Ralph Brideoake

For his son, see Ralph Brideoake (priest).

Ralph Brideoake (1612/13–1678) was an English clergyman, who became Bishop of Chichester.

The Right Reverend Ralph Brideoake
Bishop of Chichester
Church	Church of England
Diocese	Diocese of Chichester
In office	1675–1678
Predecessor	Peter Gunning
Successor	Guy Carleton
Previous post(s)	Dean of Salisbury
Orders
Consecration	18 April 1675 by Gilbert Sheldon
Personal details
Born	1612 (NS 1613) Cheetham Hill, Manchester, Lancashire, England
Died	5 October 1678
Buried	St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle
Denomination	Anglican
Parents	Richard Brideoake, or Briddock and Cicely Booth
Spouse	Mary Saltonstall
Children	Ralph Brideoake
Education	Manchester Grammar School
Alma mater	Brasenose College, Oxford

Life

Born in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, and baptised on 31 January 1612 (NS 1613)^[1] at the Collegiate Church, Manchester, Brideoake graduated from Brasenose College, Oxford with a BA in 1634, and made a MA by Charles I of England in 1636. During the 1630s, Brideoake attempted to write poetry.

Beginning in 1638, Brideoake was High Master at Manchester Free School,^[2] but lost the position because of his Royalist affiliation. He became chaplain to James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby, a Royalist leader, and was besieged at Lathom House (near Ormskirk, Lancashire) with Stanley's family in 1644.^[3] He interceded, unsuccessfully, with William Lenthall, Speaker of Parliament, for a stay of the execution of the captured Earl, in 1651.^[4] Brideoake then became chaplain to Lenthall.

Brideoake was Vicar of Witney^[5] from 1654.^[6] On the Restoration, he became Rector of Standish in 1660, Dean of Salisbury in 1667,^[7] and Bishop of Chichester in 1675.^[8] During this time he had some connection with the almshouses at Heytesbury, within Salisbury diocese, for he bought a mill at Chirton on behalf of the charity in 1671.^[9]

In 1660 he was appointed Canon of the eleventh stall at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, a position he held until 1678.^[10] He died on 5 October 1678 and is buried in St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. His monument was sculpted by William Bird of Oxford.^[11]

Notes

1. "Baptisms at the Cathedral in the City of Manchester, 1606–1616". Lancashire OnLine Parish Clerks. Retrieved 28 December 2008.
2. The Manchester Grammar School – High Masters. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
3. Chronology for the Salford Hundred: 1678. Retrieved 28 December 2008.
4. Lathom, Knowsley and the Stanleys. Retrieved 28 December 2008.
5. Witney Borough: Introduction Archived 18 March 2005 at the Wayback Machine. by Simon Townley. Retrieved 28 December 2008.
6. Concise Dictionary of National Biography
7. Deans of Salisbury, 1536–1880. British History Online. Retrieved 28 December 2008.
8. Bishops of Chichester, 1536–1870. British History Online. Retrieved 28 December 2008.
9. Baggs, A. P.; Crowley, D. A.; Pugh, Ralph B.; Stevenson, Janet H.; Tomlinson, Margaret (1975). "Parishes: Chirton". In Crittall, Elizabeth (ed.). A History of the County of Wiltshire, Volume 10. Victoria County History. University of London. pp. 60–71. Retrieved 8 May 2022 – via British History Online.
10. Fasti Wyndesorienses, May 1950. S.L. Ollard. Published by the Dean and Canons of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.
11. Dictionary of British Sculptors 1660–1851, Rupert Gunnis

External links

• "Brideoake, Ralph (Bishop of Chichester) (CCEd Bishop ID 168)". The Clergy of the Church of England Database 1540–1835. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
• "Brideoake, Ralph". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.

Church of England titles
Preceded by Richard Baylie	Dean of Salisbury 1667–1675	Succeeded by Thomas Pierce
Preceded by Peter Gunning	Bishop of Chichester 1675–1678	Succeeded by Guy Carleton