The Prior of Durham was the head of the Roman Catholic 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 Church of England deanery church. [1]
After the Benedictine monastery was dissolved, the last Prior of Durham, Hugh Whitehead, became the first dean of the cathedral's secular chapter. [2]
| Priors of St Cuthbert's Cathedral Priory, Durham | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | Until | Incumbent | Citation(s) | Notes |
| 1073x4 (Jarrow) 1083 (Durham) | died 1087 | Aldwin | [3] | |
| 1087 | resigned 1109 | Turgot | [3] | Became Bishop of St Andrews [3] |
| 1109 | died 1137 x 1138 | Algar | [3] | |
| ?1138 | died 1149 | Roger | [3] | |
| 1149 | died 1154 | Lawrence | [3] | |
| 1154 | died 1158 | Absalom | [3] | |
| 1161 x 1162 | resigned 1162 or 1163 | Thomas | [3] | Died 1173 |
| 1163 | died 1189 | Germanus | [3] | |
| 1189 | died 1212 x 1213 | Bertram | [3] | |
| 1212 x 1213 | died 1218 | William | [3] [4] | |
| 1218 | died 1234 | Ranulf Kerneth | [5] | |
| 1234 | died 1244 | Thomas de Melsonby | [5] | |
| 1244 | resigned 1258 | Bertram de Middleton | [5] | Still alive in 1266 [5] |
| 1258 | resigned 1273 | Hugh de Darlington | [5] | |
| 1273 | resigned 1285 | Richard de Claxton | [5] | |
| 1286 | resigned 1290 | Hugh de Darlington (again) | [5] | |
| elected 1290 | Richard de Hoton | [6] | Died in 1308. [7] | |
| appointed 1300 | Henry de Lusby | [6] | See above note | |
| 1308 | resigned 1313 | William de Tanfield | [8] | Died 7 February 1314 [8] |
| 1313 | resigned 1321 | Geoffrey de Burdon | [8] | Still alive in 1333; previously prior of Finchale and prior of Lyytham [8] |
| elected 1321 | William de Guisborough | [8] | Elected 6 February, renounced election 8 February 1321 | |
| 1321 | died 1341 | William de Cowton | [8] | |
| 1341 | died 1374 | John Fossor | [9] | |
| 1374 | died 1391 | Robert Berrington of Walworth | [10] | |
| 1391 | died 1416 | John de Hemingbrough | [11] | |
| 1416 | died 1446 | John de Washington | [11] | |
| 1446 | resigned 1456 | William Ebchester | [11] | |
| 1456 | died 1464 | John Burnby | [11] | |
| 1464 | resigned 1479 | Richard Bell | [11] | |
| 1479 | died 1484 | Robert Ebchester | [11] | |
| 1484 | died 1494 | John Auckland | [11] | |
| 1494 | 1519 | Thomas Castell | [11] | |
| 1520 | office abolished 1540 | Hugh Whitehead | [11] | The monastery was surrendered to the king in 1540, after which a dean and twelve canons were appointed. [11] Hugh Whitehead was this first dean; he died in 1551. [12] |
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