Notable Anglicans

Notable Anglicans

This page gathers short biographical notes on notable Anglicans whose lives and ministries have shaped the doctrine, worship, spirituality, and mission of the Church from the Reformation to the present.

This is not an exhaustive list, but a curated starting point for readers who want to explore the breadth of historic, catholic, and Reformed Anglican witness.

English Reformation and Settlement (16th century)

Thomas Cranmer (1489–1556)

Archbishop of Canterbury and principal architect of the first Books of Common Prayer (1549, 1552) and the English Reformation settlement. Martyred under Queen Mary I, Cranmer’s liturgical and doctrinal work still shapes Anglican worship worldwide.

Hugh Latimer (c. 1487–1555)

Bishop of Worcester and powerful Reformation preacher, remembered for his bold sermons against corruption and his martyrdom at Oxford alongside Nicholas Ridley.

Nicholas Ridley (c. 1500–1555)

Bishop of London and leading Reformed theologian of the English Reformation. Burned at the stake in Oxford; remembered with Latimer as one of the “Oxford Martyrs.”

John Hooper (c. 1495–1555)

Bishop of Gloucester and later Worcester, a strong advocate of Reformed doctrine and simple, disciplined piety. Martyred under Mary I.

John Jewel (1522–1571)

Bishop of Salisbury and author of *An Apology of the Church of England*, an early, classic statement of Anglican identity as both reformed and catholic.

Matthew Parker (1504–1575)

Archbishop of Canterbury under Elizabeth I. Key figure in stabilizing the Elizabethan Settlement and supervising the revision of the Articles of Religion and the 1559 Prayer Book.

Classical Anglican Divines (17th century)

Richard Hooker (1554–1600)

Priest and theologian, author of *Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity*. Defended the Church of England’s ordered, sacramental life and its use of reason in theology.

Lancelot Andrewes (1555–1626)

Bishop of Chichester, Ely, and Winchester; preacher, liturgist, and a key translator for the King James Version. His sermons and private devotions exemplify classic Anglican spirituality.

John Donne (1572–1631)

Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral, poet and preacher. His sermons and poetry express the depth of Anglican devotion, repentance, and hope in Christ.

George Herbert (1593–1633)

Country priest and devotional poet. His book *The Country Parson* and his poetry present an ideal of pastoral faithfulness and humble service.

Jeremy Taylor (1613–1667)

Bishop and spiritual writer, sometimes called the “Shakespeare of the Divines.” His works *Holy Living* and *Holy Dying* shaped Anglican devotional life for centuries.

James Ussher (1581–1656)

Archbishop of Armagh and theologian, involved in Reformed and Anglican debates of his time. Known for his scholarship and defense of Scriptural authority.

John Cosin (1594–1672)

Bishop of Durham. Helped shape the 1662 Book of Common Prayer and defended the catholic, liturgical character of the Church of England after the Restoration.

Restoration, Non-Jurors, and later 17th–18th centuries

William Laud (1573–1645)

Archbishop of Canterbury and chief ecclesiastical advisor to Charles I. Advocated ceremonial order and episcopal authority; executed during the English Civil War and later regarded by some as a martyr.

Thomas Ken (1637–1711)

Bishop of Bath and Wells and one of the Non-Jurors who refused allegiance to William and Mary. Author of well-known hymns, including “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.”

John Pearson (1613–1686)

Bishop of Chester and author of *An Exposition of the Creed*, a standard Anglican work on the Apostles’ Creed and the catholic faith.

Robert Leighton (c. 1611–1684)

Archbishop of Glasgow (Church of Scotland, episcopal phase) and spiritual writer often read in Anglican circles for his evangelical, Christ-centered piety.

William Beveridge (1637–1708)

Bishop of St Asaph, remembered for his orthodox preaching, pastoral concern, and support for the Prayer Book’s doctrine and worship.

Evangelical Revival and Mission (18th–19th centuries)

John Wesley (1703–1791)

Priest of the Church of England and leader of the Methodist revival. Though Methodism later separated institutionally, Wesley remained an Anglican clergyman and his preaching, societies, and hymns deeply influenced Anglican evangelicalism.

George Whitefield (1714–1770)

Anglican priest and evangelist, a key figure in the Great Awakening in Britain and North America. Known for his powerful open-air preaching.

Charles Simeon (1759–1836)

Vicar of Holy Trinity, Cambridge for over 50 years. Influential evangelical preacher, mentor, and promoter of missions and expository preaching.

