Bishop ofSodor and Man | |
|---|---|
| Bishopric | |
| anglican | |
_(cropped).jpg) | |
| Incumbent: Tricia Hillas | |
| Location | |
| Ecclesiastical province | York |
| Residence | Thie yn Aspick,Douglas |
| Information | |
| Diocese | Sodor and Man |
| Cathedral | St German's, Peel |
TheBishop of Sodor and Man is theOrdinary of theDiocese of Sodor and Man (Sodor as Mannin) in theProvince of York in theChurch of England. The diocese only covers theIsle of Man. TheCathedral Church of St German where the bishop's seat is located, is in the town ofPeel. St German's was elevated to cathedral status on 1 November 1980.
The bishop is anex officio member of theLegislative Council of the Isle of Man (the upper house ofTynwald, the parliament of theIsle of Man) and ofTynwald Court. The bishop's residence isThie yn Aspick (Bishop's House),Douglas.[1]
The right to appoint the Bishop of Sodor and Man is vested in theBritish crown; the Monarch acts, perhaps somewhat anomalously (in view of Man's status as aCrown Dependency), on the advice of thePrime Minister (rather than theisland's Chief Minister). However, unlike diocesan bishops in England, who are formally elected by the canons of the cathedral church in accordance with the monarch'scongé d'elire,[2] the Bishop of Sodor and Man is appointed directly by the monarch by letters patent.[3]
Peter Eagles was appointed Bishop of Sodor and Man, and was installed at theCathedral Church of St German at Peel on 30 September 2017. He retired effective 31 October 2023.[4][5]Tricia Hillas became the next Bishop of Sodor and Man in October 2024.[6]
The nameSodor and Man is from an earlier diocese which included not only the Isle of Man but also theHebrides. The name for this whole area in the originalNorse wasSuðreyjar (Sudreys or 'southern isles').[7] InLatin, the corresponding adjective wasSodorensis, later abbreviated in the English title asSodor. In theMiddle Ages, the diocese was considered part of Scotland, and was under the control of neither theArchbishop of York nor theArchbishop of Canterbury. During theGreat Schism, thePope created a different line of bishops in the southern part of the diocese which became part of theChurch of England. An Act ofParliament in 1542, during the reign of KingHenry VIII, included the diocese in theProvince of York.[8] The termination "and Man" appears to have been added in the 17th century,[7] as later generations did not realise thatSodor originally included the Isle of Man. The designation "Sodor and Man" had become a fixture by 1684.[7]
(Dates in italics indicatede factocontinuation of office)
| Tenure | Incumbent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dates unknown | Germanus | See discussion of conflation of at least two men of similar names in medieval traditions in theGreat Britain section of Germanus of Auxerre |
| fl. 447 | Conindrius | |
| Dates unknown | Romulus | |
| fl. 498 | St Maughold[9] | Later, often Latinized asMachutus despite being unconnected with both St Mechyll and St Malo. |
| fl. 648 | Saint Conanus | |
| Dates unknown | Contentus | |
| Dates unknown | Baldus | |
| Dates unknown | Malchus | |
| fl. 889 | Torkinus | |
| Dates unknown | Brandon of Man | |
| Before 1079 | Roolwer | Also called Rolf |
| Before 1079 | William | |
| fl. 1079x1095 | Hamond |
The bishops of Man and the Isles (Latin:Manniae et Insularum) were also styled bishops of Sodor (Old Norse:Suðreyjar;Latin:Sodoren; meaning Southern Isles, which comprised theHebrides, theislands of the Firth of Clyde and theIsle of Man).
