Archdeacon of Colchester

The Archdeacon of Colchester is a senior ecclesiastical officer in the Diocese of Chelmsford^[1] – she or he has responsibilities within her archdeaconry (the Archdeaconry of Colchester) including oversight of church buildings and some supervision, discipline and pastoral care of the clergy.

History

The title first appears in sources before 1144, as one of four archdeacons in the (then much larger) Diocese of London, but there had been four archdeacons prior to this point, some of whom may be regarded as essentially predecessors in the line of the Colchester archdeacons. The territorial archdeaconry remained part of the London diocese for about 700 years, until, on 1 January 1846, it was transferred by Order in Council to the Diocese of Rochester.^[2] The archdeaconry was afterwards in the newly created Diocese of St Albans from 4 May 1877^[3] until her transfer to the Diocese of Chelmsford upon her creation on 23 January 1914.^[4] On 1 February 2013, by Pastoral Order of the Bishop of Chelmsford, the new Archdeaconry of Stansted was created from the Colchester archdeaconry; initially, the Archdeacon of Colchester was also Acting Archdeacon of Stansted.^[5]

List of archdeacons

High Medieval

bef. 1102–aft. 1115: Quintilian^{[N 1]}
bef. 1115–aft. 1132: Cyprian son of Quintilian^{[N 1]}
bef. 1138–aft. 1138: Geoffrey^{[N 1]}
bef. 1142–aft. 1152: Ailward
?–c. 1154 (ren.): Henry of London (renounced claim)
bef. 1155–aft. 1166: William
bef. 1168–aft. 1178: Richard Foliot I
aft. 1180–aft. 1190: Ralph de Alta Ripa
bef. 1192–bef. 1217 (d.): Richard of Ely
bef. 1218–1228 (res.): Roger Niger
bef. 1231–1238 (d.): Hugh of London II
bef. 1248–aft. 1252: Robert de Insula
bef. 1249–aft. 1249: Ralph de Insula (very probably vice-archdeacon)
aft. 1253–aft. 1260: Hugh de Sancto Edmundo
aft. 1263–21 November 1285 (d.): Fulke Lovell
bef. 1287–aft. 1299: Giles Filliol

Late Medieval

bef. 1302–aft. 1302: Richard Newport
bef. 1304–aft. 1310: John de Chishull
bef. 1311–bef. 1336 (d.): William de Meleford
3 March 1337–bef. 1348: William de Stowe
bef. 1348–bef. 1362 (d.): Richard de Plessis
10 April 1363 – 26 September 1373 (exch.): Michael Northburgh (son)
26 September 1373 – 1387 (d.): Richard de Piriton
bef. 1393–bef. 1398 (res.): John de Carleton
3 November 1398 – 1406 (res.): Thomas More (afterwards Dean of St Paul's)
17 January 1406 – 24 November 1411 (exch.): Richard de Kingston
24 November 1411–bef. 1425 (d.): William Spygurnell
7 February 1425 (installed): Henry Wodechurche (evidently ineffective)
14 February 1425 (installed): Peter Hynewyk (evidently ineffective)
23 March 1425–bef. 1433 (res.): William Duffield
19 May 1433–bef. 1440 (res.): John Stopyngton
3 April 1440–bef. 1449 (d.): Robert Aiscough
15 February 1449 – 1450 (res.): Nicholas Close
bef. 1450–aft. 1450: John Thurston
bef. 1451–1465 (res.): Robert Stillington^[6]
10 February 1466–bef. 1483 (d.): Benedict Burgh^[7]
18 July 1483–bef. 1499 (d.): Thomas Barow
9 July 1499–bef. 1509: John Maynwaring
bef. 1509–bef. 1519 (d.): John Perott
16 February–October 1519 (res.): Richard Pace^[8]
22 October 1519 – 1523 (res.): John Clerk
19 November 1523 – 1531 (res.): Edward Lee
30 December 1531 – 1537 (res.): Robert Aldrich^[9]
1 October 1537–bef. 1543 (d.): Richard Curwen

