William Markham, LL.D., Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, was elected Bishop January 26th. Shortly afterwards he was appointed preceptor to the Prince of Wales, and the Duke of York. From this See in 1776, he was translated to the Archbishopric of York. He died in his 89th year, universally beloved, and was buried in the cloisters of Westminster Abbey.
Beilby Porteus, D.D., was born at York, May 8th, 1731, of American parents, and was the youngest but one of nineteen children. He received his early education at York and Ripon, and was afterwards admitted a sizer of Christ’s College, Cambridge, in which University his merits and abilities soon became distinguished, and were made more generally known by his excellent poem on “Death,” which received the Seatonian Prize. In 1769, he was made chaplain to His Majesty, and December 31st, 1776, was promoted to the Bishopric of Chester, from whence he was translated to London in 1787, on the demise of Dr. Louth, and died on the 14th May, 1808, in the 78th year of his age. In 1772, he joined with some other clergymen in an unsuccessful endeavour to obtain an amendment of some portions of the Prayer Book. In 1769, he gave his support to a measure for enlarging the liberties of protestant dissenters, and in 1781 opposed an effort “to lay such restrictions on the catholics as would prevent their increase.” He felt a deep interest in the cause of the slave, and made strenuous efforts to improve the condition of the negroes of the West Indies. Among other charitable benefactions, he transferred in his lifetime nearly £7000 stock to the Archdeaconries of the diocese of London, as a permanent fund for the relief of the poorer clergy of that diocese; and he also established three annual gold medals at Christ’s College, Cambridge, and by his will bequeathed his library to his successors in the See of London, with a liberal sum towards erecting a building for its reception in the episcopal palace at Fulham. This learned and pious prelate wrote several works, which are highly esteemed. At his own request, the inscription on his tomb simply records the dates of his birth and death. [49] He was succeeded by—
William Cleaver, D.D., who was advanced to the See of Chester through the interest of his former pupil, the Marquis of Buckingham, whom he had attended as chaplain when Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. He was consecrated Bishop, January 20th, 1788, and was translated to Bangor in 1799, and from thence, on the death of Bishop Horsley in 1806, to the diocese of St. Asaph, over which he continued to preside until his death, which took place May 15th, 1815.
Henry William Majendie, D.D., canon of St. Paul’s, was nominated in the place of Bishop Cleaver, May 24th, and consecrated June 14th, 1800, translated in 1810, to the See of Bangor.
Bowyer Edward Sparke, D.D., Dean of Bristol, was consecrated January 21st, 1810, and translated to the See of Ely in 1812.
George Henry Law, Prebendary of Carlisle, was consecrated Bishop of Chester, July 5th, 1812, and translated to the See of Bath and Wells in the year 1824. Bishop Law was a fine scholar, and a most able divine.
Charles James Blomfield, D.D., the present learned Bishop of London, was consecrated to the See of Chester in 1824. He was Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, in which University his great talents and lofty erudition secured for him high academical honours. Upon his translation to the See of London in 1828 [50a] he was succeeded by—
John Bird Sumner, D.D., who has been as labouring in the use of his pen, as he was faithful and assiduous in the fulfilment of his episcopal duties. His voluminous writings have achieved for him great fame as an able and eloquent divine. His prize essay, entitled “The Records of Creation,” is a wonderful display of learning and reasoning power, and will doubtless long perpetuate his brilliant reputation. His piety, earnest zeal, and affable bearing, during the period he held the Episcopate of Chester, secured the affection of all classes. He was universally beloved. After having occupied the See of Chester for twenty years, he was in 1848 appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
John Graham, D.D., was consecrated Bishop of this Diocese in 1848, and is at present, with pious earnestness and diligence, fulfilling the duties of his high office.
When Henry the Eighth dissolved the monastery of St. Werburgh and erected it into a Cathedral Church, he founded a Deanery, two Archdeaconries, and six Prebendaries. Under this new regime, John Clarke, the last Abbot of the monastery, was appointed first Dean. His successor was Henry Mann, who was, in 1546, consecrated Bishop of the Isle of Man. He was succeeded by William Cliff, L.L.D. in 1547; Richard Walker in 1558; John Peers in 1567; Richd. Langworth in 1571; Robert Dorset in 1579; Thomas Modesley in 1580; John Rutter in 1589; William Barlow in 1602; Henry Parry in 1605, who was afterwards made Bishop of Rochester, from which he was successively translated to Gloucester and Worcester; he was succeeded by Thomas Mallory in 1606, who held his appointment 38 years; he died at Chester, April 3rd, 1644, and was buried in the choir of the Cathedral.