Archdeacon of Canterbury

The Archdeacon of Canterbury is a senior office-holder in the Diocese of Canterbury (a division of the Church of England Province of Canterbury). Like other archdeacons, they are an administrator in the diocese at large (having oversight of parishes in roughly one-third of the diocese) and is a canon residentiary of the cathedral.

History

The Archdeacon of Canterbury has an additional role, traditionally serving as the Archbishop of Canterbury'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 bishops by the hand, conducts them to their 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 in 1841 and Ashford archdeaconry in 2011.

Composition

The archdeaconry covers approximately the north-east corner of the diocese. As of 2012^[update], the archdeaconry of Canterbury consists the following deaneries in the Diocese of Canterbury:

List of archdeacons

Pre-Norman Conquest

798: Wulfred
844:Beornoth
853: Athelweald
864: Ealstan
866: Sigifrith
866: Liaving
890: Werbeald
bef. 1054: Brinstan
1054 Haimo

High Medieval

bef. c. 1080–aft. c. 1080: Valerius
bef. 1075–aft. 1086: Ansketil
bef. 1099–aft. 1108: William
1115–May 1125 (res.): John
bef. 1126–1138: Helewise
bef. c. 1139–March 1148 (res.): Walter
aft. 1148–October 1154 (res.): Roger de Pont L'Évêque
aft. 1154–1163 (res.): Thomas Becket (also Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162)
bef. 1163–October 1174 (res.): Geoffrey Ridel
1175–June 1194 (res.): Herbert Poore
bef. 1194–aft. 1195 (res.): Philip of Poitou
bef. 1196–aft. 1206: Henry de Castilion
bef. 1213–May 1227 (res.): Henry Sandford
14 May 1227 – 1248 (d.): Simon Langton
28 January 1232–?: Richard de Sancto Johanne (ineffective royal appointment)
bef. 1248–July 1269 (d.): Stephen de Monte Luelli (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
29 June 1299–September 1305 (res.): John de Langeton

Late Medieval

22 September 1305–bef. 1306 (res.): Simon de Faversham
13 February 1306 – 22 November 1310 (res.): Bernard Ezius de le Breto
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 and brother of Bernard VIII, Count of Comminges^[1]
18 April 1323 – 1323 (dep.): John Bruton
23 April 1323–November 1325 (d.): Raymond de Roux
13 March 1326 – 1332 (res.): Hugh de Angoulême
15 July 1332 – 1333 (res.): Simon de Montacute
1334–1337 (res.): Robert de Stratford
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 (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^[2]
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
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

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

Early modern

March 1554–bef. 1559 (deprived): Nicholas Harpsfield
November 1559–bef. 1571 (res.): Edmund Gheast, Bishop of Rochester
aft. 1572–aft. 1575 (res.): Edmund Freke, Bishop of Rochester
17 May 1576 – 1595 (res.): William Redman
January 1595–29 March 1619 (d.): Charles Fotherby (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 (also Bishop of Chester from 1662)
7 October 1668 – 1670 (res.): William Sancroft
18 November 1672 – 20 March 1688 (d.): Samuel Parker (also Bishop of Oxford from 1686)
22 March 1688 – 10 October 1708 (d.): John Battely
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 (also Bishop of St Asaph 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
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 (also Bishop suffragan of Dover from 1890)^[3]
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
1967–1972 (res.): Michael Nott
1972–1981 (ret.): Bernard Pawley (afterwards archdeacon emeritus)
1981–1986 (res.): John Simpson
1986–1996 (res.): Michael Till
1996–2001 (res.): John Pritchard
2002–2007 (ret.): Patrick Evans (afterwards archdeacon emeritus)
April 2007 – 6 January 2016 (res.):^[4] Sheila Watson
6 December 2015 – 22 January 2017: Philip Down and Stephen Taylor, Joint Acting Archdeacons of Canterbury.^[5]
22 January 2017 – 4 December 2021 (res.): Jo Kelly-Moore^[6]
18 July 2022 – present: Will Adam^[7]

References

^ Guérard, Louis (1903). Documents pontificaux sur la Gascogne d'après les archives du Vatican. Pontificat de Jean XXII (1316-1334) (in French). Vol. 2. Paris / Auch: Honoré Champion / Léonce Cocharaux. pp. 95-97.
^ "Pakington, William" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
^ "EDEN, Rt. Rev. George Rodney". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 1920–2008 (December 2007 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 27 December 2012. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Gazette". Church Times. No. 7962. 23 October 2015. p. 33. ISSN 0009-658X.
^ Diocese of Canterbury — Notices about people and places (Accessed 10 January 2016)
^ Canterbury Cathedral — New Archdeacon of Canterbury (Accessed 8 February 2017)
^ "Services and Music List July 2022" (PDF). Canterbury Cathedral. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 July 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2022.

