The Archdeacon of Lichfield (called Archdeacon of Stafford until 1980) is a senior cleric in the Diocese of Lichfield who is responsible for pastoral care and discipline of clergy in the Lichfield archdeaconry.
The archdeaconry was erected – as the Archdeaconry of Stafford – in the ancient Diocese of Coventry (later called Coventry and Lichfield, Lichfield and Coventry & Lichfield) before 1135, around the time when archdeacons were first being appointed across England. On 24 July 1877, the archdeaconry of Stoke-upon-Trent was created from the northern part of the Stafford archdeaconry. After the deanery of Stafford was transferred on 26 September 1979 to the Stoke archdeaconry, Stafford archdeaconry was renamed the archdeaconry of Lichfield on 25 April 1980. The present archdeacon is Dr Sue Weller.
List of archdeacons
High Medieval At its creation, the archdeaconry was in the Diocese of Coventry. Multiple archdeacons are named from 1086, but their territorial titles are unknown. 1135–1145: Robert bef. –aft. : William bef. –aft. : Helias bef. 1175–aft. 1175: Ralph de Thamewood or de Tamworth 1175–1182: AlanM.J. Franklin ed. English Episcopal Acta 14: Coventry and Lichfield, 1072-1159 (Oxford, 1997: Oxford University Press for British Academy), pp.127-9 bef. 1191–aft. 1191: Henry Marshal (disputed) bef. 1191–aft. 1191: Alexander bef. 1194–1213 (res.): Henry de Loundres bef. –aft. : Helyas 5 March 1213 – 1222 (d.): Robert of Gloucester (also Archdeacon of Sudbury from bef. 1220) From 1228, the diocese became the Diocese of Coventry and Lichfield. bef. 1238–aft. 1224: William of York bef. 1234–aft. 1234: R. de Langdon bef. 1244–aft. 1244: Robert of Stafford bef. 1259–aft. 1259: Richard de Mepham bef. 1265–1275 (res.): Thomas de Cantilupe bef. –aft. : Adam Paine ?–bef. 1301 (d.): Rayner de Vichio/Florence
Late Medieval 6 June 1301 – 19 January 1322 (res.): John de Brunforte, son of Octavian 8 December 1321 – 20 August 1323 (exch.): Robert de Patrika 20 August 1323–June 1336 (d.): John Clarel ?–bef. 1349 (d.): William de Apeltre 26 June 1349–bef. 1349 (d.): Roger de Depyng 27 August 1349 – 4 June 1353 (exch.): Richard de Birmingham 1349–bef. 1355 (d.): Roger de Dorkyng (unsuccessful claimant) 4 June 1353 – 14 May 1356 (exch.): John de Marisco 14 May 1356–bef. 1358 (d.): William de Grenburgh 16 October 1358–bef. 1374 (d.): John de Sulgrave 29 March 1374 – 1381 (res.): John de Outheby 28 December 1381–bef. 1400 (res.): Richard de Toppeclyve 1 September 1400–aft. 1413: Henry Davyd bef. 1415–aft. 1415: John Fyton bef. 1418–1418 (res.): Thomas Barton 13 July 1418–bef. 1422 (res.): John Fyton (again) 1 March 1422–bef. 1432 (d.): William de Admondeston 4 July 1432–bef. 1442 (d.): Ralph Prestbury bef. 1442–bef. June 1442 (res.): Roger Wall 29 June 1442 – 1459 (res.): John Wendesley, illegitimate son of Sir Thomas Wensley (d.1403) (or Wendesley) of Wensley in Derbyshire, five times a Member of Parliament for Derbyshire. 27 May 1459–bef. 1467 (res.): Thomas Hawkins (became Archdeacon of Worcester) 6 December 1467–March 1497 (d.): William Moggys 30 March 1497–aft. 1497: William Duffield bef. 1501–30 June 1501 (res.): Edward Willoughby
30 June 1501–July 1515 (d.): John Wardroper 20 July 1515–bef. 1529: Adam Grafton (died 23 June 1529) bef. 1530–1530 (res.): Geoffrey Blythe (nephew of Bishop Blythe) 3 October 1530–aft. 1530: John Blythe (another Blythe nephew) bef. 1536–1540 (res.): Nicholas Heath From 1539, the diocese became the Diocese of Lichfield and Coventry. 13 November 1540–bef. 1547 (exch.): John Redman (Master of Trinity from 1546)
Early modern bef. 1547–?: John Dakyn (unsuccessful exchange) 5 August 1547–September 1567 (d.): Richard Walker 12 May 1567 – 1586 (res.): Thomas Bickley 2 February 1586 – 12 October 1614 (d.): Humphrey Tyndall 1613–bef. 1636 (d.): John Fulnetby 27 December 1636–bef. 1660 (d.): Martin Tinley 6 December 1660 – 4 May 1682 (d.): Francis Coke 14 July 1682 – 4 May 1721 (d.): Nathaniel Ellison 3 May 1721–bef. 1732 (d.): Thomas Allen (also Dean of Chester from 1722) 30 June 1732–bef. 1763 (d.): James Brooks 3 February 1763 – 1769 (res.): Edmund Law 15 March 1769 – 8 May 1782 (res.): John Carver (afterwards Archdeacon of Surrey) 23 May 1782 – 24 April 1801 (res.): William Brereton 28 April 1801 – 23 March 1829 (d.): Robert Nares 9 May 1829 – 13 August 1855 (d.): George Hodson On 24 January 1837, the diocese lost the Coventry archdeaconry to the Diocese of Worcester and became the Diocese of Lichfield. December 1855–18 July 1876 (d.): Henry Moore
Late modern 1876–bef. 1888: John Iles (died 1888) Stoke archdeaconry was split off on 24 July 1877. 1888–3 June 1898 (d.): Melville Scott 1898–1910 (ret.): Robert Hodgson 1911–7 June 1922 (d.): Charles Blakeway 1922–1933 (ret.): Hugh Bright 1935–1944 (res.): Robert Hodson 1945–1959 (res.): William Parker 1959–1974 (ret.): Basil Stratton (afterwards archdeacon emeritus) 1974–1980: Richard Ninis (became Archdeacon of Lichfield) The archdeaconry was renamed Lichfield on 25 April 1980. 1980–1998 (ret.): Richard Ninis (previously Archdeacon of Stafford) 1998–2000 (ret.): George Frost 3 March 2001 – 5 May 2013 (ret.): Chris LileyDiocese of Lichfield – Archdeacon Announces Retirement (Accessed 2 January 2013) 18 July 201331 May 2019 (res.): Simon BakerDiocese of Lichfield – New Appointee is Manna from Tunstall (Accessed 19 April 2013) September 2019present: Sue Weller
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