Archdeacon of West Ham


The Archdeacon of West Ham is a senior ecclesiastical officer – in charge of the Archdeaconry of West Ham – in the Church of England Diocese of Chelmsford. The current archdeacon is Mike Power.

Brief history

Historically, the Archdeaconry of Essex formed part of the Diocese of London, until the Victorian diocese reforms transferred it, on 1 January 1846, to the Diocese of Rochester. The title first occurs in sources before 1100, as one of four archdeacons in the Diocese of London, but there had been four archdeacons prior to this point, some of whom may be regarded as essentially predecessors in the line of the Essex archdeacons.
From 4 May 1877, the archdeaconry made up part of the newly created Diocese of St Albans until it became part of the newly created Diocese of Chelmsford on 23 January 1914.
On 17 March 1922, the Archdeaconry of Essex was renamed the Archdeaconry of West Ham when the new Archdeaconry of Southend was created from part of the old archdeaconry.
The role of Archdeacon of West Ham has existed separately from the Bishop suffragan of Barking since 1958; the archdeaconry was itself divided to create the Harlow archdeaconry following a 1989 decision of the Diocesan Synod and again on 1 February 2013, by Pastoral Order of the Bishop of Chelmsford, the new Archdeaconry of Barking was created from the West Ham archdeaconry; initially, the Archdeacon of West Ham was also Acting Archdeacon of Barking.

List of archdeacons

High Medieval

  • ?–: Theobald
  • bef. 1102–bef. 1111: Walter
  • bef. 1132–1167 : Richard Ruffus
  • bef. 1168–bef. 1196 : Robert Banastre
  • bef. 1204–aft. 1215: Richard de Hegham
  • bef. 1221–aft. 1225: Theobald de Valognes
  • bef. 1228–aft. 1243: Thomas de Fauconberg
  • bef. 1248–aft. 1250 : Hugh de Sancto Edmundo
  • bef. 1253–aft. 1265: Stephen de Sandwic
  • bef. 1272–aft. 1271 : Richard of Gravesend
  • bef. 1271–aft. 1274: Adam de Faversham
  • bef. 1274–1283 : Roger de La Legh
  • bef. 1288–1293 : Robert Winchelsey
  • bef. 1295–bef. 1297 : Laurence de Fuscis de Bera
  • 31 March 1299–aft. 1301: Aldebrand Riccardi de Militiis

Late Medieval

  • bef. 1307–aft. 1307: Hildebrand de Anibaldis
  • 29 January 1315–bef. 1319: Stephen de Segrave
  • bef. 1328–bef. 1331 : John de Elham
  • 2 December 1331 – 3 September 1332 : William Vygerous
  • 3 September 1332–bef. 1333 : Robert de Canterbury
  • 9 November 1333 – 22 January 1337 : Hugh de Statherne
  • 22 January 1337– : John de Bouser
  • 20 June 1351 – 1361 : William de Rothwell
  • 30 November 1361–bef. 1367 : John Barnet
  • 20 June 1367–?: John de Cantebrugg
  • ?–bef. 1368 : Roger de Freton
  • 18 January 1368–bef. 1400 : Henry de Winterton
  • 11 February 1400–?: Richard Prentys
  • bef. 1406–7 September 1420 : Edward Prentys
  • 7 September 1420–bef. 1435 : John Shirborne
  • 5 April 1435–bef. 1461 : Zanobius Mulakyn
  • 5 August 1461 – 1472 : James Goldwell
  • 3 October 1472 – 16 May 1478 : John Gunthorpe
  • 16 May 1478–bef. 1479 : John Crall/Sudbury
  • 22 December 1479 – 1480 : Edmund Audley
  • 21 July 1480 – 1499 : Thomas Jane
  • 4 November 1499–bef. 1502 : John de Lopez
  • 1502–23 August 1503 : François de Busleyden, Archbishop of Besançon
  • 24 January 1503–bef. 1543 : Richard Rawson

Early modern

Late modern