Dean of Chester

The Dean of Chester is based at Chester Cathedral in the Diocese of Chester and is the head of the Chapter at the cathedral. List of deans Early modern 1541 Thomas Clerk (first Dean of Chester) 1541–1547 Henry Man (afterwards Bishop of Sodor and Man 1546) 1547–1558 William Clyff 1560–1567 Richard Walker 1567–1572 John Piers (afterwards Dean of Salisbury 1572) 1572–1579 Richard Longworth 1579–1580 Robert Dorset 1580–1589 Thomas Mawdesley 1589–1602 John Nutter 1602–1605 William Barlow (afterwards Bishop of Rochester 1605) 1605–1607 Henry Parry (afterwards Bishop of Gloucester 1607) 1607–1644 Thomas Mallory 1644–1657 William Nichols 1660–1682 Henry Bridgeman (also Bishop of Sodor and Man 1671) 1682–1691 James Arderne 1691–1718 Lawrence Fogg 1718–1721 Walter Offley 1721–1732 Thomas Allen 1732–1758 Thomas Brooke 1758–1787 William Smith 1787–1805 George Cotton Late modern 1806–1815 Hugh Cholmondeley 1815-1820 Robert Hodgson (afterwards Dean of Carlisle 1820) 1820–1826 Peter Vaughan 1826–1828 Edward Coplestone (afterwards Bishop of Llandaff 1828) 1828–1831 Henry Phillpotts (afterwards Bishop of Exeter 1831) 1831–1839 George Davys (afterwards Bishop of Peterborough 1839) 1839–1867 Frederick Anson 1867–1885 John Howson 1886–1919 John Darby 1920–1937 Frank Bennett 1937–1953 Norman Tubbs (Assistant Bishop until 1948) 1954–1962 Michael Gibbs 1963–1977 George Addleshaw 1978–1986 Ingram Cleasby 1987–2001 Stephen Smalley 200230 September 2017 (ret.) Gordon McPhate 2017–2018 (Acting) Jane Brooke 8 September 2018present Tim Stratford