Identifying the origin of the diocese has posed some difficulty. The original diocese of Lindine (Lindsey), founded in 628 by the Roman missionary Paulinus had a seat placed by various commentators at Caistor, Stow, Louth or Horncastle in present-day Lincolnshire. The see was moved to Dorchester in 886 due to the threat of invasion.
A supposed diocese of Lindine or Syddensis (Sidnacester - identified with present-day Stow, Lincolnshire) was considered founded from the diocese of Lindisfarne by Saint Theodore Archishop of Canterbury . Research has concluded however that the see was in fact the original foundation of 678 in Lincoln itself.
The current bishop of is the Right Reverend Dr John Saxbee , the 71st Bishop of Lincoln, who signs John Lincoln.
| Tenure
| Incumbent
| Notes
|
| Diocese of Lindine - See at Lincoln
|
| 678 to c.679 | Eadhedus
(Eadhæd ) | Expelled; retired to Ripon
|
| c.680 to 692? | Ethelwinus
(Æthelwine ) |
|
| ?693 or 701 to 716 or 731 | Edgarus
(Edgar ) |
|
| 720 or 716 or 731 to 733 | Kinebertus
(Embercus ; Cyneberht ) |
|
| 733 to 750 | Alwigh
(Alwig ) |
|
| 750 or 751 to 765 | Eadulphus
(Aldwulf ) |
|
| 765/767 to 783 or 796 | Ceolulfus
(Ceolwulf ) |
|
| 783 to 789 | Unwona |
|
| 789 or 796 to 836 or 839 | Eadulphus , Syddensis civitas episcopus
(Eadwulf ) |
|
| 836 or 839 to 862 or 866? | Beorhtred
(Berhtred ) | Last de facto Bishop of Lindsey
|
| 862 or 866 to 866 or 869 | Eadbald | Nominal bishop of Lindsey
|
| 866 or 869 to 869? | ?Burgheard | Nominal bishop of Lindsey
|
| 866 or 869 to 875? | or
?Eadberht | Nominal bishop of Lindsey
|
| 875? to 886? | Apparent interruption to succession |
|
| Diocese of Dorchester
|
| 886 to 953? | Apparent interruption to succession |
|
| 953? to 971 or 975 | Leofwine | Nominal bishop of Lindsey
|
| ?996 to 1004 | Sigeferth | Last nominal bishop of Lindsey
|
| ?1009 to 1011? | ?Ælfstan | Possible nominal bishop of Lindsey
|
| Tenure
| Incumbent
| Notes
|
| Diocese of Dorchester on Thames
|
| 625 or 634 to 650 | Birinus | Sent from Rome by the pope, founded missionary diocese; Saint Birinius
|
| 650 to ??? | Agilbertus |
|
| ?660 to ??? | Ætla |
|
| Diocese of Leicester
|
| 737 to 764 | Totta
(Torhthelm ) | Became 1st Bishop of Leicester
|
| 764 to 786 | Edbertus
(Eadberht ) |
|
| 786 to 801 | Unwona |
|
| 801 to 814 | Werinbertus
(Wernberht ) |
|
| 814 to 861 | Rothunus
(Ræthhun ) |
|
| 861 to 873 | Aldredus
(Ealdred) |
|
| December 840 or 844 to 869 or 888 | Ceolred | See transferred to Dorchester-on-Thames in 870s
|
| Diocese of Dorchester on the Thames - Dioceses of Lincoln (Sidnacester) and Leicester united c.870
|
| 869 or 888 to 893 or 896 | Harlardus
(Alhheard ) |
|
| 893 or 900 to 903 or 909 | Wigmund
(Wilferth ) |
|
| 873 to 905 | Ceolredus |
|
| 905 or c.909 to 909 or 925 | Ceolulfus
(Cenwulf ; Kenulphus ) |
|
| 909 or 925 to 934 or 945 | Wynsige |
|
| 934 or 945 to 949 or 950 | Æthelwald |
|
| 949 to 950 to 959 | Osketel | Translated to York
|
| ??? to ??? | ?Wulfric |
|
| Diocese of Dorchester and Lincoln - (formerly identified as Dorchester and Sidnacester)
|
| 949 to 960 | Leofwynus
(Leofwine ) | Bishop of Lindsey; united the sees of Dorchester and Sidnacester
|
| 960 or 971 or 975 to 967 or 975 or 979 | Alnothus
(Alfnoth ) |
|
| 967 or 975 or 979 to 994 or 23 April 1002 | Ascwinus
(swy ; Æscwig ) |
|
| 994 or 1002 to 1004 or 1007 or 1009 | Alfhelmus
(Ælfhelm ) |
|
| 1004 or 1007 or 1009 to 18 October 1016 | Eadnothus
(Eadnoth ) | Abbot of Ramsey; killed at the battle of Assandun
|
| 1016 to 8 December 1034 | Eadhericus
(Æthelric ; Brihtmær ) |
