sb. and a. Forms: 4 suffrigane, soffragan, 4–7 suffragane, 5 suffragann, -igan(n, -ygane, -ann, sofregann, 5–6 suffrygan, 6 suffregan(e, -ragene, (suffryngham), 4– suffragan; β. 5 suffrecan, -ykayn, soffrycan, 5–6 soffrecan, 6 suffrecane, -ykane, soufrecan. [a. AF., OF. suffragan (13th c.), occas. -ain (mod.F. suffragant), corresp. to It. soffraganeo, -ano, Sp. sufraganeo, -ano, Pg. suffraganeo, repr. med.L. suffrāgāneus, f. stem of suffrāgium SUFFRAGE.
The earliest OF. examples, being in the pl. suffragans, are ambiguous for the form of the sing., but it is probable that *suffragan was the older form (cf. MDu. suffragaen), and that suffragant (1451 in Du Cange) is due to etymologizing alteration (see -ANT); cf. however Pr. suffraguant, It. suffragante.]
A. sb.
1. A bishop considered in regard to his relation to the archbishop or metropolitan, by whom he may be summoned to attend synods and give his suffrage.
c. 1383. Concl. Loll., xxvii. in Eng. Hist. Rev. (1911), Oct., 746. Decrees … þat ȝeuen þe chesigne of þe erchebisshop to alle his suffragans.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), II. 115. Þe primat of Ȝork haþ but tweie suffragans in Engelond, þat beeþ þe bisshoppis of Caerlile and of Duram.
c. 1440. Jacob’s Well, 17. Which sentence was ȝouyn … be Boniface, erchebysschop of cauntyrbury, and be v. oþere bysschopys, his suffraganys.
1534. Lyndewode’s Const. Provinc., 3. We … commaunde all and euerye our Cobysschoppes and suffragans.
1611. Coryat, Crudities, 532. He had no lesse then sixteene Bishops vnder him that were subiect to his iurisdiction as his Suffragrans [sic].
1716. M. Davies, Athen. Brit., III. 28. The two High-flying Suffragans to AB. Laud.
1768. Boswell, Corsica, iii. (ed. 2), 164. The Corsican bishops, who are … suffragans of the archbishop of Pisa.
1862. Hook, Lives Abps., II. ii. 121. The suffragans of the province were summoned as usual to assist at the consecration of their metropolitan.
1876. Freeman, Norm. Conq., V. xxiii. 214. The Bishop of Orkney, more strictly a suffragan of Trondhjem, is seen acting as a suffragan of York.
transf. 1877. C. Geikie, Christ, lii. (1879), 619. The Jewish primate and his suffragans kept steadily in view his arrest.
2. An assistant or subsidiary bishop, performing episcopal functions in a certain diocese but having no jurisdiction; in the Church of England, since the passing of Act 26 Hen. VIII., c. 14, a bishop appointed to assist a diocesan bishop in a particular part of his diocese.
Suffragan bishops take their title from certain towns named in the above act or (according to the Suffragans Nomination Act of 1888) from ‘such other towns as Her Majesty may … by Order in Council direct shall be taken.’
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 225. Þat þei ben not maad bischopis of heþene men … & þanne meyntened to be suffragans & sellen sacramentis.
14[?]. S. E. Leg. (MS. Bodl. 779), fol. 102. Suþþe he made him bysschop … & makid him his soffragan & in his stede prechour.
1483. Cath. Angl., 371. Suffragane, Coepiscopus.
1511–2. Rec. St. Mary at Hill, 277. Paid the Suffregan for haloyng of a Chales [etc.].
1534. Act 26 Hen. VIII., c. 14 § 1. Everie Archebyshope and Byshop of this Realme,… beynge dysposed to have any Suffragane.
1536. Boorde, Lett., in Introd. Knowl. (1870), 58. I was … dyspensyd with þe relygyon by the byshopp of Romes bulles, to be suffrygan off chychester.
1587. Harrison, England, II. ii. 49, in Holinshed. Which function peraduenture be [sc. the Bishop] committed to his suffragane.
1615. Wadsworth, in Bedell, Lett. (1624), 13. One Hodgeskin Suffragan of Bedford.
1654. Gataker, Disc. Apol., 101. Dr. Stern … was at that time Suffragane of Colchester.
1885. Life & Lett. A. Monod, 58. M. Charles Barde of Geneva who had been called to act as suffragan at Lyons.
1912. Cath. Encycl., XIV. 324/2. It is presumed that the cardinal-bishop has given his suffragan all the faculties necessary for the government of his diocese.
β. 1470–85. Malory, Arthur, XII. xiv. 61. Thenne the suffrecan lete fylle a grete vessel with water.
1493–4. Rec. St. Mary at Hill, 198. Payd to þe soffrycan of london for halowyng of sentt stevyn ys autyr, x s. iiij d.
