Dean and Canons of Windsor

TheDean and Canons of Windsorare the ecclesiastical body ofSt George's ChapelatWindsor Castle.[1]

St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, left, 1848.
The stalls for the Dean and Canons in the chapel
Rubbing ofmonumental brassin Eton College Chapel, ofRoger Lupton(d.1540) with hiscoat-of-armsbelow. Lupton's hair displays thetonsureof a cleric. He wears the mantle of aCanon of Windsor(based inSt George's Chapel, Windsor Castle), displaying on his left shoulder aCross of St Georgewithin a circle

Foundation

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The college of canons was established in 1348 byletters patentofKing Edward III.It was formally constituted on the feast ofSt Andrew the Apostle,30 November 1352, when the statutes drawn up byWilliam Edington,bishop of Winchester,as papal delegate, were solemnly delivered to William Mugge, the warden of the college.[2]

Accepting that the process of foundation took several years to complete, the college takes the year 1348 as its formal date of foundation.

Costume

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Three ancientmonumental brassessurvive depicting canons of Windsor, wearing the mantle of theOrder of the Garter,purple in colour, with a circular badge on the left shoulder, displaying:Argent, a cross gules(aSaint George's Cross):[3]

  1. c. 1370. Roger Parkers,North Stoke, Oxfordshire(half effigy with inscription; head lost).
  2. 1540.Roger Lupton,LL.D., Provost of Eton College and Canon of Windsor.Eton College Chapel(mantle worn over fur-lined cassock; no surplice).
  3. 1558. Arthur Cole, S.T.B., President of Magdalen, atMagdalen College, Oxford.Showing a very ornate mantle worn over cassock and surplice.

The long cords which fasten the mantle are well represented atNorth StokeandMagdalen College.In the two later examples it is gathered. On the Eton brass the mantle is fastened at the neck. The lost effigy of John Robyns, d. 1558, of which the inscription remains in St George's Chapel, may have shown him wearing the mantle.[4]Brasses of canons of Windsor are found showing them vested in copes, without the Garter badge, as atThurcaston,Leicestershire. (John Mershdcn, 1425), and at Harrow (Simon Marcheford, 1442). A brass was discovered in 1890 at Bennington, nearStevenage,Hertfordshire, showing a small mutilated effigy of a priest in a cope with a round badge (possibly a rose) on the left shoulder. The cope has anorphrey.This has been supposed to represent a Canon of Windsor.[5]

Suspension of canonries

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Section 9 of theEcclesiastical Commissioners Act 1840(3 & 4 Vict.c. 113) provided for the suspension of eight of the canonries at St George's. It required that the first two vacant canonries should be suspended, the next filled, the next two suspended, the next filled, the next two suspended, the next filled, and the next two suspended.[6]

Current chapter

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As of 2 September 2023:[7]

  • Dean of WindsorChristopher Cocksworth(from November 2023)[8]
  • Vice-Dean, and Warden of St George's House — Hueston Finlay (canon since 25 September 2004 and warden since September 2005;[9]steward 2006–2009;[10]treasurer since 2012;[11]Vice-Dean since before July 2017)[12]
  • CanonPrecentorand Chaplain —Martin Poll(canon and chaplain since 1 October 2012 installation;[13]precentor since before July 2017)[14]
  • Canon Steward and Treasurer — Mark Powell (since 1 February 2016 installation)[15]
Minor Canons
  • Succentorand School Chaplain — Jonathan Coore

Deans of Windsor

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SeeDean of Windsorfor chronological list.

Canons of the First Stall

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Canonry of the First Stall suspended 1861 by Act of 1840.

Canons of the Second Stall

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Canonry of the Second Stall then suspended by Act of 1840.

Canons of the Third Stall

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Canonry of the Third Stall suspended by Act of 1840.

Canons of the Fourth Stall

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Canonry suspended by Act of 1840.

Canons of the Fifth Stall

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Canons of the Sixth Stall

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Canons of the Seventh Stall

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Canonry suspended in 1860 by Act of 1840.

Canons of the Eighth Stall

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Canonry of the Eighth Stall suspended by the Act of 1840.

Canons of the Ninth Stall

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current

Canons of the Tenth Stall

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Canonry of the Tenth Stall suspended by the Act of 1840.

Canons of the Eleventh Stall

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Canons of the Twelfth Stall

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Twelfth Stall suspended under the Act of 1840.

References

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  1. ^"Dean & Canons of Windsor".St George's House Windsor Castle.Archived fromthe originalon 18 June 2008.Retrieved18 April2008.
  2. ^Ollard, Sidney Leslie (1950).Fasti Wyndesoriensis. The Deans and Canons of St. George's Chapel.Historical monographs relating to St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.Vol. 8.
  3. ^Druitt, Herbert (1906).A manual of costume as illustrated by monumental brasses.Alex. Moring.
  4. ^Field, J. E. (May 1887)."Brasses of Canons of Windsor".The Antiquary.XV:212–214.
  5. ^Transactions of the Cambridge University Association of Brass Collectors.Vol. II. London: Headley Bros. 1894. p.24.
  6. ^Ecclesiastical Commissioners Act 1840 (c. 113),section 9.
  7. ^"Dean & Canons".stgeorges-windsor.org.Retrieved2 January2021.
  8. ^"Christopher Cocksworth to be appointed the Dean of Windsor".Diocese of Coventry.20 June 2023. Archived fromthe originalon 20 June 2023.Retrieved20 June2023.
  9. ^"Dean and Canons".Archived from the original on 14 October 2004.Retrieved20 July2019.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  10. ^"Dean and Canons".Archived from the original on 14 August 2007.Retrieved20 July2019.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  11. ^"The Dean & Canons of Windsor".Archived from the original on 28 September 2012.Retrieved8 February2019.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  12. ^"Services and Music from Sunday 2 to Saturday 8 July 2017"(PDF).2 July 2017.Retrieved22 May2019.
  13. ^"New Canon of Windsor Installed".n.d.Retrieved22 May2019.
  14. ^"Summer 2017 Services and Music Booklet"(PDF).17 July 2008.Retrieved22 May2019.
  15. ^ab"New Canon of Windsor".16 November 2015. Archived fromthe originalon 24 April 2016.
  16. ^"No. 27420".The London Gazette.28 March 1902. p. 2153.
  17. ^"Canon Alan Coldwells – Obituaries".The Independent.London.Retrieved13 March2011.[dead link]
  18. ^"New Canon of Windsor".College of St George – Windsor Castle. 23 April 2009. Archived fromthe originalon 18 July 2011.Retrieved13 March2011.
  19. ^"The Reverend John Pelling, D.D".Victoria & Albert Museum.Retrieved22 May2019.
  20. ^Portraits of John Pellingat theNational Portrait Gallery, London
  21. ^Slee, Colin (23 November 2009)."Stephen Verney obituary".The Guardian.London.Retrieved13 March2011.
  22. ^Stanesby, Derek (25 September 1996)."Obituary: Canon G. B. Bentley".The Independent.London. Archived fromthe originalon 4 November 2012.Retrieved13 March2011.
  23. ^"The Rev Canon John White, CVO's Biography".Debretts. 27 June 1942. Archived fromthe originalon 31 July 2012.Retrieved13 March2011.