Archdeacon of Berkshire

The Archdeacon of Berkshire (also rendered Archdeacon of Berks) is a senior ecclesiastical officer in the Church of England Diocese of Oxford. The archdeacon is the head of the archdeaconry of Berkshire, a post historically found within the diocese of Salisbury, and then, from 7 October 1836, within Oxford diocese.^[1]

List of archdeacons

Some archdeacons without territorial titles are recorded from around the time of the Norman Conquest; see Archdeacon of Salisbury.

High Medieval

c. 1150–aft. 1156: Roger
bef. 1173–bef. 1205: Geoffrey de Vernun
bef. 1206–aft. 1215: Alberic
aft. 1204–aft. 1222: Geoffrey
bef. 1224–aft. 1236: William of Merton
c. 1236: Clement
c. 1236: William de Raley
bef. 1237–aft. 1255: Giles of Bridport
c. 1265: William
bef. 1266–aft. 1268: Walter Scammel
bef. 1275–bef. May 1284: Stephen of Newbury
aft. June 1284–bef. 1313: William de Berges

Late Medieval

10 March 1313–bef. December 1313: Richard de Bello
bef. December 1313–bef. August 1331 (d.): Tydo de Varesio
14 September 1317: Gilbert de Stapleton (ineffective royal grant)
21 August 1331–aft. 1333: Robert de Ayleston (previously Archdeacon of Wiltshire)
bef. 1334–aft. 1359: Edmund de la Beche (collated 12 September 1339)
aft. 1359–bef. 1365 (res.): Thomas Paxton
10 December 1365 – 1366 (res.): John Harewell
bef. 1371–aft. 1384: Guillaume Cardinal d'Aigrefeuille
(Cardinal-priest of St Stephen al Monte Celio)
26 October 1389–aft. 1392: Thomas Yokflete
papal grants:
- ?–1390: Andrea Cardinal Bontempi Martini
  (Cardinal-priest of SS Marcellinus and Peter)
- 1390–22 April 1395 (exch.): Christopher Cardinal Marini
  (Cardinal-priest of San Ciriaco alle Terme Diocleziane)
- 22 April 1395 – 25 November 1397 (res.): Walter Cook
royal grants:
- 22 September 1395: John Southam
- 28 September 1395: Walter Cook
- 20 October 1395: Ralph Repyngton
- c. 16 November 1395: John Wynwyk
9 February 1397 – 30 January 1404 (exch.): John Southam (afterwards Archdeacon of Oxford)
30 January–15 March 1404 (d.): Thomas Southam
bef. 10 June 1404–?: John Fraunceys
aft. 10 June–26 December 1404 (exch.): Simon Sydenham
26 December 1404–c. 21 July 1417 (exch.): Walter Medford
c. 21 July 1417–bef. 31 May 1427: Peter de Alcobasso
25 June 1427 – 1431 (res.): Thomas Brunce
15 September 1431–bef. 1432: John Castell (possibly the Master of Univ)
24 September 1432 – 1433 (d.): Alexander Sparrow
18 October 1433 – 1462 (d.): John Norton (probably the Chancellor of Oxford)
15 February 1462 – 1464 (d.): Richard Ewen
9 March 1464 – 1465 (res.): Robert Stillington

28 February 1466 – 1476 (res.): John Russell
6 November 1476 – 1478 (res.): John Morton
31 December 1478 – 1482 (res.): Richard Martyn (also Archdeacon of London and Archdeacon of Hereford; became Bishop of St David's)
bef. 1 December 1488 – 1492 (res.): Oliver King
15 January 1493 – 1507 (res.): Stephen Bereworth
5 February 1507 – 1509 (d.): Christopher Twineho
20 December 1509 – 24 December 1510 (res.): Stephen Bereworth (again)
24 December 1510 – 1522 (d.): William Grey
14 February 1522 – 1545 (d.): Robert Audley

