The post of Archdeacon of Chichester was created in the 12th century, although the Diocese of Sussex was founded by St Wilfrid, the exiled Bishop of York, in AD 681. The original location of the see was in Selsey. The see was moved to Chichester, in about 1075, by decree of the Synod of London.Kelly. The Bishopric of Selsey in Mary Hobbs. Chichester Cathedral: An Historic Survey. pp.1 - 10

The current archdeacon is Tom Carpenter, since September 2025.

History After the Norman Conquest a uniform system of territorial archdeaconries was created to try to ensure that no settlement was more than a day's ride from the bishop's seat. In 1070 the Council of Windsor decreed that bishops should appoint archdeacons to their churches. The archdeacon acted as the bishop's deputy and representative and had the job of supervising parish churches in the diocese.Bartlett. England under the Norman and Angevine Kings pp.388 - 389

Saint Richard, Bishop of Chichester in the 13th century, produced a body of statutes which included the duties of his archdeacons: "They were to administer justice for their proper fees, not demanding more for the expedition or delay of business. They were to visit the churches regularly to see the services were duly celebrated, the vessels and vestments in proper order, the canon of mass correctly followed and distinctly read."Stephens. The South Saxon Diocese. p.67

The modern role of an archdeacon in the Church of England has not changed significantly since St Richard's time; their main function is to be involved with legal and practical matters concerning visitations, clergy care, discipline matters, faculties and quinquennial inspections.Synodical Government, p.65.

The Diocese of Chichester almost exactly covers the two counties of East Sussex and West Sussex and the City of Brighton and Hove, stretching for nearly a hundred miles (160 km) along the south coast of England. The diocese has four archdeaconries, namely the Archdeaconry of Horsham, the Archdeaconry of Hastings, the Archdeaconry of Brighton and Lewes as well as the Archdeaconry of Chichester.Diocese of Chichester Website

From its creation, in the 12th century until 2002, the Archdeacon of Chichester was actually based in Chichester. In 2002 during Archdeacon McKittrick's tenure, the base was moved to Church House, Hove, East Sussex. It returned to Chichester, following the appointment of Luke Irvine-Capel, in May 2019.

List of archdeacons

High Medieval Sole archdeacons: bef. 1118–aft. 1118: RicoardThese archdeacons are not referred to as Archdeacon of Chichester, but rather appear to be the sole archdeacon in the diocese. bef. 1122–aft. 1123: Henry 11th century: Roger ?–aft. 1147: Robert Senior archdeacons: bef. 1157–aft. 1172: HenryThese archdeacons are not referred to as Archdeacon of Chichester, but are each the senior of two concurrent archdeacons of the diocese. bef. 1172–1178 (res.): Seffrid II bef. 1180–aft. 1180: Matthew of Chichester –aft. 1192: Peter aft. 1192–bef. 1197: Richard Archdeacons of Chichester: bef. 1198–aft. 1213: Silvester bef. 1220–aft. 1229: William Durand bef. 1232–aft. 1234: William bef. 1235–aft. 1239: Walter bef. 1242–aft. 1246: John Climping bef. 1247–aft. 1256: John de Reigate 1259–aft. 1275: Geoffrey de Gates bef. 1287–bef. 1289: Robert of Wiston bef. 1300–aft. 1307: Gervase of Séez

