---
title: "Bishoprics Act 1878"
id: 0f5a5c83-66f1-48a4-a0b3-ae6fcfed1cd1
authority: uk
place: "United Kingdom"
applies_also_from: []
kind: statute
in_force: true
publisher_url: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/41-42/68
attribution: "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
solon_url: https://solon.orangecat.ch/law/0f5a5c83-66f1-48a4-a0b3-ae6fcfed1cd1
language: en
in_force_from: 1991-02-01
date_basis: publisher
status: consolidated
source_url: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/41-42/68/data.xml
read_on: 2026-11-09
sha256: 479794fa52c7afad2a408eff6fa5be2da354887c549b54c1c8c40f57fa59b372
provisions: 6
---

# Bishoprics Act 1878

## Title and introductory text {#prelims}

Bishoprics Act 1878
1878 c.68
An Act to provide for the foundation of four new Bishoprics in England
[16th August 1878]

## 1 Short title. {#section-1}

This Act may be cited as the Bishoprics Act 1878.

## 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . {#section-24}



## 5 The number of bishops sitting in Parliament not to be increased. {#section-5}

The number of Lords Spiritual sitting and voting as Lords of Parliament shall not be increased by the foundation of a new bishopric after the year 1846 ; and whenever there is a vacancy among such Lords Spiritual by the avoidance of any of the sees of Canterbury, York, London, Durham, or Winchester, such vacancy shall be supplied by the issue of a writ of summons to the bishop acceding to the see so avoided; and if such vacancy is caused by the avoidance of any see other than one of the five sees aforesaid, such vacancy shall be supplied by the issue of a writ of summons to that bishop of a see in England who having been longest bishop of a see in England has not previously become entitled to such writ:
Provided, that where a bishop is translated from one see to another, and was at the date of his translation actually sitting as a Lord of Parliament, he shall not thereupon lose his right to receive a writ of summons to Parliament.

## 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . {#section-614.}



## SCHEDULE {#schedule}

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