The archdeacon of Dorset is a senior ecclesiastical officer within the Diocese of Salisbury, England. The archdeacon is responsible for the disciplinary supervision of the clergy"ABCD: a basic church dictionary" Meakin, T: Norwich, Canterbury Press, 2001 within the four area deaneries: Purbeck, Poole, Wimborne, and Milton and Blandford.
History The role of archdeacons within the diocese of Salisbury originated around the time of the Norman Conquest; the first recorded archdeacon titled Archdeacon of Dorset occurs as an officer of that diocese from the mid-12th century. The archdeaconry was transferred to the diocese of Bristol upon its creation on 4 June 1542, and later returned to Salisbury diocese by Order in Council on 7 October 1836 upon the abolition of Bristol diocese.
In 1916, the Archdeaconry of Sherborne was created, which was divided out of the historic archdeaconry of Dorset.
The post is currently vacant following Antony MacRow-Wood's retirement.
List of archdeacons Some archdeacons without territorial titles are recorded from around the time of the Norman Conquest; see Archdeacon of Salisbury.
High Medieval bef. 1139–aft. 1173: Adelelm (also Dean of Lincoln from bef. 1145) bef. 1184–aft. 1193: William bef. 1196–aft. 1198: Richard Ranulph son of Robert (disputed) bef. 1200–aft. 1214 (res.): Adam bef. 1222–aft. 1225: Herbert bef. 1226–aft. 1241: Humphrey bef. 1245–aft. 1255: Gerard de Bingham bef. 1258–aft. 1258: Giordano Pironti (res.): Simon of Bridport bef. 1271–aft. 1271: John ?–bef. 1275 (res.): Gerard de Grandson Antony Bek was provided but did not take office. bef. 1275–aft. 1280 (res.): Thomas Bek bef. 1281–1284 (res.): Henry Brandeston (previously Archdeacon of Wilts; became Dean of Salibury) bef. 1287–1297 (d.): William de la Wyle 1297–aft. 1316 (d.): Henry de Bluntesdon
Late Medieval 29 September 1316–bef. 1321: Peter de Periton 3 January 1321–aft. 1339: Thomas de Hotoft 28 January 1340–bef. 1346 (d.): John de Kirkeby bef. 1347–aft. 1352: Bertrand Cardinal de Deucio (Cardinal-priest of San Marco) bef. 1373–1378 (res.): Robert Cardinal de Geneva (Cardinal-priest of Santi XII Apostoli; afterwards Pope at Avignon) 18 November 1378–?: Thomas Pays bef. 1380–bef. 1386: Niccolò Cardinal Caracciolo Moschino (Cardinal-priest of San Ciriaco alle Terme Diocleziane) 7 January 1386–bef. 1388: Ralph Erghum (possibly the Bishop of Salisbury) 13 September 1388–aft. 1390: Robert Ragenhull Disputed period: bef. 1396–bef. 1397 (d.): Adam Cardinal Easton (Cardinal-priest of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere; Papal grant) bef. 1397–bef. 1397 (d.): Michael Cergeaux (Royal grant) 1397: Walter Medford (Royal grant) 1397–30 June 1398 (deprived): Nicholas Bubwith (Papal grant) 3 September 1397 – 1400: Henry Chichele (Bishop's man) 9 July 1400 – 1406 (res.): Nicholas Bubwith (again) 11 December 1406 – 22 February 1437 (exch.): John Mackworth
22 February 1437–bef. 1440 (d.): John Hody (possibly the justice) 19 July 1440–bef. 1447 (d.): John Stopyndon 25 May 1447–bef. 1449 (d.): Robert Aiscough 14 February 1449–bef. 1486 (d.): William Aiscough 25 June 1486–bef. 1514 (res.): Robert Langton 20 May 1514 – 1523 (res.): Richard Pace 17 January 1523 – 1530 (res.): John Stokesley 20 December 1530–bef. 1533 (d.): William Bennet 25 November 1533 – 1535 (res.) Edward Foxe bef. 1539–bef. 1542 (res.): John Skypp (also Bishop of Hereford from 1539)
Early modern 1542–aft. 1547: Thomas Canner 1551–1572 (d.): John Cotterell 1572–aft. 1584: Henry Tynchiner 1572–1575 (rem.): James Proctor (disputed) ?–bef. 1621 (d.): Edward Wickham 1621–bef. 1654 (d.): Richard Fitzherbert 1660–bef. 1671 (d.): Richard Meredith 16 September 1671 – 5 March 1683 (d.): Ralph Ironside 25 March 1683–bef. 1698 (d.): The Hon John Feilding 1698–bef. 1733 (d.): Robert Cooper 7 May 1733–bef. 1762 (d.): Edward Hammond 21 May 1762 – 15 November 1780 (d.): John Walker 11 November 1780 – 19 April 1801 (res.): Watson Hand 2 May 1801 – 29 May 1815 (d.): Henry Hall 3 June 1815 – 13 November 1835 (d.): William England 9 January 1836 – 13 January 1862 (res.): Robert Buckle
Late modern 1862–1889: Thomas Sanctuary 1889–1901 (res.): Francis Sowter 1902–1927 (ret.): Charles Dundas 1927–1929 (d.): Eric Bodington 1929–7 April 1940 (d.): Okes Parish 1940–22 June 1947 (d.): Harold Rodgers 1948–1955: Lancelot Addison 1955–1974 (ret.): Edward Seagar (afterwards archdeacon emeritus) 1975–1982 (ret.): Richard Sharp (afterwards archdeacon emeritus) 1982–2000 (ret.): Geoffrey Walton (afterwards archdeacon emeritus) 2000–2009 (res.): Alistair Magowan 2009–2010: Patrick Evans (Acting) 18 April 201014 February 2015 (res.): Stephen WaineDiocese of Chichester – Downing Street announces new Dean of Chichester Cathedral (Accessed 20 November 2014) 24 June 2015June 2025 (ret.): Antony MacRow-WoodDiocese of Salisbury — A New Archdeacon of Dorset (Accessed 2 July 2015) (retired June 2025)
References
Sources