ARCHDEACONS OF CANTERBURY.
1. WLFRID, is the first archdeacon of Canterbury,
whose name is found in any chronicle or record, the
names of all his predecessors, as well as some of his
successors, are lost. He seems to have been once a
monk of this church; and in the record of a council
convened by archbishop Athelard, at Baccanceld, now
perhaps Bapchild, among the subscriptions, as they are
printed in the Decem. Scriptores, among the Evidences
of Christ-church. (fn. 1) Wlfrid, archdeacon, subscribed
among the bishops, anno 798, and afterwards in a synod at Cloveshoe, anno 803, Wlfrid, archdeacon,
subscribed with the rest; the record of which council in
Saxon characters, remains among the archives of this
church; and to shew that Wlfrid was arcndeacon of
Canterbury, which is not specified in either of these
subscriptions, among the old writings of this church,
there is in the like characters, a charter of archbishop
Athelard, concerning the manor of Burne, dated anno
805, indict 13, to which Wlfrid, archdeacon of Canterbury, is a subscribing witness. The archbishop died
the same year, and Wlfrid seems to have succeeded
him in the archiepiscopal chair. (fn. 2)
2. BEORNOTH, anno 804, whose name in the subscriptions to a charter of king Ethelred, is set before
divers dukes. (fn. 3)
3. ATHELWEALD, anno 853.
4. EALSTAN, anno 864.
5. SIGEFRETH, anno 866.
6. LIÆVING, anno 866; all these five archdeacons
were, during the time in which Ceolnoth filled the archiepiscopal chair, which was a space of much trouble
and confusion, on account of the Danish pirates, who
then infested these coasts, assaulting the suburbs, and
knocking at the very gates of the city of Canterbury,
until they had a large sum of money given them to be
gone, and at the same time there was a pestilence within
the walls of the monastery. (fn. 4)
7. WERBEALD, anno 890.
8. BRINSTAN, about 1006; here is a long space
of time unnoticed between this archdeacon and the
former one, named before him, most probably upwards
of 100 years, and there has been nothing met with to
fill it up.
9. ALMERIC, or ALMER, who is supposed to have
been the man, who infamously betrayed this city when
it was besieged by the Danes in the year 1011, (fn. 5) as the
story is told at large in the Saxon Chronicle, and afterwards by H. Huntingdon, R. Hoveden, W. Thorn,
and others, whilst others have been inclined to impute
this treachery to Elmar, at that time abbot of St. Augustine's, who was suffered to escape safe out of the
hands of the Danes, and his monastery to remain untouched as the reward of it. (fn. 6)
10. HAIMO is the next archdeacon, mentioned as
such; he lived in 1054, as we are informed from Boston, monk of St. Edmundsbury, and he may reasonably be supposed to have been cotemporary with Godwin, the last bishop of St. Martin's, who died seven
years after this time, and had been probably constituted bishop, anno 1052. It is certain, that at the
death of archbishop Elphage, there was no archdeacon
of Canterbury; there were continual confusions in
these parts, through the continual ravages made by the
insulting Danes, the metropolitical church lay desolate,
and in ruins. Archbishop Livinge, who succeeded Elphage, after seven years imprisonment, went beyond
sea into a voluntary exile, there to bewail in secret the
desolations of the church, which he could not repair;
during which calamities, we cannot expect to hear of
an archdeacon.
Haimo, above-mentioned, stands upon record as
eminent for his learning and goodness, as Almar was
infamous for his treachery and ingratitude; we are beholden to Bale and Pitseus for what we know of him;
they tell us, that he was born in England of good parentage, brought up to study from his childhood, but
this nation being at this time filled with tumults and
disturbances, he retired into France, and became a
monk at St. Denis, and reader of divinity at Paris; as
soon as the affairs of England were settled in quietness, he returned and was constituted archdeacon of
Canterbury, and grew into high esteem for his excellent preaching. He wrote several books, of which his
Commentary on Genesis, was in the library of Lincoln
college, in Oxford; he died at Canterbury on Oct. 9,
but in what year, is no where recorded. With this
archdeacon ended the anti-Norman ones. (fn. 7)
11. VALERIUS, of whom there is mention in a record concerning the right of provincial and diocesan
jurisdiction in the vacancy of the see; it tells us, that
archbishop Lanfranc constituted him archdeacon, and
gave him and his successors a small tenement near the
priory of St. Gregory, without the north gate of the
city. (fn. 8)
12. ANSCHITILLUS probably succeeded him. He
is mentioned in the survey of Domesday, taken anno
1070, by the name of Anschitil Archidiac, as holding
lands in Deal, which had before been held by archbishop Stigand, and other land there, and at St. Margaret's, given to him by the bishop of Baieux. He subscribed, as such, to the decrees of a provincial council
in 1075, immediately after the bishops and before the
abbots.
13. WILLIAM was archdeacon in 1101, in which
year he was sent by archbishop Anselm, to make en
quiries whether Maud, daughter of Malcolm, king of
Scots, who was intended to be given in marriage to
king Henry I. was a professed nun; and afterwards;
in 1108, he was sent by that archbishop, on his behalf, to invest Ralph, the next successor to Gundulph,
and put him in possession of the bishopric of Rochester. (fn. 9) Anselm having bestowed it on him; there are
three letters of the archbishop's to him, as archdeacon,
one of which is concerning priests marriages, mentioned in the acts and monuments. This William was
one of the witnesses to Anselm's charter; when he gave
the manor of Stisted to this church. (fn. 10)
14. JOHN, nephew (sister's son) to archbishop
Ralph, was constituted archdeacon in June, 1115, on
his return from Rome, whither he had been sent with
others to bring back the pall to the archbishop, which
he delivered to him at Canterbury, on June 27, 1115,
many bishops, abbots, noblemen and others being present at the solemnity of receiving and putting it on, at
which time the bishops made it their request, and the
monks declared their approbation, that this John should
be constituted archdeacon; upon which he was nominated and admitted by the archbishop in the chapterhouse, and took the oath of obedience there, to the
metropolitical church of Canterbury. (fn. 11) In 1119, he
was sent by the archbishop to the council at Rhemes,
to withstand the consecration of Thurstan, archbishop
of York, at the pope's hands, archbishop Ralph having rejected him, on account of his having refused to
make profession of obedience to the church of Canterbury. (fn. 12)
On the archbishop's death, William Corboil being
elected archbishop, went to Rome for his pall, attended
by this archdeacon and others; upon the death of Ernulph, bishop of Rochester, the archdeacon was promoted to that see, and consecrated by the archbishop
on May 24, anno 1125. (fn. 13)
Eadmer says, he was a man of a good conversation,
and courteous towards all.
