List of archdeacons in the Church of England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Key | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Active archdeacon | Male archdeacon | ||
| Inactive archdeacon | Female archdeacon | ||
| Position vacant | |||
The archdeacons in the Church of England are senior Anglican clergy who serve under their dioceses' bishops, usually with responsibility for the area's church buildings and pastoral care for clergy. As of 25 November 2024[update], there are 131 archdeacons (including vacancies): four archdeacons hold two archdeaconries each, while six hold no territorial archdeaconry.
Medieval
The medieval English/Welsh church had roughly sixty archdeaconries - roughly one per county, with two or three for the larger counties (Devon, Essex, Kent, Lincolnshire, Middlesex, Norfolk, Shropshire, Somerset, Suffolk, Sussex, Wiltshire, Yorkshire), and none for Westmorland, Lancashire, Rutland or the smaller Welsh counties.
- Bangor: Anglesey, Bangor, Merioneth
- Bath and Wells: Bath, Taunton, Wells
- Carlisle: Carlisle
- Canterbury: Canterbury
- Chichester: Chichester, Lewes
- Durham: Durham, Northumberland
- Ely: Ely (renamed Cambridge in 2006)
- Exeter: Barnstaple, Cornwall, Exeter, Totnes
- Hereford: Hereford, Shropshire (renamed Ludlow in 1876)
- Llandaff: Llandaff
- Lichfield: Chester, Coventry, Derby, Salop, Stafford (renamed Lichfield in 1980)
- Lincoln: Bedford, Buckingham, Huntingdon, Leicester, Lincoln, Northampton, Oxford, Stow
- London: Colchester, Essex, London, Middlesex
- Norwich: Norfolk, Norwich, Sudbury, Suffolk
- Rochester: Rochester
- St Asaph: St Asaph
- St Davids: Brecon, Cardigan, Carmarthen, St Davids
- Salisbury: Berkshire, Dorset, Sarum, Wiltshire
- Winchester: Surrey, Winchester
- Worcester: Gloucester, Worcester
- York: Cleveland, East Riding, Nottingham, Richmond, York
Reformation
Six new dioceses were created in the Henrician reformation, but with one exception (somewhat of a special case), no new archdeaconries. The Diocese of Westminster (1540-50) temporarily took the archdeaconry of Middlesex from London diocese. The Diocese of Gloucester (1541) took Gloucester archdeaconry from Worcester diocese. The Diocese of Peterborough (1541) took Northampton archdeaconry from Lincoln diocese. The Diocese of Chester (1541) took Chester archdeaconry from Lichfield diocese and Richmond archdeaconry from York diocese. The Diocese of Bristol (1542) took Dorset archdeaconry from Salisbury diocese. The Diocese of Oxford (1546) received Oxford archdeaconry from Lincoln diocese. The Archdeaconry of St Albans was created within London diocese in 1550: before the Reformation the Abbey of St Albans had oversight of so many parishes that it appointed a kind of archdeacon of its own.
- Bangor: Anglesey, Bangor, Merioneth
- Bath and Wells: Bath, Taunton, Wells
- Bristol: Dorset
- Carlisle: Carlisle
- Canterbury: Canterbury
- Chester: Chester, Richmond
- Chichester: Chichester, Lewes
- Durham: Durham, Northumberland
- Ely: Ely
- Exeter: Barnstaple, Cornwall, Exeter, Totnes
- Gloucester: Gloucester
- Hereford: Hereford, Shropshire
- Lichfield: Coventry, Derby, Salop, Stafford
- Lincoln: Bedford, Buckingham, Huntingdon, Leicester, Lincoln, Stow
- Llandaff: Llandaff
- London: Colchester, Essex, London, Middlesex, St Albans
- Norwich: Norfolk, Norwich, Sudbury, Suffolk
- Oxford: Oxford
- Peterborough: Northampton
- Rochester: Rochester
- St Asaph: St Asaph
- St Davids: Brecon, Cardigan, Carmarthen, St Davids
- Salisbury: Berkshire, Sarum, Wiltshire
- Winchester: Surrey, Winchester
- Worcester: Worcester
- York: Cleveland, East Riding, Nottingham, York
1830s-1850s
No further changes were made until the 19th century, when there was a 'reshuffle' at the hands of the Church Commissioners in the 1830s, to equalise the size of the English dioceses. In 1836 Dorset was transferred back to Salisbury, which in turn lost Berkshire to Oxford. The dioceses of Bristol and Gloucester were merged and the Archdeaconry of Bristol was created within the merged diocese. In the north, Richmond archdeaconry was transferred to the new Diocese of Ripon (renamed Ripon & Leeds in 1999), and the Archdeaconry of Craven was created within the new diocese (from territory taken from York). This was the first example of a principle that new dioceses should in general have two or more archdeaconries. In 1837 Bedford, Huntingdon and Sudbury were all transferred to Ely, and Buckingham to Oxford. Lincoln was compensated with the acquisition of Nottingham archdeaconry from York. Meanwhile, Coventry archdeaconry was transferred from Lichfield to Worcester diocese. In 1839 Leicester archdeaconry was transferred to Peterborough diocese.
