Archdeacon of Wilts

The Archdeacon of Wilts (or Wiltshire) is a senior cleric in the Diocese of Salisbury, England. The archdeacon is responsible for the disciplinary supervision of the clergy^[1] in five deaneries: Marlborough, Pewsey, Calne, Bradford and Devizes.^[2]

Louise Ellis has been the Archdeacon of Wilts since 24 May 2025.^[3]

History

The first recorded archdeacons in Salisbury diocese occur soon after the Norman Conquest (as they do across England) and there were apparently four archdeacons from the outset. However, no territorial titles are recorded until after c. 1139. The archdeacons at that time were (in order of seniority) the Archdeacons of Dorset, Berkshire, Sarum and Wiltshire. The role is now generally called Archdeacon of Wilts, but both names have been used commonly throughout history.

Allocation of parishes to deaneries

Many changes were made to the allocation of parishes to deaneries in 1951.^[4] The parishes of Charlton, Wilsford and North Newnton were transferred to Wilts from the archdeaconry of Sarum in 1955.^[5]

List of archdeacons

High Medieval

Some archdeacons without territorial titles are recorded from around the time of the Norman Conquest; see Archdeacon of Salisbury.

bef. 1139–1139: Azo (probably the later Dean of Salisbury)
bef. 1139–aft. 1157: Roger of Ramsbury
bef. 1161–1164: Reginald Fitz Jocelin
bef. 1173–aft. 1173: William
bef. 1179–aft. 1189: Richard of Wilton
1193: Humphrey of Bassingbourn or de Bassingeburn (became Archdeacon of Salisbury)
1193–1198 (res.): William of Sainte-Mère-Église (became Bishop of London)
bef. 1199–aft. 1222: Richard Grosseteste
bef. 1223–aft. 1223: William de Merston
bef. 1226–aft. 1246: Stephen of Tisbury
bef. 1246–1247 (d.): Roger of Buscot
1247–aft. 1257: Nicholas of York
bef. 1258–aft. 1271: Roger de la Grene
bef. 1275–aft. 1279: Henry Brandeston (became Archdeacon of Dorset)
bef. 1283–bef. 1284: Ralph of Leicester
bef. 1284–aft. 1287: Ralph le Waleys of Brightwell
aft. 1288–aft. 1296: William of Abingdon
bef. 1299–1303 (d.): Richard de Sotwell

Late Medieval

?–1304 (deprived): Thomas of Savoy
25 January 1304–bef. 1320 (d.): William de Chaddleshunt
bef. 1321–bef. 1326 (d.): Gerald de Tilheto
12 March–March 1326 (res.): Iswin de Gandavo
March 1326 (res.): Robert de Baldock senior
27 March 1326 – 1331 (res.): Robert de Ayleston (became Archdeacon of Berkshire)
8 August 1331–aft. 1333: Ralph de Querendon
10 January 1333 – 30 June 1343 (exch.): John de Whitchurch
30 June 1343–bef. 1361 (d.): John Barne
26–27 December 1361 (exch.): John Lineden
27 December 1361–aft. 1379: John Silvestre or Codeford
1388–bef. 1407 (d.): Nicholas Wykeham
17 March–21 April 1407 (exch.): William Magot
21 April 1407–March 1419: John Chitterne (became Archdeacon of Salisbury)
1419–bef. 1423 (d.): John Gaunstede
13 October 1423 – 1449 (res.): John Symondesburgh
14 August 1449 – 1452 (res.): John Chadworth (became Bishop of Lincoln)
8 November 1452–aft. 1454: Marinus Ursinus
27 March 1457–bef. 1464 (res.): Vincent Clement
10 October 1464 – 1478 (res.): Peter Courtenay (became Bishop of Exeter)
1 February 1479–aft. 1485: Hugh Pavy (in commendam as Bishop of St Davids from 1485)
bef. 1488–bef. 1522 (d.): Christopher Urswick, Dean of York until 1494, Dean of Windsor (1496–1505) and Rector of Hackney from 1502 (also Archdeacon of Richmond (1494–1500), Archdeacon of Norfolk (1500–1522) and Archdeacon of Oxford (from 1504))
12 May 1522–bef. 1539 (d.): Edward Finch
15 January 1539–bef. 1554 (deprived): John Pollard (deprived) (also Archdeacon of Cornwall from 1543, Archdeacon of Barnstaple from 1544)