15. ASKETIN, whose name, as archdeacon, is in an
antient charter of this church. (fn. 14)
16. WILLIAM, the second, archdeacon of that name;
is mentioned as such in a charter of archbishop
Theobald, relating to the archdeaconry of this church,
in which the succession of archdeacons before his time
is thus given, viz. Asketin, William, Helwise. (fn. 15)
17. HELWISE was a regular canon, and promoted
to this archdeaconry by archbishop William Corboil,
who had a particular regard to those canons, of which
he himself had been one, in 1134. He was sent by
the archbishop, together with the bishops of St. David's and Rochester, to put the monks of Dover in
possession of their new monastery, built for them by
that archbishop; but those of Christ church appealing
to the see of Rome, they returned without effecting
their purpose. In the year 1138, this archdeacon was
summoned to a legantine synod, convened at Westminster by Alberic the pope's legate. (fn. 16)
18. WALTER, the next archdeacon, was brother to
archbishop Theobald, and was witness to his charter
for the induction of canons into St. Mary's church, in
Dover, which was confirmed by pope Innocent in
1138. Upon the death of Ascelin, bishop of Rochester, Walter was elected by the monks of Rochester,
in the chapter-house at Canterbury, in the presence
and at the nomination of the archbishop, to succeed in
that see; which election was made in January, in the
beginning of the year 1148. (fn. 17)
19. ROGER DE BISHOPSBRIDGE, or de Ponte Episcopi, succeeded him as archdeacon, and within a few
years after, being advanced to the archbishopric of
York, he was consecrated at Westminster by archbishop Theobald, in October, 1154. (fn. 18) Whilst he was
archdeacon, as he was one who did not favour the
monks of his time, he proved himself very offensive
and troublesome to those of Christ-church, by intruding himself among them into their chapter and assemblies, as one of their society; being a secular, the
monks could by no means submit to this, but addressed
themselves to the archbishop for remedy, from whom
they procured letters of inhibition to this purpose in
future. (fn. 19)
20 THOMAS BECKET, so noted in the histories of
this time, was next preferred to this archdeaconry, by
archbishop Theobald, who had sent him into Italy, to
study the civil law, and at his return, having conceived
a good opinion of his excellent parts, heaped many
rich preferments on him, and among them this archdeaconry. At the archbishop's instance, the king made
him chancellor of England, and on the archbishop's
death, he was advanced to the metropolitical chair of
Canterbury, (fn. 20) and not long afterwards resigned this
archdeaconry.
21. GEOFFRY RIDDELL succeeded next to it, on
the resignation of Becket, who would not, however,
lay it down for some time after he was made archbi
shop, though the king importunately desired him to
give it up, which he at last did, and at the king's most
earnest request conferred it on Geoffry Riddell, (fn. 21) who
afterwards became a chief favorite with the king, (being constituted by him one of the barons of the exchequer, (fn. 22) whose part he constantly took against the archbishop, and in 1169 was sent by him into France, to
solicit, that the archbishop should not be permitted to
remain in that kingdom, to which he had then withdrawn himself from hence.
He was soon afterwards excommunicated by the
archbishop, who in a letter to the bishop of Hereford,
advertized him of it, and calls this archdeacon in it,
both arch-devil and a limb of Anti-Christ. In 1173,
king Henry, at the instance of the cardinals Albert
and Theodin, having granted that there should be free
elections in the church of England, there were five
archdeacons promoted to five bishoprics then vacant,
one of which was this Geoffry, archdeacon of Canterbury, who was elected by the convent of Ely to that
see; but being accused as accessary to the death of
Thomas Becket, he made his protestation in the chapel of St. Catherine, in Westminster, that he was innonocent of that murder, and was no ways accessary
thereto, by word, deed, or writing, wittingly or knowingly. (fn. 23)
22. HERBERT, or Herebert, was archdeacon at the
time when archbishop Richard constituted three archdeacons in his diocese, which usually had but one before; their names were Savaricus, Nicolaus and Herebertus; but this innovation held but a short time,
the three being in the same archbishop's time reduced
to one again, (fn. 24) namely, this Herbert, to whom the
archbishop made a personal grant of jurisdiction,
much like that concerning which the archbishop of
York and the archdeacon of Richmond differed, about
the same time. (fn. 25)
Herbert continued in this archdeaconry till he was
elected bishop of Salisbury in 1193. (fn. 26) and was succeeded by
23. ROBERT, whom Mr. Somner mentions next in
his catalogue of archdeacons; but I know no more of
him than his bare name. (fn. 27)
24. HENRY DE CASTILION was archdeacon in
1199, in which year he installed Savaricus, bishop of
Bath, abbot of Glastonbury, his name as archdeacon
is subscribed to several charters and other evidences
belonging to St. Radigund's abbey, near Dover, made
by archbishop Hubert and others. During his time,
in 1202, there happened a great controversy between
king John and the monks of St. Augustine's, concering the right to the patronage of the church of
Faversham; during which, great violence was used by
both parties, to oust the other from the possession of
the church, by which the profanation of it ensued;
upon which this archdeacon challenging right to the
custody of the church during the vacancy of it, and
interposing, excommunicated the monks for holding
the church by force, overthrew the altars as profaned
by them, and then interdicted the church; after
which, the monks, by presents made to the king'
compromised their suit with him; but as to their
dispute with the archdeacon, concerning the custody
and fruits of their vacant churches, especially those of
Faversham and Milton, they immediately made their
appeal to the pope, but what was the final issue of
the controversy, I do not find, though it is probable,
by a like course afterwards taken with a succeeding
archdeacon, upon the renewal of the dispute, he had
a composition given him by the monks; by which
means he, in some degree shared with them a part of
the profits of their vacant churches, which was yielded
to him to make peace. The matter which they contended for was, in those days, of moment, and very
considerable; but the case has been long since altered
by the act passed for this purpose, which gives the
successor the fruits in the vacancy, which put and end
to all these broils. (fn. 28)
25. HENRY DE SANDFORD was the next archdeacon, who is reported to have been a great philosopher, that is, a learned and skilful man. In his time
the contest above mentioned, between the archdeacon and the monks of St. Augustine, concerning
their vacant churches, was compounded; he was present at the translation of the body of St. Augustine,
and was co-executor, with the prior of Christ church,
of the lady Agnes de Clifford; in the year 1227 he
was, on St. Mark's day, consecrated bishop of Rochester, to which see he had been elected on December 26. (fn. 29)
