† The Clergy †
Assorted Bishops, vicars and other clerical gentleman live in the World of Wodehouse. Some make an impact, others only pass by (but never on the other side). This list brings them all together, by rank but not denomination (probably all Anglican).
Bishops
- Bangor
- Attended Oxford University as an undergraduate as mentioned in Heavy Weather.
- Bognor
- 1. Previously a headmaster, the Rev. J. G. Smethurst in The Voice from the Past.
- 2. Surname Fotheringay-Phipps (and father of Cyril) in Joy Bells for Barmy.
- 3. Theophilus Mulliner in The Right Approach.
- Bongo-Bongo
- An African diocese. The current incumbent is Theodore, previously vicar of St. Botolph, Knightsbridge, and Dean of Bolsover. (Cats Will Be Cats and mentioned in The Story of Webster)
- Francis
- Surname and diocese not stated. Uncle of Lord Belpher (on his mother's side) in A Damsel in Distress.
- Godalming
- A relative of Lord Emsworth in Something Fresh.
- Peter Peckham
- Diocese not stated, in Ruthless Reginald.
- Poole
- Dinner guest at Blandings Castle (unseen). (Heavy Weather)
- Stortford
- 1. Featured in three Mr Mulliner tales with Augustine Mulliner. (Surname Bickerton.)
- 2. Mentioned in Joy Bells for Barmy and The Right Approach with the surname Brimble.
- 3. Mentioned in Cocktail Time.
The English Anglican (Church of England) dioceses - the real Bishops - are listed below.
Vicars
- Barlitt
- Vicar of Crofton, Shropshire in Mike and Psmith.
- Belford
- Vicar of Market Blandings in Shropshire in Pig-hoo-o-o-o-ey!.
- Bellamy
- Vicar of Hockley-cum-Meston in Gloucestershire, soon to retire, in Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves.
- Rupert Bingham
- Vicar of Much Matchingham in Shropshire, near Blandings Castle.
- Braithwaite
- Vicar of Much Matchingham in Shropshire before Rupert Bingham.
- Stanley Brandon
- Vicar of Lower Briskett-in-the Midden. (Mulliner's Buck-U-Uppo)
- Ambrose Briscoe
- Vicar of Maiden Eggesford, Somerset. (Aunts Aren't Gentlemen)
- Cuthbert Dibble
- Vicar of Boustead Parva in Gloucestershire. (The Inimitable Jeeves) †
- W. Dix
- Vicar of Little Clickton-in-the-Wold in Gloucestershire. (The Inimitable Jeeves) †
- Herbert Fitch
- Vicar of Much Middlefold and father of Sally Fitch. (Bachelors Anonymous)
- Fosberry
- Vicar of Blandings Parva (probably), near Blandings Castle. (Heavy Weather and Galahad at Blandings)
- Henry Garnet
- Late vicar of Much Middlefold. (Love Among the Chickens)
- Sidney Gooch
- Vicar of Rising Mattock, Hants. (Anselm gets his Chance)
- G. Hayward
- Vicar of Lower Bingley in Gloucestershire. (The Inimitable Jeeves) †
- Frances Heppenstall
- Vicar of Twing in Gloucestershire. Noted for delivering long sermons, including one on 'Brotherly Love' which can last for 50 minutes. (The Inimitable Jeeves) †
- Orlo Hough
- Vicar of Boustead Major in Gloucestershire. (The Inimitable Jeeves) †
- Aubrey Jerningham
- Vicar in Valley Fields, London, and author of Is there a Hell?, a weighty volume. (Sam the Sudden)
- J. Jipson
- Vicar of Piggleston in Hertfordshire, he has four daughters. (Unpleasantness at Kosy Kot)
- Alexander Jones
- Vicar of Upper Bingley in Gloucestershire. (The Inimitable Jeeves) †
- Joseph Marson
- Vicar of Much Middlefold, Shropshire. (Something Fresh)
- Augustine Mulliner
- Vicar of Walsingford-below-Chiveney-on-Thames in Gala Night.