| Tenure | Incumbent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1134–38 to c.1148 | Wimund | Also known as Reymundus |
| c.1148 | Nicholas (bishop-elect) | |
| 1151 to 1154 | John (I) | Formerly a monk ofSées, Normandy |
| c.1154 to bef.1166 | Gamaliel | |
| bef.1166 to c.1170 | Reginald (I) | |
| c.1170 to c.1190s | Christian | Either a native ofArgyll (Latin:Ergadiensis) or ofOrkney (Latin:Orcadensis) |
| 1188–94 to 1203 | Michael | Died in office |
| 1210 to 1217 | Nicholas | |
| 1217 to 1226 | Reginald (II) | |
| 1219 to 1225–26 | Nicholas de Meaux | Abbot ofFurness |
| Until bef.1230 | John (II), son of Hefar | |
| 1230 to 1248 | Simon | Either a native ofArgyll (Latin:Ergadiensis) or ofOrkney (Latin:Orcadensis). |
| 1248 to 1249 | Laurence (bishop-elect) | Archdeacon of Man; shipwrecked and drowned on voyage from Norway before taking up the office |
| 1249 to 1252 | See vacant | |
| 1253 to 1274 | Richard [de Natherton?] | Died in office. |
| 1275 | Gilbert (bishop-elect) | Elected, but not confirmed. |
| 1275–76 to 1303 | Mark | Marcus, Mauritius; a native ofGalloway; promoted byAlexander III, King of Scotland; died in office |
| 1303 to 1305 | See vacant | |
| 1305 to 1321 | Alan | Died in office |
| 1321 to 1326–27 | Gilbert Maclelan | Scottish Gaelic:Giolla-Brighde Mac Giolla-Faoláin; a native ofGalloway; died in office |
| 1327–28 to 1331 | Bernard of Kilwinning | Abbot of Kilwinning, Scotland |
| 1331 | Cormac Cormacii (bishop-elect) | Scottish Gaelic:Cormac Mac Chormaic; elected before 6 July 1331, but was not confirmed. |
| 1331 to 1348 | Thomas de Rossy | Died in office |
| 1349 to 1374 | William Russell | Abbot ofRushen; died in office. |
| 1374 to 1387 | John Dongan | Lost control of the northern part of the see (the Scottish isles) in 1387, but retained the Isle of Man. |
| Tenure | Incumbent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1387[clarification needed] to 1391 | John Dongan | Translated toDerry and later toDown. |
| From 1392 | John Sproten, O.Praed. | Dominican friar. |
| 1402 | Conrad, O.Cist. | Cistercian monk. |
| From 1402 | Theodore Bloc, O.Crucif. | Monk of the Order of theCrucifers. |
| 1410 to c.1429–33 | Richard Payl, O.Praed. | Richard Pawlie, Payli, or Pully;Dominican friar; translated fromDromore. |
| From 1425–33 | John Burgherlin | Burgherlinus, Burgherssh, Bourgherssh, or Burwais;Franciscan friar orCluniac monk. |
| From 1435 | John Seyre | John Feyre. |
| 1455 to 1458 | Thomas Burton, O.F.M. | Franciscan friar; died in office. |
| From 1458 | Thomas Kirkham, O.Cist. | Abbot ofVale Royal,Cheshire; elected 21 June 1458 |
| 1478 to 1485/86 | Richard Oldham, O.S.B. | Abbot ofChester (1455–1485); died 13 October 1485 or 19 September 1486 |
| 1487 to 1509 | Huan Blackleach, O.S.A. | Austin friar. |
| From 1513 | Huan Hesketh | |
| From 1523 | John Howden, O.Praed. | Dominican friar. |
| Until 1545 | Thomas Stanley | Rector of Wigan; deprived |
| 1546 to 1555–56 | Henry Man | Dean of Chester; Royal Assent to election given byKing Henry VIII on 22 January 1546. |
| 1555–56 to 1568 | Thomas Stanley | Rector of Winwick as well as Berwick; restored byQueen Mary; died in office. |
| 1570 to 1573 | John Salisbury | Former abbot ofTitchfield Abbey; translated fromThetford. Nominated 27 March 1569 |
| 1573 to 1576 | See vacant. According toJohn Le Neve, James Stanley held the see during that period but nothing further about him is known. | |
| 1576 to 1599 | John Meyrick | John Merick, Mericke, or Merrick; Vicar ofHornchurch,Essex (1570–74); died in office |
| 1599 to 1604 | George Lloyd | (From 1600 according toHaydn); rector of Heswall, Lancashire; translated toChester |
| 1604 to 1633 | John Phillips | John Philips; Archdeacon of Cleveland and Man; nominated byKing James I 29 January 1604; consecrated 10 February 1604; judged the trial of the Island's onlyWitchcraft execution in 1617; died in office |