26. SIMON LANGTON, the only brother of Ste.
phen Langton, archbishop of Canterbury, was the
next archdeacon. He had been elected to the archbishopric of York, by that chapter, but taking part
with his brother against the king, the pope, at the
king's instance, made void the election; in recompence of which disappointment, Lewis, the French
Dauphin, for whose establishment he was very active,
constituted him his chancellor of Dauphiny, (fn. 30) and his
brother the archbishop, the year before he died, conferred this archdeaconry on him, and in favour to
him, much amended it, for with the consent and confirmation of the chapter, he annexed and united to
it, not only the churches or parsonages of Tenham
and Hackington, but the whole jurisdiction over the
diocese, with an exception and reservation only of
some causes and churches (fn. 31)
For as the archbishops Baldwin and Hubert, upon
a controversy between them and the monks concerning the chapels of Hackington and Lamhith, and
upon a displeasure taken against the archdeacon, probably for opposing them in that project in behalf of
the monks, had exempted certain churches from the
archdeacon's jurisdiction; so archbishop Langton,
with the monks consent, by a special charter, reversed
and revoked that exemption and subjected again those
churches to the archidiaconal jurisdiction, whose predecessors never had other than a personal grant, such
as was that above mentioned, made to Herbert or the
like. These things happening in December, anno
1227; in the month of February next following, the
same archdeacon made a double charter to the monks;
for what reasons however, appears not; by one of
which he conveys to them, with the consent of his
brother the archbishop, all the tithes whatsoever of
the manor of Eylwarton, lying within the chapelry
of Stone, in Tenham parish, which at this day pass
by the name of dominical, or demesne tithes; by the
other he became engaged for himself and his successors, that nothing should be done in the church or
chapel of Hackington, to the prejudice of the church
of Canterbury; (fn. 32) a matter, which the late stir between archbishop Baldwin and the monks, made
them fearful of, and therefore careful and cautious
to prevent, and the more so, as the archdeacon had
now seated himself there. From the time of archbishop Lanfranc, the archdeacon's dwelling had been
before this, near St. Gregories priory, close by the
court there, without the north gate of the city; this
being now given and made over to the monks of
Christ-church, the archdeacon removing thence,
seated himself as above-mentioned, at Hackington,
where his usual residence continued till Henry VIII.'s
reign, when his mansion there was alienated; since
which the archdeacon has been left without a house
to reside in. This archdeacon, in the vacancy of the
see by archbishop Edmund's death, withstood the
monks' official for that time of the vacancy, challenging to himself, in right of his archdeaconry, all
the jurisdiction, both provincial and diocesan; but
at length, after some altercations on both parts,
all contentions between him and the chapter, on
this account, were ended amicably by a personal
composition. (fn. 33)
It is said of this archdeacon, that, when upon the
death of archbishop Richard, the chapter of Christchurch had elected to the see of Canterbury, Ralph
Nevil, a prudent man, and one in high favour with
the king, and petitioned the pope to confirm his election; his holiness asked the archdeacon what manner
of man the archbishop elect was? who immediately
replied, that he was a smart cunning man, an old
courtier, powerful in the king's favour, and so stout
and sturdy, that there was danger, if he was confirmed
archbishop, of his creating a misunderstanding between his holiness and the king. Upon which the
election was set aside. (fn. 34) He founded the hospital of
the poor priests, in Canterbury; having been archdeacon twenty-one years, he died about the year
1248; (fn. 35) Bale says, he spent much time in study, and
wrote a treatise concerning the fenitence of St. Mary
Magdalen There are collected several of his letters
into one volume, &c. (fn. 36)
There is a seal of this archdeacon, anno 1227,
among the archives of the dean and chapter in their
treasury, oval, a bust profile, a hand reaching down
from above; legend, SIGILL: DNI SIMONIS DE LANGETON ARCHIDIAC CANTUAR. E. 136.
27. STEPHEN DE VICENNA seems to have succeeded to this dignity on his death in 1248. (fn. 37) He
appears to have been archdeacon but four years, and
then, either by death or cession, to have given place
to his successor. (fn. 38)
28. OTHOBON, a Genoese by birth, descended of
a noble family, the son of Thedisius, brother of pope
Innocent IV. was created cardinal deacon, by the title
of St. Adrin, anno 1252; he was then in possession
of this archdeaconry, says Onuphrius, but it is not
known how long he continued in it; he was afterwards wxalted to the papal throne, which he enjoyed
but a very short time. (fn. 39)
29. STEPHEN DE MONTE LUCILI appears to have
been archdeacon in 1257, by his subicription to a
charter of St. Radigund's abbey, near Dover; William de la Gare was his official, anno 1259. (fn. 40)
30. HUGH MORTIMER, a native of the province
of Poiction, and offical to the archbishop, (fn. 41) , and his
chancellor and vicar-general likewise, in the former
of which offices he continued in 1270, as appears by
a decision of his made as such, that year, (fn. 42) , not long
afterwards became archdeacon; for he was so at the
death of archbishop Boniface, which happened in
1270; after which, during the vacancy of the see,
he exercised the power of ordinary, by ratifying as
far as the power of saculty of the ordinary is required,
different appropriations, (fn. 43) the challenging of which,
and the like power in the time of the vacancy, occasioned
a quarrel between him and the convent of
Christ-church, in like manner as there had been before
between them and his predecessor, Simon Langton;
and this ended too in a composition made between
them. (fn. 44) The years of his death I do not find,
only that he died on Ctober 4, but he could not
continue in this office more than four or five years,
beong succeeded in it by
31. WILLIAM MIDDLETON, who was a man
commended for his honourable birth, good conversation
and excellent learning, particularly in both civil
and canon laws. (fn. 45) In the year 1273 he appears to have
been both official and vicar to the archbishop, at that
time beyond sea, and confirmed the election of John
de Chisull to the bishopric of London; he was soon
afterwards made archdeacon of Canterbury, and on
Febuary 14, 1278, was elected bishop of Norwich,
upon which he resigned this dignity, having been in
the possession of it for two years and upwards. (fn. 46)
32. ROBERT DE YARMOUTH succeeded him as
archdeacon, and continued so upwards of two years.