Early modern

23 March 1543 – 1552 (d.): Anthony Belasyse
10 January 1553 – 22 January 1554 (rem.): John Standish
22 January 1554–bef. 1557: Hugh Weston (deprived of office for immorality)
15 October 1558 – 23 October 1559 (deprived): John Standish (again; deprived)^[10]
4 December 1559–bef. 1565 (d.): John Pullain
16 July 1565 – 1570: James Calfhill
11 October 1570–aft. 1593: George Withers
8 January 1596–bef. 1617 (d.): Thomas Withers
10 April 1617 – 1641 (res.): Henry King
15 April 1642 – 22 June 1643 (d.): Josias Shute
22 June 1643–bef. 1660: Vacancy (English Interregnum)
bef. 1660–1667 (d.): John Hansley
2 February 1667–bef. 1675 (d.): William Wells
25 August 1675–bef. 1678 (d.): Charles Smith
24 September 1678–September 1681 (res.): William Sill
3 November 1681 – 1704 (res.): William Beveridge
9 August 1704 – 9 August 1722 (d.): Jonas Warley
14 August 1722 – 4 August 1737 (d.): John King
24 August 1737 – 8 November 1749 (d.): Thomas Cartwright
29 November 1749 – 1766 (res.): Charles Moss
12 December 1766 – 19 January 1775 (d.): William Powell
6 February 1775 – 4 October 1812 (d.): Anthony Hamilton
16 November 1812 – 28 December 1821 (d.): Joseph Jefferson
15 January 1822 – 1824 (res.): Charles James Blomfield
4 June 1824–bef. 1841 (res.): William Lyall
7 July 1841 – 27 March 1845 (d.): Herbert Oakeley
28 August 1845 – 1 November 1864 (d.): Charles Burney

The archdeaconry was transferred to the Rochester diocese on 1 January 1846.

Late modern

1864–1882: William Ady

The archdeaconry was transferred to the new St Albans diocese on 4 May 1877.

1882–1894 (d.): Alfred Blomfield, Bishop suffragan of Colchester^[11]
1894–7 December 1908 (d.): Henry Johnson, Bishop suffragan of Colchester^[12]^[13]
1909–19 March 1922 (d.): Robert Whitcombe, Bishop suffragan of Colchester^[14]^[15]

The archdeaconry was transferred to the new Chelmsford diocese on 23 January 1914.

1922–1933 (ret.): Thomas Chapman, Bishop suffragan of Colchester^[16]
1933–1946 (ret.): Charles Ridsdale, Bishop suffragan of Colchester^[17]
1946–1959 (res.): Dudley Narborough, Bishop suffragan of Colchester^[18]
1959–1969 (ret.): Aubrey Cleall (afterwards archdeacon emeritus)^[19]
1969–1972 (res.): Roderic Coote, Bishop suffragan of Colchester^[20]
1972–1976 (res.): Derek Bond^[21]
1977–1983 (res.): James Roxburgh^[22]
1983–1997 (ret.): Ernest Stroud (afterwards archdeacon emeritus)^[23]
1997–2003 (res.): Martin Wallace^[24]
2004 – November 2018 (ret.):^[25] Annette Cooper^[26]
12 May 2019 – present: Ruth Patten^[27]

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c These archdeacons never occur with the title Archdeacon of Colchester, but occur with fellow archdeacons or other colleagues such that their territorial role can be deduced.

References

^ Chelmsford Cathedral Archived 1 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine
^ "No. 20499". The London Gazette. 20 August 1845. pp. 2541–2546.
^ "No. 24453". The London Gazette. 4 May 1877. p. 2933.
^ "No. 28795". The London Gazette. 23 January 1914. p. 588.
^ Diocese of Chelmsford – Archdeaconries in the Diocese of Chelmsford (Accessed 30 October 2015)
^ Hicks, Michael. "Stillington, Robert". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/26528. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ Gray, Douglas. "Burgh, Benedict". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/3990. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ Curtis, Cathy. "Pace, Richard". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/21065. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Aldrich, Robert" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
^ "ARCHDEACONS DEPRIVED UNDER QUEEN ELIZABETH" (PDF). Retrieved 10 June 2012.
^ "Ecclesiastical Appointments". The Times. 15 June 1882. p. 8.
^ "Obituary". The Times. 8 December 1908. p. 13.
^ "Johnson, Henry Frank". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 1920–2008 (December 2007 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 4 January 2013. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "New Bishop Suffragan Of Colchester". The Times. 21 December 1908. p. 11.
^ "Whitchombe, Robert Henry". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 1920–2008 (December 2007 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 4 January 2013. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Chapman, Thomas Alfred". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 1920–2008 (December 2012 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 4 January 2013. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Ridsdale, Charles Henry". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 1920–2008 (December 2012 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 4 January 2013. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Narborough, (Frederick) Dudley Vaughan". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 1920–2008 (December 2012 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 4 January 2013. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Cleall, Aubrey Victor George". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 1920–2008 (December 2012 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 4 January 2013. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Coote, Roderic Norman". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 1920–2008 (December 2012 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 4 January 2013. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Bond, (Charles) Derek". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 1920–2008 (December 2012 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 4 January 2013. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Roxburgh, James William". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 1920–2008 (December 2012 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 4 January 2013. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Stroud, Ernest Charles Frederick". Who's Who. Vol. 2013 (December 2012 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 4 January 2013. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Wallace, Martin William". Who's Who. Vol. 2013 (December 2012 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 4 January 2013. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ Diocese of Chelmsford — Cooper will retire in November (Accessed 11 May 2018)
^ "Cooper, Annette Joy". Who's Who. Vol. 2015 (November 2014 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 30 October 2015. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "New Archdeacon of Colchester appointed". The Church of England in Essex and East London - Diocese of Chelmsford. 10 February 2019. Retrieved 21 March 2021.

