History
From the 7th century onwards, in addition to his spiritual authority, the Bishop of Durham also acted as the civil ruler of the region as the lord of the liberty of Durham, claiming local authority equal to that of the king. The bishop appointed all local officials and maintained his own court. After the Norman Conquest, this claim continued to be maintained by the bishop and was eventually recognised with the establishment of the region as the County Palatine of Durham. As holder of this office, the bishop was titled a prince-bishop and considered the equivalent of an earl. Except for a brief period of suppression during the Glorious Revolution, this temporal power and responsibilities of the office lasted until all such authorities were abolished in 1836, during a period of Industrial Revolution in the UK, partial disestablishment and tithes being made defunct, a process known as commutation of tithes.
Read more about this topic: List Of Bishops Of Durham
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)