The diocese covers most of the County of Glamorgan. The bishop's seat is in the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul (the site of a church traditionally said to have been founded in 560 by Saint Teilo), in the village of Llandaff, just north-west of the City of Cardiff. The bishop's residence is Llys Esgob, The Cathedral Green, Llandaff, in Cardiff.
Brief history
The controversial Iolo Manuscripts claim an older foundation dating to Saints Dyfan and Fagan, said elsewhere to have missionized the court of KingLucius of Britain on behalf of PopeEleutherius around AD 166. The manuscripts—others of which are original and others now known forgeries—list Dyfan as the first bishop and, following his martyrdom, Fagan as his successor.[1]Baring-Gould refers to them as chorepiscopi.[2] The present-day St Fagans (referenced in the manuscripts as "Llanffagan Fawr") is now a village near Cardiff.[2]
Originally Celtic Christians, the bishops were in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church from 777 until the Reformation. In AD 914, the Danes ravaged Archenfield, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (AD 915, Worcester Manuscript, p. 99). The jarls leading the raids, Ohtor and Hroald, captured the bishop; he was later ransomed. The jarls were killed in a subsequent battle at "Killdane Field" (or "Kill Dane") in Weston-under-Penyard and the raiders were subdued.[3]
The first evidence that the bishops were called Bishop of Llandaff is from the early 11th century. Before this, though still ministering to Glamorgan and Gwent, the bishops described themselves as Bishop of Teilo[4] and were almost certainly based at Llandeilo Abbey. The very early bishops were probably based in Ergyng. Before 1107, the title Bishop of Gwlad Morgan (Glamorgan) had been adopted.[4] It was not until the title Bishop of Llandaff was used by Bishop Urban from c. 1119.[4] In medieval records, the bishop was sometimes referred to as the Archbishop of Llandaff.[citation needed] This appears to have been a simple reaction to the claim of St David's to the archiepiscopal title.[citation needed]
In 1534, the church in England and Wales broke allegiance with the Roman Catholic Church and established the Church of England. After a brief restoration with the Holy See during the reign of Queen Mary I, the Welsh dioceses remained part of the AnglicanProvince of Canterbury from the reign of Queen Elizabeth I until the early 20th century. Following the passing of the Welsh Church Act 1914, the church in Wales and Monmouthshire was disestablished and the independent Church in Wales was created on 31 March 1920. The bishopric and diocese of Llandaff now constitute part of the Church in Wales within the wider Anglican Communion.
A long-serving recent bishop of Llandaff was Barry Morgan; when elected as bishop in 1999 his official signature was Barry Landav, but once elected Archbishop of Wales in 2003 his archiepiscopal signature Barry Cambrensis took precedence. He was supported by David Wilbourne, assistant bishop of Llandaff from 2009 to 2017.
Following June Osborne's retirement, on 19 January 2023, it was announced that Mary Stallard, Assistant Bishop of Bangor, had been elected that day by the Electoral College of the Church in Wales at Llandaff Cathedral to become the next diocesan Bishop of Llandaff. She legally took up her See as of the Sacred Synod to confirm her election;[5] which occurred on 19 April 2023 at Holy Trinity, Llandudno.[6]
List of bishops
(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office.)
Pre-Reformation
Diocese of 'Glamorgan and Gwent' – Traditional list
Consecrated on 26 May 1056 or 23 May 1059. Suspended by Anselm of Canterbury soon after December 1093. Uncertain if reinstated, but died on 6 March 1104.
Formerly Prior of Goldcliff. Elected before 11 July 1219, received royal assent and the temporalities on 16 July 1219, and consecrated on 27 October 1219. Died in office on 28 January 1229.
Formerly Treasurer of Hereford. Received royal assent and the temporalities on 30 August 1230, and consecrated on 1 December 1230. Died in office on 7 or 13 May 1240.
Formerly a Canon of Llandaff, keeper of the king's Privy Seal, and controller of the Wardrobe. Elected sometime between 10 and 17 July 1244, received royal assent and the temporalities on 17 July 1244, and consecrated on 19 February 1245. Lost his sight c. 1246. Died in office on 11 June 1253.
Formerly Abbot of Margam. Elected sometime between 13 June–24 July 1253, received royal assent on 26 July 1253 and the temporalities on 12 August 1253, consecrated on 11 January 1254, and enthroned on 15 February 1254. Died in office on 29 or 30 June 1256.
Formerly Treasurer of Llandaff. Elected 28 July 1256, received royal assent on 26 July 1253 and the temporalities on 14 September 1256, and consecrated on 7 January 1257. Died in office on 9 January 1266.
Formerly Canon of Llandaff. Elected c. 7 March 1266, received royal assent on 28 March 1266 and the temporalities on 14 April 1266, and consecrated on 23 May 1266. Died in office on 18 or 19 March 1287.
Precentor of Wells and a Canon of Llandaff. Elected by some canons of Llandaff before 10 July 1287, but was opposed other canons and the chancellor of Llandaff. His opponents appealed to the pope, and the election was quashed on 16 September 1290.
Also known as William de Hotham. Dominican friar. Papal provision on 4 September 1290 and occurs as bishop-elect on 16 September 1290, but was unwilling to accept bishopric. Papal mandate ordering his obedience on 26 April 1291. Subsequently, became Archbishop of Dublin in 1296.
Formerly Chancellor of Oxford University and a canon of Lincoln. Papal provision on 2 October 1294, appointed by Archbishop Robert Winchelsey of Canterbury on 14 October 1294, received possession of the temporalities on 4 April 1295, and consecrated on 10 February 1297. Died in office on 8 April 1323.
