Archdeacon of Maidstone
The Archdeacon of Maidstone is an office-holder in the Diocese of Canterbury. The Archdeacon of Maidstone is an Anglican priest who oversees the Archdeaconry of Maidstone, which is one of three subdivisions of the diocese.
The archdeaconry was created from the ancient Archdeaconry of Canterbury by Order in Council on 4 June 1841.
Composition
The archdeaconry covers approximately the north-west and south-west corners of the diocese., the archdeaconry of Maidstone consists the following deaneries in the Diocese of Canterbury:- Deanery of Maidstone
- Deanery of North Downs
- Deanery of Ospringe
- Deanery of Sittingbourne
- Deanery of the Weald
List of archdeacons
- 4 June 1841 – 1845 : William Lyall
- 4 December 1845 – 25 March 1887 : Benjamin Harrison
- 1887–26 March 1900 : Benjamin Smith
- 1900–1921 : Henry Spooner
- 1921–1934 : John Macmillan
- 1934–1939 : Karl Sopwith
- 1939–1942 : Alexander Sargent
- 1942–1958 : Julian Bickersteth
- 1959–1965 : Gordon Strutt
- 1965–1968 : Michael Nott
- 1968–1972 : Thomas Prichard
- 1972–1979 : Niel Nye
- 1979–1989 : Michael Percival Smith
- 1989–2002 : Patrick Evans
- 2002–13 March 2011 : Philip Down
- 18 September 2011 – 27 September 2020 : Stephen Taylor
- 27 September 2020 – 18 February 2025 : Andrew Sewell
Born in 1961, Sewell was educated at the University of Nottingham, and St John’s College, Nottingham. He was ordained deacon in 1993, and priest in 1994. He served in parishes in the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds until 1998 when he was appointed Priest in Charge of Otham with Langley in Kent, becoming the Rector in 2001. He was Vicar of St Paul’s Maidstone from 2010 to 2020 and an Honorary Canon of Canterbury Cathedral from 2011. Sewell retired effective 18 January 2025.