The Politics and the Financial Costs of an Episcopal Appointment in the Early Eighteenth Century: The Promotion of William Wake to the Bishopric of Lincoln in 1705

Abstract

The relationship of politics and religion in early eighteenth-century England was such that the heated political conflicts of the age of party were reflected in the Church of England, particularly in the appointments to the twenty-six English and Welsh bishoprics. After all, the bishops formed an important group in the House of Lords and their political stance was of considerable significance to the administration in power. Thus during the reign of Queen Anne their appointment was often the occasion for intense political activity amongst the clergy and the leaders of the Whig and Tory parties. The first major conflict over an episcopal appointment in Anne's reign came in 1705 with the elevation of William Wake to the bishopric of Lincoln. As Dean of Exeter, Wake was in a crucial position in the southwest of England, an area politically important for the Tories. With a general election in the offing, his replacement as dean might significantly affect the outcome in Devon and Cornwall. The political importance of Wake's promotion was first clearly understood by the historian Norman Sykes.' Thirty-two years later G.V. Bennett, with the advantage of the many personal archives which had come into the public domain, retold the story of Wake's appointment in the buildup to the important bishoprics crisis of 1707 when several ecclesiastical promotions were at the center of a min-