Dean of Westminster

The west façade of the Abbey

The Dean of Westminster is the head of the chapter at Westminster Abbey. Due to the Abbey's status as a Royal Peculiar, the dean answers directly to the Queen (not to the Bishop of London as ordinary, nor to the Archbishop of Canterbury as metropolitan). Initially, the office was a successor to that of abbot of Westminster, and was for the first 10 years cathedral dean for the Diocese of Westminster. The current dean is John Hall.

List of deans

Early modern 1540–1549 William Benson (last abbot) 1549–1553 Richard Cox 1553–1556 Hugh Weston 1556–1559 John Feckenham was abbot 1560–1561 William Bill 1561–1601 Gabriel Goodman 1601–1605 Lancelot Andrewes 1605–1610 Richard Neile 1610–1617 George Montaigne 1617–1620 Robert Tounson 1620–1644 John Williams 1644–1651 Richard Steward (not installed – Commonwealth) 1660–1662 John Earle 1662–1683 John Dolben[R 1] 1683–1713 Thomas Sprat[R 1] 1713–1723 Francis Atterbury[R 1] 1723–1731 Samuel Bradford[R 1] 1731–1756 Joseph Wilcocks[R 1] 1756–1768 Zachary Pearce[R 1] 1768–1793 John Thomas[R 1] 1793–1802 Samuel Horsley[R 1]

Late modern 1802–1815 William Vincent 1816–1842 John Ireland 1842–1845 Thomas Turton 1845 Samuel Wilberforce 1845–1856 William Buckland 1856–1864 Richard Chenevix Trench 1864–1881 Arthur Stanley 1881–1902 George Bradley 1902–1911 Armitage Robinson 1911–1925 Herbert Ryle 1925–1937 William Foxley Norris 1938–1946 Paul de Labilliere 1946–1959 Alan Don 1959–1974 Eric Abbott 1974–1985 Edward Carpenter 1986–1996 Michael Mayne 1997–2006 Wesley Carr 2006–present John Hall[1]

The Deanery at Westminster Abbey

Notes

1. From 1662 until 1802, it was customary for the Bishop of Rochester to hold the Deanery of Westminster in commendam. These eight deans held both offices concurrently.

References

1. The London Gazette: no. 58165. p. 16399. 28 November 2006. Retrieved 14 October 2008.

Sources

• Abbots and Deans of Westminster (Westminster Abbey)