1530. Palsgr., 273/1 Soufrecan, suffragan, penitencier.
1556. Chron. Grey Friars (Camden), 78. There the suffrecane gave them their dyssipline.
† 3. A coadjutor, assistant; a deputy, representative. Obs.
1481. in Legg, Clerk’s Bk., 1549, 66. Howe the Clerke And the Suffrigann of Seynt Nicholas Churche Aught to do…. The suff[r]ygann Augh to fastenn the Church Dorys [etc.].
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, xlviii. 173. The nychtingaill song [to the rose], ‘Haill, naturis suffragene.’ Ibid., lxxxv. 68. Oratrice, mediatrice, salvatrice, To God gret suffragane!
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., 3. I haue … my maide, so skilfull in huswyferie, that she may well be my wyues suffragan.
1647. C. Walker, Myst. Two Junto’s, 6. The remaining part of the House are but … Suffragans to ratify what is forejudged.
1687. Lond Gaz., No. 2242/3. The Elector of Trier has named the Bishop his Suffragan to go and compliment the King.
1748. Richardson, Clarissa (1768), VIII. xix. 53. Her [sc. a strumpet’s] bed-side, surrounded … by her suffragans and daughters.
1760. H. Walpole, Lett. to Mann, 7 May. She made her suffragan, Whitfield, pray for and preach about him.
† b. Of things: A help, aid. Obs.
1644. Bulwer, Chiron., 16. So these suffragans of speech [sc. hands] by a lively sense afford that shadow which is the excellencie of the vocall pourtraicture.
1693. D’Emilianne’s Hist. Monast. Orders, 35. The Canons of those times … frequently … were Helps and Suffragans to the Bishops.
B. adj.
1. Bishop suffragan, suffragan bishop: = A. 1, 2.
1475. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 629. Prelatte or byschop suffrygane.
1534. Act 26 Hen. VIII., c. 14 § 1. Everie suche personne … shalbe callyd Byshop Suffragane of the same See wherunto he shalbe namyd.
1538. Audley, in Lett. Suppr. Monast. (Camden), 240. William More, clerk, byshopp surffragan of Colchester.
1671. F. Philipps, Reg. Necess., 442. The Arch-bishop of York, and his Suffragan Bishops.
c. 1676. T. Barlow, Rem. (1693), 162. A Co-adjutor or Suffragan Bishop is, quoad Ordinem, really and properly a Bishop.
1726. Ayliffe, Parergon, 69. No Suffragan Bishop shall have more than one riding Apparitor in his Diocess.
1846. McCulloch, Acc. Brit. Empire (1854), II. 301. The total income of the two archbishops, and of their ten suffragan bishops, will then be 70,938l.
1888. Act 51 & 52 Vict., c. 56. It was enacted that the towns therein named should be taken … for sees of bishops suffragans.
1907. Cath. Encycl., I. 691/2. In regard to his suffragan bishops the metropolitan may compel them to assemble in provincial council every three years.
2. Of a see or diocese: Subordinate to a metropolitical or archiepiscopal see.
1712. E. Cooke, Voy S. Sea, 399. Valladolid, a Bishoprick, suffragan to Mexico.
1907. Cath. Encycl., I. 692/1. To-day archbishops cannot visit a suffragan diocese, unless [etc.].
1913. T. F. Tout, in Reg. J. de Halton, Introd. 24. The see of Sodor, which, until the fifteenth century, was supposed to be suffragan to … Trondhjem.
fig. 1784. H. Walpole, Lett. to H. S. Conway, 14 Aug. That the King of Spain, now he has demolished Algiers, the metropolitan see of thieves, will come and bombard Richmond, Twickenham, and all the suffragan cities that swarm with pirates and banditti.
Hence Suffraganal a., pertaining to a suffragan bishop; Suffraganate, the seat of a suffragan bishop; Suffragancy, the office or tenure of a suffragan; Suffraganship, the office or status of a suffragan.
1892. Times, 14 Oct., 11/2. The *suffraganal or nominal sees are as absolute shams as Wiseman’s original Bishopric of Melipotamus in partibus infidelium.
1879. Echo, 11 July, 2/5. Bedford is the town nearest to London that is mentioned in the Act of Henry VIII. as a suitable place for a *suffraganate.
1888. Guardian, 8 Feb., 186/2. The appointment of Sir Lovelace Stamer to the Suffraganate of Shrewsbury.
1864. Spectator, 25 June, 742. The refusal of the Presbyteral Council of Paris to renew the *‘suffragancy’ of the younger Athanase Coquerel.
1549. Latimer, 5th Serm. bef. Edw. VI. (Arb.), 135. I meane not hallowers of belles, nor Christiners of belles, that is a popysh *suffraganship.
1583. Stocker, Civ. Warres Lowe C., I. 5 b. There were certaine Suffraganeships of cathedral churches conuerted into Bishopricks.
a. 1661. Fuller, Worthies, Cumbld. (1662), 220. He was … made Episcopus Pissinensis … and therewith held the Suffraganeship under Henry Beaufort Bishop of Lincoln.