In 1842, Lindisfarne archdeaconry was created in Durham diocese. In 1841, Maidstone archdeaconry was created out of part of Canterbury, and in 1844, Monmouth archdeaconry was created in Llandaff diocese and Montgomery created in St Asaph diocese (the archdeaconry of Anglesey was discontinued at the same time, and Bangor renamed Bangor & Anglesey). These additions ensured that when, in 1846, St Albans, Colchester and Essex archdeaconries were transferred from London to Rochester diocese, every diocese had at least two archdeacons. In 1847, the diocese of Manchester was created, taking the archdeaconry of Manchester (created 1843) from Chester diocese. Later that year Liverpool archdeaconry was created in Chester diocese. In 1856 territory was transferred from Chester to Carlisle diocese, and the Westmorland archdeaconry created within that territory.
- Bangor: Bangor & Anglesey, Merioneth
- Bath and Wells: Bath, Taunton, Wells
- Bristol & Gloucester: Bristol, Gloucester
- Carlisle: Carlisle, Westmorland
- Canterbury: Canterbury, Maidstone
- Chester: Chester, Liverpool
- Chichester: Chichester, Lewes
- Durham: Durham, Lindisfarne, Northumberland
- Ely: Bedford, Ely, Huntingdon, Sudbury
- Exeter: Barnstaple, Cornwall, Exeter, Totnes
- Hereford: Hereford, Shropshire
- Lichfield: Derby, Salop, Stafford
- Lincoln: Lincoln, Nottingham, Stow
- Llandaff: Llandaff, Monmouth
- London: London, Middlesex
- Manchester: Manchester
- Norwich: Norfolk, Norwich, Suffolk
- Oxford: Berkshire, Buckingham, Oxford
- Peterborough: Leicester, Northampton
- Ripon: Craven, Richmond
- Rochester: Colchester, Essex, Rochester, St Albans
- St Asaph: Montgomery, St Asaph
- St Davids: Brecon, Cardigan, Carmarthen, St Davids
- Salisbury: Dorset, Sarum, Wiltshire
- Winchester: Surrey, Winchester
- Worcester: Coventry, Worcester
- York: Cleveland, East Riding, York
1870s-1890s
In 1870, the Archdeaconry of Lancaster was filled in Manchester diocese (having been technically created in 1847). In 1871, the Archdeaconry of the Isle of Wight was created in Winchester diocese; in 1875, Oakham in Peterborough diocese; and in 1877, Stoke-upon-Trent in Lichfield diocese and Blackburn in Manchester diocese. In 1877, the new Diocese of St Albans took St Albans, Colchester and Essex archdeaconries from Rochester. In 1878, two years after the transfer of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall from the Diocese of Exeter to the new Diocese of Truro, the archdeaconry was split to create the Archdeaconry of Bodmin. That same year the Archdeaconry of Southwark was created in Rochester diocese, covering areas that had previously been in Winchester and London dioceses. The following year it was split to create Kingston archdeaconry (renamed Reigate in 1986).
