There have been 161 bishops who have ministered in succession connecting our bishop with the twelve

apostles
Our Lord Jesus Christ commissioned the Twelve to minister
30
1.St. Peter (32-67) who before dying in Rome, appointed:
2.St. Linus (67-76)

in his name, among them, St. Peter:

3.St. Anacletus (Cletus) (76-88)

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The Apostles take the message into Judea,
4.St. Clement I (88-97)
5.St. Evaristus (97-105)
6.St. Alexander I (105-115)

Samaria, and the Ends of the Earth. First

SUCCESSION

Listed in Irenaeus, writing c. 175

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7.St. Sixtus I (115-125)
8.St. Telesphorus (125-136)
9.St. Hyginus (136-140)
to the reaches of the Roman Empire, which

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10.St. Pius I (140-155)

IN THE SEE included England, and then, in the 16th

11.St. Anicetus (155-166)
12.St. Soter (166-175)
13.St. Eleutherius (175-189)

century, into the New World.

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14.St. Victor I (189-199)
15.St. Zephyrinus (199-217)

Showing Continuity of Teaching

16.St. Callistus I (217-22)
17.St. Urban I (222-30)
18.St. Pontain (230-35)
19.St. Anterus (235-36)

In the Same Place

Listed in Hegesippius, collected by Eusebius, writing c. 320

20.St. Fabian (236-50)
21.St. Cornelius (251-53)
22.St. Lucius I (253-54)
23.St. Stephen I (254-257)
24.St. Sixtus II (257-258)
25.St. Dionysius (260-268)
26.St. Felix I (269-274)
THE SCRIPTURES 27.St. Eutychian (275-283)
28.St. Caius (283-296)
29.St. Marcellinus (296-304)
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so 30.St. Marcellus I (308-309)
I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to 31.St. Eusebius (309 or 310)
32.St. Miltiades (311-14)
them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:21-22 33.St. Sylvester I (314-35)
34.St. Marcus (336)
35.St. Julius I (337-52)
And they [The Apostles] prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, 36.Liberius (352-66)
show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry

MANUAL
37.St. Damasus I (366-83)
and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.”Acts 1:24-25 38.St. Siricius (384-99)
39.St. Anastasius I (399-401)
40.St. Innocent I (401-17)
This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, 41.St. Zosimus (417-18)

SUCCESSION
42.St. Boniface I (418-22)
and appoint elders in every town as I directed you. Titus 1:5 43.St. Celestine I (422-32)
44.St. Sixtus III (432-40)

Listed in multiple Chronicons and Church Histories, and collected in Roman archives
45.St. Leo I (the Great) (440-61)

The un-broken chain of

46.St. Hilarius (461-68)
THE EARLIEST CHURCH FATHERS 47.St. Simplicius (468-83)
48.St. Felix III (II) (483-92)

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49.St. Gelasius I (492-96)
nd our Apostles knew through our Lord Jesus Christ that there would 50.Anastasius II (496-98)
be strife over the name of the bishop’s office. For this cause therefore,
Hands-to-Head
51.St. Symmachus (498-514)
52.St. Hormisdas (514-23)
having received complete foreknowledge,they appointed the aforesaid 53.St. John I (523-26)
persons, and afterwards they provided a continuance, that if these should fall 54.St. Felix IV (III) (526-30)

Ordinations
55.Boniface II (530-32)
asleep, other approved men should succeed to their ministration. 56.John II (533-35)
—St. Clement of Rome, 1 Clement 44 (a.d. 95) 57.St. Agapetus I (535-36)
58.St. Silverius (536-37)

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59.Vigilius (537-55)
t is possible, then, for everyone in every church, who may wish to know the 60.Pelagius I (556-61)
truth, to contemplate the tradition of the apostles which has been made known 61.John III (561-74)
to us throughout the whole world. And we are in a position to enumerate 62.Benedict I (575-79) The name in parentheses is the city they were bishop of, and the year in which they were consecrated Although this record is not
63.Pelagius II (579-90)
those who were instituted bishops by the apostles and their successors down to our 64.St. Gregory I (the Great) (590-604) who sent to England
Godwin (Lyons) descended from a line of French Bishops, tracing back to the Apostles1
Berthwald (Canterbury, 693-731)
complete back to the Apostles,
what it shows is the certainty
own times, men who neither knew nor taught anything like what these heretics 65.1 St. Augustine 597-605 Daniel (Winchester, 705- ) of the Apostolic line from our
who established the see of Canterbury and was followed by
rave about... The blessed apostles, then, having founded and built up the Church, Tatwin (Canterbury, 731- ) own day back to the 7th century.