Henry Martyn (1781–1812)

Cambridge scholar and missionary chaplain to India and Persia. Translated the New Testament into Persian and Urdu, embodying Anglican missionary zeal.

Samuel Ajayi Crowther (c. 1809–1891)

First African Anglican bishop of the Church of Nigeria (Bishop on the Niger). Former slave turned missionary and translator who helped establish a self-governing African church.

Bishop Reginald Heber (1783–1826)

Bishop of Calcutta and hymn-writer (“Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty”), remembered for missionary leadership in India.

Catholic Revival and Anglo-Catholic Witness (19th–early 20th centuries)

John Henry Newman (1801–1890)

Originally an Anglican priest and leader of the Oxford Movement, later received into the Roman Catholic Church. His Anglican writings, especially the *Tracts for the Times*, had lasting influence on Anglican self-understanding.

Edward Bouverie Pusey (1800–1882)

Priest, scholar, and one of the principal Oxford Movement leaders who remained Anglican. Defended sacramental theology, patristic study, and Catholic continuity.

John Keble (1792–1866)

Priest and poet whose 1833 “Assize Sermon - National Apostasy” is often seen as the formal beginning of the Oxford Movement. His book *The Christian Year* nourished Anglican devotion.

Charles Gore (1853–1932)

Bishop and theologian, leader in the Anglo-Catholic movement and founder of the Community of the Resurrection (Mirfield). His writings stressed the Incarnation and social responsibility. A collection of essays edited by Charles Gore: “Lux Mundi - A Series of Studies in the Religion of the Incarnation”, is often seen as the beginning of the Liberal Catholic movement, frequently referred to as the Lux Mundi School.

Austin Farrer (1904–1968)

Priest, philosopher, and biblical scholar. His sermons and works on Scripture, prayer, and metaphysics are highly regarded in Anglican theology.

Global Anglican Mission and Leadership (19th–20th centuries)

Charles Grafton (1830–1912)

Second Bishop of Fond du Lac (USA) and key Anglo-Catholic leader in North America, associated with the founding of religious communities and the recovery of ceremonial worship.

William Temple (1881–1944)

Archbishop of York and later Canterbury. Known for his pastoral leadership during World War II and for articulating a Christian vision of social order and public life.

Geoffrey Francis Fisher (1887–1972)

Archbishop of Canterbury (1945–1961) who helped guide the Church of England through post-war reconstruction and early ecumenical endeavours.

Stephen Neill (1900–1984)

Missionary bishop in South India and later a theologian and historian of missions, influential in understanding Anglicanism as a global, missionary communion.

Modern Evangelical and Confessional Anglicans (20th century)

John Charles Ryle (1816–1900)

First Bishop of Liverpool and a leading evangelical Anglican. His expository writings, tracts, and commentaries continue to shape evangelical Anglicans worldwide.

Thomas Chalmers (1780–1847)

Though chiefly associated with the Church of Scotland, his evangelical, Reformed thought influenced Anglican evangelicals and the wider British Protestant world.

John R. W. Stott (1921–2011)

Priest and theologian of All Souls, Langham Place (London). A central leader of 20th-century evangelical Anglicanism, known for expository preaching, global mission advocacy, and works such as *Basic Christianity* and *The Cross of Christ*.

James I. Packer (1926–2020)

Theologian and catechist, long associated with Anglican evangelicalism. Author of *Knowing God* and a key voice in defending Scriptural authority and classic Reformed Anglican doctrine.

Peter Jensen (b. 1943)

Former Archbishop of Sydney and influential evangelical leader in the Anglican Church of Australia and the wider global realignment of orthodox Anglican provinces.

J. C. Vaughan (1816–1897)

Priest, biblical expositor, and headmaster. His sermons and devotional writings helped form a generation of Anglican clergy and laity.

Methodological Notes

This page focuses on Anglicans whose lives and writings have significantly shaped historic, confessional Anglicanism in doctrine, worship, spirituality, or mission. It does not seek to catalogue every notable figure, but to provide representative examples across time and regions.

Further sub-pages may be created for:

• Evangelical Anglicans
• Anglo-Catholic Divines
• Missionary Bishops and Pioneers
• Non-juring Bishops and Writers

Editors are encouraged to expand entries, add references, and create individual pages for each person listed here, following AnglicanWiki’s editorial standards.