St Mary Redcliffe Church Parish Magazine, February 2019

community histories
BRISTOL AND BISHOPS
— REVD CANON JOHN ROGAN
GIVEN THAT BRISTOL WAS THE SECOND CITY OF THE KINGDOM
during much of the Middle Ages, challenged only by Norwich, it
seems surprising that Norwich had a bishopric from 1091, whereas
Bristol had to wait until 1542. The reason lies in that most of the early
bishoprics covered areas that were approximate to the tribal kingdoms
existing before England was unified, to become much the same as it is
today. Bristol was never a tribal centre; it was a busy trading port. It lay
within the Diocese of Worcester, founded in 680, and adjacent to Bath
and Wells, created in 909.
Even though Edward III created Bristol a city and county, there was no
change in ecclesiastical status. That is how it remained until Henry VIII’s
Reformation, when the monasteries were dissolved and the Augustinian
Abbey remained empty, along with many other religious houses. The king
thought at one time that each county should have its own bishoprics but
the idea never matured. Instead he created five bishoprics: Chester and
Peterborough in 1541, then Oxford and Gloucester followed a few months
later by Bristol in 1542. Bristol was a very peculiar diocese because it was
divided into two: there was the city and county, to which the county of
Dorset was added, being taken out of the diocese of Salisbury. The bishop
lived in premises which were part of the old abbey. Blandford Forum
became a second diocesan centre. The bishops visited this odd adjunct
every other year. But because the new bishopric was badly financed they
also held another appointment in commendam, sometimes as a professor
or head of a university college. Bishop Butler was also Dean of St Paul’s
Cathedral. The bishops were expected to attend the House of Lords when
Parliament was sitting so a diocesan bishop was only partially resident in
his diocese. This state of affairs continued until the early 19th century,
when the government decided something had to be done to improve
matters. The improvement, however, did not suit Bristol.
The politicians, citizens and church people were in favour of a restored
independent bishopric. The government would not oppose the move as
long as the necessary funds were found to endow the bishopric. There was
already a programme for building the nave. It had been dismantled in the
later Middle Ages and had never been restored by the time the Abbey was
dissolved. Bristol was known as having the smallest cathedral in England.
That may be true because the cathedral at that time consisted of the
chancel, sanctuary and transepts. The fund-raising for an independent
bishopric went on apace. Even Mr Gladstone made a contribution. By the
later 19th century the necessary money had been raised.
A demarcation dispute followed. There was the hope that the two bishoprics
might be of about the same size but that was not to be. On the other side
of the river was the diocese of Bath and Wells. To this day Long Ashton is
part of this bishopric. The north side between Bristol and Gloucester was
more contentious. One rural deanery was in dispute. Bristol proposed its
inclusion; the Bishop of Gloucester opposed it. Then he changed his mind
and decided it could be included. However, the necessary legislation had
gone through. It was too late for its inclusion.
The Crown moved to appoint the first bishop of the independent see and
chose the Suffragan Bishop of Stepney, George Forrest Browne, who had
been the first Professor of Archeology in the University of Cambridge. His
bust, modelled by the widow of Captain Scott of Antarctica, can be seen in
the Cathedral’s North Chancel aisle.
So Bristol became an independent see with a series of distinguished
bishops, of whom Oliver Tomkins is the best known. Now it is one of the
first bishoprics to have a female bishop. Bristol relishes its independent
position as a significant member of the Anglican Communion, and is regarded
as one of the pioneers of ecumenism.
Revd Canon John Rogan
Notes for interest —“...in commendam was a form of transferring an ecclesiastical
benefice in trust to the custody of a patron. The phrase was originally applied to the
provisional occupation of an ecclesiastical benefice, which was temporarily without an
actual occupant, in contrast to the conferral of a title, in titulum, which was applied to
the regular and unconditional occupation of a benefice.” // The wife of Captain Scott
was Kathleen Scott, Baroness Kennet FRBS, a British sculptor; also the mother of Sir
Peter Scott, painter and ornithologist. Quote & sources from Wikipedia — Ed