The Archdeacon of Canterbury is a senior office-holder in the Diocese of Canterbury (a division of the Church of England

Province of Canterbury The Province of Canterbury, or less formally the Southern Province, is one of two ecclesiastical provinces which constitute the Church of England. The other is the Province of York (which consists of 12 dioceses). Overview The Province consist ...

). Like other

archdeacon An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, St Thomas Christians, Eastern Orthodox churches and some other Christian denominations, above that o ...

s, he or she is an administrator in the diocese at large (having oversight of parishes in roughly one-third of the diocese) and is a

Canon Residentiary A canon (from the Latin , itself derived from the Greek , , "relating to a rule", "regular") is a member of certain bodies in subject to an ecclesiastical rule. Originally, a canon was a cleric living with others in a clergy house or, later, i ...

of the cathedral.

History

The Archdeacon of Canterbury has an additional role, traditionally serving as the

Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. The current archbishop is Justi ...

's representative at enthronement ceremonies for new diocesan bishops in his province. At these services, the Archdeacon reads the Archbishop's mandate and, taking the new bishop by the hand, conducts him to his episcopal throne. The archdeaconry and archdeacon of Canterbury have been in constant existence since the 11th century. There was one short-lived attempt to split the role in the 12th century. In modern times, the archdeaconry has been split twice: creating

Maidstone archdeaconry The Archdeacon of Maidstone is an office-holder in the Diocese of Canterbury (one of the dioceses of the Province of Canterbury in the Church of England). The Archdeacon of Maidstone is an Anglican priest who oversees the Archdeaconry of Maidstone, ...

in 1841 and Ashford archdeaconry in 2011.

Composition

The archdeaconry covers approximately the north-east corner of the diocese. , the archdeaconry of Canterbury consists the following deaneries in the Diocese of Canterbury: * Deanery of Canterbury * Deanery of East Bridge * Deanery of Reculver * Deanery of Thanet * Deanery of West Bridge

List of archdeacons

High Medieval

*bef. –aft. : Valerius *bef. 1075–aft. 1086: Ansketil *bef. 1099–aft. 1108: William *1115–May 1125 (res.): John *bef. 1126–1138: Helewise *bef. –March 1148 (res.):

Walter Walter may refer to: People * Walter (name), both a surname and a given name * Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968) * Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 19 ...

*aft. 1148–October 1154 (res.): Roger de Pont L'Évêque *aft. 1154–1163 (res.): Thomas Becket (also

from 1162) *bef. 1163–October 1174 (res.): Geoffrey Ridel *1175–June 1194 (res.): Herbert Poore *bef. 1194–aft. 1195 (res.):

Philip of Poitou Philip of Poitou (sometimes Philip of Poitiers; died 22 April 1208) was Bishop of Durham from 1197 to 1208, and prior to this Archdeacon of Canterbury. Early life Philip's origins and early life are unknown, although it is believed he may have ...

*bef. 1196–aft. 1206:

Henry de Castilion Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) *Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

*bef. 1213–May 1227 (res.):

Henry Sandford Henry Sandford was a medieval Bishop of Rochester. Sandford was a royal official before becoming a canon of the diocese of Salisbury and was Archdeacon of Canterbury from about 1213 until he was chosen for Rochester.

*14 May 1227 – 1248 (d.): Simon Langton *28 January 1232–?:

Richard de Sancto Johanne Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'stron ...

(ineffective royal appointment) *bef. 1248–July 1269 (d.):

Stephen de Monte Luelli Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; h ...

(aka of Vienne) *aft. July 1269–9 October 1275 (d.): Hugh de Mortuo Mari *October 1275–May 1278 (res.): William Middleton *1278–bef. 1280 (d.): Robert of Gernemue *aft. 1280–1299 (res.):

Richard de Ferings Richard de Ferings (died 1306), was the Archbishop of Dublin. Ferings was an official of the archdiocese of Canterbury The Province of Canterbury, or less formally the Southern Province, is one of two ecclesiastical provinces which constitu ...

*29 June 1299–September 1305 (res.): John de Langeton

Late Medieval

*22 September 1305–bef. 1306 (res.):

Simon de Faversham Simon of Faversham (also Simon Favershamensis, Simon de Faverisham, Simon von Faversham, or Simon Anglicus; c.1260–1306) was an English medieval scholastic philosopher and later a university chancellor. Simon of Faversham was born in Faversham ...

