Suffragan Bishops Act 1534
The Suffragan Bishops Act 1534 is an act of the Parliament of England that authorised the appointment of suffragan bishops in England and Wales. The tradition of appointing suffragans named after a town in the diocese other than the town the diocesan bishop is named after can be dated from this act.
The act named Thetford, Ipswich, Colchester, Dover, Guildford, Southampton, Taunton, Shaftesbury, Molton, Marlborough, Bedford, Leicester, Gloucester, Shrewsbury, Bristol, Penrydd, Bridgwater, Nottingham, Grantham, Hull, Huntingdon, Cambridge, Penrith, Berwick-upon-Tweed, St Germans and the Isle of Wight as specific suitable suffragan sees.
This act was partly in force in Great Britain at the end of 2010.
The repeal by the Statute Law Act 1969 of section 2 of the Act of Supremacy does not affect the continued operation, so far as unrepealed, of the Suffragan Bishops Act 1534.
Since 1898, notwithstanding anything contained in the Suffragan Bishops Act 1534 it has been lawful to nominate, present and appoint as suffragan bishop persons already consecrated as a bishop and, in that case, the letters patent presenting them do not require their consecration. The Dioceses Measure 1978 concerns petitions to make appointments under this act. Until 1898, men already in episcopal orders were sometimes made assistant bishops instead.
Provisions
Section 2
In section 2 of the act, the words from "and have such capacitie" to the end were repealed by of the Dioceses Measure 1978. This repeal does not invalidate any commission given to a suffragan bishop which was in force immediately before the commencement of that Measure. Section 15 provides for such commissions to continue in force until the date on which the suffragan bishop to whom the commission was given ceases to hold that office, or the date on which the commission is revoked by the bishop of the diocese, whichever first occurs. So long as any such commission remains in force so much of section 2 of the Suffragan Bishops Act 1534 as is repealed by 15 of that Measure continues, notwithstanding the repeal, to apply to the suffragan bishop to whom the commission was given.Section 4
In section 4 of the act, the words from "nor use" to the end were repealed by section 15 of the Dioceses Measure 1978. This repeal does not invalidate any commission given to a suffragan bishop which was in force immediately before the commencement of that Measure. Section 15 provides for such commissions to continue in force until the date on which the suffragan bishop to whom the commission was given ceases to hold that office, or the date on which the commission is revoked by the bishop of the diocese, whichever first occurs. So long as any such commission remains in force so much of section 2 of the Suffragan Bishops Act 1534 as is repealed by 15 of that Measure continues, notwithstanding the repeal, to apply to the suffragan bishop to whom the commission was given.Section 6
In section 6 of the act, the words "of the bishop to whom he shall be suffragan" were substituted for the words "where he shall have comyssyon" by section 15 of the Dioceses Measure 1978.Section 7
Section 7 of the act was repealed by part V of schedule 1 to the Statute Law Act 1977.1534 titles
Those titles mandated by the 1534 act currently in use as suffragan sees today are indicated in bold type:Other suffragan titles
Since the passage of the Suffragans Nomination Act 1888, it has been lawful to create suffragan sees named for other towns. These have so far included :- Bishop of Aston
- Bishop of Barking
- Bishop of Barrow-in-Furness
- Bishop of Basingstoke
- Bishop of Beverley
- Bishop of Birkenhead
- Bishop of Bolton
- Bishop of Bradford
- Bishop of Bradwell
- Bishop of Brixworth
- Bishop of Buckingham
- Bishop of Burnley
- Bishop of Coventry
- Bishop of Crediton
- Bishop of Croydon
- Bishop of Derby
- Bishop of Doncaster
- Bishop of Dorchester
- Bishop of Dorking
- Bishop of Dudley
- Bishop of Dunwich
- Bishop of Ebbsfleet
- Bishop of Edmonton
- Suffragan Bishop in Europe
- Bishop of Fulham
- Bishop of Grimsby
- Bishop of Hertford
- Bishop of Horsham
- Bishop of Huddersfield
- Bishop of Hulme
- Bishop of Islington
- Bishop of Jarrow
- Bishop of Kensington
- Bishop of Kingston-upon-Thames
- Bishop of Kirkstall
- Bishop of Lancaster
- Bishop of Lewes
- Bishop of Loughborough
- Bishop of Ludlow
- Bishop of Lynn
- Bishop of Maidstone
- Bishop of Middleton
- Bishop of Plymouth
- Bishop of Ramsbury
- Bishop of Reading
- Bishop of Repton
- Bishop of Richborough
- Bishop of Ripon
- Bishop of Selby
- Bishop of Sheffield
- Bishop of Sherborne
- Bishop of Sherwood
- Bishop of Southwark
- Bishop of Stafford
- Bishop of Stepney
- Bishop of Stockport
- Bishop of Swindon
- Bishop of Tewkesbury
- Bishop of Tonbridge
- Bishop of Wakefield
- Bishop of Warrington
- Bishop of Warwick
- Bishop of Whalley
- Bishop of Whitby
- Bishop of Willesden
- Bishop of Wolverhampton
- Bishop of Woolwich
By Order-in-Council dated 6 April 1889:
- Bishop of Alnwick
- Bishop of Bishopwearmouth
- Bishop of Halifax
- Bishop of Hexham
- Bishop of Kendal
- Bishop of Rochdale
- Bishop of Wigan
- Bishop of Aylesbury
- Bishop of Boston
- Bishop of Chelsea
- Bishop of Cirencester
- Bishop of Leominster
- Bishop of Northampton
- Bishop of Oswestry