Early modern

1554–bef. 1564 (deprived): John Lawrence (deprived)
1564–aft. 1577: Giles Lawrence
1577–10 March 1590 (d.): John Sprint
1590–7 February 1610 (d.): Edmund Lilly, Master of Balliol
7 March 1610–bef. 1614 (d.): Walter Benet
15 November 1614–bef. 1646 (d.): Thomas Leche
1646–1663: vacant (Commonwealth)
6 July 1660 – 19 July 1663 (d.): William Creed, Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford
1 August 1663 – 15 December 1674 (d.): Thomas Henchman
4 February 1675 – 1681 (res.): Seth Ward
15 November 1681 – 1687 (res.): Robert Woodward (later Dean of Salisbury)
19 January 1687 – 20 March 1696 (d.): Thomas Ward
9 April 1696 – 12 April 1720 (d.): Cornelius Yate
26 April 1720 – 1735 (res.): Thomas Rundle (became Bishop of Derry)
18 July 1735 – 2 January 1763 (d.): Henry Stebbing
20 January 1763–bef. 1768 (res.): Charles Weston
22 September 1768–bef. 1779 (d.): Richard Brickenden
5 March 1779–February 1799 (d.): Arthur Coham
9 March 1799 – 5 May 1804 (res.): William Douglas
9 May 1804 – 8 June 1828 (d.): William Coxe
14 June 1828 – 24 June 1862 (d.): William Macdonald

Late modern

1862–1863: Henry Drury
1863–1868: Charles Harris (became Bishop of Gibraltar)^[6]
1868–1874: Thomas Stanton^[7]
1874–1911 (ret.): Thomas Buchanan, Vicar of Potterne until 1891, then Rector of Poulshot, until 1905^[8]
1911–1912 (res.): Frederic Wallis (previously Bishop of Wellington; later Archdeacon of Sherborne)^[9]
1912–1927 (res.): Eric Bodington (became Archdeacon of Dorset)^[10]
1927–1951 (ret.): Joseph Coulter, Vicar of Calne (afterwards archdeacon emeritus)^[11]
1951–1974 (ret.): Cecil Plaxton, Rector of Pewsey until 1965 (afterwards archdeacon emeritus)^[12]
1974–1980 (res.): John Neale, Bishop suffragan of Ramsbury^[13]
1980–1998 (ret.): John Smith, Vicar of Bishops Cannings, All Cannings and Etchilhampton until 1983; Team Vicar, Redhorn from 1990 (afterwards archdeacon emeritus)^[14]
1998–2004 (ret.): Barney Hopkinson (previously Archdeacon of Sarum)^[15]
2004–2012 (res.): John Wraw (became area Bishop of Bradwell)^[16]
2012–2013: Alan Jeans, Archdeacon of Sarum (Acting)
28 January 2013 – September 2015: Ruth Worsley^[17]
22 February 2016 – May 2024 (ret.): Sue Groom^[18]^[19]
24 May 2025 – present: Louise Ellis^[3]

References

^ "ABCD: a basic church dictionary" Meakin, T: Norwich, Canterbury Press, 2001 ISBN 978-1-85311-420-5
^ "Map of Salisbury Diocese". The Diocese of Salisbury. Retrieved 5 March 2017.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ ^a ^b "Grapevine Weekly". Diocese of Salisbury. 29 May 2025. Archived from the original on 4 June 2025. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
^ "No. 39201". The London Gazette. 13 April 1951. pp. 2065–2066.
^ "No. 40521". The London Gazette. 24 June 1955. pp. 3672–3673.
^ "Church news: preferments and appointments". Church Times. No. 2. 14 February 1863. p. 13. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 28 April 2015 – via UK Press Online archives.
^ "Church news: preferments and appointments". Church Times. No. 274. 2 May 1868. p. 173. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 28 April 2015 – via UK Press Online archives.
^ "Buchanan, Thomas Boughton". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 1920–2015 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 28 April 2015. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Wallis, Frederic". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 1920–2015 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 28 April 2015. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Bodington, Eric James". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 1920–2015 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 28 April 2015. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Coulter, J. W.". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 1920–2015 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 28 April 2015. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Plaxton, Cecil Andrew". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 1920–2015 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 28 April 2015. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Neale, John Robert Geoffrey". Who's Who. Vol. 2014 (November 2014 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 28 April 2015. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Smith, (Brian) John". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 1920–2015 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 28 April 2015. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Hopkinson, Barnabas John". Who's Who. Vol. 2014 (November 2014 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 28 April 2015. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Wraw, John Michael". Who's Who. Vol. 2014 (November 2014 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 28 April 2015. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Worsley, Ruth Elizabeth". Who's Who. Vol. 2014 (November 2014 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 28 April 2015. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ Diocese of Salisbury — Welcome to Wilts, Archdeacon Archived 13 August 2020 at the Wayback Machine (Accessed 26 February 2016)
^ "Farewell to Archdeacon Sue". Diocese of Salisbury. Archived from the original on 25 May 2024. Retrieved 4 June 2025.

