Diocese of Ely


The Diocese of Ely is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury. It is headed by the Bishop of Ely, who sits at Ely Cathedral in Ely. There is one suffragan (subordinate) bishop, the Bishop of Huntingdon. The diocese now covers the modern ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire and western Norfolk. The diocese was created in 1109 out of part of the Diocese of Lincoln.
The diocese is ancient, and the area of Ely was part of the patrimony of Saint Etheldreda. A religious house was founded in the city in 673. After her death in 679 she was buried outside the church, and her remains were later reburied inside, the foundress being commemorated as a great Anglian saint.
The diocese has had its boundaries altered various times. From an original diocese covering the historic county of Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely, Bedfordshire and Huntingdonshire were added in 1837 from the Diocese of Lincoln, as was the Sudbury archdeaconry in Suffolk from the Diocese of Norwich. In 1914 Bedfordshire became part of the Diocese of St Albans, and western Suffolk became part of the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, whilst Ely took a western part of the Diocese of Norwich. Peterborough remains the seat of the Diocese of Peterborough.
Today the diocese covers an area of. It has a population of 705,000 and comprises 209 benefices, 303 parishes and 335 churches with 145 stipendiary parochial clergy.

Bishops

The diocesan Bishop of Ely is assisted by a Bishop suffragan of Huntingdon.
There are also four retired bishops living in the diocese who are licensed as honorary assistant bishops:
Alternative episcopal oversight is provided by the provincial episcopal visitor, Norman Banks, Bishop suffragan of Richborough, who is licensed as an honorary assistant bishop of the diocese to facilitate his work there.
The Bishop of Peterborough has also been commissioned as assistant bishop in the diocese so that he can exercise pastoral care in several old Huntingdonshire parishes now within the Peterborough unitary authority: including Stanground, Orton, Woodston, Yaxley and Fletton.

Archdeaconries and deaneries

The archdeaconries have been as follows:
  • 1109-1837: Ely only.
  • 1837-1914/15: Bedford, Ely, Huntingdon, Sudbury.
  • 1914/15-2005/06: Ely, Huntingdon, Wisbech.
  • 2005/06-: Cambridge, Huntingdon-Wisbech.
The archdeaconry of Wisbech was active from 1915 to 2005. The following changes to deaneries have taken place:
  • in 1884 the two deaneries of Ely and Wisbech were reorganised into the three of Ely, March and Wisbech.
  • In 1914 the deaneries of Fincham and Lynn Marshland were transferred from the Archdeaconry of Lynn in the Diocese of Norwich to the Diocese of Ely.
  • in 1976 the deanery of Shelford was established among others.
  • In 2002 the deaneries of Fordham and Quy merged in 2002 to form the deanery of Fordham and Quy, and the deaneries of Wisbech and Lynn Marshland merged to form the deanery of Wisbech Lynn Marshland
  • in 2004, the deaneries of Fincham and Feltwell were merged to form the deanery of Fincham and Feltwell, and the deanery of Leightonstone was merged into the deanery of Huntingdon.
  • in 2006, the deanery of Cambridge was split in 2006 into the deaneries of Cambridge North and Cambridge South.
  • In 2009 the deaneries of Shelford and Linton were merged to form the deanery of Granta.

Deaneries in 1851

In 1851 the diocese had the following rural deaneries:

Churches

Extra-parochial places

Archdeaconry of Cambridge

Deanery of Bourn

Deanery of Cambridge North

Deanery of Cambridge South

Deanery of Fordham and Quy

All Saints' church, Newmarket, was in this portion of the diocese until it was transferred to Suffolk in 1889. It was a chapelry to Woodditton until the 19th century. The chapelry of St Nicholas, Landwade, was also in this portion of the diocese until it was transferred to Suffolk.

Deanery of Granta

Deanery of North Stowe

Deanery of Shingay

Archdeaconry of Huntingdon and Wisbech

Deanery of Ely

Deanery of Fincham and Feltwell

Deanery of Huntingdon

Swineshead, Bedfordshire|St Nicholas' Church], Swineshead, was historically in this portion of the Diocese of Ely, but moved to the Diocese of St Albans when it was transferred from Huntingdonshire to Bedfordshire. St James the Great, Thurning, was historically in this area, but moved to the Diocese of Peterborough when the parish was transferred wholly to Northamptonshire.

Deanery of March

  • Benefice and Parish of Chatteris
  • * SS Peter & Paul's Church
  • * St Peter's Mission, Slade End, Chatteris
  • Benefice of March
  • * Parish of March St John : St John the Evangelist's Church
  • * Parish of March St Mary
  • ** St Mary the Virgin's Church, Westry
  • ** St Mary Magdalene's Chapel, West Fen
  • * Parish of March St Peter : St Peter's Church
  • * Parish of March St Wendreda : St Wendreda's Church
  • Benefice of Six Fen Churches
  • * Parish of Doddington with Benwick
  • ** St Mary's Church, Doddington
  • ** St Mary's Church, Benwick
  • ** St James's Chapel, Benwick
  • * Parish of Manea : St Nicholas' Church
  • * Parish of Upwell Christchurch : Christ Church
  • * Parish of Welney : St Mary's Church
  • * Parish of Wimblington : St Peter's Church
  • Benefice of Whittlesey, Pondersbridge and Coates
  • * Parish of Coates
  • ** Holy Trinity Church
  • ** Eastrea Chapel
  • ** Eldernell Chapel
  • * Parish of Pondersbridge : St Thomas's Church
  • * Parish of Whittlesey St Andrew
  • ** St Andrew's Church
  • ** St Guthlac's Mission Church, North Side ''''
  • * Parish of Whittlesey St Mary
  • ** St Mary's Church
  • ** ''St Stephen's Chapel, Angle Bridge ''

Deanery of St Ives

Deanery of St Neots

Deanery of Wisbech Lynn Marshland

Deanery of Yaxley

Dedications

Medieval churches (and ''chapelries'')

Post-medieval churches

Benefices by population

There are a total of 100 benefices.

Non-parochial posts held by ordained clergy in the Ely region