Archdeacon of Taunton

The Archdeacon of Taunton has been, since the twelfth century, the senior ecclesiastical officer in charge of the archdeaconry of Taunton in the Diocese of Bath and Wells (in the Church of England). The archdeaconry includes seven deaneries.

History

Three archdeacons were appointed in what was then the Diocese of Wells during the time at which archdeacons were first appointed across the Church of England, not long after the Norman Conquest in 1077. The earliest archdeacons of the Taunton area occur with the title "Archdeacon beyond the Parrett", until the title "Archdeacon of Taunton" occurs, around the time the diocese was renamed to Bath in 1090. That name persisted for around a century until the see was moved again in 1197 and became called the Diocese of Bath and Glastonbury; in 1219 the name was returned to Diocese of Bath. The diocese's name was finally settled at Bath and Wells and both the diocese's and the archdeaconry's names have remained stable for the 800 years since.

List of archdeacons

Some archdeacons without territorial titles are recorded from around 1086; see Archdeacon of Wells.

High Medieval Archdeacons beyond the Parrett: bef. 1142–aft. 1151: Hugh of Tournai bef. 1174–aft. 1182: Richard bef. 1186–bef. 1188: Ralph of Lechlade bef. 1189–aft. 1195: Robert de Geldford Archdeacons of Taunton: bef. 1204–aft. 1217: William of Wrotham bef. 1217–aft. 1217: Peter of Chichester bef. 1221–aft. 1236: Hugh de Wilton bef. 1241–18 December 1263 (d.): Walter of St Quentin bef. 1282–aft. 1282: unnamed archdeacon bef. 1294–aft. 1294: William Burnell, Dean of Wells 16 December 1298–aft. 1300: William de Molendino Late Medieval bef. 1302–aft. 1302: Peter de Averburi bef. 1308–bef. 1320 (d.): Henry de Schavington 12 December 1320–bef. 1363 (d.): Robert Hereward bef. 1364–aft. 1366: William Thingull 16 July 1370 – 1373 (res.): Thomas Arundel (became Bishop of Ely) bef. 1373–aft. 1373: William Cardinal de Aigrefeuille (cardinal-priest of Santo Stefano al Monte Celio) bef. 1383–1389 (res.): Piero Cardinal Tomacelli (cardinal-deacon of San Giorgio in Velabro; elected pope Boniface IX) 12 April 1390–bef. 1391: Thomas Marton bef. 1391–aft. 1391: Ralph Erghum bef. 1395–1 September 1416 (exch.): Thomas Polton 7 June 1395 – 1396 (res.): Thomas Sparkeford (royal grant; became Bishop of Waterford and Lismore) 24 May 1400: William Elleford (unsuccessful royal grant) 1 September 1416–bef. 1441 (d.): Nicholas Carlton 1 January 1441 – 1445 (res.): Adam Moleyns (became Bishop of Chichester) 13 February 1446 – 1450 (res.): Andrew Holes (became Archdeacon of Wells) 20 April 1450 – 1465 (res.): Robert Stillington (became Bishop of Bath and Wells) bef. 1481–1490 (d.): Richard Langport 12 July 1490 – 1492 (res.): Oliver King (became Bishop of Exeter) 18 February 1493–bef. 1496 (res.): William Worsley [1] (became Dean of St Paul's) 16 December 1496 – 1505 (res.): Robert Sherborne (became Bishop of St David's) 27 May 1505–bef. 1509 (res.): John Ednam 18 August 1509 – 1522/23 (d.): Robert Honiwood bef. 1524–1525 (d.): John Monyns

