Diocese of Rochester
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DIOCESE OF ROCHESTER
Country : United Kingdom
Denomination : Anglican (until 1558 Roman Catholic)
Established : 604
Official blazon
Argent, on a saltire gules an escallop Or.
Origin/meaning
The arms are recorded at the College of Arms.
The arms shows the cross of St. Andrew. The original dedication of the cathedral was to St. Andrew and on the early seals of the Priory the effigy of that Apostle on his cross is to be found. The arms of the Cathedral Priory were the same as those of the diocese omitting the escallop shell.
The meaning of the shell is lost in obscurity though it may indicate St. Andrew's occupation as a fisherman. It has also been suggested that it may refer to the oyster fisheries of the diocese. It can also be regarded as a symbol of pilgrimage as offerings at the shrine of St. William of Perth in the Cathedral financed the rebuilding of the Choir; scallops being the symbol of pilgrimage.
Arms of Catholic Bishops
- Gilbert Glanville † (16 Jul 1185 Appointed - 24 Jun 1214 Died)
- Benedict of Sansetun † (13 Dec 1214 Appointed - 18 Dec 1226 Died)
- Henry Sandford † (26 Dec 1226 Appointed - 24 Feb 1235 Died)
- Richard of Wendene (Wendover) † (20 Mar 1238 Confirmed - 12 Oct 1250 Died)
- Laurence of Saint Martin † (9 Apr 1251 Ordained Bishop - 3 Jun 1274 Died)
- Walter de Merton † (21 Oct 1274 Ordained Bishop - 27 Oct 1277 Died)
- John Bradfield, O.S.B. † ( 1278 Appointed - 23 Apr 1283 Died)
- Thomas Ingaldesthorp † (9 Jul 1283 Confirmed - 12 May 1291 Died)
- Thomas of Wouldham, O.S.B. † ( 1291 Appointed - 28 Feb 1317 Died)
- Haymo Hethe, O.S.B. † (26 Aug 1319 Ordained Bishop - 4 May 1352 Died)
- John Sheppey † (22 Oct 1352 Appointed - 19 Oct 1360 Died)
- William Whittlesey † (4 Aug 1361 Appointed - 6 Mar 1364 Appointed, Bishop of Worcester, England)
- Thomas Trillek † (6 Mar 1364 Appointed - Dec 1372 Died)
- Thomas de Brintone, O.S.B. † (31 Jan 1373 Appointed - 1389 Died)
- William de Bottlesham † (27 Aug 1389 Appointed - 26 Feb 1400 Died)
- John de Bottlesham † (9 Apr 1400 Appointed - 17 Apr 1404 Died)
- Richard Young † (11 Nov 1404 Appointed - Oct 1418 Died)
- John Kempe † (21 Jun 1419 Appointed - 28 Feb 1421 Appointed, Bishop of Chichester, England)
- Thomas Spofford, O.S.B. † (7 Apr 1421 Appointed - 17 Nov 1421 Appointed, Bishop of Hereford, England)
- John Langdon, O.S.B. † (17 Nov 1421 Appointed - 30 Sep 1434 Died)
- Thomas Brown † (21 Feb 1435 Appointed - 19 Sep 1436 Appointed, Bishop of Norwich, England)
- William Wells † (19 Sep 1436 Appointed - 26 Feb 1444 Died)
- John Low (Lobbe) † (22 Apr 1444 Appointed - 21 Nov 1467 Died)
- Thomas Rotheram (Scott) † (11 Jan 1468 Appointed - 8 Jan 1472 Appointed, Bishop of Lincoln, England)
- John Alcock † (8 Jan 1472 Appointed - 15 Jul 1476 Appointed, Bishop of Worcester, England)
- John Russell † (15 Jun 1476 Appointed - 7 Jul 1480 Appointed, Bishop of Lincoln, England)
- Edmund Audley † (7 Jul 1480 Appointed - 22 Jun 1492 Appointed, Bishop of Hereford, England)
- Thomas Savage † (3 Dec 1492 Appointed - 3 Aug 1496 Appointed, Bishop of London, England)
- Richard FitzJames † (18 Feb 1497 Appointed - 29 Nov 1503 Appointed, Bishop of Chichester, England)
- St. John Fisher † (14 Oct 1504 Appointed - 22 Jun 1535 Died)
- Nicholas Heath † (4 Apr 1540 Ordained Bishop - 1551 Resigned, Bishop of Worcester, England)
- Gilbert Glanville † (16 Jul 1185 Appointed - 24 Jun 1214 Died)
- Benedict of Sansetun † (13 Dec 1214 Appointed - 18 Dec 1226 Died)
- Henry Sandford † (26 Dec 1226 Appointed - 24 Feb 1235 Died)
- Richard of Wendene (Wendover) † (20 Mar 1238 Confirmed - 12 Oct 1250 Died)
- Laurence of Saint Martin † (9 Apr 1251 Ordained Bishop - 3 Jun 1274 Died)
- Walter de Merton † (21 Oct 1274 Ordained Bishop - 27 Oct 1277 Died)
- John Bradfield, O.S.B. † ( 1278 Appointed - 23 Apr 1283 Died)
- Thomas Ingaldesthorp † (9 Jul 1283 Confirmed - 12 May 1291 Died)
- Thomas of Wouldham, O.S.B. † ( 1291 Appointed - 28 Feb 1317 Died)
- Haymo Hethe, O.S.B. † (26 Aug 1319 Ordained Bishop - 4 May 1352 Died)
- John Sheppey † (22 Oct 1352 Appointed - 19 Oct 1360 Died)
- William Whittlesey † (4 Aug 1361 Appointed - 6 Mar 1364 Appointed, Bishop of Worcester, England)
- Thomas Trillek † (6 Mar 1364 Appointed - Dec 1372 Died)
