The Archdeacon of Worcester is a senior clergy position in the Diocese of Worcester 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 ...

. Among the archdeacon's responsibilities is the care of clergy and church buildings within the area of the Archdeaconry of Worcester.

History

The first recorded archdeacons in the Diocese of Worcester occur from around the same time that archdeacons occur across the church in England. Two archdeacons are recorded simultaneously from that time, but no clear territorial title occurs until 1143, when Gervase is called

Archdeacon of Gloucester The Archdeacon of Gloucester is a senior ecclesiastical officer in the Diocese of Gloucester, England whose responsibilities include the care of clergy and church buildings within the area of the ''Archdeaconry of Gloucester.'' History The first ...

. The Archdeaconry of Birmingham was created from Worcester and

Coventry Coventry ( or ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its ...

archdeaconries by

Order-in-Council An Order-in-Council is a type of legislation in many countries, especially the Commonwealth realms. In the United Kingdom this legislation is formally made in the name of the monarch by and with the advice and consent of the Privy Council (''Kin ...

on 12 August 1892 but became part of the new Diocese of Birmingham upon its creation by Order-in-Council on 13 January 1905. The archdeaconry is currently subdivided into six deaneries:

Evesham Evesham () is a market town and parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire, in the West Midlands region of England. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon. It lies within the Vale of Evesha ...

Malvern Malvern or Malverne may refer to: Places Australia * Malvern, South Australia, a suburb of Adelaide * Malvern, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne * City of Malvern, a former local government area near Melbourne * Electoral district of Malvern, an e ...

Martley Martley is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills district of the English county of Worcestershire. It is approximately nine miles north-west of Worcester. The population of the village is approximately 1,200 people. The mixed farming of ...

and Worcester West,

Pershore Pershore is a market town in the Wychavon district in Worcestershire, England, on the banks of the River Avon. The town is part of the West Worcestershire parliamentary constituency. At the 2011 census, the population was 7,125. The town is ...

, Upton, and Worcester East.
Deaneries in the Diocese of Worcester
'', Diocese of Worcester, UK. The current Archdeacon of Worcester is the Venerable Robert Jones.

Deaneries, rural deans and lay chairs as of 2019

List of archdeacons

High Medieval

:Senior archdeacon of the diocese: *bef. 1086–bef. 1114 (d.): Ailric *bef. 1114–21 March 1125 (d.):

Hugh Hugh may refer to: *Hugh (given name) Noblemen and clergy French * Hugh the Great (died 956), Duke of the Franks * Hugh Magnus of France (1007–1025), co-King of France under his father, Robert II * Hugh, Duke of Alsace (died 895), modern-day ...

(probably previously junior archdeacon) :Archdeacons of Worcester: *1125–1143 (deprived):

William Cumin William Cumin (or de Comyn or de Commines) (died ) was a bishop of Durham, and Justiciar of Scotland. Life Several Cumins were clerks in the chanceries of King Henry I of England and King Henry II of England, as well as in the dioceses of Ro ...

(also Bishop-elect of Durham, 1141; ''deprived'') *1144–bef. 1157 (res.): Godfrey *bef. 1157–bef. 1159 (d.): William Cumin ''(restored)'' *bef. 1159–bef. 1168 (d.): Godfrey ''(restored)'' *bef. 1168–bef. 1190 (d.): Simon Luvel *bef. 1190–bef. 1198 (d.): Peter de Leche *bef. 1198–aft. 1196: John of Cornwall *bef. 1200–aft. 1217: John Brancastre *December 1218–bef. 1243: William Scot (also Bishop-elect of Durham, 1226–1227) *June 1243–aft. 1256: Vincent of Abergavenny *bef. 1257–aft. 1270: Robert de Esthall *bef. 1275–27 July 1287 (d.): Hugh of Evesham *16 October 1287 – 4 July 1288 (deprived):

Ralph de Hingham Ralph (pronounced ; or ,) is a male given name of English, Scottish and Irish origin, derived from the Old English ''Rædwulf'' and Radulf, cognate with the Old Norse ''Raðulfr'' (''rað'' "counsel" and ''ulfr'' "wolf"). The most common forms ...

*4 July 1288–aft. 1311: Francesco Napoleone Cardinal Orsini (also cardinal-deacon of

Santa Lucia in Orthea The Church of Saint Lucy in Selci ( it, Santa Lucia in Selci, also known as ' or ') is an ancient Roman Catholic church, located in Rome, dedicated to Saint Lucy, a 4th-century virgin and martyr. History The church was built no later than the ...

from 1295)

Late Medieval

*1312–1317 (d.): Henri de la Tour du Pin (later

Bishop of Metz Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand Es ...