In his time he renewed the dispute of jurisdiction in
the vacancy of the see, which then happened by the
removal of archbishop Kilwardbye; a matter twice
set on foot before, as has been already mentioned;
but during the appeal of the convent to the court of
Rome, the archdeacon, who had gone thither to manage his suit, died there. (fn. 47)
33. RICHARD DE FERRINGES was his successor,
who is said to have been well experienced in the rights
and customs of the church of Canterbury; the archbishop on January 1, 1281, sent his mandate to Gregory de Rokeslye, citizen of London, requiring him
to pay to his archdeacon Richard, in recompence for
the dilapidations of the houses belonging to the archdeaconry, the sum of 33l. 18s. of the goods of Robert de Yarmouth, sometime archdeacon, which remained in his hands. (fn. 48) In 1290 he summoned the
clergy, as he was commanded, to a convocation at
Ely; his mandate for which is dated at Hackington,
on August 4, that year, whilst he prosecuted with
much warmth at Rome, the suit concerning jurisdiction during the vacancy of the see of Canterbury,
which had lain dormant on account of his predeces
for's death; he was by papal provision constituted
archbishop of Dublin in 1298; upon which
34. JOHN LANGTON succeeded to this archdeaeonry in 1299, it being given to him by the pope, in
recompence of his trouble and expence at the court
of Rome, in his appeal against the archbishop, who
had annulled the election, which the convent of Ely
had made of him to be their bishop, at which time he
was treasurer to king Edward, chancellor of England, (fn. 49)
and rector of Burwell in that diocese; but pope Boniface VIII rejected his appeal, and appointed another to that bishopric; (fn. 50) he was afterwards, viz. in
1305, made bishop of Chichester, being consecrated
by archbishop Winchelsea, on the 10th cal. October,
that year. (fn. 51)
35. SIMON DE FAVERSHAM has the character of
a learned man. He became eminent in philosophy
and divinity, which he studied at Oxford, as Bale informs us, from Leland. He was rightfully constituted archdeacon by archbishop Winchelsea on the
same day on which his predecessor was consecrated
bishop of Chichester, but was soon forced to quit this
dignity, and to give place to another, on whom the
pope conterred it by his bull of provision, on,
36. BERNARD DE EYCI, who is written likewise
Ecy de Labredo, or de la Breto, (fn. 52) but perhaps more
probably De la Barton, being the son of Aumery de
la Barton, of noble rank. (fn. 53) The pope's bull of provision for this porpose is dated Nov. 20, 1305; in
which bull it is mentioned, that this Bernard had
been advanced by papal provision to a prebend in the
church of Bordeaux, and to the tithery of Anderanes,
in the diocese of Agen; he was not of age to be canonically admitted into deacons orders, but the same
power which heaped these rich benefices on him, dispensed with his infancy, and gave him licence to hold
this archdeaconry likewise, without the necessity of
being made a deacon, till he came to such years as the
canons of the church required. The above-mentioned bull was accompanied with another mandatory
one for his induction, which was directed to the bishop of Lichfield and Coventry, and to the abbots
of St. Augustine's and Waltham; (fn. 54) he seems to have
been deprived of this dignity for being married about
1318. (fn. 55)
37. GUTTERDUS LABREDUS, most probably, Le
Brito, and therefore of the same province with his
predecessor.
38. SIMON CONVENIUS, or DE COMINGES, was
archdeacon of Canterbury; he is stiled in the papal
bull, chaplain of the apostolic see; he died in 1323.
39. JOHN DE BRICTON, treasurer of the church of
Wells, rector of Saltwood, in this county, the king's
chaplain, and the archbishop's chancellor, was, upon
the above archdeacon's death, presented to this archdeaconry on April 19, 1323, and admitted to it on
August 2, following; but he was soon turned out by
a power, which at that time was superior to that of the
archbishop, or of the king himself, who both of them
submitted to the pope's bull of provision, though yet
not without some struggling; for when the pope,
(John XXII.) sent his bull of revocation, namely, to
recal the collation of John de Bricton to this archdeaconry, and to confer it upon Raymond, a cardinal
of the church of Rome; (fn. 56) the messengers who brought
it were roughly handled, for the archbishop, (Walter
Reynolds) caused one of them to be seized, and his
letters and writings to be taken from him by force;
the other fearing the like usage, hid himself; notwithstanding which, the pope at last prevailed, and his
provision filled the archdeaconry at this time, which
he had made vacant by ousting his predecessor from
it violently, by the plenitude of his power. (fn. 57)
40. RAYMUND de Sta Maria in Cosmedin, deacon
cardinal, was the person named in the above mentioned bull of revocation to succeed to this archdea
conry. He was nephew to pope Clement V. When
he quitted, I have not seen, but the next possessor of
this dignity that appears, was
41. HUGH DE ENGOLISME, so called from Angouleme, in the province of Aquitaine, sacrist of the
metropolitical church of Narbonne, in Languedoc.—He was sent into England in 1324, as envoy from
the pope and the apostolic see; he was archdeacon
in 1327, at which time he received the Peter pence,
collected in the diocese of Wells. (fn. 58) There is a letter
extant to him as archdeacon, dated Aug. 16, 1328,
from John, bishop of Exeter, who in it denied to pay
the fees of his inthronization, to which the archdeacon replied, that he would assert and defend his
rights; on December 20, that year, he requested
leave to return to the court of Rome, which was at
that time in his own country, France, pretending bodily infirmities and sickness. (fn. 59) His successor was
42. ROBERT STRATFORD, born at Stratford upon
Avon, to which place he became a benefactor, by obtaining of king Edward III. in his 5th year, anno
1332, a charter of liberties for that town. He was
canon of the church of Lincoln, and had procuratorial letters from the prior of Christ-church, to appear
in his stead in parliament at York; in these letters he
is called the archbishop's brother, John Stratford being then archbishop of Canterbury elect, and confirmed; and on Oct. 9, 1334, being then archdeacon,
he was present at his inthronization. (fn. 60)
Among the archives of the consistory court of
Canterbury, there is a plea of his, consisting of many
articles, and containing in the first place a particular
of all the rights and pleas of his archdeaconry; after
which follows a suggestion of certain grievances offered to him and it, by the commissary of Canterbury,
put up against him to his brother the archbishop, but
with what succes I know not. He was elected bishop of Chichester in 1337, and was confecrated on
St. Andrew's day that year, succeeding in it John
Langton, one of his predecessors in the archdeaconry;
after which he executed the great offices of chancellor
of the exchequer, chancellor of England, to which he
had two appointments, viz. in the 11th and 14th
years of king Edward III. keeper of the great seal, (fn. 61)
and chancellor of Oxford; in 1338, (fn. 62) he was constituted commissary to the archbishop, who was then
beyond sea; not long after which he seems to have
resigned this archdeaconry, having kept it near two
years after he had been made bishop, and was succeeded in it by
43. BERNARD SISTRE, who appears to have been
archdeacon in 1339, at which time he lent the prior
and chapter of this church 1201. and in Feb. 1340,
he collected the procurations for the cardinals. (fn. 63)
44. PETRUS ROGERIUS seems to have succeeded
him as archdeacon. He was of the province of
Thoulouse, of the county of Limosin, of the noble
family of Monstria, born in the town of Malmont,
earl of Beaufort, and nephew to pope Clement VI.
who created him cardinal deacon, when he was but
seventeen years old, by the title of S. Maria Nova;
he never came into England, supplying his absence by
constituting Hugo Pelegrinus, treasurer of Lichfield,
and Raymundus Pelegrinus, canon of St. Paul's, to
be his proctors in his absence; (fn. 64) as such, they presented clerks to the void churches of St. Clement's
and St. Mary's, in Sandwich, and those of Linsted
and Tenham, in the years 1346 and 1349; in the
former of which years, being notary to the pope, he
requested, that being resident in the court of Rome,
he might have licence to receive his archidiaconal
procurations.
