List of Archdeacons of Canterbury

The Archdeacon of Canterbury is an office-holder in the Diocese of Canterbury in the Church of England. Like other archdeacons, 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 of the cathedral.

Furthermore, the Archdeacon of Canterbury has an additional role beyond that of other archdeacons, traditionally serving as the Archbishop of Canterbury's representative at enthronement ceremonies for new diocesan bishops in his province. At these services, he or she reads the Archbishop's mandate and, taking the new bishop by the hand, conducts him on to his throne.

The present incumbent is Sheila Watson.

Contents 1 List of Archdeacons of Canterbury 1.1 Medieval 1.2 16th century 1.3 17th century 1.4 18th century 1.5 19th century 1.6 20th century 1.7 21st century 2 Notes 3 References

List of Archdeacons of Canterbury

Medieval

• John 1115–1125, later Bishop of Rochester
• Walter 1139–1148, later Bishop of Rochester
• Roger de Pont L'Évêque 1148–1154, later Archbishop of York
• Thomas Becket 1154–1162, later Archbishop of Canterbury
• Geoffrey Ridel 1163–1173 later Bishop of Ely^[1]
• Herbert Poore 1176–1194 later Bishop of Salisbury
• Philip of Poitou 1194–1195 later Bishop of Durham^[2]
• Henry Sandford 1213–1226 later Bishop of Rochester
• Simon Langton 1227-1248 formerly the Archbishop-elect of York
• William Middleton 1275–1278 later Bishop of Norwich
• Richard de Ferings 1280–1299
• William Pakington 1381-1390^[3]
• John Wakering 1408-1415
• Henry Rumworth (or Circeter) 1416-1420
• William Chichele 1420–1424
• Cardinal Prospero Colonna June 1424 to December 1434

16th century

• Hugh Peynthwyn, 1495–1504
• William Warham, 1505–1534
• Edmund Cranmer, 1534–1554
• Nicholas Harpsfield, 1554–1559
• Edmund Gheast, 1559–1564, Bishop of Rochester and subsequently Bishop of Salisbury
• Edmund Freke 1564–1576, Bishop of Rochester, subsequently Bishop of Norwich and then Bishop of Worcester
• William Redman, 1576–1594, subsequently Bishop of Norwich

17th century

• Charles Fotherby, 1595–1619, subsequently Dean of Canterbury
• William Kingsley, 1619–1648
  • See suspended due to the Interregnum (see also Commonwealth of England & The Protectorate)
• George Hall, 1660–1668, Bishop of Chester
• William Sancroft, 1668–1670, later Archbishop of Canterbury
• Samuel Parker, 1670–1688, also Bishop of Oxford
• John Battely, 1688–1708

18th century

• Thomas Green, 1708–1721, later Bishop of Norwich and then Bishop of Ely
• Thomas Bowers, 1721–1724, also Bishop of Chichester 1722–1724
• Samuel Lisle, 1724–1748, also Bishop of St Asaph from 1744, and then Bishop of Norwich
• John Head, 1748–1769
• William Backhouse, 1769–1788
• John Lynch, 1788–1803

19th century

• Houstonne Radcliffe, 1803–1822
• Hugh Percy, 1822–1825, later Bishop of Carlisle
• James Croft, 1825–1869
• Edward Parry, 1869–1870, later Suffragan Bishop of Dover

20th century

• Leonard White-Thomson, 1918–1924 , later Bishop of Ely
• Edward Hardcastle, 1924–1939
• Karl Sopwith, 1939–1942
• Alexander Sargent, 1942–1968
• Michael Nott, 1968–1972
• Bernard Pawley, 1972–1981
• John Simpson, 1981–1986
• Michael Till, 1986–????
• John Pritchard, 1996–2002, later Bishop of Oxford

21st century

• Patrick Evans, 2002–2007
• Sheila Watson, April 2007–present

Notes

References

• British History Online: Archdeacons of Canterbury 1066–1300 accessed on October 25, 2007
• British History Online: Archdeacons of Canterbury 1300–1541 accessed on 8 January 2010
• British History Online: Archdeacons of Canterbury 1541–1857: Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae, volume 3: Canterbury, Rochester and Winchester dioceses (1974), pp. 15-17. Date accessed: 10 January 2010.
• British History Online Bishops of Ely accessed on October 25, 2007