*13 February 1306 – 22 November 1310 (res.):

Bernard Ezius de le Breto Bernard (''Bernhard'') is a French and West Germanic masculine given name. It is also a surname. The name is attested from at least the 9th century. West Germanic ''Bernhard'' is composed from the two elements ''bern'' "bear" and ''hard'' "brave ...

*3 December 1310–bef. 1319 (res.): Guichard de le Breto *1 May 1319–bef. 1323 (d.): Simon of Comminges (''Simon Convenis''), son of Bernard VII,

Count of Comminges This is a list of counts of the County of Comminges. Counts of Comminges House of Comminges House of Lescun ''In 1462, the king of France Louis XI detached the county of Comminges from the royal domain and gave it to his friend.'' * 1462� ...

and brother of

Bernard VIII, Count of Comminges Bernard VIII of Comminges (c. 1285–1336) was the Count of Comminges in what is now southern France. He was the son and successor of Count Bernard VII of Comminges (died 1312) and Laura of Montfort (died before 1300). The County of Comminges l ...

*18 April 1323 – 1323 (dep.): John Bruton *23 April 1323–November 1325 (d.):

Raymond de Roux Raymond is a male given name. It was borrowed into English from French (older French spellings were Reimund and Raimund, whereas the modern English and French spellings are identical). It originated as the Germanic ᚱᚨᚷᛁᚾᛗᚢᚾᛞ ( ...

*13 March 1326 – 1332 (res.): Hugh de Angoulême *15 July 1332 – 1333 (res.): Simon de Montacute *1334–1337 (res.):

Robert de Stratford Robert de Stratford ( c. 1292 – 9 April 1362) was an English bishop and was one of Edward III's principal ministers. Early life Stratford was born into the landed Stratford family of Stratford-on-Avon around 1292. His father was anoth ...

*bef. 1338–bef. 1343 (d.): Bernard Sistre *25 June 1343–bef. 1370 (res.): Pierre Roger (became Pope Gregory XI) *28 June 1343–bef. 1348 (res.):

Simon Islip Simon Islip (died 1366) was an English prelate. He served as Archbishop of Canterbury between 1349 and 1366. Early life Islip was the uncle of William Whittlesey. He was a cousin of Walter de Islip, Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer:Ball, F. E ...

(royal grant; set aside) *bef. 1372–28 April 1374 (d.): William Cardinal de la Jugee
(cardinal-priest of St Clement) *6 June 1374 – 12 September 1375 (res.): Henry de Wakefield *aft. 1375–3 June 1379 (deprived): Aymar Roche *adt. 1379–9 September 1381 (res.): John de Fordham *20 September 1381–bef. 1390 (d.): William Pakington *28 July 1390 – 23 February 1397 (exch.): Adam Mottrum *26 August 1390 – 1390: Thomas Butiller (ineffective royal grant) *23 February 1397 – 1400 (res.): Richard Clifford *7 April 1400 – 12 May 1406 (res.):

Robert Hallam Robert Hallam ( Alum or Halam; died 4 September 1417) was an English churchman, Bishop of Salisbury and English representative at the Council of Constance. He was Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1403 to 1405. Hallam was originall ...

*28 October 1406 – 31 May 1408 (d.): Angelo Cardinal Acciaioli, Dean of the
College of Cardinals & cardinal-bishop of Ostia and Velletri ( obedience of Rome) *13 July 1408 – 1415 (res.):

John Wakering John Wakering (or Wakeryng; died 9 April 1425) was a medieval Bishop of Norwich. Wakering was appointed Archdeacon of Canterbury from 1408, resigning in 1415. Wakering was named Lord Privy Seal The Lord Privy Seal (or, more formally, the L ...

*5 June 1416–bef. 1420 (d.): Henry Rumworth (or Circeter) *3 October 1420–bef. 1424 (d.): William Chichele *10 June 1424–bef. 1434 (res.): Prospero Cardinal Colonna
(cardinal-deacon of St George in Velabro) *14 December 1434 – 26 January 1467 (d.):

Thomas Chichele Sir Thomas Chicheley (25 March 1614 – 1 February 1699) of Wimpole Hall, Cambridgeshire was a politician in England in the seventeenth century who fell from favour in the reign of James II. His name is sometimes spelt as Chichele. Life He was ...