Sources

Greenway, Diana E. (1968), Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066–1300, vol. 1, pp. 18–20
Horn, Joyce M. (1963), Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1300–1541, vol. 5, pp. 13–14
Horn, Joyce M. (1969), Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541–1857, vol. 1, pp. 12–14
Horn, Joyce M. (1974), Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541–1857, vol. 3, p. 59

[no-tit-6] These archdeacons never occur with the title Archdeacon of Colchester, but occur with fellow archdeacons or other colleagues such that their territorial role can be deduced.

[1] Chelmsford Cathedral Archived 1 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine

[2] "No. 20499". The London Gazette. 20 August 1845. pp. 2541–2546.

[3] "No. 24453". The London Gazette. 4 May 1877. p. 2933.

[4] "No. 28795". The London Gazette. 23 January 1914. p. 588.

[5] Diocese of Chelmsford – Archdeaconries in the Diocese of Chelmsford (Accessed 30 October 2015)

[7] Hicks, Michael. "Stillington, Robert". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/26528. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[8] Gray, Douglas. "Burgh, Benedict". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/3990. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[9] Curtis, Cathy. "Pace, Richard". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/21065. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[10] "Aldrich, Robert" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.

[11] "ARCHDEACONS DEPRIVED UNDER QUEEN ELIZABETH" (PDF). Retrieved 10 June 2012.

[12] "Ecclesiastical Appointments". The Times. 15 June 1882. p. 8.

[13] "Obituary". The Times. 8 December 1908. p. 13.

[14] "Johnson, Henry Frank". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 1920–2008 (December 2007 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 4 January 2013. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[15] "New Bishop Suffragan Of Colchester". The Times. 21 December 1908. p. 11.

[16] "Whitchombe, Robert Henry". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 1920–2008 (December 2007 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 4 January 2013. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[17] "Chapman, Thomas Alfred". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 1920–2008 (December 2012 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 4 January 2013. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[18] "Ridsdale, Charles Henry". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 1920–2008 (December 2012 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 4 January 2013. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[19] "Narborough, (Frederick) Dudley Vaughan". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 1920–2008 (December 2012 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 4 January 2013. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[20] "Cleall, Aubrey Victor George". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 1920–2008 (December 2012 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 4 January 2013. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[21] "Coote, Roderic Norman". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 1920–2008 (December 2012 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 4 January 2013. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[22] "Bond, (Charles) Derek". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 1920–2008 (December 2012 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 4 January 2013. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[23] "Roxburgh, James William". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 1920–2008 (December 2012 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 4 January 2013. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[24] "Stroud, Ernest Charles Frederick". Who's Who. Vol. 2013 (December 2012 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 4 January 2013. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[25] "Wallace, Martin William". Who's Who. Vol. 2013 (December 2012 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 4 January 2013. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[26] Diocese of Chelmsford — Cooper will retire in November (Accessed 11 May 2018)

[27] "Cooper, Annette Joy". Who's Who. Vol. 2015 (November 2014 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 30 October 2015. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[rp-col-28] "New Archdeacon of Colchester appointed". The Church of England in Essex and East London - Diocese of Chelmsford. 10 February 2019. Retrieved 21 March 2021.

