The Archdeacons in the Diocese of Southwark are senior clergy in the Church of England in South London and Surrey. They currently include: the archdeacons of Southwark, of Reigate (formerly of Kingston-on-Thames) and of Lewisham & Greenwich (formerly of Lewisham), the Archdeacon of Croydon and the archdeacons of Wandsworth and of Lambeth. Each one has responsibility over a geographical area within the diocese.

History The Diocese of Southwark was created on 1 May 1905 from two Diocese of Rochester archdeaconries: the archdeaconry of Southwark and the archdeaconry of Kingston-on-Thames. Parts of Surrey (from the dioceses of Winchester and of London) had first been transferred to Rochester diocese on 1 August 1877, and were organised into the Southwark archdeaconry on 3 May 1878. In 1864, the Bishop of Winchester had split the rural deanery of Southwark into three: Lambeth, Southwark, and Streatham. The Kingston archdeaconry was then created by Order in Council soon after, on 22 August 1879, by splitting the archdeaconry of Southwark: the new Kingston archdeaconry consisted of the rural deaneries of Barnes, Beddington, Godstone, Kingston, Reigate, and Streatham; and the continuing Southwark one those of Battersea, Camberwell, Clapham, Kennington, Lambeth, Newington, and Southwark. Lewisham rural deanery was erected, and other deanery boundaries altered, in early 1886.

Not long after the erection of the Diocese of Southwark, the new archdeaconry of Lewisham was created, on 6 March 1906, from part of the Southwark archdeaconry (Camberwell and Dulwich deaneries) and part of the diocese not then in an archdeaconry (Greenwich, Lewisham, and Woolwich deaneries; which had previously been in the Archdeaconry of Rochester).

The archdeaconry of Wandsworth was created in 1973, the Croydon archdeaconry (er. 1930) was moved from the Diocese of Canterbury on 1 January 1985.Podmore, Colin – Aspects of Anglican Identity, p84 (Google Books) (Accessed 23 February 2013) In 1986, the archdeaconry of Reigate was created from a renaming and reorganisation of the previous archdeaconry of Kingston-on-Thames and the archdeaconry of Lambeth was created from Southwark archdeaconry. Lewisham archdeaconry was renamed the Archdeaconry of Lewisham & Greenwich in 2008.

Current composition , the six archdeaconries of the Diocese of Southwark comprise the following 24 deaneries: (Accessed 5 January 2021) Archdeaconry of Southwark: Deaneries of Bermondsey, of Camberwell, of Dulwich, and of Southwark & Newington Archdeaconry of Reigate: Deaneries of Tandridge, of Reigate, and of Sutton Archdeaconry of Lewisham & Greenwich: Deaneries of Charlton, of Deptford, of East Lewisham, of Eltham & Mottingham, of Plumstead, and of West Lewisham Archdeaconry of Croydon: Deaneries of Croydon Addington, of Croydon Central, of Croydon North, and of Croydon South Archdeaconry of Wandsworth: Deaneries of Battersea, of Kingston, of Richmond & Barnes, of Tooting, and of Wandsworth Archdeaconry of Lambeth: Deaneries of Lambeth North, of Lambeth South, and of Merton

List of archdeacons Archdeacons of Southwark 1879–1882 (res.): Samuel Cheetham 1882–19 March 1904 (d.): John Richardson 1904–1921 (res.): Samuel Taylor (also Bishop suffragan of Kingston from 1915) On 1 May 1905, Southwark archdeaconry was moved from Rochester diocese to the newly-created Diocese of Southwark. 1922–1926 (res.): Percy Herbert, Bishop suffragan of Kingston 1927–1952 (res.): Frederick Hawkes, Bishop suffragan of Kingston 1952–1955 (res.): William Gilpin, Bishop suffragan of Kingston 1955–1966 (ret.): Havilland Sands 1967–1973 (res.): Reginald Bazire 1973–1982 (res.): Michael Whinney (became Bishop of Aston) 1982–1985 (res.): Wilfred Wood (became Bishop of Croydon) 1985–2004 (ret.): Douglas Bartles-Smith (afterwards Archdeacon emeritus) 2004–2012 (res.): Michael Ipgrave (later Bishop of Lichfield from 2016) 2012–2013 (act.): Dianna Gwilliams (became Dean of Guildford) 2013–2021 (res.): Jane SteenDiocese of Southwark – New Archdeacons installed (Accessed 9 June 2013) (became Bishop of Lynn) 15 May 2022present: Jonathan Sedgwick (Acting Archdeacon from May 2021 until 30 June 2022)

