The

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 in the Diocese of Portsmouth are senior ecclesiastical officers in the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

in south-east

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...

and the

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...

. They currently include: the archdeacon of The Meon, the archdeacon of the Isle of Wight and the archdeacon of Portsdown. Each one has responsibility over a geographical area within the diocese, providing organisational leadership and pastoral support to clergy within their area.

History

The

Anglican Diocese of Portsmouth The Diocese of Portsmouth is an administrative division of the Church of England Province of Canterbury in England. The diocese covers south-east Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The see is based in the City of Portsmouth in Hampshire, where t ...

was created on 1 May 1927 from the

Diocese of Winchester The Diocese of Winchester forms part of the Province of Canterbury of the Church of England. Founded in 676, it is one of the older dioceses in England. It once covered Wessex, many times its present size which is today most of the historic enla ...

's archdeaconries of the Isle of Wight and of Portsmouth, which had been created in that diocese on 22 December 1871 and 6 February 1925 respectively. In November 1999, the Portsmouth archdeaconry was split in two: Lowson remained as Archdeacon of Portsdown and a new Archdeacon of The Meon was appointed.

List of archdeacons

Archdeacons of the Isle of Wight

:''The archdeaconry was created in

Winchester diocese The Diocese of Winchester forms part of the Province of Canterbury of the Church of England. Founded in 676, it is one of the older dioceses in England. It once covered Wessex, many times its present size which is today most of the historic enla ...

, split from Winchester archdeaconry, in 1871.'' *1874–16 November 1886 (d.):

Francis McDougall Francis Thomas McDougall (30 June 1817 – 16 November 1886) was the first Bishop of Labuan and Sarawak from 1849 to 1868. Life McDougall was born in Sydenham, son of William Adair McDougall, captain in the 88th regiment. He was educated at King ...

(also

assistant bishop An assistant bishop in the Anglican Communion is a bishop appointed to assist a diocesan bishop. Church of England In the established Church of England, assistant bishops are usually retired (diocesan or suffragan) bishops – in which case they ...

) *1886–7 September 1906 (d.):

Henry Haigh The Ven. Canon Henry Haigh (29 June 1837 – 7 September 1906) was Archdeacon of the Isle of Wight from 1886 to 1906; and a Canon of Winchester from 1890. Haigh was educated at Harrow and Trinity College, Cambridge. He was ordained in 1861 and ...

*1906–2 February 1922 (d.):

James Macarthur James Gordon MacArthur (December 8, 1937 – October 28, 2010) was an American actor with a long career in both movies and television. MacArthur's early work was predominantly in supporting roles in films. Later, he had a starring role as D ...

(also Bishop suffragan of Southampton until 1920; afterwards assistant bishop for the island) *1922–1928 (res.): Lewen Tugwell :''Wight archdeaconry has been part of Portsmouth diocese since the latter's creation in 1927.'' *1929–1936 (ret.):

Robert McKew Right Rev. Robert McKew (16 February 1872''1939 England and Wales Register'' – 11 October 1944) was an Irish Anglican priest in the 20th century. McKew was born on Valentia Island, County Kerry. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin and o ...

*1937–31 August 1948 (d.):

Hampton Weekes Christian William Hampton Weekes (known as Hampton; 3 September 1880–31 August 1948.The Times, Thursday, Sep 02, 1948; pg. 6; Issue 51166; col E ''Obituary'') was Archdeacon of the Isle of Wight from 1937 until his death. Weekes was educated at ...

*1948–1952 (res.): Edward Roberts *1952–1961 (ret.):

Alexander Cory The Venerable Alexander Cory was Archdeacon of the Isle of Wight. Born into an ecclesiastical family on 19 March 1890, he was educated at St John's School, Leatherhead, Keble College, Oxford and Ripon College Cuddesdon he was ordained in 1914. Af ...

(afterward archdeacon emeritus) *1961–1965 (res.):

Geoffrey Tiarks Geoffrey Lewis Tiarks (8 October 190913 January 1987) was a British Anglican bishop. He was the Bishop of Maidstone in the latter part of the 20th century. Early life and education Born into an ecclesiastical family — his father was Lewis Herm ...

*1965–1977 (res.):

Ron Scruby Ronald Victor Scruby (known as Ron; 23 December 1919 – 31 January 2011) was an eminent Anglican priest: Archdeacon of the Isle of Wight, then Archdeacon of Portsmouth. Born in Southall on 23 December 1919, he was educated at Trinity Hall, Camb ...

*1977–1986 (res.):

Freddie Carpenter Frederick Charles Carpenter (24 February 1920 – 19 February 2003) was an Archdeacon of the Isle of Wight. Born on 24 February 1920, Carpenter was educated at Sir George Monoux Grammar School and Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. After World Wa ...

(afterward archdeacon emeritus) *1986–1996 (ret.): Tony Turner (afterward archdeacon emeritus) *1996–2003 (ret.):

Mervyn Banting Kenneth Mervyn Lancelot Hadfield Banting (known as Mervyn; 8 September 1937 – 8 February 2022) was an Anglican priest, who was an Archdeacon of the Isle of Wight. Banting was educated at Pembroke College, Cambridge and Cuddesdon College. He wa ...