In 1880, the Archdeaconry of Liverpool was transferred from Chester to the new diocese of Liverpool. Both Liverpool and Chester dioceses acquired second archdeaconries later that year: Warrington and Macclesfield respectively. In 1882, Gloucester and Bristol diocese acquired a third archdeaconry when the Archdeaconry of Cirencester (renamed Cheltenham 1919) was created. Also in 1882, the diocese of Newcastle was created out of the archdeaconries of Northumberland and Lindisfarne in Durham diocese; Durham was 'compensated' by the creation of Auckland archdeaconry. In 1884, the new diocese of Southwell (renamed Southwell & Nottingham in 2005) was created, taking Derby archdeaconry from Lichfield diocese and Nottingham archdeaconry from Lincoln diocese. Also in 1884, Furness archdeaconry was created in Carlisle diocese, and Sheffield archdeaconry (renamed Sheffield & Rotherham in 1999) in York diocese. In 1888, a new diocese of Wakefield was created out of part of Ripon diocese, and two archdeaconries of Halifax and Huddersfield were at once created within it.
In 1890, the Archdeaconry of Wrexham was created in St Asaph diocese. In 1892, the Archdeaconry of Birmingham was created within Worcester diocese. In 1894, the Archdeaconry of Lynn was created in Norwich diocese, and the Archdeaconry of Ripon (renamed Leeds in 1921) in Ripon diocese. In 1897, Gloucester and Bristol diocese was split back into its constituent parts, with Gloucester and Cirencester archdeaconries falling to Gloucester diocese and Bristol archdeaconry falling to Bristol diocese: in 1904, a second archdeaconry, that of North Wilts (renamed Swindon in 1919 and then Malmesbury in 1999), was created in Bristol diocese.
- Bangor: Bangor & Anglesey, Merioneth
- Bath and Wells: Bath, Taunton, Wells
- Bristol & Gloucester: Bristol, North Wilts
- Carlisle: Carlisle, Furness, Westmorland
- Canterbury: Canterbury, Maidstone
- Chester: Chester, Macclesfield
- Chichester: Chichester, Lewes
- Durham: Auckland, Durham
- Ely: Bedford, Ely, Huntingdon, Sudbury
- Exeter: Barnstaple, Exeter, Totnes
- Gloucester: Cirencester, Gloucester
- Hereford: Hereford, Ludlow
- Lichfield: Salop, Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent
- Lincoln: Lincoln, Stow
- Liverpool: Liverpool, Warrington
- Llandaff: Llandaff, Monmouth
- London: London, Middlesex
- Manchester: Blackburn, Lancaster, Manchester
- Newcastle: Lindisfarne, Northumberland
- Norwich: Lynn, Norfolk, Norwich, Suffolk
- Oxford: Berkshire, Buckingham, Oxford
- Peterborough: Leicester, Northampton, Oakham
- Ripon: Craven, Richmond, Ripon
- Rochester: Kingston, Rochester, Southwark
- St Asaph: Montgomery, St Asaph, Wrexham
- St Albans: Colchester, Essex, St Albans
- St Davids: Brecon, Cardigan, Carmarthen, St Davids
- Salisbury: Dorset, Sarum, Wiltshire
- Southwell: Derby, Nottingham
- Truro: Bodmin, Cornwall
- Wakefield: Halifax, Huddersfield
- Winchester: Isle of Wight, Surrey, Winchester
- Worcester: Birmingham, Coventry, Worcester
- York: Cleveland, East Riding, Sheffield, York
1900s-1920s
In 1905, the area of the Archdeaconry of Birmingham was created a new diocese of Birmingham; the following year, the Archdeaconry of Aston was created within the new diocese. Also in 1905, Southwark and Kingston archdeaconries were transferred from Rochester to the new Diocese of Southwark. The following year, the archdeaconries of Tonbridge (in Rochester diocese) and Lewisham (in Southwark diocese) were created.
