Rahul Sharma (Editor)

Bishop of Edinburgh

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Province
  
Scotland

First incumbent
  
William Forbes

Diocese
  
Diocese of Edinburgh

Formation
  
1633

Bishop of Edinburgh

Cathedral
  
St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh

The Bishop of Edinburgh is the ordinary of the Scottish Episcopal Diocese of Edinburgh.

The bishopric was founded in 1633 by King Charles I. William Forbes was consecrated at St. Giles' Cathedral as the first bishop on 23 January 1634 though he died later that year. The General Assembly of 1638 deposed Bishop David Lindsay and all the other bishops, so the next, George Wishart, was consecrated in 1662 after the Restoration. In 1690 it was Bishop Alexander Rose (1687–1720) whose unwelcome reply to King William III (and II) led to the disestablishment of the Scottish Episcopalians as Jacobite sympathisers, and it was he who led his congregation from St Giles' to a former wool store as their meeting house, on the site now occupied by Old Saint Paul's Church.

After the repeal of the penal laws in 1792 and the reuniting of Episcopal and "Qualified" congregations, the diocese grew under the leadership of bishops Daniel Sandford, James Walker, C.H. Terrot and Henry Cotterill. The high point of the 19th century was the consecration of St Mary’s Cathedral in 1879.

The current bishop is John Armes. He became Bishop-elect of Edinburgh on 11 February 2012 and was consecrated and installed as bishop on 12 May 2012.

List of bishops

Church of Scotland bishops.
  • Jan–Apr 1634 William Forbes
  • 1634–1638: David Lindsay
  • 1638–1661: see abolished
  • 1662–1671: George Wishart
  • 1672–1679: Alexander Young
  • 1679–1687: John Paterson
  • 1687–1689: Alexander Rose (became a non-juring bishop)
    • Scottish Episcopal Church bishops.
  • 1689–1720: Alexander Rose (also exercised Metropolitan authority 1704–1720)
  • 1720–1727: John Fullarton (also Primus 1720–1727)
  • May–Oct 1727: Arthur Millar (also Primus May–Oct 1727)
  • 1727–1733: Andrew Lumsden (also Primus 1727–1731)
  • 1733–1739: David Freebairn (also Primus 1731–1738)
  • 1739–1776: See vacant
  • 1776–1784: William Falconer (also Primus 1762–1782)
  • 1784–1788: See vacant
  • 1788–1805: William Abernethy Drummond
  • 1806–1830: Daniel Sandford
  • 1830–1841: James Walker (also Primus 1837–1841)
  • 1841–1872: Charles Terrot (also Primus 1857–1862)
  • 1872–1886: Henry Cotterill
  • 1886–1910: John Dowden
  • 1910–1929: Somerset Walpole
  • 1929–1939: Harry Reid
  • 1939–1946: Logie Danson (also Primus 1943–1946)
  • 1947–1961: Kenneth Warner
  • 1961–1975: Kenneth Carey
  • 1975–1985: Alastair Haggart (also Primus 1977–1985)
  • 1986–2000: Richard Holloway (also Primus 1992–2000)
  • 2001–2011: Brian Smith
  • 2012–present : John Armes

    • References

    Bishop of Edinburgh Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA