Prior of Durham

The Prior of Durham was the head of 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 deanery church.

List

Priors of St Cuthbert's Cathedral Priory, Durham
From	Until	Incumbent	Citation(s)	Notes
1073x4 (Jarrow) 1083 (Durham)	died 1087	Aldwin	[1]
1087	resigned 1109	Turgot	[1]	Became Bishop of St Andrews [1]
1109	died 1137 x 1138	Algar	[1]
?1138	died 1149	Roger	[1]
1149	died 1154	Lawrence	[1]
1154	died 1158	Absalom	[1]
1161 x 1162	resigned 1162 or 1163	Thomas	[1]	Died 1173
1163	died 1189	Germanus	[1]
1189	died 1212 x 1213	Bertram	[1]
1212 x 1213	died 1218	William	[1][2]
1218	died 1234	Ranulf Kerneth	[3]
1234	died 1244	Thomas de Melsonby	[3]
1244	resigned 1258	Bertram de Middleton	[3]	Still alive in 1266[3]
1258	resigned 1273	Hugh de Darlington	[3]
1273	resigned 1285	Richard de Claxton	[3]
1286	resigned 1290	Hugh de Darlington (again)	[3]
elected 1290		Richard de Hoton	[4]	Died in 1308.[5]
appointed 1300		Henry de Lusby	[4]	See above note
1308	resigned 1313	William de Tanfield	[6]	Died 7 February 1314[6]
1313	resigned 1321	Geoffrey de Burdon	[6]	Still alive in 1333; previously prior of Finchale and prior of Lyytham[6]
elected 1321		William de Guisborough	[6]	Elected 6 February, renounced election 8 February 1321
1321	died 1341	William de Cowton	[6]
1341	died 1374	John Fossor	[7]
1374	died 1391	Robert Berrington of Walworth	[8]
1391	died 1416	John de Hemingbrough	[9]
1416	died 1446	John de Washington	[9]
1446	resigned 1456	William Ebchester	[9]
1456	died 1464	John Burnby	[9]
1464	resigned 1479	Richard Bell	[9]
1479	died 1484	Robert Ebchester	[9]
1484	died 1494	John Auckland	[9]
1494	1519	Thomas Castell	[9]
1520	office abolished 1540	Hugh Whitehead	[9]	The monastery was surrendered to the king in 1540, after which a dean and twelve canons were appointed.[9] Hugh Whitehead was this first dean; he died in 1551.[10]

Notes

1. Knowles, Brooke, and London, (1972), Heads of Religious Houses , i, p. 43
2. Smith & London (eds.), Heads of Religions Houses, ii, pp. 37—8
3. Smith & London (eds.), Heads of Religions Houses, ii, p. 38
4. Smith & London (eds.), Heads of Religions Houses, ii, pp. 38—9
5. 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
6. Smith & London (eds.), Heads of Religions Houses, ii, p. 39
7. Smith & London (eds.), Heads of Religions Houses, ii, pp. 39—40
8. Smith & London (eds.), Heads of Religions Houses, ii, p. 40
9. Page, "Priory of St Cuthbert, Durham".
10. Knighton, "Whitehead, Hugh"

References

• Fraser, C. M. (2004), "Hoton, Richard (d. 1308), prior of Durham", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, retrieved 2009-01-28
• Knighton, C. S. (2004), "Whitehead, Hugh (d. 1551), prior then dean of Durham", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, retrieved 2009-01-28
• Knowles, David; Brooke, C. N. L.; London, C. M, eds. (1972), The Heads of Religious Houses : England and Wales. 1, 940—1216, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-08367-2
• Page, William, ed. (1907), "Priory of St Cuthbert, Durham (later Durham cathedral)", A History of the County of Durham: Volume 2 (1907), British History Online, pp. 86–103, retrieved 2009-01-10
• Smith, David M.; London, C. M, eds. (2001), The Heads of Religious Houses : England and Wales. 2, 1216—1377, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-80271-7