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Listed in Bede’s Ecclesiastical History, c. 730

66.2 St. Laurentius 605-619 Egbert (York, 734- ) It also shows that our apostolic
committed into the hands of Linus the office of the episcopate. Of this Linus, 67.3 St. Mellitus 619-624 Jaenbert (Canterbury, 766- ) descent is in no way contingent
Paul makes mention in the Epistles to Timothy. To him succeeded Anacletus; and 68.4 St. Justus 624-627 Ethelbert (York, 767- ) on the papal succession of the later

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69.5 St. Honorius 627-653 corrupt middle ages, but has its
after him, in the third place from the apostles, Clement was allotted the bishopric. 70.6 St. Deusdedit 655-664
Ethelbert Whithern (Hexham, 777- )
own hands-to-head integrity
Eanbald II (York, 796- )
This man, as he had seen the blessed apostles, and had been conversant with them, 71.7 St. Theodore of Tarsus 668-90 Egbert (Lindisfarne, 803)
back to the 10th century with
certainty, and back to the 7th
might be said to have the preaching of the apostles still echoing [in his ears], and

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72.8 St.Berhtuald 693-731 The record of who consecrated who between 803 and 909 is not clear from the available written century probably. Moreover,
73.9 St. Taetwine 731-734 evidence, due to the tumultuous events of this century, which included the first of the viking raids.
their traditions before his eyes. 74.10 St. Nothelm 734-740 We have plenty of record of bishops in this century, at the various sees around England, such as
when this list is corroborated
with what we know from
—St. Irenaeus of Layons, Against Heresies 3:3:1 (a.d. ~180) 75.11 St. Cuthbert 740-758
T the line of bishops at Lindisfarne, following Egbert at Lindisfarne we have: Heathwred (821- ), other historical records, and
76.12 St. Breogwine 759-762 Ecgred (830- ), Eanbert (845- ), Eardulf (854- ), Cutheard (899- ).2 the universality of apostolic

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77.13 St. Jaenberht 763-790 Pope Formosus in Rome consecrated Plegmund in 890 to the See of Canterbury. The only co-con- ordination worldwide in the
f any dare to connect themselves with the Apostolic age that they appear to 78.14 St. Aethelheard 790-803 secrators who would have been available to join him for the men that he (Plegmund) consecrated earliest centuries, as well as
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have descended from the Apostles because they have been under the rule of 79.15 Wulfred 803-829 would have been from the surviving British line that traces back to Berthwald, and so the two
lines, British (via French) and Italian were swiftly merged back together, even though Plegmund
the tradition of always having
80.16 Fleogild 829-830 more than one consecrator, it is
the Apostles, we can say: Let them declare the origins of their Churches, let 81.17 Ceolnoth 830-870 was consecrated in Rome. probable to the point of certainty
them unfold the succession of their bishops, so coming down from the beginning
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82.18 Aethelred 870-889 Plegmund (Canterbury, 890- ) that the manual transmission
Athelm (Wells, 909-923. In 923 he is translated to the see of Canterbury. This is the first instance (hands-to-head) is indeed
with continuous steps that the first bishop may have had as his consecrator and 83.19 Plegemund 891-923
of this practice in church history, and it becomes a new precedent. For the remainder of this list, the unbroken from the time of the
84.20 Aethelm 923-925
predecessor one of the Apostles, or of the Apostolic men who remained in the first city listed is the city they were initially consecrated to, and if a second city is named, that is the Apostles on down.
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85.21 Wulfelm 928-941

city he was bishop of at the time of his consecrating the man next in this list)3
communion of Apostles. 86.22 St. Odo the Severe 941-958
Wulfhelm (Wells, 914-, Canterbury)
—Tertullian Prescription against Heretics 32 (a.d. ~195) 87.23 Aelsine 958-959
Odo (Ramsbury, 926-, Canterbury)
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88.24 St. Dunstan 959-988

