Dean of Christ Church

This article is about the deans in Oxford. For other cathedrals called Christ Church, see Christ Church Cathedral.

Christ Church Cathedral

The Dean of Christ Church is the dean of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford and head of the governing body of Christ Church, a constituent college of the University of Oxford. The cathedral is the mother church of the Church of England Diocese of Oxford and seat of the Bishop of Oxford. The chapter of canons of the cathedral has formed the governing body of the college since its foundation, with the dean as ex officio head of the chapter and ipso facto head of the college. Since 4 October 2014, the dean has been Martyn Percy.

List of deans

From the diocese's foundation in 1542 until 1545, the cathedral was at Osney. There, the dean was John London (until 1543), and then Cox, who was reappointed dean at Christ Church.

Early modern

• 1546–1553 Richard Cox
• 1553–1559 Richard Marshall
• 1559–1561 George Carew
• 1561–1565 Thomas Sampson
• 1565–1567 Thomas Godwin
• 1567–1571 Thomas Cooper
• 1571–1576 John Piers
• 1577–1583 Tobias Matthew
• 1584–1596 William James
• 1596–1605 Thomas Ravis
• 1605–1611 John King
• 1611–1620 William Goodwin
• 1620–1628 Richard Corbet
• 1628–1638 Brian Duppa
• 1638–1648 Samuel Fell
• 1648–1651 Edward Reynolds
• 1651–1660 John Owen
• March–July 1660 Edward Reynolds (again)
• July–October 1660 George Morley
• 1660–1686 John Fell
• 1686–1688 John Massey
• 1689–1710 Henry Aldrich
• 1711–1713 Francis Atterbury

• 1713–1719 George Smalridge
• 1719–1724 Hugh Boulter
• 1724–1732 William Bradshaw
• 1733–1755 John Conybeare
• 1756–1767 David Gregory
• 1767–1777 William Markham (in commendam as Bishop of Chester from 1771)
• 1777–1783 Lewis Bagot
• 1783–1809 Cyril Jackson

Late modern

• 1809–1824 Charles Hall
• 1824–1831 Samuel Smith
• 1831–1855 Thomas Gaisford
• 1855–1891 Henry Liddell
• 1892–1901 Francis Paget
• 1901–1920 Thomas Strong
• 1920–1934 Julian White
• 1934–1939 Alwyn Williams
• 1939–1959 John Lowe
• 1959–1969 Cuthbert Simpson
• 1969–1979 Henry Chadwick
• 1979–1991 Eric Heaton
• 1991–2003 John Drury
• 2003–2014 Christopher Lewis
• 2014–present Martyn Percy