Archdeacons of Kingston-on-Thames and of Reigate 1879–1904 (res.): Charles Burney 1904–1916 (res.): George Daniell The Archdeaconry of Kingston was moved from Rochester diocese to the newly-created Diocese of Southwark on 1 May 1905. 1916–1918 (res.): William Hough (became Bishop of Woolwich) 1919–1931 (res.): Robert Joynt 1931–1946 (ret.): George Marten (afterwards Archdeacon emeritus) 1946–1952 (ret.): Nicol Anderson (afterwards Archdeacon emeritus) 1953–28 November 1976 (d.): Percy Robb 1977–1988 (ret.): Bernard Jacob (afterwards Archdeacon emeritus) In 1986, the archdeaconry was renamed to Reigate. 1988–1995 (ret.): Peter Coombs (afterwards Archdeacon emeritus) 1996–2000 (ret.): Martin Baddeley 2001 – 23 February 2016 (ret.):Diocese of Southwark — Archdeacon of Reigate to retire (Accessed 23 January 2016) Danny Kajumba (afterwards Archdeacon emeritus)Diocese of Southwark — Sermon given by the Bishop of Croydon at the Service of Farewell to Archdeacon Emeritus Danny Kajumba - 8 March 2016 (Accessed 3 April 2016) April–July 2015 (act.): Andrew CunningtonDiocese of Southwark — New Honorary Canons at Southwark Cathedral (Accessed 21 December 2015) Oct–Dec 2015 (act.): John Kronenberg 18 December 201520 October 2016 (act.): Jonathan Clark, also Bishop of Croydon 30 October 20162025 (res.): Moira Astin (consecrated Bishop of Crediton, 6 July 2025) January 2026 onwards: Geoff Dumbreck (announced)

Archdeacons of Lewisham and of Lewisham & Greenwich 1906–3 March 1919 (d.): Charles Escreet 1919–1932 (ret.): William Hough, Bishop suffragan of Woolwich 1932–19 July 1936 (d.): Arthur Preston, Bishop suffragan of Woolwich 1936–1947 (res.): Leslie Lang, Bishop suffragan of Woolwich 1947–1955 (res.): Robert Stannard, Bishop suffragan of WoolwichSunderland Minster – Rectors (Accessed 9 June 2013) 1955–1960 (res.): Laurie Brown 1960–1972 (ret.): William Hayman 1972–1985 (ret.): Ivor Davies (afterwards Archdeacon emeritus) 1985–1989 (ret.): Clifford Lacey (afterwards Archdeacon emeritus) [b. 1 April 1921 – d. 16 February 1997; wartime service RAFVR; educated at King's College London;“Who was Who” 1897-2007 London, A & C Black, 2007 curacies: Crofton Park, Kingston upon Thames;Crockfords (London, Church House, 1995) incumbencies: Merton, Eltham] 1989–1996 (res.): Gordon Kuhrt (afterwards Archdeacon emeritus) 1996–2001 (res.): David Atkinson September 2001–30 November 2012 (ret.): Christine Hardman (afterwards Archdeacon emeritus) In 2008, the archdeaconry was renamed Lewisham & Greenwich. 14 April 2013–3 July 2024 (res.): Alastair Cutting (became Area Bishop of Woolwich) 20 September 2024present: Chigor Chike

Archdeacons of Croydon

Archdeacons of Wandsworth 1973–1975 (ret.): Reginald Bazire 1975–1988 (res.): Peter Coombs 1989–2004 (ret.): David Gerrard (afterwards Archdeacon emeritus) 2004–September 2015 (res.):Diocese of Southwark — New Deputy Diocesan Secretary (Accessed 4 May 2015) Stephen Roberts 22 July–22 November 2015 (act.): Tim Marwood Diocese of Southwark — Acting Archdeacon of Wandsworth (Accessed 26 June 2015) 22 November 2015–2025 (ret.): John KiddleDiocese of Southwark — New faces in Southwark (Accessed 27 November 2015) 6 July 2025present: Bridget Shepherd

Archdeacons of Lambeth 1986–1988 (ret.): Charles Pinder (afterwards Archdeacon emeritus) 1988–1999 (res.): Dick Bird 2000–2003 (res.): Nick Baines (became Bishop of Croydon) 2004–14 April 2013 (res.): Chris Skilton 2013–present: Simon GatesDiocese of Southwark – New Archdeacon of Lambeth 2018 (act.): David Stephenson

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