Early modern

18 July 1545 – 1547 (d.): John Crayford (also Master of University College, Oxford, 1546-7)
24 September 1547 – 3 September 1557 (d.): William Pye (afterwards Dean of Chichester)
24 September 1557 – 12 June 1588 (d.): Thomas Whyte
16 June 1588 – 1605 (d.): Martin Culpepper, Dean of Chichester
9 November 1605–bef. 1631 (d.): Leonel Sharp (imprisoned for sedition)
26 January 1631 – 1634 (res.): Edward Davenant
20 November 1634 – 19 August 1665 (d.): John Ryves
29 August 1665 – 1673 (res.): Peter Mews
26 April 1673 – 1689 (res.): John Sharp (also Dean of Norwich from 1681)
6 December 1689 – 1698 (res.): William Richards
12 May 1698–bef. 1710 (d.): Jonas Proast
25 April 1710 – 2 December 1716 (d.): Richard West
13 May 1717 – 9 December 1720 (d.): Edward Talbot
10 January 1721 – 1735 (res.): Martin Benson
8 March 1735 – 9 December 1746 (d.): Samuel Knight
2 January 1747 – 21 October 1763 (d.): John Spry
25 October 1763 – 23 October 1785 (d.): William Dodwell
12 November 1785 – 15 October 1817 (d.): Arthur Onslow (also Dean of Worcester from 1795)
5 December 1817 – 25 August 1832 (d.): John Fisher
7 September 1832–1836: Edward Berens

Archdeaconry transferred to Diocese of Oxford, 7 October 1836^[1]

1836–1855 (res.): Edward Berens
21 March 1855 – 3 September 1869 (res.): James Randall

Late modern

1870–1903 (res.): Alfred Pott^[2]
1903–17 March 1922 (d.): William Ducat
1922–1942 (res.): Richard Wickham Legg
1942–1954 (res.): Arthur Parham, Bishop suffragan of Reading
1955–1967 (res.): Eric Knell, Bishop suffragan of Reading
1968–1973 (res.): Eric Wild (also Bishop suffragan of Reading from 1972)
1973–1976 (res.): Raymond Birt
1978–1986 (res.): John Brown
1987–1992 (res.): David Griffiths
1992–1998 (res.): Mike Hill
1998–31 May 2013 (ret.): Norman Russell^[3]
11 October 2013 – 19 November 2019: Olivia Graham^[4] (became Bishop of Reading)^[5]
29 February 2020 – present: Stephen Pullin^[6]

References

^ ^a ^b "No. 19426". The London Gazette. 7 October 1836. pp. 1729–1731.
^ Hammond, Nigel. "The Missing Diaries of the Venerable Alfred Pott BD (1822–1908), First Principal of Cuddesdon College and Archdeacon of Berkshire" (PDF). Oxoniensia. 70: 71–78.
^ "Church Times gazette". Church Times. 3 May 2013. p. 29. #7833.
^ Church of the Good Shepherd, Cox Green – Newsletter, October 2013 p. 5 – Diary (Accessed 30 October 2013)
^ Diocese of Oxford — Olivia Graham named Bishop of Reading (Accessed 15 July 2019)
^ "Minster man named as new Archdeacon of Berkshire". 11 November 2019.

Sources

Greenway, Diana E. (1991), Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066–1300, vol. 4, pp. 28–31
Horn, Joyce M. (1962), Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1300–1541, vol. 3, pp. 9–11
Horn, Joyce M. (1986), Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541–1857, vol. 6, pp. 14–16
Horn, Joyce M. (1996), Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541–1857, vol. 8, p. 86
Account of Purley on Thames – Archdeacons (PDF) (accessed 4 December 2012)

[LG1836-1] "No. 19426". The London Gazette. 7 October 1836. pp. 1729–1731.

[2] Hammond, Nigel. "The Missing Diaries of the Venerable Alfred Pott BD (1822–1908), First Principal of Cuddesdon College and Archdeacon of Berkshire" (PDF). Oxoniensia. 70: 71–78.