) *aft. 1317–1320 (d.): John de Brucy *15 May 1321–bef. 1329 (d.): Adam le Chaumpeneys de Sandwico *17 October 1329 – 7 April 1337 (exch.): John de Orleton *7 April 1337–bef. 1349: Robert de Worcester *16 May 1349 – 18 February 1353 (exch.): John de Severle *18 February 1353 – 1366 (res.):

John Harewell John Harewell was a Bishop of Bath and Wells in medieval England. Harewell came from Harwell in Berkshire (now in Oxfordshire). He was in the employ of the Black Prince, before being collated Archdeacon of Berkshire The Archdeacon of Berks ...

(became

Bishop of Bath and Wells The Bishop of Bath and Wells heads the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells in the Province of Canterbury in England. The present diocese covers the overwhelmingly greater part of the (ceremonial) county of Somerset and a small area of Do ...

) *1366–4 May 1371 (exch.): Simon Clement *4 May 1371–bef. 1383 (d.):

John Blanchard John Blanchard is a Canadian television director and producer. He is best known for his directorial work on the sketch comedy series '' SCTV'', ''The Kids in the Hall'', ''CODCO'', ''MADtv'' and the talk show '' The Martin Short Show'' for whi ...

*4 December 1383 – 1389 (res.): William Malpas ''(royal candidate)'' *2 May 1388–bef. 1412: William Rocombe ''(papal candidate)'' *28 October 1412–bef. 1432 (res.): John Ixworth *31 May 1431–bef. 1433 (res.):

John Burdett John Burdett (born 1951) is an English crime novelist. He is the bestselling author of ''Bangkok 8'' and its sequels. His most recent novel in this series, ''The Bangkok Asset'', was published on 4 August 2015. Biography Burdett was born in Lo ...

*5 May 1433 – 13 November 1438 (exch.): William Hende *13 November 1438–bef. 1452 (res.): John Verney (probably

Dean of Lichfield The Dean of Lichfield is the head (''primus inter pares'' – first among equals) and chair of the chapter of canons, the ruling body of Lichfield Cathedral. The dean and chapter are based at the ''Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and S ...

, 1432–1447) *19 October 1452–bef. 1467 (res.): William Vaunce *12 November 1467–bef. 1472 (res.): Thomas Hawkins (previously Archdeacon of Stafford) *4 May–May 1472 (res.): Robert Inkbarrow *19 May 1472–bef. 1476 (d.): Thomas Hawkins ''(again)'' *26 July–bef. November 1479: John Burton *24 November 1479 – 1483 (res.):

Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s, and he gave a memorable pe ...

*4 August 1483–aft. 1518: Thomas Alcock *bef. 1529–1531 (res.):

Stephen Gardiner Stephen Gardiner (27 July 1483 – 12 November 1555) was an English Catholic bishop and politician during the English Reformation period who served as Lord Chancellor during the reign of Queen Mary I and King Philip. Early life Gardiner was b ...

(became

Bishop of Winchester The Bishop of Winchester is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Winchester in the Church of England. The bishop's seat (''cathedra'') is at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire. The Bishop of Winchester has always held ''ex officio'' (except dur ...

) *4 April 1531–bef. 1534 (d.): William Claybrook *12 May 1534 – 1563 (d.):

Peter Vannes Peter Vannes (died 1563) was an Italian Catholic churchman who became a royal official in England, and Dean of Salisbury. Life Born at Lucca in northern Italy, he was son of Stephen de Vannes of that city. In one of his letters Erasmus calls him ...

(also

Dean of Salisbury The Dean of Salisbury is the head of the chapter of Salisbury Cathedral in the Church of England. The Dean assists the archdeacon of Sarum and bishop of Ramsbury in the diocese of Salisbury. List of deans High Medieval * Walter * Osbert *?� ...

from 1536)

Early modern

*1563–bef. 1579 (res.): Thomas Powell *15 July 1579 – 1598 (res.):

Godfrey Goldsborough Godfrey Goldsborough (1548 in Cambridge – 26 May 1604) was a Church of England clergyman and bishop of Gloucester from 1598-1604. He was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge. He also served as a Prebendary of Worcester. Career He was born in ...

(became

Bishop of Gloucester The Bishop of Gloucester is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Gloucester in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers the County of Gloucestershire and part of the County of Worcestershire. The see's centre of governan ...

) *1598–bef. 1610 (res.): John Johnson *1610–4 August 1623 (d.): William Swaddon *1623–bef. 1629 (d.):

Hugh Lloyd Hugh Lewis Lloyd (22 April 1923 – 14 July 2008) was an English actor who made his name in film and television comedy from the 1960s to the 1980s. He was best known for appearances in ''Hancock's Half Hour'', ''Hugh and I'' and other sit ...