As he never came into England, and continued so
many years in this archdeaconry, neither the king nor
the archbishop knew who was archdeacon, so that the
former wrote to the latter to certify who was archdeacon of Canterbury, in the 20th year of his reign,
and who was archdeacon at that time, namely in the
39th year of it; to which the archbishop returned
this answer, that he had searched the registers of
John, late archbishop, and other registers and records, by which it appeared, that Petrus Rogerius,
cardinal deacon, had been archdeacon in the 20th
year of his reign, and that he did believe that the said
cardinal was yet alive and archdeacon of Canterbury,
because he had never heard anything to the contrary,
but on what day he had been installed, he could not
tell; (fn. 65) this cardinal archdeacon was in the 44th year
of king Edward III. anno 1371, elected pope, and
took on him the name of Gregory XI. upon which
he returned with the cardinals to Rome, after the
court of Rome had continued about seventy years in
France.
45. WILLIAM JUDICIS, of Limosin, seems on his
vacating this archdeaconry, to have succeeded to it
by the pope's nomination. He was nephew to pope
Clement VI. and was created cardinal deacon with
the title of St. Mary in Cosmedin, by his uncle; he
was constituted archdeacon of the holy church of
Rome by pope Innocent V. and was made cardinal
presbiter, with the title of St. Clement, by pope Gregory XI. and died at Avignon on April 27, 1374.—His executors were sued by his successors, archdeacons, for dilapidations in 1375; (fn. 66) the year before which
there was enquiry made concerning all foreigners, who
had ecclesiastical benefices in England, and were nonresident; on which this archdeacon was returned as
one of them, and that the true value of all the yearly
fruits, rents and profits of the archdeaconry was
worth 700 florins. (fn. 67)
46. HENRY WAKEFIELD was next admitted to
this archdeaconry in June, 1375, being presented by
the king during the vacancy of the see of Canterbury,
and the mandate for his induction was directed to the
vicars of Hackyngton, Tenham and Lymne; at his
admission, the see continuing vacant, he took the oath
of canonical obedience to the prior and chapter, being then treasurer of the king's household, before
which he had been bishop of Ely, in the room of
John Barnet, deceased, but the election was disannulled by the pope, anno 1373; however, in less
than two months after his becoming archdeacon, the
pope having disannulled the election of Walter
Leigh to the bishopric of Worcester, by his bull of
papal provision, dated Sept. 12, 1375, conferred it
on him. (fn. 68)
47. ANDOMAR DE RUPY was in his room made
archdeacon, by bull of papal provision, (fn. 69) to which
archdeacon, as appears by the bundle of writs of anno
2 Richard II. pt. I. there belonged to the church of
Lymin, within the same diocese, worth by year, after
taxation of the tenth, xxi l. the church of Tenham
worth by year, after the said taxation xxx l. vis.
viiid. the church of Hackington, near Canterbury,
worth by year xx marks; the church of St. Clement,
in Sandwich, worth by year, after the taxation aforesaid, eight marks; the church of St. Mary, in Sandwich, worth by year, eight pounds, of the which the
archdeacon received only six marks; the profits of all
which premises Sir William Latimer had received,
together with the profits arising out of the jurisdiction
of the archdeaconry, worth by year xx l. (fn. 70)
48. WILLIAM DE PAKINTON, prebendary of
York and Lincoln, was admitted to this archdeaconry
on Nov. 7, 1381; this dignity having been conferred
on him by the prior and convent, in the vacancy of
the see, by archbishop Sudbury's death, his proctor
making the accustomed oath of obedience to the
prior and convent, that he would not attempt any
thing to the prejudice of the church of Canterbury,
but would faithfully execute such mandates as he
should receive from the prior and chapter. (fn. 71) He died
in the year 1390, and his will was proved on the 7th
of October. (fn. 72)
Pitseus says much of this man, of his extraordinary
worth and good parts. (fn. 73)
49. ADAM MOTTRUM, the archbishop's commissary, (fn. 74) was constituted archdeacon on July 28, 1390; (fn. 75)
on March 6, 1395, he gave his assent, as such, to the
appropriation of the churches of Sutton, Lillington
and Farleigh, to the college of Maidstone; in 1396
he presented a clerk to the church of Westhithe, (fn. 76) at
which time he was the archbishop's chancellor, and
one of his legatees, as appears by his will; about
which year he resigned this archdeaconry, probably
by exchange for some better preferment, as he had
formerly done the archdeaconry of Ely, and a prebend
of York, for the precentorship of Sarum; (fn. 77) he died
in 1414. (fn. 78)
50. RICHARD CLIFFORD was constituted archdeacon about the middle of the month of March,
1397, and being archdeacon, was made keeper of the
privy seal. There happened a controversy between
him and archbishop Arundel, concerning matters of
jurisdiction, which was compounded between them; (fn. 79)
he was in 1399 promoted by papal provision to the
bishopric of Worcester, and had a licence to be conse
crated out of the church of Canterbury, dated Oct. 1,
1401, at. which time he vacated this dignity; (fn. 80) he
was afterwards translated thence to London in 1407,
in the account of the bishops of which, Godwin
speaks very honourably of him; his name and figure
were drawn and set up in the west window in the
chapter-house of Christ-church, in Canterbury, as a
benefactor in all likelihood to the work, it being new
built in his time, as the reader will find in the account of it.
In this manner religious men used to express their
thankfulness to their benefactors, by representing
their effigies, and setting up their names and coats of
arms, if they had any, in some part of the building,
which by their bounty they had helped to advance;
sometimes adding what their gift was to it; an instance of this, out of many may be observed close by
the door of the above chapter house, about the shield
of a coat of arms, representing the effigies of a monk
in his habit, one, who about the same time with this
archdeacon, was a benefactor to that work; the legend about it tells us, that John Shepye, with the
help of his friends, gave 100l. to the building of the
cloyster, &c. (fn. 81)
51. ROBERT DE HALLUM was collated to this
archdeaconry by archbishop Arundel, in 1401. (fn. 82) He
was prebendary of York, (fn. 83) rector of Northfleet, in
Kent, (fn. 84) and one of the executors of archbishop Courtney's will in 1396; the dean and chapter of Lincoln
contended with him and his predecessor Clifford, about
the right of installing Henry Beaufort, bishop of Lincoln, but at last they yielded and acknowledged the
archdeacon's right, and confirmed this acknowledgment by an instrument under their seal, dated
April 20, 1404, which is recorded in the registers of
this church. (fn. 85) In 1403 he was chancellor of Oxford,
which office he voluntarily resigned in the beginning
of the year 1406; (fn. 86) he then went to Rome, and was
there declared by the pope archbishop of York; (fn. 87) but
the pope being sensible that he should provoke the
king's heavy displeasure by it, revoked his papal provision, and soon after promoted him to the bishopric
of Salisbury, and he made his profession of obedience
to the archbishop of Canterbury, at Gloucester, on
March 28, 1408, and this archdeaconry was vacated
by him. (fn. 88)
52. JOHN WAKERING, chaplain to the king and
keeper of the rolls in 1404, (fn. 89) was instituted archdeacon
of Canterbury, on July 13, 1408, (fn. 90) probably by his
proctor; for afterwards he is said to be admitted,
perhaps inducted, to this archdeaconry on March 31,
1409, (fn. 91) in all likelihood in his own person, otherwise
there is no reconciling the two different days of his
institution or admission into this archdeaconry, as
they are entered in the register of archbishop Arundel.