Sources

Greenway, Diana E. (1971), Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066–1300, vol. 2, pp. 12–15
Jones, B. (1963), Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1300–1541, vol. 4, pp. 6–9
Horn, Joyce M. (1974), Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541–1857, vol. 3, pp. 15–17

[1] Guérard, Louis (1903). Documents pontificaux sur la Gascogne d'après les archives du Vatican. Pontificat de Jean XXII (1316-1334) (in French). Vol. 2. Paris / Auch: Honoré Champion / Léonce Cocharaux. pp. 95-97.

[2] "Pakington, William" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.

[3] "EDEN, Rt. Rev. George Rodney". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 1920–2008 (December 2007 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 27 December 2012. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[ct7962-4] "Gazette". Church Times. No. 7962. 23 October 2015. p. 33. ISSN 0009-658X.

[5] Diocese of Canterbury — Notices about people and places (Accessed 10 January 2016)

[jkm-6] Canterbury Cathedral — New Archdeacon of Canterbury (Accessed 8 February 2017)

[7] "Services and Music List July 2022" (PDF). Canterbury Cathedral. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 July 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2022.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

v t e Archdeacons of Canterbury
High Medieval	Valerius Ansketil William John Helewise Walter Roger de Pont L'Évêque Thomas Becket Geoffrey Ridel Herbert Poore Philip of Poitou Henry de Castilion Henry Sandford Simon Langton Richard de Sancto Johanne Stephen de Monte Luelli/of Vienne Hugh de Mortuo Mari William Middleton Robert of Gernemue Richard de Ferings
Late Medieval	John de Langeton Simon de Faversham Bernard Ezius de le Breto Guichard de le Breto Simon of Comminges John Bruton Raymond de Roux Hugh de Angoulême Simon de Montacute Robert de Stratford Bernard Sistre Pierre Roger Simon Islip William Cardinal de la Jugee Henry de Wakefield Aymar Roche John de Fordham William Pakington Adam Mottrum Thomas Butiller Richard Clifford Robert Hallam Angelo Cardinal Acciaioli John Wakering Henry Rumworth/Circeter William Chichele Prospero Cardinal Colonna Thomas Chichele Thomas Winterbourne John Bourgchier Hugh Peynthwyn
Early modern	William Warham Edmund Cranmer Nicholas Harpsfield Edmund Gheast Edmund Freke William Redman Charles Fotherby William Kingsley George Hall William Sancroft Samuel Parker John Battely Thomas Green Thomas Bowers Samuel Lisle Sir John Head William Backhouse John Lynch
Late modern	Houstonne Radcliffe Hugh Percy James Croft Edward Parry Rodney Eden William Walsh Leonard White-Thomson Edward Hardcastle Karl Sopwith Alexander Sargent Michael Nott Bernard Pawley John Simpson Michael Till John Pritchard Patrick Evans Sheila Watson Philip Down & Stephen Taylor, Joint Acting Jo Kelly-Moore Will Adam

v t e Diocese of Canterbury
Canterbury Cathedral The Old Palace, Canterbury Diocesan House, Canterbury
Office holders	Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury and Primate of All England Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Bishop suffragan of Dover (pseudo-diocesan) AEO: the Bishop suffragan of Richborough & the Bishop suffragan of Ebbsfleet David Monteith, Dean of Canterbury Will Adam, Archdeacon of Canterbury Darren Miller, Archdeacon of Ashford Andrew Sewell, Archdeacon of Maidstone
Provincial episcopal visitors	Rob Munro, Bishop suffragan of Ebbsfleet Luke Irvine-Capel, Bishop suffragan designate of Richborough
Selected deaneries	Elham Deanery Romney Deanery
Historic offices	Bishop suffragan of Croydon (1904–1985; transferred to Southwark) Bishop suffragan of Maidstone (1944–2009) Archdeacon of Croydon (1930–1985; transferred to Southwark)