Dean of Wells

The Dean of Wells is the head of the Chapter^[1] of Wells Cathedral^[2] in the Mendip district of Somerset, England. The dean's residence is The Dean's Lodging, 25 The Liberty, Wells.^[3]

Wells Cathedral

List of deans

High Medieval 1140–1164: Ivo 1164–1189: Richard of Spaxton 1190–1213: Alexander 1213–1216: Leonius 1216–1219: Ralph of Lechlade 1219–1236: Peter of Chichester 1236–1241: William of Merton 1241–1253: John Saracenus 1254–1256: Giles of Bridport 1256–1284: Edward of Cnoll 1284–1292: Thomas Bytton 1292–1295: William Burnell 1295–1302: Walter Haselshaw Late Medieval 1302–1305: Henry Husee 1305–1333: John Godelee 1333–1333: Richard of Bury 1334–1335: Wibert of Littleton 1335–1349: Walter of London 1349–1350: Thomas Fastolf 1350–1361: John of Carleton 1361–1379: Stephen Penpel 1379–1381: John Fordham 1381–1396: Thomas Thebaud (of Sudbury) 1397–1398: Henry Beaufort 1398–1401: Nicholas Slake

1401–1410: Thomas Tuttebury 1410–1413: Richard Courtenay 1413–1413: Thomas Karneka[4] 1413–1423: Walter Medeford 1423–1424: John Stafford 1425–1446: John Forest 1446–1467: Nicholas Carent 1467–1472: William Witham 1472–1498: John Gunthorpe Early modern 1498–1525: William Cosyn 1525–1529: Thomas Wynter (also Archdeacon of York, Archdeacon of Richmond (1526–1529), Archdeacon of Suffolk (1526–1529) and Archdeacon of Norfolk (from 1529)) 1529–1537: Richard Woleman 1537–1540: Thomas Cromwell 1540–1547: William Fitzwilliam (or Fitzjames) 1548–1550: John Goodman (deprived) 1551–1554: William Turner (deprived) 1554–1561: John Goodman (reinstated) 1561–1568: William Turner (restored) 1570–1573: Robert Weston 1574–1589: Valentine Dale 1590–1602: John Herbert 1602–1607: Benjamin Heydon 1607–1621: Richard Meredith 1621–1631: Ralph Barlow

1631–1641: George Warburton 1642–1644: Walter Ralegh 1660–1670: Robert Creighton 1670–1704: Ralph Bathurst 1704–1713: William Grahme (or Graham) 1713–1733: Matthew Brailsford 1733–1736: Isaac Maddox 1736–1738: John Harris 1739–1766: Samuel Creswicke 1766–1799: Lord Francis Seymour Late modern 1799–1812: George Lukin 1812–1831: Hon Henry Ryder 1831–1845: Edmund Goodenough 1845–1854: Richard Jenkyns 1854–1881: George Johnson 1881–1891: Edward Plumptre 1891–1911: Thomas Jex-Blake 1911–1933: Armitage Robinson 1933–1950: Richard Malden 1951–1958: Frederic Harton 1958–1962: Christopher Woodforde 1962–1973: Irven Edwards 1973–1989: Patrick Mitchell 1990–2003: Richard Lewis 2004–2015: John Clarke 2015–2016: Andrew Featherstone (acting) 2016–2023: John Davies 2023–2024: Anne Gell (acting) 2024–present: Toby Wright[5][6]