He was made canon of Wells in 1409, and the same
year he is said to have been keeper of the great seal; (fn. 92)
in 1415 he was elected bishop of Norwich, and was
consecrated on May 29, next year. (fn. 93) He has the character of having been a person of extraordinary merit, and bishop Godwin makes honourable mention
of him.
53. HENRY RUMWORTH, aliasCirencester, was
next collated to this dignity on June 5, 1416, and
continued in possession of it on Dec. 10, 1418; (fn. 94)
whilst he was archdeacon, he cited before him, John,
bishop of St. Asaph, as not legally holding his bishopric, not being ever inducted or put into possession
of it by his predecessor archdeacon Robert, as the
manner was, and of right he should have been, it
being one of the rights of the archdeacon to induct
all bishops of the province into the possession of their
sees. He was succeeded as archdeacon, by
54. WILLIAM CHICHELEY, of kindred to the
archbishop of that name, prebendary of the church of
Salisbury, (fn. 95) who was collated to this archdeaconry on
Oct. 3, 1420, (fn. 96) at the time he was with the king in
the French expedition; he was notary to the apostolic see and died at Rome in 1424. (fn. 97) He was succeeded by
55. PROSPER DE COLUMNA, a youth, then under
fourteen years of age, who was by birth an Italian, of
the noble family of that name, and nephew to pope
Martin V. Being apostolic prothonotary, he was
created a cardinal by the title of S. Georgii ad Vellus
aureum, which title was agreeable to the rich provision
that his uncle the pope had designed for him; for he
not only advanced him by his bull of provision, dated
June 10, 1424, to this archdeaconry, to which, however, the archbishop did not admit him till July 26,
1426, (fn. 98) but he also obtained a grant from the king, for
his nephew to enjoy as many ecclesiastical benefices
in England, as did not exceed the sum of sixty marcs
a year, (fn. 99) and as he could not be capable of this dignity, by the laws of the realm, being an alien, the
pope so far prevailed on the king, that he was, by
royal indulgence, made denizen, and capable of the
same, but so, that the pope should by his bull in
express words, give way to the patron, freely to
confer it afterwards, as it should fall void, and that
this indulgence should not be drawn into example. (fn. 100)
But he seems to have fallen short of the great expectations he had from his uncle, and of the benefit of
this grant, which was occasioned partly by the sudden
death of the pope, who died of an apoplexy in 1431,
and partly from the misfortunes of the Columna family, in that faction which they had raised against
pope Eugenius IV. at which time this Prosper, as he
was advised, quitted the city of Rome, and though
he saved his life by it, yet he suffered much by having
his goods plundered, and his palace pulled down in
the tumult; not long after which, he seems to have
resigned this archdeaconry, upon condition of an annual pension of 500 florins, to be paid to him out of
it during his life; for upon his death, pope Pius II.
bestowed the last year's pension upon Jacobus Ananatus, a Florentine, of Luca, bishop of Pavia, and
cardinal presbiter of St. Chrysogonus, and commanded
his successor to pay it. (fn. 101)
56. THOMAS CHICHELEY, a near relation of the
archbishop's, was collated by him to this archdeaconry
on December 14, 1433; (fn. 102) he appointed John Pentworth, to be register of his court, and his apparitorgeneral, which was confirmed by the archbishop on
October 17, 1463. He was doctor of the canon law,
and had several ecclesiastical preferments, as prebendary of the church of Lincoln, (fn. 103) provost of Wingham
college, and master of the hospital of St. Thomas, in
Canterbury, and was besides prothonotary of the apostolic see. (fn. 104) He obtained a bull from pope Eugenius,
to confirm his archidiaconal right in proving wills; in
the year 1449, he made a composition with Thomas
Gage, the first provost of the collegiate church of
Wye, (fn. 105) the year before which he presented a clerk to
the vicarage of Tenham; (fn. 106) he was one of those to whom
archbishop Chicheley committed the care and oversight of his splendid building of All Souls college, in
Oxford; (fn. 107) he died in 1466, and was buried in the collegiate church of Wingham. (fn. 108)
57. THOMAS WYNTERBURN appears to have been
archdeacon on September 1, 1448. He was present
in the chapter-house, when John Oxney was elected
prior of Christ-church, but he was obliged to declare,
that he was present there, not as archdeacon, but as
chancellor to the archbishop, (fn. 109) in 1478 he constituted
John Sheffeld, a public notary, to be his apparitor-general; he was dean of Sts Paul's, (fn. 110) and had some other
preferments, as may be seen in the history of the deans
of that church. He died in 1478, and was succeeded
as archdeacon by
58. JOHN BOURGCHIER, LL, B. a near relation to
archbishop Bourghchier, who was by him collated to
this dignity in February, 1479; (fn. 111) two years after which
he appears to have been stiled doctor in the laws, and
was a prebendary of the church of Wells. He died on
November 6, in the year 1495, (fn. 112) and was buried in the
chapel of the blessed Virgin Mary, usually called the
Lady chapel, where his memorial still remains.
59. HUGH PENTHWIN was collated to this archdeaconry on November 26, 1495. (fn. 113) He and Henry
Edyal, archdeacon of Rochester, were two of archbishop Morton's executors, and were the only administrators who acted in the performance of his will, and
he was afterwards one of the executors of archbishop
Dean's will; he died on August 6, in 1504, (fn. 114) and was
succeeded by
60. WILLIAM WARHAM, a kinsman of archbishop
Warham, who had a papal dispensation when he was
made archdeacon, of not proceeding to higher orders
for seven years, which being almost expired, was in
1520, renewed for six years longer. He had several
rich benefices conferred upon him, for he was admitted
to the prebend of Brounswood, in the church of St.