(afterward archdeacon emeritus) *2003–2006 (res.):

Trevor Reader Trevor Alan John Reader is a retired Anglican priest: he was Archdeacon of Portsdown from 2006 until 2013. Born in Pembrokeshire, Wales on 3 August 1946, he was educated at Portsmouth Polytechnic. He was a Research assistant then a Lecturer there ...

*2006–2011 (res.):

Caroline Baston Caroline Jane Baston (born 17 October 1956) is a Church of England priest. From 2006 to 2011, she served as Archdeacon of the Isle of Wight. Early life and education Baston was born on 17 October 1956. She studied at the University of Birmingham, ...

*2011–2018 (res.): Peter Sutton *18 May 20192022 (res.): Peter Leonard

Archdeacons of Portsmouth

*1925–1927 (res.):

Neville Lovett Ernest Neville Lovett, (16 February 1869 – 8 September 1951) served as the Bishop of Portsmouth in the Church of England from 1927 to 1936 and as the Bishop of Salisbury from 1936 to 1946. Life Lovett was born in Torquay on 16 February 1 ...

*1927–1936 (res.):

Harold Rodgers Rt Rev Harold Nickinson Rodgers (6 July 1881''1939 England and Wales Register'' – 22 June 1947) was the third Anglican Bishop of Sherborne in the modern era. Educated at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, he was ordained in 1910 and his mi ...

*1937–1945 (res.):

Harold Hyde-Lees Harold Montagu Hyde-Lees was Archdeacon of Portsmouth from 1937 to 1945. Hyde-Lees was born in 1890, educated at Eton and Wadham College, Oxford and ordained in 1921. He was a curate at St Luke's, Derby and then Acting Chaplain at St Mark's En ...

*1945–1952 (res.): Arthur Kitching (also an assistant bishop) *1952–1956 (res.): Edward Roberts *1956–1964 (res.): Michael Peck *1965–1969 (res.): Geoffrey Tiarks *1969–1977 (ret.):

Christopher Prior Christopher Prior, Order of the Bath, CB (2 July 1912 – 14 September 2004) was an eminent Anglican priest: Chaplain of the Fleet from 1966 to 1969 and Archdeacon of Portsmouth from then to 1977. Born on 2 July 1912, he was educated at Keble Co ...

(afterwards archdeacon emeritus) *1977–1985 (ret.):

(afterwards archdeacon emeritus) *1985–1993 (ret.):

Norman Crowder Norman Harry Crowder (20 October 1926 – 10 February 2013) was Archdeacon of Portsmouth from 1985 to 1993. Born in Nottingham on 20 October 1926, he was educated at Nottingham High School and St John's College, Cambridge. After National Service ...

(afterwards archdeacon emeritus) *1993–1999 (res.):

Graeme Knowles Graeme Paul Knowles (born 25 September 1951) is a retired Anglican bishop. He served latterly as the Acting Dean of St Edmundsbury, having previously served as Bishop of Sodor and Man and as Dean of St Paul's. Biography Knowles was educated a ...

*February''November 1999'':

Chris Lowson Christopher "Chris" Lowson (born 3 February 1953) is a retired British Anglican bishop. He served as Bishop of Lincoln, 2011–2021. Education and ordination Lowson was educated at Newcastle Cathedral School, Consett Grammar School and King's ...

''(became Archdeacon of Portsdown)'' :''In November 1999, the archdeaconry of Portsmouth was split into Portsdown and The Meon.''

Archdeacons of Portsdown

*''November 1999''–2006: Chris Lowson ''(previously Archdeacon of Portsmouth)'' *2006–2013 (ret.):

*14 April 20133 July 2019 (res.):

Joanne Grenfell Joanne Woolway Grenfell (born 27 May 1972) is a bishop of the Church of England serving as Bishop of Stepney, an area bishop of the Diocese of London The Diocese of London forms part of the Church of England's Province of Canterbury in Englan ...

(became

Bishop of Stepney The Bishop of Stepney is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of London, in the Province of Canterbury, England. The title takes its name after Stepney, an inner-city district in the London Borough of ...

) *3 July 2019present: ''vacant'' *2020 onwards:

Jenny Rowley Jennifer Anne Elisabeth (Jenny) Rowley (born 1961) is an Anglican priest. Rowley was educated at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. After curacies in Kingsthorpe and Kettering she was Priest in charge at Nettleham. She was Rector of Selsdon, and Ar ...

(announced)

Archdeacons of The Meon

*1999–2010 (res.): Peter Hancock *11 September 201128 January 2021:

Gavin Collins Gavin Andrew Collins (born 31 December 1966) is a British Anglican bishop. He has been Bishop of Dorchester, an area bishop in the Diocese of Oxford, since 14 April 2021. From 2011 to 2021, he had been Archdeacon of The Meon in the Diocese of Por ...

*28 January 2021present (Acting):

Will Hughes William James Hughes (born 17 April 1995) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Crystal Palace. Having graduated a scholarship with Derby County, Hughes made his first team breakthrough during t ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Portsmouth, Archdeacons in the Diocese of Archdeacons in the Diocese of Portsmouth Lists of Anglicans Lists of English people