The Archdeacon of Westminster is a senior ecclesiastical officer within the Chapter of the

Royal Peculiar A royal peculiar is a Church of England parish or church exempt from the jurisdiction of the diocese and the province in which it lies, and subject to the direct jurisdiction of the monarch, or in Cornwall by the duke. Definition The church pa ...

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. The holder of the post oversees relationships with the twenty-four parishes of which the Dean and Chapter are patrons, and is responsible for the pastoral care of the staff and volunteers of the Abbey. The post is currently held by Tricia Hillas, Canon Steward and Speaker's Chaplain, who took up the position in 2021. The role of archdeacon has previously been held together with other chapter roles, including Sub-Dean, Canon Treasurer and Canon Theologian.

List of archdeacons

Richard Widmore lists the following as Archdeacons of Westminster, acknowledging the incompleteness of the list: *Richard Crokesley (elected abbot 1246) *Thomas (1258) *A. de Wycomb (1277–1288) *Roger Bures (before 1293) *William de Huntyngdon (1292) *Alexander de Pershore (1312) *Robert (1324–1327) *William de Ipswich (1360–1370) *Thomas Pyk (1372–1373) *William de Colchester (1382, elected abbot 1386) *John Stowe (1388) *John Burwell (1391–1394) *William Agmondesham (1414) *William Wycombe (1467) *William Borogh (1498–1500) *

Andrew Perne Andrew Perne (26 April 1589), Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University and Dean of Ely, was the son of John Perne of East Bilney, Norfolk. Biography Perne was educated at St John's College, Cambridge, graduating BA in 1539, BD in 1547 and D ...

(1554) *John Hardyman (1560, deprived) * William Latymer (1561–1572) *Richard Reve (1573–1580) *

Richard Hakluyt Richard Hakluyt (; 1553 – 23 November 1616) was an English writer. He is known for promoting the English colonization of North America through his works, notably ''Divers Voyages Touching the Discoverie of America'' (1582) and ''The Pri ...

(1603–1604) *Christopher Sutton (1609–1617) *Gabriel Grante (1617–1630) *Thomas Mountford (1631) At Widmore's time of writing (1751), the present archdeacon was

Scawen Kenrick Scawen Kenrick (3 June 1694 – 2 May 1753) was an English clergyman who served as Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons and Archdeacon of Westminster. Life Kenrick was the son of John Kenrick, a London merchant. He was educated at M ...

*1854–1864 (res.): William Bentinck (Rector of Sigglesthorne 1808; canon 1809–1864) *1864–1868 (res.):

Christopher Wordsworth Christopher Wordsworth (30 October 180720 March 1885) was an English intellectual and a bishop of the Anglican Church. Life Wordsworth was born in London, the youngest son of Christopher Wordsworth, Master of Trinity, who was the youngest b ...

(canon 1844–1869; later

Bishop of Lincoln The Bishop of Lincoln is the ordinary (diocesan bishop) of the Church of England Diocese of Lincoln in the Province of Canterbury. The present diocese covers the county of Lincolnshire and the unitary authority areas of North Lincolnshire and ...

) *1868–1883: John Jennings (canon 1837–1883) *1883–1894 (res.):

Frederick Farrar Frederic William Farrar (Bombay, 7 August 1831 – Canterbury, 22 March 1903) was a cleric of the Church of England (Anglican), schoolteacher and author. He was a pallbearer at the funeral of Charles Darwin in 1882. He was a member of the Camb ...

(canon 1876–1895; Speaker's Chaplain from 1890; later

Dean of Canterbury The Dean of Canterbury is the head of the Chapter of the Cathedral of Christ Church, Canterbury, England. The current office of Dean originated after the English Reformation, although Deans had also existed before this time; its immediate prec ...

) *1894–1900: Charles Furse (father of artist

Charles Wellington Furse Charles Wellington Furse (13 January 1868 – 16 October 1904) was an English painter. He was born at Staines, the son of Jane Diana (Monsell) and the Rev. C. W. Furse, archdeacon of Westminster, and rector of St John's, Smith Square and de ...