Paul, (fn. 115) in 1515; he was collated to the rectory of
Wrotham in 1517, to the provostship of Wingham in
1520; (fn. 116) and lastly, to the rectory of Haies; (fn. 117) at his instance, archbishop Warham founded a perpetual vicarage in the church of Wrotham, and thereby converted the rectory into a rich sinecure. (fn. 118) He attended
cardinal Wolsey in his embassy to the French king in
1527; after the death of archbishop Warham, who
died at his, the archdeacon's, house at Hackington, he
resigned his ecclesiastical preferments, and had with
the privity and consent of the then archibishop, Cranmer, a stipend or pension of 601. per annum, allowed
him during his life, out of the archdeaconry, and 20l.
per annum out of the provostship of Wingham; which
continued to be paid by his two successors in the archdeaconry. (fn. 119)
61. EDMUND CRANMER, brother to archbishop
Cranmer, was by him, on March 9, 1534, collated to
this archdeaconry, and the provostship of Wingham,
and had several rich benefices besides conferred on
him by his brother soon after his being made archdeacon; he was promoted in 1549, to a prebend in
Christ-church, and to the rectories of Clyve and Ickham, in this country; (fn. 120) about which time he is said to
have alienated the parsonage house, commonly called
the archdeacon's place, at Hackington, to the lord
Cromwell and others. All the above preferments he
continued to possess till queen Mary's reign, when in
1554 he was deprived of them for being married, and
compelled to fly into Germany to save his life. He
plainly confessed his marriage, alledging, that he
thought his marriage lawful, and could never forsake
his wife with a good conscience; upon which, sentence was pronounced against him, namely, to be suspended from executing the priestly functions, sequestered from all profits due to him, deprived of all ecclesiastical dignities and benefices, and enjoined to abstain
from the marriage bed; to which sentence he submitted, without making any appeal or reply. (fn. 121)
62. NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD, LL. D. an eminent
theologist, was, on his deprivation, presented to this
dignity, (fn. 122) and was admitted to it on April 21, 1554.—He was born in the city of London, and educated in
Wykeham's school at Winchester, and afterwards at
New college, in Oxford, of which he became fellow,
where he became very eminent both in the civil and
canon law. In 1544 he was admitted principal of an
antient hall, mostly for civilians, called Whitehall, on
the scite of which Jesus college was afterwards partly
built, and in 1546 he was appointed king's prosessor of
the Greek tongue in the university. In 1553 he left
his fellowship and took the degree of doctor of his faculty, and had then considerable practice in the court
of arches. (fn. 123) Upon his institution into this archdeaconry, he made a solemn protestation, as was injoined
him, that he would pay to William Warham, formerly
archdeacon, during his life, the pension which had
been settled on him out of the profits of the archdeaconry, as mentioned above, and decreed by Dr. John
Cocks, vicar-general and principal official to the late
archbishop Cranmer; in the same year, on April 27,
he was admitted to the prebend of Harlston, in St.
Paul's church, and two days afterwards to the church
of Langdon, both void by the deprivation of Dr. John
Hodgeskin. (fn. 124) In 1557 he visited all churches, as well
exempt, as not exempt, within the diocese of Canterbury, and all chapels and hospitals; (fn. 125) at which time it
appears, that he was rector of Saltwood, in this county;
but in the year 1559 he was deprived of all his dignities and benefices in the church, and was committed
prisoner to the Fleet in the beginning of queen Eliza
beth's reign, for not acknowledging the queen's supremacy, after which he continued about twenty-four
years a prisoner, which was to the time of his death,
which happened in 1583. His confinement was easy,
without any hardship or want; here he found leisure
to compile several books, of which some remain in
manuscript, and others have been printed; the chief
of which is, his ecclesiastical history, printed at Douay
in 1622; (fn. 126) towards the writing of which, archbishop
Parker gave him much encouragement in the free use
of his registers.
The character of him and his writings, are given
with such different censures by those who have mentioned him, so clearly contrary, and to every appearance so full of partiality, as the one or the other of
them have been protestants or papists, or at least inclined to the cause of either persuasion, that it is perhaps difficult to judge the real truth of it. On the
one side Pitseus, the compiler of the Athenæ Oxonienses, (fn. 127) and some others, give him and his history great
commendations; whilst Fox the martyrologist, the
author of the Anglia Sacra, and of the English Historical Library, and others of the same sort, give their
severe censures, as much to the contrary; however,
the general unprejudiced opinion is become much in
favour of him, and the commendations the former
have bestowed on him.
63. EDMUND GEAST, or Guest, as his name is
sometinies spelt, fellow of King's college, in Cambridge, was promoted by the queen to this archdeaconry in October, 1559 (fn. 128) He was son of Thomas
Gheast, of the family of that name, of Rough Heath,
in Worcestershire, being born at Afferton, in Yorkshire, (fn. 129) and on Jan. 21, in that year, was consecrated
bishop of Rochester, and about the same time made
almoner to the queen; in 1571 he was translated to
Salisbury, till when he held this archdeaconry in commendam; upon his vacating it, (fn. 130)
64. EDMUND FREAK, S.T. P. was next constituted archdeacon; he was born in Essex, and educated
at Cambridge; in 1564 he was promoted to a canonry of Westminster; in 1565 to a canonry of Windsor, and on April 10, 1570, was installed dean of Rochester; in 1571 he was made dean of Salisbury, but
before he was well settled in that stall, he was elected
bishop of Rochester, and was consecrated on March 9,
1571. He had a dispensation, by which he held this
archdeaconry, and the rectory of Purleigh, together
with his bishopric in commendam; but this dispensation
became void in 1576, on his being translated to the
see of Norwich; after this he was again translated to
the see of Worcester, where he died in 1590, having
left behind him the character of being a pious, learned
and grave person. (fn. 131)
65. WILLIAM REDMAN, S. T. P. was instituted
archdeacon on May 14, 1576. (fn. 132) He was son of John
Redman, of Shelford, in Cambridgeshire, and was
educated in Trinity college, in Cambridge, (fn. 133) of which
he became fellow, and taking orders, was in 1589,
further promoted to a canonry in this church, made
rector of Bishopsborne, in this county, and in 1594, bi
shop of Norwich, (fn. 134) when he vacated this dignity of the
archdeaconry, (fn. 135) which was bestowed on
66. CHARLES FOTHERBY, who was collated to it
on January 28, 1596, (fn. 136) at which time he was a prebendary of this church; in 1615 he was made dean of it,
but he still kept this archdeaconry till his death,
which happened on March 29, 1619. He was buried in the dean's chapel, near the martyrdom in this
church. (fn. 137)
67. WILLIAM KINGSLEY, S. T. P. fellow of All
Souls college, in Oxford, was collated by archbishop
Abbot to the archdeaconry, in his room, being then a
prebendary of this church. (fn. 138) He died on January 29,
1647, and was buried in the lower south wing or isle
of this church, where his gravestone still remains with
this inscription: Here lyeth interred the body of WILLIAM KINGSLEY, once archdeacon of Canterbury, and
prebendary of Christ church; a person as exemplary in
his life, as he was sound in his doctrine. He took to
wife, Damaris, daughter of Mr. John Abbot, of Guildford, and brother to George, lord archbishop of Canterbury; by whom he had sixteen children: as he lived,
so he died piously, on the 29th of January, 1647; in
memory of whom his dear wife hath caused this memorial. Here lyeth also the body of DAMARIS, the wife of
the above named William Kingsley, obit Oct. 30,
1678, æt at. 85. He was a considerable benefactor to
the library of the cathedral.
