Bishop of Dunwich

The Anglo-Saxon dioceses 850–925

The Bishop of Dunwich is an episcopal title which was first used by an Anglo-Saxon bishop between the 7th and 9th centuries and is currently used by the suffragan bishop of the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. The title takes its name after Dunwich in the English county of Suffolk, which has now largely been lost to the sea.

Mike Harrison became Bishop of Dunwich from his episcopal consecration on 24 February 2016.^[1]

Anglo-Saxon bishops

In about 630 or 631 a diocese was established by St. Felix for the Kingdom of the East Angles, with his episcopal seat initially, briefly established at Soham before being transferred to Dunwich on the Suffolk coast. There is a possibility the unidentified Dommoc may be Dunwich, but this is yet to be proved. In 672 the diocese was divided into the sees of Dunwich and Elmham by St. Theodore, Archbishop of Canterbury.

The line of bishops of Dunwich continued until it was interrupted by the Danish Viking invasions in the late 9th and early 10th centuries. By the mid 950s the sees of Dunwich and Elmham were reunited under one bishop, with the episcopal see at Elmham.

List of Anglo-Saxon bishops

Bishops of the East Angles (purportedly established at Soham)
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes.
c.630	c.630	Felix of Burgundy	Also known as St Felix
Bishops of the East Angles (established at Dunwich or translated from Soham)
630 x 631	647 x 648	Felix of Burgundy	Also known as St Felix.
647 x 648	652 x 653	Thomas	Deacon.
652 x 653	669 x 670	Brigilsus	Also recorded as Beorhtgils, Berhtgils, and Boniface.
669 x 670	672	Bifus	Resigned in 672; also recorded as Bisi.
In 672, the diocese was divided into the sees of Dunwich and Elmham
Bishops of Dunwich
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes.
672 x ?	?	Acca	Also recorded as Æcce and Æcci.
?	?	Ascwulf
? x 716	716 x ?	Eardred
?	?	Cuthwine	Also recorded as Cuthwynus.
? x 731	731 x ?	Ealdbeorht I	Also recorded as Alberht.
?	?	Ecglaf	Also recorded as Eglasius.
? x 747	747 x ?	Eardwulf	Also recorded as Heardwulf.
747 x 775	775 x 781	Ealdbeorht II	Also recorded as Alberthus and Ealdberht.
? x 781	789 x 793	Heardred	Also recorded as Hardulfus.
789 x 793	798	Ælfhun	Also recorded as Ælphunus.
798	816 x 824	Tidfrith	Also recorded as Tidfreth, Tedfrid, and Thefridus.
816 x 824	824 x 825	Waormund	Also recorded as Wærmund and Weremundus.
825	845 x 870	Wilred	Also recorded as Wilfredus.
845 x 870	?	Æthelweald	Also recorded as Æthelwold.
After interruption by the Danish Viking invasions, Dunwich was united to the see of Elmham.
Note(s): ^[A] and Source(s):[2][3][4][5]

Suffragan bishops

In 1934 the Church of England revived title Bishop of Dunwich as a suffragan see. The bishop's duties are to assist the diocesan Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich in overseeing the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. The present Bishop suffragan of Dunwich is Mike Harrison.^[1]

List of suffragan bishops

Suffragan Bishops of Dunwich
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1934	1945	Maxwell Maxwell-Gumbleton	Formerly Bishop of Ballarat; assistant bishop in St Edmundsbury since 1931.
1945	1955	Clement Mallory Ricketts
1955	1967	Thomas Cashmore
1967	1977	David Maddock
1977	1980	William Johnston
1980	1992	Eric Devenport
1992	1995	Jonathan Bailey	Translated to Derby.
1995	1999	Tim Stevens	Translated to Leicester.
1999	2013	Clive Young	Retired 12 May 2013.[6]
2013	2016	vacant	No new suffragan could be appointed during the lengthy vacancy (October 2013–May 2015) in the diocesan see, because the diocesan bishop makes the appointment.[7]
2016	present	Mike Harrison	Consecrated on 24 February 2016.[1]
Source(s):[8]

Footnotes

• ^A The current list of Anglo-Saxon bishops is primarily compiled by the 3rd edition of the Handbook of British Chronology.^[2] The earlier 2nd edition mentioned two others: Alric, probably bishop of Dunwich and Husa, bishop of Dunwich or Elmham.^[9] These two are no longer considered to have been bishops and as such are not listed in the 3rd edition.^[2]

References

1. St Edmundsbury & Ipswich — The next Bishop of Dunwich announced (Accessed 16 December 2015)
2. Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I. (1986). Handbook of British Chronology (3rd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 216. ISBN 0-521-56350-X.
3. Hadcock, R. Neville; Knowles, David (1971). Medieval Religious Houses England & Wales. Longman. p. 482. ISBN 0-582-11230-3.
4. "Historical successions: Norwich (including precussor offices)". Crockford's Clerical Directory. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
5. Hadcock, R.Neville; Knowles, David (1971). Medieval Religious Houses England & Wales. Longman. p. 482. ISBN 0-582-11230-3.
6. "Appointments". Church Times (#7802). 28 September 2012. p. 31. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 7 June 2014. (subscription required (help)).
7. St Edmundsbury & Ipswich Diocese – Bishop Nigel set for new role at Lambeth (Accessed 25 June 2013)
8. Crockford's Clerical Directory (100th ed.). London: Church House Publishing. 2007. p. 946. ISBN 978-0-7151-1030-0.
9. Powicke, F. Maurice; Fryde, E. B. (1961). Handbook of British Chronology (2nd ed.). London: Offices of the Royal Historical Society. p. 220.

External links

• Crockford's Clerical Directory - Listings