|
| 1034 to 18/19 September 1049 | Eadnothus , Bishop of Dorchester, Leicester, and Sidnacester
(Eadnoth ) |
|
| 1052 or 1049 to 14 September 1052 | Ulfus Normanus
(Ulf ) | Royal priest; suspended at the Council of Vercelli 1050; expelled
|
| 1053 to 1067 | Wulfinus
(Wufwig ) | Royal priest
|
| 1070 to 1071 | Remigius de Fécamp
(Remigius de Feschamp ) | Moved the see to Lincoln
|
| Diocese of Lincoln | Constituted by William the Conqueror 1072
|
| 1072 to 1092 | Remigius de Fécamp
(Remigius de Feschamp ) | Almoner of Fécamp, Normandy
|
| 1092 to 1123 | Robert Bloet
(Robert Bluet) | Lord Chancellor
|
| 1123 to 1147 | Alexander | Archdeacon of Salisbury
|
| 1147 to 1166 | Robert de Chesney
(Robert de Cheney )
alias Querceto | Died in office
|
| 1168 to 1173 | vacant | For 7 years
|
| 1173 to 1183 | Geoffrey Plantagenet | Resigned
|
| 1173 to 1184 | Walter de Constantiis
(Walter de Coutances) | Archdeacon of Oxford; translated to Rouen
|
| 1184 to 1186 | vacant | For 2 years
|
| 1186 to 16 November 1200 | Hugh, Carthusian
(Hugh of Avalon) | Prior of the Carthusians at Witham, Somerset; ordained 21 September 1181; installed 29 September 1181; died in office; canonised 1220: Saint Hugh of Lincoln
|
| 1206 to 1209 | vacant | For 3 years
|
| 1203 to 1206 | William de Blois | Prebendary of Lincoln; consecrated 1203
|
| 1206 to 1209 | vacant | For 3 years
|
| 1209 to 1235 | Hugo Wallis
(Hugh de Wells ) | Archdeacon of Wells; Lord Chancellor
|
| 1235 to 1253 | Robert Grosseteste
(Robert Grosthead; Robert Grouthed) | Archdeacon of Leicester
|
| 1254 to 1258 | Henry de Lexington | Dean of Lincoln
|
| 1258 to 1280 | Benedict
(Richard de Gravesend ) | Dean of Lincoln
|
| 1281 to 1300 | Oliver Sutton | Dean of Lincoln
|
| 1300 to 1320 | John de Dalderby
(John Aldberry ; John d'Aldreby ) | Chancellor of Lincoln
|
| 1320 to 1341 | Henry de Burghersh | Lord Treasurer and Lord Chancellor
|
| 1341 to 1347 | Thomas Bek
(Thomas le Bec ) |
|
| 1347 to 1363 | John Gynwell
(John Gyndell ; John Gyndwelle ; John Sinwell ) | Archdeacon of Northampton
|
| 1363 to 1398 | John Bokyngham
(John Bokingham ) | Keeper of the Privy Seal
|
| 1398 to 1405 | Cardinal Henry Beaufort | Dean of Wells and Chancellor of Oxford; Lord Chancellor of
|
| 1405 to 1420 | Philip Repyngdon
(Philip de Repingdon) | Abbot of Leicester; Chancellor of Oxford; resigned on being elevated to Cardinal
|
| 1420 to 1431 | Richard Fleming
(Richard Fleyming ) | Canon of Lincoln
|
| 1431 to 1436 | William Gray
(William Grey ) | Translated from London
|
| 1436 to 1450 | William of Alnwick
(William Alnewick ) | Translated from Norwich
|
| 1450 to 1451 | Marmaduke Lumley |
|
| 1451 to 1452 | vacant |
|
| 1452 to 1472 | John Chadworth |
|
| 1472 to 1480 | Thomas Rotherham |
|
| 1480 to 1494 | John Russell |
|
| 1496 to 1514 | William Smith |
|
| 6 February 1514 to September 1515 | Thomas Wolsey | Priest; ordained 26 March 1514; translated to York
|
| 1514 to 1541 | William Atwater |
|
| 1541 to 1547 | John Longland |
|
| 1547 to 1552 | Henry Holbeach |
|
| 1552 to 1554 | John Taylor |
|
| 1554 to 1557 | John White |
|
| 1557 to 1560 | Thomas Watson |
|
| 1560 to 1571 | Nicholas Bullingham |
|
| 1571 to 1584 | Thomas Cooper | Last Catholic Bishop of Lincoln
|
| 1584 to 1595 | William Wickham |
|
| 1595 to 1608 | William Chadderton |
|
| 1621 to 1625 | John Williams |
|
| 1869 to ?1885 | Christopher Wordsworth |
|
| 1956 to 1974 | Kenneth Riches , DD |
|
| 1974 to 1987 | Simon Wilton Phipps , MC, MA |
|
| 1987 to 2002 | Robert Maynard Hardy |
|
| 2002 to present | Dr John Saxbee |
|