*bef. 1467–bef. 1479 (d.): Thomas Winterbourne *February 1479–bef. 1495 (d.):

John Bourgchier John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

*26 November 1495 – 25 July 1504 (d.): Hugh Peynthwyn *aft. 1505–bef. 1534 (res.): William Warham *9 March 1534 – 15 March 1554 (deprived):

Edmund Cranmer Edmund is a masculine given name or surname in the English language. The name is derived from the Old English elements ''ēad'', meaning "prosperity" or "riches", and ''mund'', meaning "protector". Persons named Edmund include: People Kings and ...

Early modern

*March 1554–bef. 1559 (deprived):

Nicholas Harpsfield Nicholas Harpsfield (1519–1575) was an English historian and a Roman Catholic apologist and priest under Henry VIII, whose policies he opposed. Origins Born in 1519 in the parish of St Mary Magdalen Old Fish Street, in the City of London, he was ...

*November 1559–bef. 1571 (res.):

Edmund Gheast Edmund Gheast (also known as Guest, Geste or Gest; 1514–1577) was a 16th-century cleric of the Church of England. Life Guest was born at Northallerton, Yorkshire, the son of Thomas Geste. He was educated at York Grammar School and Eton College ...

Bishop of Rochester The Bishop of Rochester is the ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Rochester in the Province of Canterbury. The town of Rochester has the bishop's seat, at the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was foun ...

*aft. 1572–aft. 1575 (res.):

Edmund Freke Edmund Freke (also spelled Freake or Freak; c. 1516–1591) was an English dean and bishop. Life He was born in Essex, and educated at Cambridge, gaining his M.A. there c. 1550. In 1565 he was appointed Canon of the sixth stall at St George's ...

, Bishop of Rochester *17 May 1576 – 1595 (res.):

William Redman William Redman (c. 1541/2 – 25 September 1602) was an English bishop. Early life He was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge from 1559, gaining his BA in 1562/3 and becoming a fellow of Trinity in 1563. Career Ordained in 1570, he was made ...

*January 1595–29 March 1619 (d.):

Charles Fotherby Charles Fotherby (c. 1549 – 1619) was a Church of England clergyman who became Dean of Canterbury (1615–1619). Life Fotherby's date of birth is not recorded but he is stated to have been 70 when he died. His father was Martin Fotherby of ...

(also Dean of Canterbury from 1615) *10 April 1619 – 29 January 1648 (d.): William Kingsley *1648–1660: ''See suspended during the Commonwealth of England'' *August 1660–23 August 1668 (d.):

George Hall George Hall may refer to: People The arts * George Hall (actor) (1916–2002), Canadian-American actor * George Hall (musician) (c. 1893 – c. 1989), American bandleader * George Hall (cartoonist) (born 1960), Australian comic book writer and ...

(also Bishop of Chester from 1662) *7 October 1668 – 1670 (res.):

William Sancroft William Sancroft (30 January 161724 November 1693) was the 79th Archbishop of Canterbury, and was one of the Seven Bishops imprisoned in 1688 for seditious libel against King James II, over his opposition to the king's Declaration of Indulge ...

*18 November 1672 – 20 March 1688 (d.): Samuel Parker (also Bishop of Oxford from 1686) *22 March 1688 – 10 October 1708 (d.):

John Battely John Battely (also spelt 'Batteley') (1646–1708) was an English antiquary and clergyman, Archdeacon of Canterbury 1688–1708. He was the author of two antiquarian works published after his death: ''Antiquitates Rutupinae'' ('Antiquities of Ric ...

*28 October 1708 – 1721 (res.): Thomas Green *7 November 1721 – 23 August 1724 (d.): Thomas Bowers (also Bishop of Chichester from 1722) *1 September 1724 – 1748 (res.):

Samuel Lisle Samuel Lisle (1683 – 3 October 1749) was an English academic and bishop. Life Lisle was born in Blandford, Dorset. He graduated M.A. at Wadham College, Oxford, in 1706, and was ordained in 1707.''Concise Dictionary of National Biography'' ...