In 1910, Warwick archdeaconry was created within Worcester diocese, Chesterfield within Southwell diocese, and Rochdale within Manchester diocese. In 1912, Hastings archdeaconry was created out of Lewes, Newark out of Nottingham, and Hampstead out of London and Middlesex. There was a widespread reorganisation in East Anglia in 1914: the area of the Archdeaconries of Colchester and Essex was transferred from St Albans to the new Diocese of Chelmsford, and simultaneously the area of Bedford archdeaconry was transferred from Ely to St Albans. Ely also lost Sudbury archdeaconry to the new Diocese of St Edmundsbury & Ipswich (which also took Suffolk archdeaconry from Norwich diocese): in 'compensation' Ely gained a third archdeaconry, Wisbech, in 1915. Also in 1914, Sheffield and Doncaster archdeaconries (this latter created in 1913) were split off from York diocese to form the new Diocese of Sheffield. In 1916, Dorset archdeaconry was split to create the Archdeaconry of Sherborne. In 1918, Exeter diocese gained a fourth archdeaconry by the creation of Plymouth archdeaconry out of part of Totnes. Also in 1918, Coventry and Warwick archdeaconries were transferred from Worcester diocese to the new Diocese of Coventry; shortly afterwards (1921) Worcester gained a 'compensatory' archdeaconry of Dudley. In 1919, Craven archdeaconry was split off from Ripon diocese to form the new Bradford diocese, which in 1921 gained a second archdeaconry, of Bradford.
In 1920, the Church in Wales was disestablished and separated from the Church of England. In 1922, Essex archdeaconry was renamed West Ham and the new Archdeaconry of Southend created from part of its territory. In 1926, the archdeaconries of Leicester and Loughborough (which had been created in 1921) left the Diocese of Peterborough to form the new Diocese of Leicester, and the archdeaconries of Blackburn and Lancaster left Manchester diocese to form the new Blackburn diocese. In 1927, the archdeaconries of Derby and Chesterfield were split off from Southwell to form the new Diocese of Derby. Also in 1927, Wakefield diocese was reorganised: Halifax archdeaconry became Pontefract, whereas Huddersfield became Halifax. Also in 1927, the Diocese of Winchester was split into three: the Archdeaconry of Surrey went to the new Guildford diocese, whereas the Archdeaconries of the Isle of Wight and of Portsmouth (this latter only created in 1925) went to the new Portsmouth diocese. Winchester gained one 'replacement' archdeaconry, that of Basingstoke. The following year, Guildford gained a second archdeaconry, of Dorking.
- Bath and Wells: Bath, Taunton, Wells
- Birmingham: Aston, Birmingham
- Blackburn: Blackburn, Lancaster
- Bradford: Bradford, Craven
- Bristol: Bristol, Swindon
- Carlisle: Carlisle, Furness, Westmorland
- Canterbury: Canterbury, Maidstone
- Chelmsford: Colchester, Southend, West Ham
- Chester: Chester, Macclesfield
- Chichester: Chichester, Hastings, Lewes
- Coventry: Coventry, Warwick
- Derby: Chesterfield, Derby
- Durham: Auckland, Durham
- Ely: Ely, Huntingdon, Wisbech
- Exeter: Barnstaple, Exeter, Plymouth, Totnes
- Gloucester: Cheltenham, Gloucester
- Guildford: Dorking, Surrey
- Hereford: Hereford, Ludlow
- Leicester: Leicester, Loughborough
- Lichfield: Salop, Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent
- Lincoln: Lincoln, Stow
- Liverpool: Liverpool, Warrington
- London: Hampstead, London, Middlesex
- Manchester: Manchester, Rochdale
- Newcastle: Lindisfarne, Northumberland
- Norwich: Lynn, Norfolk, Norwich
- Oxford: Berkshire, Buckingham, Oxford
- Peterborough: Northampton, Oakham
- Portsmouth: Isle of Wight, Portsmouth
- Ripon: Leeds, Richmond
- Rochester: Rochester, Tonbridge
- St Albans: Bedford, St Albans
- St Edmundsbury & Ipswich: Sudbury, Suffolk
- Salisbury: Dorset, Sarum, Sherborne, Wiltshire
- Sheffield: Doncaster, Sheffield
- Southwark: Kingston, Lewisham, Southwark
- Southwell: Newark, Nottingham
- Truro: Bodmin, Cornwall
- Wakefield: Halifax, Pontefract
- Winchester: Basingstoke, Winchester
- Worcester: Dudley, Worcester
- York: Cleveland, East Riding, York
1930-2005
In 1930, Maidstone archdeaconry was split to create the Archdeaconry of Croydon. In 1931, Ipswich archdeaconry was created within St Edmundsbury & Ipswich diocese. In 1933, Lindsey archdeaconry was created in Lincoln diocese.
