The Bishop of Waterford was a medieval prelate, governing the Diocese of Waterford from its creation in the 11th century until it was absorbed into the new Roman Catholic Diocese of Waterford and Lismore in the 14th century. After the creation of four archdioceses for Ireland in the middle of the 12th century, Waterford fell under the Archbishop of Cashel.
The beginnings of the bishopric of Waterford can be dated fairly securely. The Norse city of Waterford became a bishopric in 1096, when Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury consecrated Malchus (Máel Ísu Ua hAinmere) as its first bishop. Pope John XXII had decreed on 31 June 1327 that the bishoprics of Waterford and Lismore were to be united upon the death of either living bishop, Nicholas Welifed of Waterford (died 1337) and John Leynagh of Lismore (died 1354). This did not occur until 1363 however, when Thomas le Reve, Leynagh's successor at Lismore, took over the temporalities of the bishopric of Waterford.
| Bishops of Waterford | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes |
| 1096 | 1135 | Máel Ísu Ua hAinmere, O.S.B. | Formerly a monk of Winchester Abbey; consecrated bishop on 27 December 1096 by St Anselm; appointed the first Archbishop of Cashel at the Synod of Rathbreasail in 1111, but appears to have resigned it shortly afterwards and retired back to Waterford; during the last years of his life was also Bishop of Lismore; died in 1135; also was known in Latin as Malchus |
| before 1152 | unknown | Toistius | Attended at the Synod of Kells in 1152; death date unknown |
| 1175 | 1182 | Augustinus Ua Selbaig | Elected 6 October 1175; attended at the Third Council of the Lateran in 1179; died 1182 |
| before 1198 | 1204 | Robert I | Found to be bishop around 1195 and 1198; died before October 1204 |
| 1204 | 1209 | David the Welshman | Elected before 19 October 1204 and consecrated later in the same year; following a dispute concerning property with the Bishop of Lismore, he was murdered in 1209 by Ua Fáeláin, King of the Déise; also known as David "Breathnach" |
| 1210 | 1223 | Robert II | Elected after June 1210; died before April 1223 |
| 1223 | 1225 | William Wace | Formerly Dean of Waterford; elected bishop before 5 April and received possession of the temporalities 6 April 1223; died before 19 April 1225 |
| 1227 | 1232 | Walter, O.S.B. | Formerly Prior of St John's Abbey, Waterford; elected bishop circa 20 August 1227 and received possession of the temporalities after that date; 1 August 1232 |
| 1232 | 1250 | Stephen, O.S.B. | Elected before 19 December 1232 and received possession of the temporalities after that date; died before March 1250 |
| 1250 | 1251 | Henry | Formerly Archdeacon of Waterford; elected bishop before 11 March 1250 and received possession of the temporalities after that date; died 20 July 1251 |
| 1252 | 1254 | Philip | Formerly Dean of Waterford; elected bishop before 26 March 1252 and received possession of the temporalities 14 June 1252; died 15 April 1254 |
| 1255 | 1271 | Walter de Southwell | Elected before 2 April 1255 and was confirmed by Pope Alexander IV on that date; died circa 24 March 1271 |
| 1274 | 1286 | Stephen de Fulbourn | Elected before 10 June 1274 and received possession of the temporalities 28 October 1274; translated to Tuam 12 July 1286. Also Lord High Treasurer of Ireland 1278-1281. |
| 1286 | 1307 | Walter de Fulburn | Brother of the previous bishop; translated from Meath 12 July 1286; died 14 December 1307 |
| 1308 | 1322 | Matthew | Formerly Chancellor of Waterford; elected bishop 7 February 1308; died 18 December 1322 |
| 1323 | 1337 | Nicholas Welifed | Formerly Dean of Waterford; consecrated bishop 17 April 1323 and received possession of the temporalities 28 July 1323; died 27 June 1337 |
| 1338 | 1349 | Richard Francis | Elected before 6 April 1338 and received possession of the temporalities on that date; acted as a suffragan bishop in the diocese of Exeter 1338; died circa 1349 |
| 1349 | 1350 | Robert Elyot | Elected circa 1349 and consecrated in June 1349; deprived of Waterford before March 1350, and the following year he was appointed to Killala on 8 June 1351 |
| 1350 | 1361 | Roger Cradock, O.F.M. | Appointed 2 March 1350; received possession of the temporalities 17 August 1350 and again 10 May 1352; translated to Llandaff in December 1361; died 22 June 1382 |
| In 1363, Waterford united with the see of Lismore to form the united bishopric of Waterford and Lismore | |||
| align=center colspan="4" | Source(s):[1] [2] [3] | ||