[ct7833-3] "Church Times gazette". Church Times. 3 May 2013. p. 29. #7833.

[4] Church of the Good Shepherd, Cox Green – Newsletter, October 2013 p. 5 – Diary (Accessed 30 October 2013)

[5] Diocese of Oxford — Olivia Graham named Bishop of Reading (Accessed 15 July 2019)

[6] "Minster man named as new Archdeacon of Berkshire". 11 November 2019.

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v t e Archdeacons of Berkshire
High Medieval	Roger Geoffrey de Vernun Alberic Geoffrey William of Merton Clement William de Raley Giles of Bridport William Walter Scammel Stephen of Newbury William de Berges
Late Medieval	Richard de Bello Tydo de Varesio Gilbert de Stapleton Robert de Ayleston Edmund de la Beche Thomas Paxton John Harewell Guillaume Cardinal d'Aigrefeuille Thomas Yokflete papal grants: Andrea Cardinal Bontempi Martini Christopher Cardinal Marini Walter Cook royal grants: John Southam Walter Cook Ralph Repyngton John Wynwyk John Southam Thomas Southam John Fraunceys Simon Sydenham Walter Medford Peter de Alcobasso Thomas Brunce John Castell Alexander Sparrow John Norton Richard Ewen Robert Stillington John Russell John Morton Richard Martyn Oliver King Stephen Bereworth Christopher Twineho Stephen Bereworth (again) William Grey Robert Audley
Early modern	John Crayford William Pye Thomas Whyte Martin Culpepper, Dean of Chichester Leonel Sharp Edward Davenant John Ryves Peter Mews John Sharp William Richards Jonas Proast Richard West Edward Talbot Martin Benson Samuel Knight John Spry William Dodwell Arthur Onslow John Fisher Edward Berens James Randall
Late modern	Alfred Pott William Ducat Richard Wickham Legg Arthur Parham, Bishop of Reading Eric Knell, Bishop of Reading Eric Wild, Bishop of Reading Raymond Birt John Brown David Griffiths Mike Hill Norman Russell Olivia Graham Stephen Pullin

v t e Diocese of Oxford
Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford Bishop's Lodge, Kidlington Diocesan Church House, Oxford Dorchester Abbey Cuddesdon Palace Osney Abbey Area scheme (1984–present)
Office holders	Steven Croft, Bishop of Oxford Gavin Collins, area Bishop of Dorchester area Bishop of Buckingham (vacant) area Bishop of Reading (vacant) AEO: Paul Thomas, Bishop suffragan of Oswestry & Rob Munro, Bishop suffragan of Ebbsfleet Sarah Foot, Dean of Christ Church, Oxford Jonathan Chaffey, Archdeacon of Oxford Guy Elsmore, Archdeacon of Buckingham Stephen Pullin, Archdeacon of Berkshire David Tyler, Archdeacon of Dorchester
Selected deaneries	Deanery of Reading

v t e Diocese of Salisbury
Salisbury Cathedral Sarum Use South Canonry, Salisbury (bishop's house) Church House, Salisbury Sonning Bishop's Palace Bishop's Palace, Salisbury Area scheme (1981–2009)
Office holders	Stephen Lake, Bishop of Salisbury Karen Gorham, Bishop suffragan of Sherborne Andrew Rumsey, Bishop suffragan of Ramsbury AEO: Paul Thomas, Bishop suffragan of Oswestry & Rob Munro, Bishop suffragan of Ebbsfleet Nick Papadopulos, Dean of Salisbury Alan Jeans, Archdeacon of Sarum Antony MacRow-Wood, Archdeacon of Dorset Sue Groom, Archdeacon of Wilts Penny Sayer, Archdeacon of Sherborne
Channel Islands	Tim Barker, Dean of Guernsey Mike Keirle, Dean of Jersey
Historic offices	Bishop of Marlborough (1537–1568) Archdeacon of Berkshire (13th century–1836; transferred to Oxford)