Archdeacon of St Albans

The Archdeacon of St Albans is an ecclesiastical post in the Church of England Diocese of St Albans in the Province of Canterbury. The post has been held by Jane Mainwaring since March 2020.

History[]

Before the Dissolution of the Monasteries and Henrican reforms of the 16th century, there were Archdeacons of St Albans from within the Abbey. Registers list archdeacons starting in 1420, but this old "abbey archdeaconry" is supposed to have been created in the reign of Henry III (13th century).

The "diocesan archdeaconry" was newly constituted from St Albans Abbey's parishes in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire in 1550;^[1] it remained a part of the Diocese of London until 1845, when it and was transferred to the diocese of Rochester, at which point its boundaries were made to coincide with those of Hertfordshire. Thirty years later, the archdeaconries of Essex, of Colchester, and of St Albans were taken from the Rochester diocese to create the Diocese of St Albans in 1878.^[2] Shortly after the two Essex archdeaconries were erected into the Diocese of Chelmsford in 1914, the St Albans diocese received the ancient county archdeaconry of Bedford from the Diocese of Ely; there has once again been a third archdeaconry since the split on 1 January 1997 of the Hertford archdeaconry from the Archdeaconry of St Albans.

List of archdeacons[]

Medieval[]

From the 13th century, there was an archdeaconry within the Abbey's jurisdiction. These "abbey archdeacons" were monks from the abbey monastery:

1415–bef. 1420:
1420–bef. 1425:
1425–bef. 1435: / (possibly the Bishop of Norwich and of Lincoln)
1435–bef. 1437:
1437–bef. 1441: John Hatfield
1441–bef. 1446: Stephen London
1446–bef. 1450:
1450–bef. 1476: William of Wallingford
1476–bef. 1478:
1478–bef. 1490:
1490–bef. 1494:
1494–bef. 1495: /
1495–bef. 1505:
1505–bef. 1506: /
1506:
1506–bef. 1509:
1509–bef. 1512: /
1512–bef. 1514: Richard Runham
1514–bef. 1517:
1517–bef. 1531: ^[3]
1531:
1531–bef. 1539:
1539–1550: /Este

Early modern[]

On 1 April 1550, letters patent annexed the abbey's parishes to the Diocese of London. Not long after, the diocesan archdeaconry was erected and East (re-)appointed:

1550–bef. 1557 (res.): William Este
26 February 1557–bef. 1560 (deprived): James Dugdale (deprived)
17 July 1560–bef. 1581 (res.):
3 January 1581–bef. July 1581 (res.): Giles Lawrence
5 July 1581–aft. 1602: William Hutchinson
bef. 1626–bef. 1631 (d.):
14 November 1631 – 25 June 1644 (d.): Thomas Westfield (in commendam as Bishop of Bristol from 1642)

19 December 1660–bef. 1664 (d.): Mark Frank
30 June 1664 – 24 April 1671 (d.):
28 April 1671 – 19 July 1683 (d.): William Bell
9 August 1683–bef. 1688 (d.): Edward Carter
4 June 1688–bef. 1713 (d.):
21 April 1713–September 1715 (d.): Lionel Gatford
6 October 1715 – 13 September 1738 (d.): Philip Stubbs
14 October 1738 – 1741 (res.): Fifield Allen (afterwards Archdeacon of Middlesex)
14 June 1741 – 29 August 1754 (d.):
13 September 1754 – 12 August 1781 (d.): James Ibbetson
5 September 1781 – 1788 (res.): Samuel Horsley (afterwards Bishop of St David's)
8 January 1789 – 1813 (res.): Joseph Pott (afterwards Archdeacon of London)
4 January 1814–bef. 1816 (res.): Robert Hodgson
23 January 1816 – 9 June 1839 (d.): John Watson
17 June 1839 – 1840 (res.): William Hale (afterwards Archdeacon of Middlesex)
16 October 1840 – 28 August 1845 (res.): Charles Burney (afterwards Archdeacon of Colchester)

The archdeaconry, by this point covering all Hertfordshire, was transferred to Rochester diocese by Order in Council on 8 August 1845

13 January 1846 – 25 November 1883 (d.): Anthony Grant (also Archdeacon of Rochester, 1863–1882)

Late modern[]

1884–1909 (res.): Walter Lawrance (also the first Dean of St Albans from 1900)^[4]
1909–1933 (ret.): Kenneth Gibbs (afterwards archdeacon emeritus)^[5]
1933–31 December 1935 (d.): Arthur Parnell^[6]
1936–1942 (res.): Aylmer Skelton (also suffragan Bishop of Bedford from 1939; afterwards Bishop of Lincoln)^[7]
1942–1951 (res.): Thomas Wood (also suffragan Bishop of Bedford from 1948)^[8]
1951–1962 (ret.): Charles Cockbill (afterwards archdeacon emeritus)^[9]
1962–1973 (ret.): Basil Snell (afterwards archdeacon emeritus)^[10]
1973–1974 (res.): Peter Mumford (afterwards suffragan Bishop of Hertford)^[11]
1974–1981 (res.): David Farmbrough (afterwards suffragan Bishop of Bedford)^[12]
1982–1987 (ret.): Edward Norfolk (afterwards archdeacon emeritus)^[13]
1987–1998 (ret.): Philip Davies (afterwards archdeacon emeritus)^[14]
1999–2002 (res.): Richard Cheetham (afterwards area Bishop of Kingston)^[15]
2003–2007 (ret.): Helen Cunliffe (afterwards archdeacon emeritus)^[16]
2008–2020 (ret.): Jonathan Smith (afterwards archdeacon emeritus)^[17]^[18]
14 March 2020 – present: Jane Mainwaring^[19]^[20]

