The Bishop of Peterborough is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Peterborough in the Province of Canterbury.
The diocese covers the counties of Northamptonshire (including the Soke of Peterborough) and Rutland. The see is in the City of Peterborough, where the bishop's seat (cathedra) is located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Andrew. The bishop's residence is Bishop's Lodging, The Palace, Peterborough. The office has been in existence since the foundation of the diocese on 4 September 1541 under King Henry VIII.
The current Bishop of Peterborough is Debbie Sellin, since the confirmation, on 13 December 2023 at Lambeth Palace Chapel, of her election.
As parts of the City of Peterborough are actually in the Diocese of Ely (those parishes south of the River Nene), the last Bishop of Peterborough was appointed as an assistant bishop in the Diocese of Ely with pastoral care for these parishes delegated to him by the Bishop of Ely.
List of bishops Chronological list of the Bishops of Peterborough:
Bishops of PeterboroughFromUntilIncumbentNotes 1541 1556 John Chambers Last Abbot of Peterborough Abbey. Died in office 1557 1559 David Pole Deposed 1560 1585 Edmund Scambler Translated to Norwich 1585 1600 Richard Howland Died in office 1601 1630 Thomas Dove Died in office 1630 1632 William Piers Translated to Bath & Wells 1633 1634 Augustine Lindsell Translated to Hereford 1634 1638 Francis Dee Died in office 1639 1646 John Towers Deprived of the see when the English episcopacy was abolished by Parliament on 9 October 1646; died 1649. 1646 1660 The see was abolished during the Commonwealth and the Protectorate. 1660 1663 Benjamin Lany Translated to Lincoln 1663 1679 Joseph Henshaw Died in office 1679 1685 William Lloyd Translated from Llandaff; translated to Norwich 1685 1690 Thomas White Deprived of office 1691 1718 Richard Cumberland Died in office 1718 1728 White Kennett Died in office 1729 1747 Robert Clavering Translated from Llandaff; died in office 1747 1757 John Thomas Translated to Salisbury 1757 1764 Richard Terrick Translated to London 1764 1769 Robert Lamb Died in office 1769 1794 John Hinchliffe Died in office 1794 1813 Spencer Madan Translated from Bristol; died in office 1813 1819 John ParsonsDied in office 1819 1839 Herbert Marsh Translated from Llandaff; died in office 1839 1864 George Davys Died in office 1864 1868 Francis Jeune Died in office 1868 1891 William Connor Magee Translated to York 1891 1897 Mandell Creighton Translated to London 1897 1916 Edward Carr Glyn John Mitchinson, assistant bishop once acted diocesan bishop during Carr-Glyn's illness. 1916 1923 Theodore Woods Translated to Winchester 1924 1927 Cyril Bardsley Translated to Leicester 1927 1949 Claude Blagden 1949 1956 Spencer Leeson Died in office 1956 1961 Robert Stopford Previously Bishop of Fulham; translated to London 1961 1972 Cyril Easthaugh Previously Bishop of Kensington 1972 1984 Douglas Feaver 1984 1995 Bill Westwood Previously suffragan Bishop of Edmonton (London) 1996 2009 Ian Cundy Died in office 2010 2023 Donald Allister Previously Archdeacon of Chester. 2023 2023 John Holbrook (acting) Bishop of Brixworth. 2023 present Debbie Sellin Translated from Southampton, 13 December 2023.
Assistant bishops Among those called "Assistant Bishop of Peterborough" were: August 1881November 1900: John Mitchinson (Rector of Sibstone then Master of Pembroke College, Oxford) 1912–1917 (d.): Lewis Clayton, Canon residentiary of Peterborough Cathedral and former Bishop suffragan of Leicester 19261945 (ret.): Norman Lang, Canon residentiary of Peterborough Cathedral; Archdeacon of Northampton (until 1936), of Oakham (thereafter); and former Bishop suffragan of Leicester (resigned his suffragan See due to the erection of the Diocese of Leicester, but continued in essentially the same role) 19501963: Charles Aylen, Vicar of Flore (1945–58) and non-residentiary Canon of Peterborough (1946–61); former Bishop of St Helena 1952–1957 (res.): Gerald Vernon, Vicar of Finedon and former Bishop of Madagascar 1957–1969 (d.): Weston Stewart, Rector of Cottesmore, Rutland until 1964 and former Bishop in Jerusalem 19781986 (ret.): William Franklin. former Bishop of Colombia
Honorary assistant bishops — retired bishops taking on occasional duties voluntarily — have included: 1974–1978 (d.): Guy Marshall, Vicar of Blakesley with Adstone, former suffragan Bishop in Venezuela (Diocese of Trinidad and Tobago) 1975–1984 (res.): Alan Rogers, retired Bishop of Fulham and of Edmonton 1981–1985 Paul Burrough, Rector of Empingham, Rutland and retired Bishop of Mashonaland."Who was Who" 1897–2007 London, A & C Black, 2007
See also List of abbots of Peterborough Dean of Peterborough
Notes
References
Haydn, Joseph and Ockerby, Horace Haydn's Book of Dignities W.H. Allen & Co. Ltd., London, 1894 reprinted 1969 Whitaker's Almanack Joseph Whitaker & Sons Ltd. and A&C Black Publishers Ltd., London, 1883 to 2004 King, Richard John Handbook to the Cathedrals of England (Part II: History of the See, with Short Notices of the principal Bishops) John Murray, London, 1862
External links Diocese of Peterborough website