In 1951, London archdeaconry was split to create Hackney. In 1955, Rochester archdeaconry was split to create Bromley (renamed Bromley & Bexley in 2002). In 1959, Westmorland and Furness archdeaconries were merged, and West Cumberland was created within the same diocese (Carlisle).
In 1970 London diocese gained a fifth archdeaconry, Northolt. In 1973 Southwark diocese gained a fourth archdeaconry, that of Wandsworth. In 1975 the archdeaconries in Chichester diocese were reorganised: Lewes and Hastings were merged, and a new archdeaconry of Horsham was created.
In 1982 Manchester diocese acquired a third archdeaconry, Bolton. In 1985 Croydon archdeaconry was transferred from the Diocese of Canterbury to the Diocese of Southwark. A year later Southwark archdeaconry was split to create the Archdeaconry of Lambeth (renamed Lambeth & Greenwich in 2008). In 1989 the archdeaconry of Charing Cross was created within London diocese.
In 1993, Chelmsford diocese gained its fourth archdeaconry, of Harlow. In 1994 Lindsey was abolished and merged back into Stow (thenceforth Stow & Lindsey). In 1997 Lichfield gained a fourth archdeaconry, of Walsall, Durham gained a third (Sunderland), and St Albans gained its third (Hertford). In 1999, Portsmouth archdeaconry was renamed Portsdown and the archdeaconry of the Meon was split off from it.
In 2000, the two archdeaconries in Winchester diocese were renamed. Basingstoke became Winchester, while Winchester (confusingly) became Bournemouth. In 2005 Wisbech archdeaconry was suppressed and Huntingdon renamed Huntingdon & Wisbech. Ipswich was also suppressed and divided.
- Bath and Wells: Bath, Taunton, Wells
- Birmingham: Aston, Birmingham
- Blackburn: Blackburn, Lancaster
- Bradford: Bradford, Craven
- Bristol: Bristol, Malmesbury
- Carlisle: Carlisle, West Cumberland, Westmorland & Furness
- Canterbury: Canterbury, Maidstone
- Chelmsford: Colchester, Harlow, Southend, West Ham
- Chester: Chester, Macclesfield
- Chichester: Chichester, Horsham, Lewes & Hastings
- Coventry: Coventry, Warwick
- Derby: Chesterfield, Derby
- Durham: Auckland, Durham, Sunderland
- Ely: Cambridge, Huntingdon & Wisbech
- Exeter: Barnstaple, Exeter, Plymouth, Totnes
- Gloucester: Cheltenham, Gloucester
- Guildford: Dorking, Surrey
- Hereford: Hereford, Ludlow
- Leicester: Leicester, Loughborough
- Lichfield: Lichfield, Salop, Stoke-on-Trent, Walsall
- Lincoln: Lincoln, Stow & Lindsey
- Liverpool: Liverpool, Warrington
- London: Charing Cross, Hackney, Hampstead, London, Middlesex, Northolt
- Manchester: Bolton, Manchester, Rochdale
- Newcastle: Lindisfarne, Northumberland
- Norwich: Lynn, Norfolk, Norwich
- Oxford: Berkshire, Buckingham, Oxford
- Peterborough: Northampton, Oakham
- Portsmouth: Isle of Wight, Meon, Portsdown
- Ripon & Leeds: Leeds, Richmond
- Rochester: Bromley & Bexley, Rochester, Tonbridge
- St Albans: Bedford, Hertford, St Albans
- St Edmundsbury & Ipswich: Sudbury, Suffolk
- Salisbury: Dorset, Sarum, Sherborne, Wiltshire
- Sheffield: Doncaster, Sheffield & Rotherham
- Southwark: Croydon, Lambeth & Greenwich, Lewisham, Reigate, Southwark, Wandsworth
- Southwell & Nottingham: Newark, Nottingham
- Truro: Bodmin, Cornwall
- Wakefield: Halifax, Pontefract
- Winchester: Bournemouth, Winchester
- Worcester: Dudley, Worcester
- York: Cleveland, East Riding, York
2010s on
By the 2010s there was a general feeling that despite the decline in membership and clergy across the church, more archdeacons were needed to ensure good governance and supervision of the clergy. In 2009 Salford archdeaconry was created in Manchester diocese. In 2011 Ashford archdeaconry was created as a third in the Diocese of Canterbury. In 2013 the number of archdeaconries in Chelmsford diocese increased to seven with the creation of Barking (from West Ham), Stansted (from Colchester) and Chelmsford (from Southend) archdeaconries, and Lincoln went back to three archdeaconries with the creation of Boston. In 2014 Lewes and Hastings archdeaconry was split back into its constituent parts, Lewes being renamed Brighton & Lewes. Oxford archdeaconry was also split to create the Archdeaconry of Dorchester. In 2014 the Dioceses of Ripon & Leeds, Bradford, and Wakefield were merged to form the Diocese of Leeds; at the same time, Craven archdeaconry was dissolved and merged into Richmond, which became Richmond & Craven. From 2014-17 York diocese had an Archdeacon of Generous Giving & Stewardship. In 2015 Liverpool diocese reorganised: Warrington was renamed St Helens & Warrington, and Wigan & West Lancashire and Knowsley & Sefton were created. In 2019, St Edmundsbury diocese created two new archdeaconries: a reconstituted Ipswich, and a non-territorial Archdeacon of Rural Mission.
