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.

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
 * 2002 – 30 September 2017 (ret.) Gordon McPhate
 * 2017–2018 (Acting) Jane Brooke
 * 8 September 2018 – present Tim Stratford