bef. 1526–1531 (res.): Stephen Gardiner (became Bishop of Winchester) ?–February 1533 (res.): Thomas Cranmer (became Archbishop of Canterbury) bef. 1533–1534 (res.): Rowland Lee (became Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield) bef. 1535–aft. 1535: Richard Sampson bef. 1540–aft. 1540: George Heneage ?–24 October 1541 (res.): John Dakyn 24 October 1541–bef. 1558 (d.): John Redman Early modern 1551–1554 (res.): John White (became Bishop of Lincoln) 22 May 1554–bef. 1560 (deprived): John FitzJames (deprived) 1560–May 1584 (exch.): Justinian Lancaster 7 May 1584 – 28 October 1613 (d.): Philip Bisse 30 January 1587–?: Matthew Sutcliffe (probably ineffective; later Dean of Exeter) 15 November 1613 – 1615 (d.): Peter Lilly 1615–7 September 1643 (d.): Samuel Ward 19 December 1643 – 4 April 1682 (d.): William Piers 22 April 1682 – 8 June 1712 (d.): Edward Waple 25 July 1712 – 1726 (res.): Edmund Archer (became Archdeacon of Wells) 8 December 1726 – 15 December 1752 (d.): George Atwood 24 September 1753 – 1758 (res.): Lionel Seaman (became Archdeacon of Wells) 11 October 1758 – 1760 (res.): Francis Potter (became Archdeacon of Wells) 31 December 1760 – 1767 (res.): William Willes (became Archdeacon of Wells) 27 October 1767 – 17 August 1780 (d.): Thomas Camplin 19 September 1780 – 28 March 1817 (d.): John Turner 19 April 1817 – 13 October 1827 (d.): George Trevelyan 5 December 1827 – 10 September 1851 (d.): Anthony Hamilton 30 September 1851 – 21 March 1896 (d.): George Denison Late modern 1896–5 June 1903 (d.): Alexander Ainslie [2] 1903–9 April 1911 (d.): William Askwith, Vicar of St Mary Magdalene, Taunton [3] 1911–1938 (ret.): Charles de Salis, Bishop suffragan of Taunton (until 1930) then assistant bishop [4] 1938–1950 (ret.): Arnold Fitch, Rector of Angersleigh from 1946 [5] 1951–1971 (ret.): Geoffrey Hilder, Vicar of Hambridge until 1959 [6] 1971–1977 (ret.): Arthur Hopley (afterwards archdeacon emeritus) [7] 1977–1992 (ret.): Leonard Olyott (afterwards archdeacon emeritus) [8] 1992–1998 (res.): Richard Frith [9] 1999–30 June 2016 (ret.): [10] John Reed [11] 23 June–1 October 2016 (acting): Andrew Tatham [12] 1 October 2016–present: Simon Hill [13]

References

1. Pollard, Albert Frederick. "William Worsley" in the Dictionary of National Biography, 1885–1900, Volume 63
2. "Ainslie, Alexander Colvin" . Who's Who & Who Was Who . Vol. 1920–2015 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 3 February 2015.(Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
3. "Askwith, William Henry" . Who's Who & Who Was Who . Vol. 1920–2015 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 3 February 2015.(Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
4. "de Salis, Charles Fane" . Who's Who & Who Was Who . Vol. 1920–2015 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 3 February 2015.(Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
5. "Fitch, Edward Arnold" . Who's Who & Who Was Who . Vol. 1920–2015 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 3 February 2015.(Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
6. "Hilder, Geoffrey Frank" . Who's Who & Who Was Who . Vol. 1920–2015 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 3 February 2015.(Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
7. "Hopley, Arthur" . Who's Who & Who Was Who . Vol. 1920–2015 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 3 February 2015.(Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
8. "Olyott, Leonard Eric" . Who's Who & Who Was Who . Vol. 1920–2015 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 3 February 2015.(Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
9. "Frith, Richard Michael Cokayne" . Who's Who . Vol. 2015 (October 2014 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 3 February 2015.(Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
10. Diocese of Bath and Wells — Archdeacon John Announces Retirement Archived 6 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine (Accessed 10 January 2016)
11. "Reed, John Peter Cyril" . Who's Who . Vol. 2015 (October 2014 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 3 February 2015.(Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
12. Diocese of Bath and Wells — Appointment: Andrew Tatham Archived 24 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine (Accessed 27 May 2016)
13. Diocese of Bath and Wells — New Archdeacon of Taunton Appointed Archived 10 May 2017 at the Wayback Machine (Accessed 17 June 2016)

Sources

• Greenway, Diana E. (2001), Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066–1300, vol. 7, pp. 35–38
• Jones, B. (1964), Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1300–1541, vol. 8, pp. 16–17
• Horn, Joyce M. (1979), Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541–1857, vol. 5, pp. 16–18