*3 August 1629–bef. 1645 (d.): Edward Thornborough *30 May 1645–bef. 1676 (d.):

William Hodges William Hodges RA (28 October 1744 – 6 March 1797) was an English painter. He was a member of James Cook's second voyage to the Pacific Ocean and is best known for the sketches and paintings of locations he visited on that voyage, inclu ...

*4 September 1676–bef. 1705 (d.): John Fleetwood *14 December 1705 – 7 August 1742 (d.): William Worth *10 September 1742 – 21 November 1774 (d.): John Tottie *1775–8 March 1787 (d.):

John Warren John Warren may refer to: Medicine * John Warren (surgeon) (1753–1815), American surgeon during the Revolutionary War * John Collins Warren (1778–1856), American surgeon * John Collins Warren Jr. (1842–1927), American surgeon, son of John C ...

*21 March 1787 – 12 August 1815 (d.): Thomas Evans *29 August 1815 – 18 October 1849 (d.): Richard Onslow *9 November 1849 – 5 May 1881 (d.): Richard Hone

Late modern

*May 1881 – 1889 (d.): William Lea, sometime Vicar of St Peter's

Droitwich Droitwich Spa (often abbreviated to Droitwich ) is an historic spa town in the Wychavon district in northern Worcestershire, England, on the River Salwarpe. It is located approximately south-west of Birmingham and north-east of Worcester. The ...

*1889–1911 (ret.): William Walters, Vicar of

until 1894, then Rector of

Alvechurch Alvechurch ( ) is a large village and civil parish in the Bromsgrove district in northeast Worcestershire, England, in the valley of the River Arrow. The Lickey Hills Country Park is 2.5 miles (4 km) to the northwest. It is south of Bir ...

until 1904, then Vicar of

Malvern Wells Malvern Wells is a village and civil parish south of Great Malvern in the Malvern Hills district of Worcestershire, England. The parish, once known as South Malvern, was formed in 1894 from parts of the civil parishes of Hanley Castle, Welland ...

from 1905 *1911–1921 (res.):

John Greig John Greig (born 11 September 1942) is a Scottish former professional footballer, who played as a defender. He spent his entire career with Rangers, as a player, manager and director. Greig was voted "The Greatest Ever Ranger" in 1999 by the ...

, Rector of

Hartlebury Hartlebury is a village and civil parish in Worcestershire, England which is in Wychavon district centred south of Kidderminster. The civil parish registered a population of 2,549 in the 2001 Census. The railway station is centred 800 metr ...

(became Bishop of Gibraltar) *1921–1938 (ret.): James Peile, Rector of Alvechurch until 1925, then of

Ripple Ripple may refer to: Science and technology * Capillary wave, commonly known as ripple, a wave traveling along the phase boundary of a fluid ** Ripple, more generally a disturbance, for example of spacetime in gravitational waves * Ripple (electri ...

until 1926 *193826 September 1944 (d.): Ridley Duppuy (Canon, Assistant Bishop of Worcester from 1936, and Vice-Dean from 1940; former Bishop of Victoria) *1944–1961 (ret.): Thomas Wilson, Rector of Hartlebury until 1956 *1961–1975 (ret.): Peter Eliot, Vicar of

Cropthorne Cropthorne is a village and civil parish in Worcestershire, England within the Vale of Evesham, and on the North-west edge of the Cotswolds. It is approximately southeast of Worcester, north of Cheltenham, and southwest of Stratford-upon-A ...

with Charlton until 1965 (afterwards archdeacon emeritus) *1975–1980 (ret.):

John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who wa ...

(afterwards archdeacon emeritus) *1981–1984 (res.):

Peter Coleman William Peter Coleman (15 December 1928 – 31 March 2019) was an Australian writer and politician. A widely published journalist for over 60 years, he was editor of '' The Bulletin'' (1964–1967) and of '' Quadrant'' for 20 years, and publi ...

(became Bishop suffragan of Crediton) *1984–1999 (ret.): Frank Bentley (afterwards archdeacon emeritus) *1999–2008 (res.): Joy Tetley *5 October 2008 – 25 July 2014 (res.): Roger Morris (became area

Bishop of Colchester The Bishop of Colchester is an episcopal title used by an area bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Chelmsford, in the Province of Canterbury, England. The current bishop is Roger Morris, former Archdeacon of Worcester, who was consecrat ...

) *16 November 2014–present: Robert JonesDiocese of Worcester – Licensing of the new Archdeacon of Worcester
(Accessed 16 November 2014)

References

Sources

* * * *

External links

Worcester Diocesan websiteChurch of England Statistics 2002
{{DEFAULTSORT:Worcester, Archdeacon of Lists of Anglicans Lists of English people

Archdeacons 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 ...

Anglican Diocese of Worcester Christianity in Worcester, England Christianity in Worcestershire