Dunstan (Worcester, 957-, Canterbury)
89.25 Aethelgar 988-989
Siric (Ramsbury, 985- , Canterbury)
90.26 Sigeric the serious 990-994
Elfric (Ramsbury, 990- , Canterbury)
91.27 Aefric 995-1005
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1000 Wulfstan (Worcester and York, 1003- )

92.28 St. Alphege 1006-1012
Ethelnoth (Canterbury, 1020- )
93.29 Lyfing 1013-1020
For the first Millenium of the Church, there was a common view of succession: 94.30 Aethelnoth 1020-1038
Eadsige (St. Martin’s, 1035- , Canterbury)
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That the Apostles held the Faith between them, all twelve. And that the successors 95.31 Eadsige 1038-1050
Stigand (Elmham, 1043- , Canterbury)
Siward (Rochester, 1058- )
to the Apostles: The bishops around the world, together and as a whole constituted 96.32 Robert of Jumièges 1051-1052
Lanfranc (Canterbury, Aug 29th, 1070- ) Starting with Lanfranc we have record of all the
the continutation of apostolic authority and witness. That any bishop was able to 97.33 Stigand 1052-1070 bishops who were present at the consecration. So for instance, not only did Siward of Rochester lay
consecrate any bishop, and the line of succession is continued. And that the whole 98.34 Lanfranc 1070-1089 his hands on Lanfranc’s head, but also William (London), Walkelin (Winchester), Giso (Wells),
Contained in present Canterbury archives

99.35 St. Anselm 1093-1109

network of consecrations, held together by all living bishops, is the vital source of Walter (Hereford), Herman (Sherborne), Remigius (Dorchester), Herfast (Elmham), and Stigend
100.36 Ralph de Turbine1114-1122 (Selsey). For every name that follows such a list could be adduced, as well as their respective succes-
apostolic ministry. In the late middle Ages, the Roman Catholic church changed 101.37 William de Corbeuil 1123-1136 sions. The long lists have been left out, since the demonstation of the continuous manual succession is
their view, to believe that apostolic authority descends singularly and solely through 102.38 Theobald1139-1161 the purpose of this list.
the bishops of Rome, succeeded from St. Peter. This new theory is rejected by 103.39 St. Thomas Becket 1162-1170 Maurice (London, Apr 5th, 1086- )
Anglicans who instead hold the ancient view and whose claim of apostolic descent 104.40 Richard 1174-1184 Anselm (Canterbury, Dec 4th, 1093- )
105.41 Baldwin 1185-1190 Roger (Sarum, Aug 11th, 1107- )
is therefore much more certain and uncontested, since the Papal schism of the 15th
106.42 Reginald Fitz-Jocelin 1191 Theobald (Canterbury, Jan 8th, 1139- )
century renders the apostolic succession of that see in at least mild doubt. 107.43 Hubert Walter 1193-1205 Gilbert (Hereford, Sep 5th, 1148- , London)
h i st or ic al no t e s 108.44 Stephen Langton 1207-1228 Peter (St. David’s, Nov 7th, 1176- )
109.45 Richard Wethershed1229-1231 Huburt (Sarum, Oct 22nd, 1189- , Canterbury)
110.46 St. Edmund Rich 1233-1240 William (London, May 23rd, 1199 - )
In 1533, Thomas Cranmer was appointed the archbishop of Canterbury, while Henry VIII 111.47 Boniface of Savoy 1240-1270 Walter (Worcester, Oct 5th, 1214 -, York)
was king of England. Cantebury was a Metropolitical see, meaning that the archbishop there 112.48 Robert Kilwardby 1273-1278 Walter (Durham, Dec 5th, 1249- )
held the highest level of administrative authority in the Church. This metropolitan see was 113.49 John Peckham 1279-1292 Henry (Whithern, Feb 7th, 1255- )
established when Augustine received the pallium from Gregory the Great at the turn of the 114.50 Robert Winchelsea 1293-1313 John (Carlisle, Sep 14th, 1292- )
115.51 Walter Reynolds 1313-1372 Roger (Lichfield, Jun 27th, 1322- )
7th century. Throughout the course of the Middle Ages (600-1500), the Bishop of Rome began Robert (Sarum, Jul 15th, 1330- )
116.52 Simon deMeopham 1327-1333
to assert more and more authority for himself, ultimately in the late 13th century claiming a 117.53 John Stratford 133-1348 Simon Sudbury (London, Mar 20th, 1362- )
universal jurisdiction over the Church, and an authority that trumps all secular leadership. 118.54 John de Ufford 1348-1349 Thomas Arundel (Ely, Apr 9th, 1374- , Canterbury)
These assertions of power were several times challenged by kings of England and archbishops 119.55 Thomas Bradwardin 1349 John Morton (Ely, Jan 31st, 1479- , Canterbury)
of Canterbury, but ultimately, on the eve of the Reformation, Canterbury had seced its 120.56 Simon Islip 1349-1366 Richard Fox (Exeter, Apr 8th, 1487- , Winchester)
William Warham (London, Sep 25th, 1502- , Canterbury)
rightful authority to the over-bold claims of the medieval papacy. Cranmer was consecrated a 121.57 Simon Langham 1366-1368
r ef or mat ion