Late Medieval bef. 1311–bef. 1340 (d.): Robert Leyset/de Leycester bef. 1346–1350 (d.): John Langley May 1350–aft. 1350: Adam de Houton bef. 1354–24 December 1356 (exch.): Simon de Bredon 24 December 1356 – 7 March 1357 (exch.): Walter de Alderbury 7 March 1357–?: John de Sculthorpe 1358–1359: John Pipe 1366: Robert de Walton ?–bef. 1370 (d.): Henry Folvyle 3 July 1370 – 15 April 1382 (exch.): William Wardene/Wardieu 15 April 1382 – 3 May 1395 (exch.): Simon Russell 5 June 1388–?: Lambert Threkingham (ineffective royal grant) 3 May 1395–bef. 1413 (d.): John Thomas 1398: William Read 18 December 1404–?: Thomas Harlyng (mistaken collation) 13 November 1413–bef. 1440: John Lindfield/Lyndefeld ?–1439 (exch.): John Faukes 5 December 1440–bef. 1444 (res.): William Walesby 7 February 1444–bef. 1460 (d.): William Normanton 1454: Simon de Gredon/Gredon bef. 1459–bef. 1464: John Sprever bef. 1464–bef. 1478 (res.): John Doget bef. 1478–bef. 1481 (res.): Peter Huse/Husy 1 September 1481 – 1482 (res.): Henry Boleyn

bef. 1484–bef. 1494 (d.): John Coke/Cooke bef. 1495–bef. 1509 (d.): Gerard Borrett/Burrell 18 April 1509–bef. 1512 (res.): Robert Chapel 4 April 1512–bef. 1532: William Norbury 2 February 1532–bef. 1554: John Worthiall

Early modern 16 April 1555–bef. 1559 (deprived): Alban Langdale 7 October 1559–?: Richard Tremayne (ineffective royal grant) 20 May 1560–bef. 1571 (d.): Thomas Spencer July 1571–bef. 1575 (res.): John Coldwell 15 May 1575–bef. 1580 (res.): Thomas Gillingham April 1580–bef. 1586 (res.): John Langworth 15 November 1586–March 1596 (d.): William Stone 12 April 1596 – 30 March 1603 (d.): Henry Ball 7 September 1603–bef. 1607 (d.): Thomas Pattenson 17 February 1608–bef. 1635 (d.): Roger Andrewes 24 November 1635–bef. 1640 (d.): Laurence Pay 18 February 1640 – 1641 (res.): James Marsh bef. 1642–25 April 1660 (d.): Henry Hammond 2 July 1660 – 6 December 1672 (d.): Jasper Mayne 23 December 1672–bef. 1679 (d.): Oliver Whitby 24 September 1679–bef. 1707 (d.): Josiah PleydellSussex people 12 February 1708 – 17 August 1736 (d.): James Barker 7 September 1736 – 14 July 1770 (d.): Thomas Ball 10 June 1771 – 1 August 1792 (d.): Thomas Hollingbery 3 October 1792 – 1797 (res.): John Buckner 15 May 1802 – 10 September 1803 (d.): Charles Alcock 12 October 1803 – 4 January 1808 (d.): Thomas Taylor 5 March 1808–bef. 1840 (res.): Charles Webber 30 December 1840 – 21 March 1851 (res.): Henry Edward Manning (became Archbishop of Westminster in the Roman Catholic Church) 28 April 1851 – 26 March 1879 (d.): James Garbett

Late modern 1879–31 October 1887 (d.): John Russell Walker 1887–9 May 1903 (d.): Francis Mount 1903–1914 (res.): Edward Elwes 1914–19 February 1920 (d.): Herbert Jones (also Bishop of Lewes) 1920–1934 (ret.): Benedict Hoskyns 1934–1946 (ret.): Charles Clarke 1946–1973 (ret.): Lancelot Mason 1973–1975 (res.): Frederick Kerr-Dineen 1975–1981 (res.): Richard Eyre 1981–1991 (ret.): Keith Hobbs 1991–2002 (ret.): Michael Brotherton 20021 July 2018 (ret.):Acting Archdeacons Appointed (Accessed 3 June 2018) Douglas McKittrick 1 May 20189 May 2019 Mark Standen & David Twinley (Initially shadowed previous Archdeacon, then jointly acting)Standen and Twinley's appointment is from 1 May 2018 to 31 January 2019. 9 May 201927 February 2025 Luke Irvine-Capel (became Bishop of Richborough) 28 September 2025present: Tom Carpenter

See also Chichester Cathedral Diocese of Chichester Deans of Chichester Selsey Abbey

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