By the 2020s, some dioceses were reducing the number of their archdeaconries, while others were still creating new ones. Salford was merged into Bolton (henceforth Bolton & Salford) in 2019. In 2022 in the Diocese of Derby, Derby archdeaconry became Derby City & South Derbyshire, Chesterfield became East Derbyshire, and a new archdeaconry of Derbyshire Peak & Dales was created. Harlow was abolished in 2024 and its territory split between Stansted and Chelmsford. Wigan & West Lancashire was also dissolved and its territory split.
- Bath and Wells: Bath, Taunton, Wells
- Birmingham: Aston, Birmingham
- Blackburn: Blackburn, Lancaster
- Bristol: Bristol, Malmesbury
- Carlisle: Carlisle, West Cumberland, Westmorland & Furness
- Canterbury: Ashford, Canterbury, Maidstone
- Chelmsford: Barking, Chelmsford, Colchester, Southend, Stansted, West Ham
- Chester: Chester, Macclesfield
- Chichester: Brighton & Lewes, Chichester, Hastings, Horsham
- Coventry: Coventry, Warwick
- Derby: Derby City & South Derbyshire, Derbyshire Peak & Dales, East Derbyshire
- Durham: Auckland, Durham, Sunderland
- Ely: Cambridge, Huntingdon & Wisbech
- Exeter: Barnstaple, Exeter, Plymouth, Totnes
- Gloucester: Cheltenham, Gloucester
- Guildford: Dorking, Surrey
- Hereford: Hereford, Ludlow
- Leeds: Bradford, Halifax, Leeds, Pontefract, Richmond & Craven
- Leicester: Leicester, Loughborough
- Lichfield: Lichfield, Salop, Stoke-on-Trent, Walsall
- Lincoln: Boston, Lincoln, Stow & Lindsey
- Liverpool: Knowsley & Sefton, Liverpool, St Helens & Warrington
- London: Charing Cross, Hackney, Hampstead, London, Middlesex, Northolt
- Manchester: Bolton & Salford, Manchester, Rochdale
- Newcastle: Lindisfarne, Northumberland
- Norwich: Lynn, Norfolk, Norwich
- Oxford: Berkshire, Buckingham, Dorchester, Oxford
- Peterborough: Northampton, Oakham
- Portsmouth: Isle of Wight, Meon, Portsdown
- Rochester: Bromley & Bexley, Rochester, Tonbridge
- St Albans: Bedford, Hertford, St Albans
- St Edmundsbury & Ipswich: Ipswich, Rural Mission, Sudbury, Suffolk
- Salisbury: Dorset, Sarum, Sherborne, Wiltshire
- Sheffield: Doncaster, Sheffield & Rotherham
- Southwark: Croydon, Lambeth & Greenwich, Lewisham, Reigate, Southwark, Wandsworth
- Southwell & Nottingham: Newark, Nottingham
- Truro: Bodmin, Cornwall
- Winchester: Bournemouth, Winchester
- Worcester: Dudley, Worcester
- York: Cleveland, East Riding, York