Chronology of Catholic Dioceses: England and Wales

See a list of abbreviations used in this list. See also our listing of current ecclesial jurisdictions.

314~

Eborus / York (Eborus first mentioned in 314) - England

573~

Llanelwy / Saint Asaph - Wales

597

Canterbury - England

601

Canterbury (Metr.) - England

604

London - England

604

Rochester (detached from Canterbury) - England

625

Eborus / York (extinct) - England

628~

Lindsay (established from York) - England

631

Eborus / York (Metr., reestablished) - England

633

Eborus / York (vacant) - England

634

Dorchester (established from Rome) - England

635

Lindisfarne (detached from Eborus) - England

635

Winchester (detached from Dorchester) - England

640~

Dunwich / East Anglia - England

650?

Augusta (soon to disappear again) - England

653

Othona - England

656

Mercia (detached from York) - England

662

Winchester (sometimes: Winchester and Hereford) (reestablished) - England

664

Eborus/York (revived) - England

664

Othona (abolished, incorporated in London) - England

669

Lichfield (new name, previously Mercia) - England

673

Elmham (detached from Dunwich) - England

676~

Hereford - England

678

Hexham (detached from York) - England

678

Sidnacester (detached from Lindisfarne) - England

680

Worcester (detached from Lichfield) - England

705

Sherborne (detached from Dorchester) - England

708

Sussex - England

732

Eborus/York (Metr.) - England

787

Lichfield (Metr.) - England

803

Lichfield (D) - England

820

Hexham (vacant, later united with Lindisfarne) - England

850~

Sidnacester (incorporated in Leicester) - England

870~

Elmham (suppressed, territory to East Anglia) - England

870

Leicester (incorporated in Dorchester) - England

875

Lindisfarne (abandoned, de facto extinct) - England

879

Chester-le-Street (de facto continuation of Lindisfarne) - England

909~

Crediton (detached from Sherborne) - England

909~

Ramsbury (sometimes: Ramsbury and Sonning) (detached from Dorchester, and from Sherborne) - England

909

Wells (detached from Sherborne, acc. to legend also successor of the Celtic Diocese of Congresbury) - England

912

Worcester (de facto joined to York in personal union) - England

931

Cornwall (detached from Crediton) - England

995

Durham (replaces Chester-le-Street, previously Lindisfarne) - England

1016

Worcester (reestablished, detached from personal union to York) - England

1040

Cornwall (incorporated in Crediton) - England

1050

Exeter (new name, previously Crediton, see transferred) - England

1058

Sherborne (suppressed, united with Ramsbury) - England

1075

Lincoln (new name, previously Dorchester) - England

1075~

Sarum (new name, previously Ramsbury) - England

1075-1086

Chester and Lichfield (new name, previously Lichfield) - England

1082

Chichester (new name, previously Selsey / Selsea) - England

1088/91

Bath (new name, previously Wells; actual change of residence was about 1088-1091) - England

1094

Norwich (new name, previously East Anglia) - England

1117

Chester and Lichfield (vacant, later transferred to Coventry) - England

1121

Coventry and Lichfield (new name, previously Chester and Lichfield) - England

1136

Bath and Wells (new name, previously Bath) - England

1192

Glastonbury (new name, previously Bath and Wells) - England

1206

Bath and Glastonbury (new name, previously Glastonbury) - England

1219

Salisbury / Sarum (new name after change of residence; Salisbury also called "New Sarum") - England

1244

Bath and Wells (new name, previously Bath and Glastonbury) - England

1535

Hereford (under schismatic bishops) - England

1535

Saint Asaph (ruled by schismatic bishops) - Wales

1541

Chester (detached from Coventry and Lichfield, and from York, schismatically founded by Henry VIII, recognized by the Holy See during the reign of Queen Mary, 1543-1558) - England

1542

Bristol (detached from Bath and Wells, from Salisbury, and from Worchester, schismatically founded by Henry VIII, recognized by the Holy See during the reign of Queen Mary, 1543-1558) - England

1547

Lincoln (goes vacant, later extinct, due to the Reformation, exiled bishop dies in 1559 ending the English Catholic hierarchy) - England