Sources

Greenway, Diana E. (1991), Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066–1300, vol. 4, pp. 33–37
Horn, Joyce M. (1962), Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1300–1541, vol. 3, pp. 13–14
Horn, Joyce M. (1986), Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541–1857, vol. 6, pp. 18–19

[1] "ABCD: a basic church dictionary" Meakin, T: Norwich, Canterbury Press, 2001 ISBN 978-1-85311-420-5

[2] "Map of Salisbury Diocese". The Diocese of Salisbury. Retrieved 5 March 2017.^{[permanent dead link]}

[ellis-3] "Grapevine Weekly". Diocese of Salisbury. 29 May 2025. Archived from the original on 4 June 2025. Retrieved 4 June 2025.

[4] "No. 39201". The London Gazette. 13 April 1951. pp. 2065–2066.

[5] "No. 40521". The London Gazette. 24 June 1955. pp. 3672–3673.

[6] "Church news: preferments and appointments". Church Times. No. 2. 14 February 1863. p. 13. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 28 April 2015 – via UK Press Online archives.

[7] "Church news: preferments and appointments". Church Times. No. 274. 2 May 1868. p. 173. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 28 April 2015 – via UK Press Online archives.

[8] "Buchanan, Thomas Boughton". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 1920–2015 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 28 April 2015. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[9] "Wallis, Frederic". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 1920–2015 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 28 April 2015. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[10] "Bodington, Eric James". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 1920–2015 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 28 April 2015. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[11] "Coulter, J. W.". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 1920–2015 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 28 April 2015. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[12] "Plaxton, Cecil Andrew". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 1920–2015 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 28 April 2015. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[13] "Neale, John Robert Geoffrey". Who's Who. Vol. 2014 (November 2014 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 28 April 2015. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[14] "Smith, (Brian) John". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 1920–2015 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 28 April 2015. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[15] "Hopkinson, Barnabas John". Who's Who. Vol. 2014 (November 2014 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 28 April 2015. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[16] "Wraw, John Michael". Who's Who. Vol. 2014 (November 2014 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 28 April 2015. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[17] "Worsley, Ruth Elizabeth". Who's Who. Vol. 2014 (November 2014 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 28 April 2015. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[18] Diocese of Salisbury — Welcome to Wilts, Archdeacon Archived 13 August 2020 at the Wayback Machine (Accessed 26 February 2016)

[19] "Farewell to Archdeacon Sue". Diocese of Salisbury. Archived from the original on 25 May 2024. Retrieved 4 June 2025.

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v t e Archdeacons of Wilts
High Medieval	Azo Roger of Ramsbury Reginald Fitz Jocelin William Richard of Wilton Humphrey of Bassingbourn/de Bassingeburn William of Sainte-Mère-Église Richard Grosseteste William de Merston Stephen of Tisbury Roger of Buscot Nicholas of York Roger de la Grene Henry Brandeston Ralph of Leicester Ralph le Waleys of Brightwell William of Abingdon Richard de Sotwell
Late Medieval	Thomas of Savoy William de Chaddleshunt Gerald de Tilheto Iswin de Gandavo Robert de Baldock (senior) Robert de Ayleston Ralph de Querendon John de Whitchurch John Barne John Lineden John Silvestre/Codeford Nicholas Wykeham William Magot John Chitterne John Gaunstede John Symondesburgh John Chadworth Marinus Ursinus Vincent Clement Peter Courtenay Hugh Pavy Christopher Urswick Edward Finch John Pollard
Early modern	John Lawrence Giles Lawrence John Sprint Edmund Lilly Walter Benet Thomas Leche William Creed Thomas Henchman Seth Ward Robert Woodward Thomas Ward Cornelius Yate Thomas Rundle Henry Stebbing Charles Weston Richard Brickenden Arthur Coham William Douglas William Coxe William Macdonald
Late modern	Henry Drury Charles Harris Thomas Stanton Thomas Buchanan Frederic Wallis Eric Bodington Joseph Coulter Cecil Plaxton John Neale John Smith Barney Hopkinson John Wraw Ruth Worsley Sue Groom Louise Ellis

v t e Diocese of Salisbury
Salisbury Cathedral Sarum Use South Canonry, Salisbury (bishop's house) Church House, Salisbury Sonning Bishop's Palace Bishop's Palace, Salisbury Area scheme (1981–2009)
Office holders	Stephen Lake, Bishop of Salisbury Karen Gorham, Bishop suffragan of Sherborne Andrew Rumsey, Bishop suffragan of Ramsbury AEO: Paul Thomas, Bishop suffragan of Oswestry & Rob Munro, Bishop suffragan of Ebbsfleet Nick Papadopulos, Dean of Salisbury Penny Sayer, Archdeacon of Sherborne Louise Ellis, Archdeacon of Wilts Archdeacon of Dorset (vacant) Archdeacon of Sarum (vacant)
Channel Islands	Tim Barker, Dean of Guernsey Mike Keirle, Dean of Jersey
Historic offices	Bishop of Marlborough (1537–1568) Archdeacon of Berkshire (13th century–1836; transferred to Oxford)

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