122.58 William Wittlesey 1368-1374 John Longlands (Lincoln, May 5th, 1521- )
bishop by John Longlands using the old latin rite of his time (See the table on the right for the Thomas Cranmer (Canterbury, Mar 30th, 1533- )
123.59 Simon Sudbury 1375-1381
manual succession). When the winds of reformation swept through England, and Cranmer 124.60 William Courtenay 1381-1396 Robert Parfew (St. Asaph, Jul 2nd, 1536- )
working with King Henry unshackled themselves from the innovation of Papal authority, the 125.61 Thomas Arundel 1396-1414 John Hodgskin (Bedford, Dec 9, 1537- )
apostolically succeeded ministry continued, including when the Ordination Rite began to be 126.62 Henry Chicheley 1414-1443 Matthew Parker (Canterbury, Dec 17th, 1559- )
done in English in 1550, instead of Latin. When England hiccuped and Bloody Mary was 127.63 John Stafford 1443-1452 Edmund Grindal (London, Dec 21st, 1559- , Canterbury)
128.64 John Kemp 1452-1454 John Whitgift (Worcester, Apr 21st, 1577- , Canterbury)
briefly queen, she temporarily deposed the bishops in place under Cranmer, and appointed a Richard Bancroft (London, May 8th, 1597- , Canterbury)
129.65 Thomas Bourchier 1454-1486
man loyal to the papacy, Cardinal Pole, who was archbishop for two years. When Mary died 130.66 John Morton 1486-1500 George Abbott (Lichfield, Dec 3rd, 1609- , Canterbury)
and was succeeded by Edward VI, whose protestant Regency guided him to restore a reformed 131.67 Henry Deane 1501-1503 George Monteigne (Lincoln, Dec 14th, 1617- , London)
catholic to the see of Canterbury, led to the consecration of Matthew Parker. Roman Catholic 132.68 William Warham 1503-1532 William Laud (St. David’s, Nov 18th, 1621- , Canterbury)
controversialists of yesteryear tried to impugn Parker’s consecration as invalid, but thankfully 133.69 Thomas Cranmer 1533-1556 Brian Duppa (Chichester, Jun 17th, 1638- , Winchester)
Gilbert Sheldon (London, Oct 28th, 1660- , Canterbury)
there is hard evidence from his consecration service, of the consecrators present, the rite used, etc. 134.70 Reginald Pole 1556-1558
135.71 Matthew Parker 1559-1575 Henry Compton (Oxford, Dec 6th, 1674- , London)
Roman Catholics have also tried to argue that the liturgical form of consecration used for one of 136.72 Edmund Grindal 1575-1583 William Sancroft (Canterbury, Jan 27th, 1678- )
Parker’s consecrators was invalid, but even if this was the case, the formal accuracy of his other 137.73 John Whitgift 1583-1604 Jonathan Trelawney (Bristol, Nov 8th, 1685- , Winchester)
consecrators (e.g. Hodgskin) is beyond dispute, being consecrated with the latin rite prior to the 138.73 Richard Bancroft 1604-1610 John Potter (Oxford, May 15th, 1715- , Canterbury)
reformation and the English Ordinal. 5 139.73 George Abbot 1611-1633 Thomas Herring (Bangor, Jan 15th, 1738- , Canterbury)
140.76 William Laud 1633-1645 Frederick Cornwallis (Lichfield, Feb 19th, 1750- , Canterbury)
The See of Cantebrury sat vacant while the Puritans ruled John Moore (Bangor, Feb 12th, 1775- , Canterbury)
In God’s mercy, the Commonwealth was brought to an end before the generation that was England under Cromwell (1645-1660), but the duly ordained William White (Pennsylvania, Feb 4th, 1787- ) 4
c r omw e l l

