Though Ely was one of the smallest dioceses until the nineteenth century, it was one of the wealthiest, and in every century there were notable appointments to the bishopric. Few of the bishops were promoted elsewhere; for most it was the culmination of their career, and many had made significant contributions, both to national life and to scholarship, before their preferment to Ely. In essays each spanning about a century, experts in the field explore the lives and careers of its bishops, and their families and social contacts, examine the development of the diocese in that time, and set all this in the national context of church and state. Other chapters consider such areas as the estates, the residences, the works of art and the library and archives. Contributors: Nicholas Karn, Nicholas Vincent, Benjamin Thompson, Peter Meadows, Felicity Heal, Ian Atherton, Evelyn Lord, Frances Knight, Brian Watchorn