Durham, UK". Engineering Timelines. 11 July 2018. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  2. 2.Directory, and Gazetteer, of the Counties of Durham. Sheffield: W. White & Co. 1827. p. 160.
  3. 3.[3.2][3.3][3.4][3.5][3.6][3.7][3.8][3.9][3.10][3.11]Knowles, Brooke, and London, (1972), Heads of Religious Houses, i, p. 43
  4. 4.Smith & London (eds.), Heads of Religions Houses, ii, pp. 37—8
  5. 5.[5.2][5.3][5.4][5.5][5.6][5.7]Smith & London (eds.), Heads of Religions Houses, ii, p. 38
  6. 6.[6.2]Smith & London (eds.), Heads of Religions Houses, ii, pp. 38—9
  7. 7.Fraser, C. M. (2004), "Hoton, Richard (d. 1308), prior of Durham", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/13858, retrieved on 2009-01-28
  8. 8.[8.2][8.3][8.4][8.5][8.6]Smith & London (eds.), Heads of Religions Houses, ii, p. 39
  9. 9.Smith & London (eds.), Heads of Religions Houses, ii, pp. 39—40
  10. 10.Smith & London (eds.), Heads of Religions Houses, ii, p. 40
  11. 11.[11.2][11.3][11.4][11.5][11.6][11.7][11.8][11.9][11.10]Page, "Priory of St Cuthbert, Durham".
  12. 12.Knighton, "Whitehead, Hugh"