Archdeacon of Lichfield

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.^[1] After the deanery of Stafford was transferred on 26 September 1979 to the Stoke archdeaconry,^[2] Stafford archdeaconry was renamed the archdeaconry of Lichfield on 25 April 1980.^[3] The present archdeacon is Dr Sue Weller.

List of archdeacons

High Medieval At its creation, the archdeaconry was in the Diocese of Coventry. 1135–1145: Robert bef. c. 1146–aft. c. 1146: William bef. c. 1149–aft. c. 1159: Helias bef. 1175–aft. 1175: Ralph de Thamewood 1175–1182: Alan bef. 1191–aft. 1191: Henry Marshal (disputed) bef. 1191–aft. 1191: Alexander bef. 1194–1213 (res.): Henry de Loundres bef. c. 1213–aft. c. 1213: 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. c. 1290–aft. c. 1290: 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[4] and became the Diocese of Lichfield. December 1855–18 July 1876 (d.): Henry Moore Late modern 1876–bef. 1888: John Iles (died 1888)[5] Stoke archdeaconry was split off on 24 July 1877. 1888–3 June 1898 (d.): Melville Scott[6] 1898–1910 (ret.): Robert Hodgson[7] 1911–7 June 1922 (d.): Charles Blakeway[8] 1922–1933 (ret.): Hugh Bright[9] 1935–1944 (res.): Robert Hodson[10] 1945–1959 (res.): William Parker[11] 1959–1974 (ret.): Basil Stratton (afterwards archdeacon emeritus)[12] 1974–1980: Richard Ninis (became Archdeacon of Lichfield)[13] The archdeaconry was renamed Lichfield on 25 April 1980. 1980–1998 (ret.): Richard Ninis (previously Archdeacon of Stafford)[13] 1998–2000 (ret.): George Frost[14] 3 March 2001 – 5 May 2013 (ret.): Chris Liley[15][16] 18 July 2013 – 31 May 2019 (res.):[17] Simon Baker[18] September 2019 – present: Sue Weller [19]