| 1634 or 1633, to 1635 | William Forster | William Foster; Prebendary of Chester |
| 1635 to 1643 | Richard Parr | Rector of Lancashire; died in office |
| 1643 to 1646 | See vacant | |
| 1646 to 1660 | See abolished (by Westminster Parliament on 9 October 1646.) during theCommonwealth and theProtectorate[10][11] | |
| 1661 to 1663 | Samuel Rutter | Archdeacon of Man |
| 1663 to 1671 | Isaac Barrow | Fellow of Eton College; translated toSt Asaph in 1670 but held Sodor & Manin commendam until 1671 |
| 1671 to 1682 | Henry Bridgeman | Dean of Chester |
| 1682 to 1684 | John Lake | Archdeacon of Cleveland; translated toBristol |
| 1684 to 1692 | Baptist Levinz | Baptiste or Baptist Levinge;Prebendary ofWinchester |
| 1693 to 1697 | See vacant | |
| 1697 or 1698, to 1755 | Thomas Wilson | OfTrinity College, Dublin; died in office |
| 1755 to 1773 | Mark Hiddesley | Mark Hildesley; Vicar ofHitchin,Hertfordshire |
| 1773 to 1780 | Richard Richmond | |
| 1780 to 1783 | George Mason | Died in office |
| 1784 to 1813 | Claudius Crigan | |
| 1813 or 1814, to 1827 | George Murray | Translated toRochester |
| 1827 to 1838 | William Ward | Died in office |
| 1838 to 1839 | James Bowstead | Translated toLichfield |
| 1839 or 1840, to 1841 | Henry Pepys | Translated toWorcester |
| 1841 to 1846 | Thomas Vowler Short | Rector of St George's, Bloomsbury; translated toSt Asaph |
| 1846 to 1847 | Walter Shirley | Died in office |
| 1847 to 1854 | Robert Eden | Translated toBath & Wells |
| 1854 to 1877 | Horatio Powys | Rector of Warrington and rural dean; died in office |
| 1877 to 1887 | Rowley Hill | Canon of York; died in office |
| 1887 to 1892 | John Bardsley | Archdeacon of Warrington; translated toCarlisle |
| 1892 to 1907 | Norman Straton | Translated toNewcastle |
| 1907 to 1911 | Thomas Drury | Son of Rev William Drury (vicar of Braddan 1847-1887). Translated toRipon |
| 1911 to 1925 | Denton Thompson | |
| 1925 to 1928 | Charles Thornton-Duesbury | |
| 1928 to 1943 | William Stanton Jones | |
| 1943 to 1954 | John Taylor | |
| 1954 to 1966 | Benjamin Pollard | Translated fromLancaster. |
| 1966 to 1974 | Eric Gordon | |
| 1974 to 1983 | Vernon Nicholls | |
| 1983 to 1989 | Arthur Attwell | |
| 1989 to 2003 | Noël Jones | FormerlyArchdeacon of the Royal Navy. |
| 2003 to 2007 | Graeme Knowles | Resigned on 1 October 2007 and becameDean of St Paul's, London. |
| 2008 to 2016 | Robert Paterson | Consecrated 25 April 2008 atYork Minster;[12] enthroned 14 June 2008 in St German's Cathedral at Peel;[13][14] retired 11 November 2016.[15] |
| 2017 to 2023 | Peter Eagles | PreviouslyArchdeacon of the Army;[16] consecrated 22 June 2017,[17] and enthroned 30 September 2017. Retired 31 October 2023.[5] |
| 2024 to present | Tricia Hillas | The see's first female bishop. Consecrated 10 October 2024[18] and enthroned 16 November 2024.[19] |
In contrast with mainland dioceses, the Manx diocese did not formerly have assistant bishops, whether full- or part-time, stipendiary or retired. In recent years assistant bishops have been appointedad hoc to exercise delegated functions in relation to clergy discipline, or in the absence of the diocesan bishop on leave. The Rt Rev Mark Davies, suffragan bishop of Middleton in the diocese of Manchester, was appointed assistant bishop of Sodor and Man on 13 May 2025. The diocese has never had asuffragan bishop.
The Bishop of Sodor and Man is mentioned in the song "If you Want a Receipt for that Popular Mystery" sung by Colonel Calverley in the operettaPatience (1881) byGilbert andSullivan. The song lists the elements of a Heavy Dragoon, including "Style of the Bishop of Sodor and Man". The reference is toRowley Hill (Bishop 1877–1887).
TheIsland of Sodor, the main setting ofThe Railway Series andThomas & Friends, is named after, and part of, the diocese. In addition, the Sudrian Locale known popularly as Rolf's Castle is named afterRoolwer.[20]
