The Archdeacon of Sarum is a senior ecclesiastical officer within the Diocese of Salisbury, England. They are responsible for the disciplinary supervision of the clergy"ABCD: a basic church dictionary" Meakin, T: Norwich, Canterbury Press, 2001 within the five area deaneries of the Sarum archdeaconry, which cover the geographical areas of Alderbury, Chalke (west of Salisbury), Salisbury, Heytesbury and Stonehenge (north of Salisbury).
The post is currently vacant since Alan Jeans' retirement.
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 . The archdeacons at that time were (in order of seniority) the Archdeacons of Dorset, Berkshire, Sarum and Wiltshire.
The position was redefined in 1843, having been previously generally known as the Archdeaconry of Salisbury; the role is now generally called Archdeacon of Sarum, 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. The parishes of Charlton, Wilsford and North Newnton were transferred from Sarum to the archdeaconry of Wilts in 1955.
List of archdeacons
High Medieval Archdeacons in Salisbury diocese: ?–bef. 1085: Gunter of Le MansGunter, Robert, Everard, Hubald, Joel, Alexander and Nigel occur as archdeacons in Salisbury diocese without territorial titles, so it is not possible to identify which areas they served. bef. 1089–aft. 1089: Robert (probably archdeacon in Berks) bef. 1099–1121 (res.): Everard of Calne (became Bishop of Norwich) bef. 1099–bef. 1122 (d.): Hubald (probably archdeacon in Dorset) bef. 1121–aft. 1122: Joel bef. 1121–1123 (res.): Alexander of Lincoln (became Bishop of Lincoln) ?–1133 (res.): Nigel (became Bishop of Ely) Archdeacons of Salisbury: bef. 1133–bef. 1139: Ernald (probably Ernald, later Abbot of Kelso and Bishop of St Andrews)Ernald, Henry, Jordan and Savaric occur as archdeacons in Salisbury diocese without territorial titles, but their roles as archdeacons over the Salisbury area can be deduced. bef. 1153–aft. 1154: Henry bef. 1157–aft. 1173: Jordan (probably later Dean of Salisbury) bef. 1184–aft. 1174: Savaric FitzGeldewin (also Archdeacon of Northampton) bef. 1180–aft. 1191: Azo bef. 1193–aft. 1238: Humphrey of Bassingbourn or de Bassingeburn (previously Archdeacon of Wilts) bef. 1241–aft. 1244: Stephen bef. 1245–aft. 1271: Nicholas de Capella bef. 1275–aft. 1307: Thomas Wychampton or de Wickhampton (alias de Grano)
Late Medieval bef. 1309–aft. 1328: Walter Hervy or Hervey ?–1309: Raymond de Planell (never gained possession) : Raymond Cardinal de Fargis (cardinal-deacon of Santa Maria Nova; claimant) bef. 1329–bef. 1348 (d.): Robert Luffenham 11 July–25 October 1330: Richard de Bury or d'Aungerville (unsuccessful royal grant; revoked) bef. 1348–bef. 1361 (d.): Roger de Kington 5 September 1361–aft. 1375: Roger de Cloune bef. 1383–1 July 1384 (exch.): Thomas Butiller 1 July 1384 – 1402: William Potyn (unsuccessful exchange) 1400–1402 (d.): Walter FitzPiers (royal grant) 1402–14 December 1404 (exch.): Henry Chichele 14–26 December 1404 (exch.): Walter Medford (became Archdeacon of Berkshire) 26 December 1404 – 1418 (res.): Simon Sydenham (became Dean of Salisbury) 18 April 1418–bef. 1419 (d.): John Holand bef. 1419–1419 (d.): John Chitterne 9 September 1419 – 1420 (res.): John Stafford 7 December 1420 – 1426 (res.): William Alnwick (became Bishop of Norwich) 4 July 1426 – 1432 (res.): Alexander Sparrow (became Archdeacon of Berkshire) 24 September 1432 – 1433 (res.): John Norton (became Archdeacon of Berkshire) 18 October 1433–aft. 1435: Stephen Wilton bef. 1439–1441 (res.): Adam Moleyns (became Dean of Salisbury) 28 October 1441–bef. 1444 (res.): Richard Andrew 21 July 1444–bef. 1446 (res.): Peter Cardinal Barbo, cardinal-deacon of Santa Maria Nova
18 July 1446–bef. 1465 (d.): Richard Caunton 11 July 1465–bef. 1471 (d.): Roger Radclyffe 22 November 1471–?: William Eure ?–bef. 1499 (d.): Edmund Chaderton (also Archdeacon of Totnes from 1491 and Archdeacon of Chester from 1493) 22 August 1499 – 1503 (res.): Geoffrey Blythe (became Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield) 21 November 1503–bef. 1524 (d.): George Sydenham 2 March–April 1524 (d.): James Bromwich 10 April 1524–bef. 1526 (d.): Henry Rawlyns bef. 1535–bef. 1539 (d.): Richard Duck 2 August 1539 – 20 July 1546 (res.): Edward Layton
Early modern 20 July 1546–bef. 1554 (deprived): Robert Okinge (deprived) 6 July 1554–bef. 1583 (d.): Richard Chaundeler 20 January 1583 – 8 March 1615 (d.): Ralph Pickover 12 March 1615 – 25 May 1625 (d.): William Barlow 27 June 1625–bef. 1643 (d.): Thomas Marler 7 August 1643–?: William Buckner 24 January 1658 – 16 January 1664 (d.): Anthony Hawles 23 January 1664–bef. 1670 (d.): Joshua Childrey 30 September 1670 – 27 March 1671 (d.): John Sherman 10 May 1671 – 4 June 1674 (d.): John Priaulx 12 June 1674 – 29 December 1694 (d.): Thomas Lambert 14 January 1695 – 1 November 1710 (d.): Joseph Kelsey 6 November 1710 – 1727 (res.): John Hoadly (became Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin) 23 September 1727–bef. 1732 (res.): Joseph Sager 12 July 1732 – 2 May 1766 (d.): Samuel Rolleston 22 May 1766 – 14 May 1804 (d.): William Whitworth 9 June 1804 – 10 July 1827 (d.): Charles Daubeny 23 July 1827–bef. 1836 (res.): Liscombe Clarke 20 December 1836 – 1846 (res.): Francis Lear (became Dean of Salisbury) From around the time of the 1843 reorganisation, the archdeaconry has become generally known as Sarum rather than Salisbury. 3 August 1846 – 31 December 1874 (res.): William Hony
Late modern 1875–19 February 1914 (d.): Francis Lear (son of the above) 1914–20 July 1936 (d.): Harry Carpenter 1936–1950 (ret.): Percy Dale (afterwards archdeacon emeritus) 1951–21 February 1968 (d.): Frank McGowan 1968–1979 (ret.): Basil Wingfield Digby 1979–1986 (res.): Nigel McCulloch (became Bishop suffragan of Taunton) 1986–1998 (res.): Barney Hopkinson (became Archdeacon of Wiltshire) 1998–2003: vacant 2003–2025: Alan Jeans (retired July 2025)
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