- Thomas de Brintone, O.S.B. † (31 Jan 1373 Appointed - 1389 Died)
- William de Bottlesham † (27 Aug 1389 Appointed - 26 Feb 1400 Died)
- John de Bottlesham † (9 Apr 1400 Appointed - 17 Apr 1404 Died)
- Richard Young † (11 Nov 1404 Appointed - Oct 1418 Died)
- John Kempe † (21 Jun 1419 Appointed - 28 Feb 1421 Appointed, Bishop of Chichester, England)
- Thomas Spofford, O.S.B. † (7 Apr 1421 Appointed - 17 Nov 1421 Appointed, Bishop of Hereford, England)
- John Langdon, O.S.B. † (17 Nov 1421 Appointed - 30 Sep 1434 Died)
- Thomas Brown † (21 Feb 1435 Appointed - 19 Sep 1436 Appointed, Bishop of Norwich, England)
- William Wells † (19 Sep 1436 Appointed - 26 Feb 1444 Died)
- John Low (Lobbe) † (22 Apr 1444 Appointed - 21 Nov 1467 Died)
- Thomas Rotheram (Scott) † (11 Jan 1468 Appointed - 8 Jan 1472 Appointed, Bishop of Lincoln, England)
- John Alcock † (8 Jan 1472 Appointed - 15 Jul 1476 Appointed, Bishop of Worcester, England)
- John Russell † (15 Jun 1476 Appointed - 7 Jul 1480 Appointed, Bishop of Lincoln, England)
- Edmund Audley † (7 Jul 1480 Appointed - 22 Jun 1492 Appointed, Bishop of Hereford, England)
- Thomas Savage † (3 Dec 1492 Appointed - 3 Aug 1496 Appointed, Bishop of London, England)
- Richard FitzJames † (18 Feb 1497 Appointed - 29 Nov 1503 Appointed, Bishop of Chichester, England)
- St. John Fisher † (14 Oct 1504 Appointed - 22 Jun 1535 Died)
- Nicholas Heath † (4 Apr 1540 Ordained Bishop - 1551 Resigned, Bishop of Worcester, England)
- Maurice Griffith † (1 Apr 1554 Ordained Bishop - 20 Nov 1558 Died)
Ralph d’Escures (1108-1114)
William de Bottlesham (1389-1400)
Richard Young (1414-1418)
John Kemp (1419-1421)
- No image
John Langdon (1421-1434)
Thomas Brown (1435-1436)
- No image
William Wells (1437-1444)
John Low (1444-1467)
Thomas Rotherham (1468-1472)
John Alcock (1472-1476)
John Russell 1476-1480)
Edmund Audley (1480-1492)
Thomas Savage (1493-1496)
- No image
Richard FitzJames (1497-1503)
Saint John Fisher (1504-1535)
- No image
John Hilsey (1535-1539)
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Nicholas Heath (1540-1544)
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Maurice Griffith (1554-1558)
Arms of Anglican Bishops
Henry Holbeach (1544-1547)
Nicholas Ridley (1547-1550)
John Scory (1551-1552)
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Edmund Gheast (1560-1571)
Edmund Freke (1572-1575)
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John Piers (1576-1577)
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John Young (1578-1605)
William Barlow (1605-1608)
Richard Neile (1608-1610)
John Buckeridge (1611-1628)
Walter Curle (1628-1629)
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John Bowle (1630-1637)
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John Warner (1638-1646; 1660-1666)
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John Dolben (1666-1683)
Francis Turner (1683-1684)
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Thomas Sprat (1684-1713)
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Francis Atterbury (1713-1723)
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Samuel Bradford (1723-1731)
Joseph Wilcocks (1731-1756)
Zachary Pearce (1756-1774)
- No image
John Thomas (1774-1793)
Samuel Horsley (1793-1802)
Thomas Dampier (1802-1808)
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Walker King (1809-1827)
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Hugh Percy (1827-1827)
- No image
George Murray (1827-1860)
- No image
Joseph Wigram (1860-1867)
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Thomas Legh Claughton (1867-1877)
Anthony Wilson Thorold (1877-1891)
- No image
Randall Davidson (1891-1895)
- No image
Edward Talbot (1895-1905)
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John Harmer (1905-1930)
- No image
Linton Smith (1930-1939)
- No image
Christopher Chavasse (1940-1960)
- No image
David Say (1961-1988)
Michael Turnbull (1988-1994)
- No image
Michael Nazir-Ali (1994-2009)
- No image
James Langstaff (2010-2021)
- No image
Simon Burton-Jones (2021-present)
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© since 1995, Heraldry of the World, Ralf Hartemink
Index of the site
Literature : Images from Wills's Arms of the Bishopric and J. Siebmacher’s Grosses Wappenbuch Bd 8, Die Wappen der Bistümer und Klöster. McCarthy: Armoria Sedium.