(also

Bishop of St Asaph The Bishop of St Asaph heads the Church in Wales diocese of St Asaph. The diocese covers the counties of Conwy and Flintshire, Wrexham county borough, the eastern part of Merioneth in Gwynedd and part of northern Powys. The Episcopal seat is loca ...

from 1744) *April 1748–4 December 1769 (d.): John Head (Sir John Head, 5th Baronet from 1768) *13 December 1769 – 29 September 1788 (d.):

William Backhouse William Backhouse (17 January 1593 – 30 May 1662) was an English philosopher, alchemist, astrologer, translator, and the esoteric mentor of Elias Ashmole. Born into the wealthy Backhouse family, Backhouse enjoyed an education at Oxford, and w ...

*7 November 1788 – 1 May 1803 (d.): John Lynch *19 May 1803 – 8 April 1822 (d.): Houstonne Radcliffe *26 April 1822–bef. 1825 (res.): Hugh Percy *18 June 1825 – 9 May 1869 (d.): James Croft

Late modern

*1869–November 1890 (ret.): Edward Parry (also Bishop suffragan of Dover from 1870) *1890–1897 (res.):

Rodney Eden George Rodney Eden (called Rodney; 9 September 1853 – 7 January 1940) was an Anglican bishop, Bishop of Dover (a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Canterbury) and then Bishop of Wakefield (diocese), Bishop of Wakefield (diocesan bishop of the D ...

(also Bishop suffragan of Dover from 1890) *bef. 1898–17 October 1918 (d.): William Walsh (also Bishop suffragan of Dover from 1898) *1918–1924 (res.): Leonard White-Thomson *1924–1939 (ret.): Edward Hardcastle (afterwards archdeacon emeritus) *1939–1942 (ret.): Karl Sopwith (afterwards archdeacon emeritus) *1942–1968 (ret.):

Alexander Sargent Alexander Sargent (9 May 1895 – 5 January 1989) was an eminent Anglican clergyman in the mid 20th century. He was born on 9 May 1895, educated at The King's School, Canterbury and St Edmund Hall, Oxford and ordained in 1920. After curacies a ...

*1967–1972 (res.): Michael Nott *1972–1981 (ret.):

Bernard Pawley Bernard Clinton Pawley (24 January 1911 – 15 November 1981) was an Anglican priest. He was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire,''1911 England Census'' educated at Portsmouth Grammar School and Wadham College, Oxford and ordained in 1936. After curac ...

(afterwards archdeacon emeritus) *1981–1986 (res.): John Simpson *1986–1996 (res.):

Michael Till Michael Stanley Till (19 November 1935 – 4 December 2012) was Dean of Winchester between 1996 and 2005. Biography Michael Stanley Till was educated at Lincoln College, Oxford and ordained in 1965. He began his career with a curacy at St Joh ...

*1996–2001 (res.): John Pritchard *2002–2007 (ret.): Patrick Evans (afterwards archdeacon emeritus) *April 20076 January 2016 (res.): Sheila Watson *6 December 201522 January 2017:

Philip Down Philip Roy Down (born 28 March 1953) is a retired priest in the Church of England. He served as the Archdeacon of Maidstone and then the first Archdeacon of Ashford, both in the Diocese of Canterbury. Life in Australia Down was born and raised in ...

& Stephen Taylor, Joint Acting Archdeacons of Canterbury. *22 January 20174 December 2021 (res.):

Jo Kelly-Moore Joanne Kelly-Moore (born 1968) is a New Zealand Anglican priest who has been the Dean of St Albans since 2021. She was previously the Dean of Auckland in the Anglican Church of New Zealand from 2010 to 2017, and then Archdeacon of Canterb ...

Canterbury Cathedral — New Archdeacon of Canterbury
(Accessed 8 February 2017) *18 July 2022present:

Will Adam William Adam is a Church of England priest. He was appointed Archdeacon of Canterbury in 2022 and had previously been the Deputy Secretary General of the Anglican Communion and ecumenism, ecumenical advisor to the Archbishop of Canterbury. Educ ...

References

Sources

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Canterbury, Archdeacon of Anglican ecclesiastical offices Church of England Diocese of Canterbury Lists of Anglicans Lists of English people