Elected on 25 June 1323, royal assent sought on 7 July 1323 and granted on 15 July 1323, but set aside on hearing of the papal provision of Egglescliffe.
Translated from Connor, Ireland. Papal provision on 20 June 1323 and received possession of the temporalities on 13 August 1324. Died in office on 2 January 1347.
Elected by the cathedral chapter of Llandaff, received royal assent to the election on 16 March 1347, but set aside on hearing of the papal provision of Paschal.
Consecrated on 16 February 1344 in the lifetime of Bishop Egglescliffe. Papal provision on 19 February 1347 and received possession of the temporalities between 2–7 July 1347. Died in office on 11 October 1361.
Confessor to Richard II. Papal provision on 14 or 15 January 1383, received possession of the temporalities on 2 April 1383, and consecrated on 3 May 1383. Translated to Chichester on 16 October 1385.
Translated from the Titular see of Bethlehem. Papal provision on 16 October/2 December 1385 and received possession of the temporalities on 21 August 1386. Translated to Rochester on 27 August 1389.
Papal provision on 9 August 1389, received possession of the temporalities on 17 December 1389, and consecrated on 20 January 1390. Died in office on 11 June 1393.
Formerly Abbot of Beaulieu (1392–93). Papal provision on 13 October 1393, received royal assent on 18 August 1393 and the temporalities sometime between 3 July and 24 October 1394. Translated to Worcester before 13 June 1395.
Papal provision on 14 June 1395, received possession of the temporalities on 25 August 1395, and consecrated in 1395. Died in office before 12 April 1396.
Translated from Ossory, Ireland on 12 July 1398 and received possession of the temporalities on 16 November 1398. Translated to Worcester on 4 July 1407.
Elected before 13 or 30 November 1407, received possession of the temporalities on 7 June 1408, and consecrated on 12 August 1408. Died in office in April 1423.
1423
1425
John Fulford (bishop-elect)
Elected by the cathedral chapter, sought royal assent on 6 May 1423, but the election set aside on hearing of the papal provision of Wells.
Formerly Prior of Westminster. Nominated on 25 December 1440, papal provision on 17 February 1441, and consecrated on 21 May 1441. Died in office before 19 June 1458.
Formerly Prior of King's Langley. Papal provision on 19 June 1458 and received possession of the temporalities on 25 August 1458. Resigned before 18 March 1476. Afterwards Archdeacon of St David's (1476-1482).
Formerly Archdeacon of St David's. Papal provision circa 30 March 1476, consecrated in July 1476, and received possession of the temporalities on 11 September 1476. Died in office on 29 January 1478.
Papal provision on 18 May 1478, consecrated on 6 September 1478, and received possession of the temporalities sometime between 18 September–18 December 1478. Died in office sometime between 3 January–23 February 1496.
Formerly Prior of Sheen. Papal provision on 27 June 1496, received possession of the temporalities on 2 September 1496, and consecrated after 6 September 1496. Died in office before 14 November 1499.
Consecrated on 26 April 1500 and received possession of the temporalities on 12 May 1500. Also Abbot of Eynsham. Died in office sometime between 29 November 1516 and January 1517.
Chaplain to Queen Catherine (with whom he left Spain for England). Papal provision on 11 February 1517 and consecrated on 8 March 1517. Resigned in February 1537.
Elected on 8 March 1537, royal assent on 19 March 1537, and consecrated on 25 March 1537. Also briefly Prior of Watton until the priory was dissolved in 1539. Translated to York on 16 January 1545.
Formerly a Canon of Christ Church, Oxford. Nominated on 14 September 1724 and consecrated on 2 January 1725. Translated to Peterborough on 17 February 1729.
Formerly Dean of Exeter (1726–1740). Nominated on 31 October 1740 and consecrated on 28 December 1740. Translated to Salisbury on 29 December 1748 then to York on 24 May 1757.
Nominated on 6 August 1761 and consecrated on 28 December 1761. Also Canon of the Sixth Stall, Windsor (1738–1774). Translated to Bangor on 10 January 1769.
Formerly a Canon of St Paul's, London. Nominated on 13 September 1769 and consecrated on 1 October 1769. Translated to Salisbury on 27 August 1782 and then to Durham on 7 July 1791.
Translated from Swansea & Brecon. Elected on 22 June 1939 and confirmed on 27 September 1939. Also elected and confirmed Archbishop of Wales in 1949. Held both posts until his death on 26 June 1957.
Translated from Swansea & Brecon. Elected on 30 July 1957 and confirmed on 25 September 1957. Also elected Archbishop of Wales on 22 May 1968 and confirmed on 13 June 1968. Retired from both posts on 30 June 1970 and died on 14 June 1972.
Formerly Bishop of South-West Tanganyika (1962-1974) and an Assistant Bishop of Llandaff. Elected on 9 December 1975 and confirmed on 23 January 1976. Retired in 1985 and died on 25 October 1988.
^Blain, Michael. Blain Biographical Directory of Anglican clergy in the South Pacific — ordained before 1932 (2019) pp. 362–4. (Accessed at Project Canterbury, 26 June 2019)
Baring-Gould, Sabine; Fisher, John (1911). The Lives of the British Saints: The Saints of Wales and Cornwall and Such Irish Saints as Have Dedications in Britain. Vol. III. London: Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion. pp. 9–10.
Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I., eds. (1986). Handbook of British Chronology (3rd, reprinted 2003 ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN0-521-56350-X.