References[]

^ Horn, Joyce M. (1969), Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541–1857, vol. 1, pp. 9–11
^ Horn, Joyce M. (1974), Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541–1857, vol. 3, pp. 45–47
^ He proved the wills of Richard and Joan Willows of Winslow
^ "Lawrance, Walter John". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. Vol. 1920–2014 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 23 November 2014. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Gibbs, Kenneth Francis". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. Vol. 1920–2014 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 23 November 2014. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Parnell, Arthur Henry". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. Vol. 1920–2014 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 23 November 2014. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Skelton, Henry Aylmer". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. Vol. 1920–2014 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 23 November 2014. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Wood, Claud Thomas Thellusson". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. Vol. 1920–2014 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 23 November 2014. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Cockbill, Charles Shipley". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. Vol. 1920–2014 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 23 November 2014. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Snell, Basil Clark". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. Vol. 1920–2014 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 23 November 2014. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Mumford, Peter". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. Vol. 1920–2014 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 23 November 2014. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Farmbrough, David John". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. Vol. 1920–2014 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 23 November 2014. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Norfolk, Edward Matheson". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. Vol. 2014 (December 2013 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 23 November 2014. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Davies, Philip Bertram". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. Vol. 1920–2014 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 23 November 2014. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Cheetham, Richard Ian". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. Vol. 2014 (December 2013 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 23 November 2014. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Cunliffe, Helen Margaret". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. Vol. 2014 (December 2013 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 23 November 2014. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ People News January 2020 | Diocese of St Albans
^ "Smith, Jonathan Peter". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. Vol. 2014 (December 2013 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 23 November 2014. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Jane Mainwaring to be our next Archdeacon". 7 December 2019.
^ @Chris41863802 (14 March 2020). "Wonderful to see Hitchin Vicar Jane Mainwaring collated as Archdeacon of St Albans this afternoon. #blessed…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.

Sources[]

Madden, Bandinel et al. (1st ed.) & Nichols (2nd ed.). Collectanea Topographica & Genealogica, Vol. VII p. 302
Hardy & Le Neve: Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae: or a calendar of the principal..., Volume 2. pp. 344–345
Horn, Joyce M. (1969), Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541–1857, vol. 1, pp. 14–16
Horn, Joyce M. (1974), Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541–1857, vol. 3, p. 59

External links[]

Records of the Archdeaconry of St Alban's (National Archives)

[1] Horn, Joyce M. (1969), Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541–1857, vol. 1, pp. 9–11

[2] Horn, Joyce M. (1974), Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541–1857, vol. 3, pp. 45–47

[3] He proved the wills of Richard and Joan Willows of Winslow

[4] "Lawrance, Walter John". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. Vol. 1920–2014 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 23 November 2014. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[5] "Gibbs, Kenneth Francis". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. Vol. 1920–2014 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 23 November 2014. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[6] "Parnell, Arthur Henry". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. Vol. 1920–2014 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 23 November 2014. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[7] "Skelton, Henry Aylmer". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. Vol. 1920–2014 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 23 November 2014. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[8] "Wood, Claud Thomas Thellusson". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. Vol. 1920–2014 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 23 November 2014. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[9] "Cockbill, Charles Shipley". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. Vol. 1920–2014 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 23 November 2014. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[10] "Snell, Basil Clark". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. Vol. 1920–2014 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 23 November 2014. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[11] "Mumford, Peter". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. Vol. 1920–2014 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 23 November 2014. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[12] "Farmbrough, David John". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. Vol. 1920–2014 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 23 November 2014. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[13] "Norfolk, Edward Matheson". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. Vol. 2014 (December 2013 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 23 November 2014. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[14] "Davies, Philip Bertram". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. Vol. 1920–2014 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 23 November 2014. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[15] "Cheetham, Richard Ian". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. Vol. 2014 (December 2013 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 23 November 2014. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[16] "Cunliffe, Helen Margaret". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. Vol. 2014 (December 2013 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 23 November 2014. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[17] People News January 2020 | Diocese of St Albans

[18] "Smith, Jonathan Peter". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. Vol. 2014 (December 2013 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 23 November 2014. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[19] "Jane Mainwaring to be our next Archdeacon". 7 December 2019.

[20] @Chris41863802 (14 March 2020). "Wonderful to see Hitchin Vicar Jane Mainwaring collated as Archdeacon of St Albans this afternoon. #blessed…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.

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v t Archdeacons of St Albans
Medieval	/ John Hatfield Stephen London William of Wallingford / / / Richard Runham Thomas Kingsbury/Kyngesbury /Este
Early modern	William Este James Dugdale Giles Lawrence William Hutchinson Thomas Westfield Mark Frank William Bell Edward Carter Lionel Gatford Philip Stubbs Fifield Allen James Ibbetson Samuel Horsley Joseph Pott Robert Hodgson John Watson William Hale Charles Burney Anthony Grant
Late modern	Walter Lawrance Kenneth Gibbs Arthur Parnell Aylmer Skelton Thomas Wood Charles Cockbill Basil Snell Peter Mumford David Farmbrough Edward Norfolk Philip Davies Richard Cheetham Helen Cunliffe Jonathan Smith Jane Mainwaring

v t Diocese of St Albans
St Albans Cathedral
Office holders	Alan Smith, Bishop of St Albans Richard Atkinson, Bishop suffragan of Bedford Michael Beasley, Bishop suffragan of Hertford AEO: Norman Banks, Bishop suffragan of Richborough & Rod Thomas, Bishop suffragan of Maidstone Jo Kelly-Moore, Dean of St Albans Janet Mackenzie, Archdeacon of Hertford Dave Middlebrook, Archdeacon of Bedford Jane Mainwaring, 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)