- Sidney Pirbright
- Vicar of King's Deverill, Hampshire. (The Mating Season)
- Alistair Pond-Pond
- Vicar of Rudge-in-the-Vale, Worcestershire, 'a happy phrase-maker'. (Money for Nothing)
- J. J. Roberts
- Vicar of Fale-by-the-Water in Gloucestershire. (The Inimitable Jeeves) †
- Mr Spettigrue
- Rector of Gandle-by-the-Hill. (The Inimitable Jeeves)
- Leonard Starkis
- Vicar of Stapleton in Gloucestershire. (The Inimitable Jeeves) †
- Joseph Tucker
- Vicar of Badgwick in Gloucestershire. (The Inimitable Jeeves) †
- Henry Ukridge
- Once vicar of Much Middlefold, Shropshire.
Those marked with a † were runners in the Great Sermon Handicap - see The Inimitable Jeeves.
Curates
- Bill Bailey
- Curate of Bottleton East, London, in Service with a Smile.
- Aubrey Brotherhood
- Curate at Ashenden Oakshott in Uncle Dynamite.
- Joseph Dacre
- A cricketing curate in Marvis Bay. (The Lost Bowlers)
- Henry Drew
- A cricketing curate in Tom, Dick and Harry.
- Cyril Ferguson
- Curate in Little Weeting, Hants. Preaches temperance in A Damsel in Distress.
- Anselm Mulliner
- Curate in Rising Mattock, Hants.
- Augustine Mulliner
- At Lower Briskett-in-the-Midden before promotion. (Mulliner's Buck-U-Uppo and The Bishop's Move)
- Harold Pinker
- Curate of Totleigh-in-the-Wold, Glos.
- Mr Randall
- Curate at Bray Lench in The Fifteenth Man.
- Mr Travers
- Curate at Much Middlefold, in Against the Clock.
- Hubert Wingham
- Curate to the Rev. Frances Heppenstall in Twing, Gloucestershire. Third son of the Earl of Sturridge.
Other gentlemen of the cloth
- Rev. James Bates
- Assistant master at Eton and nephew of the Rev. Francis Heppenstall in The Inimitable Jeeves.
- Rev. James Beckett
- Headmaster of Beckford College in A Prefect's Uncle.
- The Very Reverend Dean of Bittlesham
- Conducts a marriage service in The Smile That Wins.
- Rev. Septimus Brown
- A mathematics master at St. Austin's College
- Rev. Trevor Entwhistle
- Headmaster of Harchester school in The Bishop's Move.
- Rev. John Hatton
- Runs a boys club in Lambeth in Not George Washington.
- Rev. Herbert Perceval
- Headmaster of St. Austin's College
- Rev. William Plover
- Governor of Market Snodsbury Grammar School in Right Ho, Jeeves.
- Rev. Aubrey Sellick
- Editor of Tiny Tots, a children's paper, for the Mammoth Publishing Co. in Bill the Conqueror and Heavy Weather.
- Rev. Aubrey Upjohn
- Headmaster at Malvern House school.
- Rev. Gideon Voules
- Clergyman from Flushing, New York.
Return to top of page
Anglican dioceses in England
There are 41 Anglican Bishops and two Archbishops* in England (at October 2003).
| Bath and Wells | Derby | London | Salisbury |
| Birmingham | Durham | Manchester | Sheffield |
| Blackburn | Ely | Newcastle | Sodor and Man |
| Bradford | Exeter | Norwich | Southwark |
| Bristol | Gloucester | Oxford | Southwell |
| Canterbury* | Guildford | Peterborough | Truro |
| Carlisle | Hereford | Portsmouth | Wakefield |
| Chelmsford | Leicester | Ripon and Leeds | Winchester |
| Chester | Lichfield | Rochester | Worcester |
| Chichester | Lincoln | St. Albans | York* |
| Coventry | Liverpool | St. Edmundsbury and Ipswich |
For more information on the Anglican church, including these dioceses, go to Anglicansonline.org. While there, try out the search facility - instead of 'Go' or 'Submit' the search button reads 'Go thou and find', and result rankings are indicated by the number of bishop's mitres. Who says the church can't laugh at itself.
Return to top of page
