The highest order of ministry in the Christian church, the English word being derived from an Anglo-Saxon corruption of the latin term episcopus. In the Anglican communion bishops have the right to ordain clergy and hold confirmations. The bishop is also responsible for the ecclesiastical government and leadership of a territorial jurisdiction known as a diocese, although at various points in the period covered by the database there were also ‘suffragan’ bishops assisting the diocesan bishops. The bishop possesses a throne in the cathedral church of his see city, although his relationship with the dean and chapter of the cathedral could often be a tense one (notably when he formally visited his cathedral to examine the conduct of his affairs), and it was the dean who was in charge of the affairs of the cathedral. Bishops lived in episcopal palaces, which in some cases were some considerable distance from the see city, and also spent much of the year in attendance at the House of Lords, of which they were members ex officio. Since the Reformation, the post of bishop in the Church of England has effectively been a crown or prime ministerial appointment, with the dean and chapter meeting formally to elect the candidate proposed by the authorities. The bishop was formally admitted to office through consecration by an archbishop and two other bishops, this act in the view of some perpetuating the apostolic succession through which Christ’s commission to his apostles was transmitted through an unbroken succession to all the clergy.