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Bishop of Bath and Wells
TBOB&W
Nationality English
Occupation Bishop
First appearance "Money"
Last appearance "Money"
Episode count 1 Episode
Played by Ronald Lacey

The Bishop of Bath and Wells (played by Ronald Lacey), also known as the Baby-Eating Bishop of Bath & Wells and possibly Gilbert Bourne, was an important member of the Church in Elizabethan England.

Personality[]

The Bishop is a debt collector from the Bank of the Black Monks of St. Herod, and particularly enjoys causing pain and injury (even mortal injury) to those customers who cannot repay their debts. He claims to be a "colossal pervert", and enjoys the company of prostitutes such as Mollie. He is angry when customers are able to pay up, and also drowns babies in the christening font and then eats them later in the vestry. However, he did value his reputation, to the point that when Blackadder blackmailed him he backed down and actually expressed admiration.

Other Bishops[]

  • In the Medieval era, a previous Bishop of Bath and Wells conducted a ceremony after the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. Though Prince Edmund tried to claim that he killed him in the battle (see The Foretelling).

Real Bishops of Bath and Wells at the time[]

During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603) four clergymen held the title of Bishop of Bath and Wells. As the story is clearly set after 1563, judging by the inscription on William Greeves' tomb, only three real Bishops of Bath and Wells correspond with this period namely:

  • Gilbert Berkeley who held the title from 1560 till his death in 1581 after which the see was vacant for three years.
  • Thomas Godwin who held the title from 1584 till his death in 1590 after which the see was vacant for another three years.
  • John Still who held the title from 1593 till his death in 1608 five years after that of Queen Elizabeth I.
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