1554

Hereford (again under canonical Catholic bishop) - England

1555

Saint Asaph (again a canonical Catholic bishop)- Wales

1557

Hereford (bishop-designate died a prisoner, diocese vacant/extinct due to the Reformation) - England

1557

Salisbury / Sarum (vacant/extinct, due to the Reformation) - England

1558

Bristol (bishop killed, diocese vacant/extinct due to the Reformation) - England

1558

Canterbury (Metr., extinct due to the Reformation) - England

1558

Norwich (vacant/extinct, due to the Reformation) - England

1558

Rochester (vacant/extinct, due to the Reformation) - England

1559

Chichester (vacant/extinct, due to the Reformation) - England

1559

Coventry and Lichfield (vacant/extinct, due to the Reformation) - England

1560

Winchester (vacant/extinct, due to the Reformation) - England

1565

Worcester (vacant/extinct, due to the Reformation) - England

1569

Bath and Wells (vacant after death of last Bishop in jail/extinct) - England

1569

London (vacant after death of last Bishop in jail/extinct) - England

1579

York (vacant/extinct, due to the Reformation) - England

1585

Saint Asaph (last bishop died in Rome 1585 as the last British Catholic bishop) - Wales

1622

England (AV, established by the "Propaganda Fide" in Rome) - England

1688

London District of England (AV, new name, previously England AV) - England

1688

Northern District of England (AV, detached from England AV) - England

1688

Midland District of England (AV, detached from England AV) - England

1688

Western District of England (AV, detached from England AV) - England

1840

Lancaster District of England (AV, detached from Northern District of England AV) - England

1840

Yorkshire District of England (AV, detached from Northern District of England AV) - England

1840

Wales (AV, detached from Western District of England AV) - England

1840

Central District of England (AV, detached from Midland District of England AV) - England

See a note on the names of Catholic jurisdictions in England after the reestablishment of the Catholic hierarchy.

1850

Westminster (Metr., and new name, previously London District of England) - England

1850

Birmingham (D, and new name, previously Central District of England AV) - England

1850

Beverley (D, and new name, previously Yorkshire District of England AV) - England

1850

Clifton (D, and new name, previously Western District of England AV) England

1850

Hexham (D, reestablished, detached from Northern District of England AV) - England

1850

Liverpool (D, and new name, previously Lancaster District of England AV) - England

1850

Newport and Menevia (D, and new name, previously Wales AV) - Wales

1850

Northampton (detached from the Eastern District of England) - England

1850

Nottingham (detached from Midland District of England AV) - England

1850

Plymouth (D, detached from Western District of England AV) - England

1850

Salford (D, detached from Lancaster District of England AV) - England

1850

Shrewsbury (D, detached from Wales AV, from Central District of England AV, and from England - Lancashire District AV) - England

1850

Southwark (D, detached from London District of England AV) - England

1861

Hexham and Newcastle (new name, previously Hexham) - England

1878

Beverley (abolished, territores formed into the two new dioceses Leeds and Middlesbrough) - England

1878

Leeds (detached from Beverley) - England

1878

Middlesbrough (detached from Beverley) - England

1882

Portsmouth (detached from Southwark) - England

1895

Newport (new name, previously Newport and Menevia) - Wales

1895

Wales (AV, detached from Shrewsbury, and from Newport and Menevia) - Wales

1898

Menevia (D, and new name, previously Wales AV) - Wales

1911

Birmingham (Metr., was part of the Metropolitan Province of Westminster) - England

1911

Liverpool (Metr., was part of the Metropolitan Province of Westminster) - England

1916

Cardiff (Metr., and new name, previously Newport B) - Wales

1917

Brentwood (detached from Westminster) - England

1924

Lancaster (detached from Liverpool) - England

1957

England and Wales [Ukr.] (ApEx) - England

1965

Southwark (Metr.) - England

1965

Arundel and Brighton (detached from Southwark) - England

1967

Great Britain [Ukr.] (ApEx, new name, previously England and Wales - England

1976

East Anglia (detached from Northampton) - England

1980

Hallam (detached from Leeds, and from Nottingham) - England

1987

Wrexham (detached from Menevia) - Wales