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v t e Archdeacons of Colchester
High Medieval	Quintilian Cyprian son of Quintilian Geoffrey Ailward Henry of London William Richard Foliot I Ralph de Alta Ripa Richard of Ely Roger Niger Hugh of London Robert de Insula Hugh de Sancto Edmundo Fulke Lovell Giles Filliol
Late Medieval	Richard Newport John de Chishull William de Meleford William de Stowe Richard de Plessis Michael Northburgh (son) Richard de Piriton John de Carleton Thomas More Richard de Kingston William Spigurnell Henry Wodechurche Peter Hynewyk William Duffield John Stopyngton Robert Aiscough Nicholas Close John Thurston Robert Stillington Benedict Burgh Thomas Barow
Early modern	John Maynwaring John Perott Richard Pace John Clerk Edward Lee Robert Aldrich Richard Curwen Anthony Belasyse John Standish Hugh Weston John Standish (again) John Pullain James Calfhill George Withers Thomas Withers Henry King Josias Shute John Hansley William Wells Charles Smith William Sill William Beveridge Jonas Warley John King Thomas Cartwright Charles Moss William Powell Anthony Hamilton Joseph Jefferson Charles James Blomfield William Lyall Herbert Oakeley Charles Burney
Late modern	William Ady Alfred Blomfield, Bishop of Colchester Henry Johnson, Bishop of Colchester Robert Whitcombe, Bishop of Colchester Thomas Chapman, Bishop of Colchester Charles Ridsdale, Bishop of Colchester Dudley Narborough, Bishop of Colchester Aubrey Cleall Roderic Coote, Bishop of Colchester Derek Bond James Roxburgh Ernest Stroud Martin Wallace Annette Cooper Ruth Patten

v t e Diocese of Chelmsford
Chelmsford Cathedral Bishopscourt, Margaretting Diocesan Office, Chelmsford The Retreat House, Pleshey Waltham Abbey St Peter-on-the-Wall, Bradwell Area scheme (since 1983)
Office holders	Guli Francis-Dehqani, Bishop of Chelmsford Roger Morris, area Bishop of Colchester Lynne Cullens, area Bishop of Barking Adam Atkinson, area Bishop-designate of Bradwell and Archdeacon of Charing Cross AEO: Bishop suffragan of Richborough (vacant) & Rob Munro, Bishop suffragan of Ebbsfleet Jessica Martin, Dean-designate of Chelmsford Chris Burke, Archdeacon of Barking Ruth Patten, Archdeacon of Colchester Mike Power, Archdeacon of West Ham Kate Peacock, Archdeacon of Stansted Jonathan Croucher, Archdeacon of Chelmsford Archdeacon of Southend (vacant)
Historic offices	Archdeacon of Essex (1914–1922; renamed West Ham) Provost of Chelmsford (1929–2000; see Dean of Chelmsford) Archdeacon of Harlow (1989–2024)

v t e Diocese of St Albans
St Albans Cathedral St Mary's Church, Luton Abbey Gate House, St Albans Holywell Lodge, St Albans
Office holders	Alan Smith, Bishop of St Albans Richard Atkinson, Bishop suffragan of Bedford Jane Mainwaring, Bishop suffragan of Hertford AEO: Bishop suffragan of Richborough (vacant) & Rob Munro, Bishop suffragan of Ebbsfleet Jo Kelly-Moore, Dean of St Albans Janet Mackenzie, Archdeacon of Hertford Dave Middlebrook, Archdeacon of Bedford Charles Hudson, Archdeacon of St Albans
Historic offices	Bishops suffragan of Colchester and of Barking, Archdeacons of Colchester and of Essex (all moved to Diocese of Chelmsford, 1914)

v t e Diocese of Rochester
Rochester Cathedral Bishopscourt, Rochester Diocesan Office, Rochester
Office holders	Jonathan Gibbs, Bishop of Rochester Simon Burton-Jones, Bishop suffragan of Tonbridge AEO: Bishop suffragan of Richborough (vacant) & Rob Munro, Bishop suffragan of Ebbsfleet Philip Hesketh, Dean of Rochester Andy Wooding Jones, Archdeacon of Rochester Sharon Copestake, Archdeacon of Tonbridge Allie Kerr, Archdeacon of Bromley and Bexley
Historic offices	Bishop suffragan of Southwark (1891–1905; diocesan see created) Archdeacon of Colchester; Archdeacon of Essex (1846–1877; moved to St Albans then Chelmsford) Archdeacon of St Albans (1846–1877; moved to St Albans) Archdeacon of Southwark; Archdeacon of Kingston (1878/9–1905; became Diocese of Southwark)