) *1900–13 May 1916 (d.):

Basil Wilberforce Albert Basil Orme Wilberforce (14 February 1841 – 13 May 1916) was an Anglican priest and author in the second half of the 19th century and the first two decades of the 20th. He was the Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons and Archde ...

, Speaker's Chaplain (canon since 1894) *1916–1918:

Ernest Pearce Ernest Harold Pearce (23 July 1865 – 28 October 1930) was an Anglican bishop, the 106th bishop of Worcester from 1919 until his death. Biography He was born on 23 July 1865 and was educated at Christ's Hospital and Peterhouse, Cambridge. Ordain ...

(canon 1911–1919; became Sub-Dean) *1918–1919:

William Hartley Carnegie William Hartley Carnegie (27 February 1859 – 18 October 1936) was an Anglican priest and author. In addition to parish ministries and chaplaincy, he served as Archdeacon of Westminster from 1918 to 1919 and as sub-dean of Westminster Abbey from 1 ...

, Speaker's Chaplain (canon 1913–1936; became Sub-Dean) *1919–30 January 1931 (d.): Robert Charles (canon since 1913) *1931–December 1936 (res.):

Vernon Storr Vernon Faithfull Storr (4 December 1869 – 25 October 1940) was an Anglican priest, most notably Archdeacon of Westminster from 1931 to 1936. Early life and education The son of Edward Storr (1840–1878), Indian Civil Service (a descendant of t ...

(canon since 1921) *1937–?:

Frederic Donaldson Frederick Donaldson at a Church League for Women's Suffrage meeting in Brighton in 1913 Frederic Lewis Donaldson (born Ladywood 10 September 1860; died Westminster 7 October 1953) was an Anglican priest, most notably Archdeacon of Westminster fro ...

(canon 1921–1951) *1946–1951 (res.): Stephen Marriott (canon since 1937; became Sub-Dean) *

Adam Fox Adam Fox (born February 17, 1998) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman and alternate captain for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Fox was selected by the Calgary Flames, 66th overall, in the 2016 NHL Ent ...

(canon 1941–1964) *1959–1964 (ret.): Stephen Marriott (''again''; canon since 1937) *1963–1974 (res.): Edward Carpenter (canon since 1951; became Dean of Westminster) *1974–1 September 1975 (res.): Ronald Jasper (canon since 1968) *1975–1987 (ret.):

Edward Knapp-Fisher Edward George Knapp-Fisher (8 January 19157 February 2003) was an Anglican bishop and scholar. Life Knapp-Fisher was born in Chatham, Kent, United Kingdom. His father was also an Anglican priest. He was educated at The King's School, Worces ...

(Sub-Dean from 1982) *1987-1999 (ret.): Anthony Harvey, Sub-Dean *1999–2005 (ret.): David Hutt, Sub-Dean (canon since 1995) *2006–2010 (res.): Jane Hedges, Canon Steward (canon until 2014) *2009–2010 (ret.): Robert Wright, Sub-Dean, Rector of St Margaret's & Speaker's Chaplain (canon since 1998) *2010–21 June 2014 (res.): Jane Hedges, Canon Steward (''again''; canon since 2006; Sub-Dean since 2013) *2014–17 July 2016 (res.):

Andrew Tremlett Andrew Tremlett (born 9 March 1964) is a British Church of England priest. Since 2022, he has served as Dean of St Paul's, and is therefore the head of the Chapter of St Paul's Cathedral and the most senior priest in the Diocese of L ...

, Sub-Dean and Rector of St Margaret's (canon since 2010) *2016–2018 (ret.): Vernon White, Sub-Dean (canon and Canon Theologian since 2011; resigned archdeaconry before 17 June 2018) *before 17 June 2018before 31 May 2021: David Stanton (canon and Treasurer since 2013; Sub-Dean since before 21 October 2018) *2021–present: Tricia Hillas (canon since 9 May 2021; Steward and Archdeacon since before 31 May 2021; also Speaker's Chaplain since 4 March 2020)

Notes

References

{{Archdeacons in the Church of England Anglican ecclesiastical offices

Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, B ...

Lists of English people Westminster Abbey