68. GEORGE HALL, S. T. P. was, upon the restoration of king Charles II. in 1660, collated to this
archdeaconry. (fn. 139) He was son of Dr. Joseph Hall, bishop of Exeter, and afterwards of Norwich, being born
at Waltham abbey, in Essex, and educated at Exeter
college, in Oxford, of which he became fellow; after
which, taking orders, he became archdeacon of Cornwall, and vicar of Mayhenet, in that county. Some
time before the restoration he had been first preacher
of St. Bartholomew, near the Old Exchange, and afterwards vicar of St. Botolph's church, without Aldersgate; after the restoration he became one of the king's
chaplains, canon of Windsor, and then archdeacon of
this diocese; at length he was on May 11, 1662, consecrated bishop of Chester, and continued in this archdeaconry by a commendam, as he did in the rich rectory
of Wigan, in Lancashire, conferied on him about
that time. (fn. 140)
69. WILLIAM SANCROFT, S. T. P. succeeded to
this dignity in 1668, and was afterwards promoted to
the deanry of St. Paul's, upon which he resigned this
archdeaconry in 1670; he was afterwards promoted
to the archbishopric of Canterbury, where a further
account may be seen of him.
70. SAMUEL PARKER, S. T. P. was installed archdeacon in his room, in June, 1670. He was the son
of John Parker, a lawyer, and at length sergeant at
law; being sent to Wadham college, in Oxford, he
was there educated in rigid Presbyterian principles,
but upon the restoration he changed over to Trinity
college, and became a convert to episcopacy and the
church of England; after which he entered into orders,
and in 1667 was made chaplain to archbishop Sheldon,
being sent for, for that purpose, to Lambeth; three
years after which he was promoted to this archdeaconry, as above-mentioned; on Nov. 18, 1672, he
was installed prebendary of Canterbury, having been
collated in 1667, to the rectory of Chartham, and in
1671 to that of Ickham, both in this county. In the
beginning of 1685, he resigned his prebend, and on
October 17, next year, was consecrated bishop of Oxford, having licence to hold in commendam the rectory
of Ickham, the mastership of Eastbridge hospital, and
this archdeaconry. He was in 1687, by the king's
mandate, put by force in possession of the presidentship of Magdalen college, in Oxford, being then inclined much to temporize and change his communion.
Wood calls him an eminent and celebrated writer, and
gives a long account of his several writings. (fn. 141) He died
at the president's lodgings in Magdalen college, on
March 20, 1687, and was buried on the south side of
the chapel there. (fn. 142)
71. JOHN BATTELY, S. T. P. was collated to this
archdeaconry on March 23, and was installed on
March 24, 1687; he was born at St. Edmundsbury;
in Suffolk, was fellow of Trinity college, in Cambridge, and domestic chaplain to archbishop Sancroft,
who collated him to the rectory of Adisham, and in
1688 to a prebend in this cathedral church. He died
on Oct. 10, 1708, æt. 61, and was buried in the lower
south wings or cross isle of this church, where there is
a mural monument put up to his memory, with the
following inscription:
H. S. E.
JOHANNES BATTELY, S. T. P.
Buriæ Sti Edmundi in Suffolciâ natus, collegii Scæ
Trinitatis Cantabrigi socius, a sacris Domesticis Reverendissimo Willielmo Sancroft, archiepisco Cantuariensi, a quo meritissima accepit præmia, rectoriam de
Adisham prope hanc urbem, hujus ecclesiæ metropoliticæ canonicatum, hujusq; diœceseos archidiaconatum, quæ omnia summâ cum side, & prudentia administravit munia, vir integerrima in Deum pietate, honestissimis, et suavissimis Moribus.
Excellenti divinarum et humanarum
Literarum scientia, singulari in egenos
Beneficentia, in suos charitate,
Candore et benignitate in omnes.
His tot præclaris dotibus hanc
Basilicam, totamq; ecclesiam
Anglicanam insigniter ornavit.
Obiit Octob. x. anno domini
MDCCVIII. Ætatis suæ LXI.
72. THOMAS GREEN, S. T. P. was in his room
collated to this archdeaconry in 1708, being then a
prebendary of this church; he was in 1721 consecrated bishop of Norwich, and in 1723 was translated
to Ely; but on his becoming bishop of Norwich, (fn. 143) he
vacated this preferment and was succeeded by
73. THOMAS BOWERS, S. T. P. who was collated
to it by archbishop Wake in 1721; he was next year
promoted to the bishopric of Chichester, and seems to
have held this archdeaconry in commendam, till it was
given to
74. SAMUEL LISLE, S. T. P. who was installed
archdeacon in 1724, and was afterwards a prebendary
of this church; he was in 1744 consecrated bishop of
St. Asaph, but he held this dignity of the archdeaconry in commendam with his bishopric, till he was, in
1748, consecrated bishop of Norwich; when
75. JOHN HEAD, S. T. P. was collated to this
preferment by archbishop Herring in 1748, and installed on April 15. He was the youngest son of Sir
Francis Head, bart. and was educated a student of
Christ-church, in Oxford. When he was promoted to
this dignity, he was prebendary of this church of Canterbury; he was first rector of Pluckley, and of St.
George's and St. Mary's, Burgate, in this city, both
which he resigned on being inducted to the rectory of
Ickham, which he held at his death, as well as the prebend of Barton Colwall, in the church of Hereford.
Besides which, he was master of the hospitals of St.
John, in Canterbury, and of St. Nicholas, in Harble-.
down. By the death of his elder brother Sir Francis
Head, he succeeded to the title of baronet in 1768,
which he enjoyed but a small time, for he died at his
prebendal house in Canterbury, on Dec. 4, 1769,
without surviving issue, universally regretted for his urbanity of manners, his unaffected piety, and universal
benevolence, and was buried in a vault in the chancel
of Ickham church. (fn. 144)
76. WILLIAM BACKHOUSE, S. T. P. was next
promoted to this archdeaconry, and was installed on
Dec. 18, 1769, and in 1771 was collated to the rectory
of Ickham, as he was to that of Deal in 1776, in
which year he had a dispensation to hold them together; in October, 1777, he was inducted to the mastership of Eastbridge hospital, in Canterbury, which
preferments he held till his death, which happened at
his parsonage-house at Deal, to which he had been a
good benefactor, by rebuilding it in a very handsome
manner, on Sept. 28, 1788. He died unmarried, and
was buried in the chancel of Deal church.
77. JOHN LYNCH, LL. D. was next promoted to
this dignity on Nov. 7, 1788. He was the second son
of Dr. John Lynch, dean of this church, and was educated at Christ-church, in Oxford, of which he was a
student; he was first rector of St. Matthew, Fridaystreet, London; in 1771 he was collated to the rectory
of Adisham, which he in 1781 exchanged, by consent
of the patrons of both, with Dr. John Palmer, for the
fifth stall in the church of Canterbury; and in 1782
was presented to the rectory of St. Dionis Backchurch,
in London, both which preferments he holds at this
time, and is the present archdeacon of this diocese;
a gentleman, whose affability and courtesy of behaviour, benevolence of heart, and diffusive charity,
have deservedly gained him universal esteem and commendation. (fn. 145)