Bishops lived in exile. When Charles II was restored to the John H. Hopkins (Vermont, Oct 31st, 1832- )
connected to the ancient church died. So, while there was a 15 year period where the See of throne, they returned and consecrated to the see of Canterbury: Horatio Potter (New York, Nov 22nd, 1854- )
Canterbury was vacant of a bishop, the consecrators of Juxon at the Restoration all descended 142.77 William Juxon 1660-1663 Abram Littlejohn (Long Island, Jan 27th, 1869- )
from the Old line, and with their consecration they also handed down the one catholic faith 143.78 Gilbert Sheldon 1663-1677 John McKim (Tokyo, Jun 14th, 1893- )
that they had guarded with their lives while abroad, and which the Sovereign they had sworn 144.79 William Sancroft 1678-1691 Henry St. George Tucker (Kyoto, Mar 25th, 1912- )
145.80 John Tillotson 1691-1694
loyalty to gave his life before forsaking: Blessed King Charles the Martyr. John Elbridge Hines (Texas, Oct 18th, 1945- )
146.81 Thomas Tenison 1694-1715 Edward Lee Browning (Okinawa, Jan 5th, 1955- )
147.82 William Wake 1716-1737 Robert Wm. Duncan (Pittsburgh, Apr 27th, 1996- )
148.83 John Potter 1737-1747 Neil Lebhar (Gulf Atlantic, Feb 13th, 2010- )
149.84 Thomas Herring 1747-1757
150.85 Matthew Hutton 1757-1758 Many of the Bishops of the ACNA have had Archbishop Duncan as a consecrator,
151.86 Thomas Ecker 1758-1768 although some older diocese (South Carolina, Fort Worth, Quincy, etc.) would
152.87 Frederick Cornwallis 1768-83
trace an alternate lineage back to William White (1787).
It’s worth noting that Samuel Seabury was the actual first Anglican 153.88 John Moore 1783-1805
bishop in the United States, who was consecrated by bishops descended Appointed William White as the first presiding bishop of the
u .s.a.

U.S.A and first bishop of Pennsylvania

from the Non-Juring Bishops of 1688. William White and Seabury
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154. William White 1787

together consecrated their successors, joining the apostolic lines, but some Consecrated in 1832
of the unique aspects of the American Prayerbook are accounted for only 155. John H. Hopkins
.

because of this non-juring heritage. As the first bishop of Vermont. He in turn

established the Diocese of Pittsburgh, whose first bishop was
156.1 John Barrett Kerfoot 1866-1881
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157.2 Cortlandt Whitehead 1882-1922 1

The first 11 names on this list are compiled from the first-hand archival work of the Rev. Charles Frere Stopford Warren,
158.3 Alexander Mann 1923-1943   as recorded in John Henry Blunt’s Annotated Book of Common Prayer (1907), p. 668
159.4 Austin Pardue 1944-1967
.

2
Source for Lindisfarne bishops: Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I. Handbook of British Chronology
160.5 Robert B. Appleyard 1968-1980   (Third revised ed.). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
161.6 Alden Moinet Hathaway 1981-1995 3
Compiled from archives at Canterbury Cathedral, in John Henry Blunt’s Annotated Book of Common Prayer,
A

162.7 Robert William Duncan 1996-2014 2000

  New Edition, 1895/1907 pp. 669-670.
Who in 2008, became the first Archbishop of The Anglican
4
The succession of bishops in the Episcopal Church is kept on record at The Episcopal Church headquarters, as
Church in North America, and in 2009 ordained   well as each diocesan office. Multiple lines could be traced, this is just one as an instance, compiled from
  archived ordination bulletins and notes from General Conventions.
.

162.1 Neil Lebhar 2009 - present

as the first bishop of the newly formed Gulf Atlantic Diocese
5
For the historical details that vindicate Parker’s consecration, see “Supplementary Appendix A: Notes As To The
  Consecration Of Archbishop Parker.” by the Rev. Henry Barker , M.A. in Arthur Lowndes,
  Vindication of Anglican Orders. New York: J. Pott & Co., 1911

OUR APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION

Visualized Created and Designed by the Rev. Ben Jefferies + 2019