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Archdeacon of Bedford

{{Short description|Position in the Church of England}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}

File:WaxSeal ArchdeaconOfBedford 13-14c CantilupeArms.jpg are Cantilupe (modern): Gules, three leopard's faces jessant-de-lys or, as used by Saint Thomas de Cantilupe (d.1282), Bishop of Hereford, and later adopted as the arms of the See of Hereford]]

The Archdeacon of Bedford is an ecclesiastical post in the Church of England Diocese of St Albans in the Province of Canterbury. Historically the post was in the Diocese of Lincoln, then from 1837 in the Diocese of Ely, England. On 13 April 1914, the archdeaconry became a part of the Diocese of St Albans.{{London Gazette |issue=28819 |date=7 April 1914 |pages=2987–2991 }} The present holder of the office is Dave Middlebrook, collated Archdeacon on 30 March 2019.

Seal

The 12/13th c. brass seal-matrix of the Archdeacon of Bedford was found in South Lincolnshire in 2003 by a metal detectorist, in almost perfect condition. It displays a legend in Latin: SIGILLUM ARCHIDIACONI BEDEFORDI(A)E ("Seal of the Archdeacon of Bedford"). Of two heraldic shields, that shown at dexter displays the arms of Cantilupe (modern): Gules, three leopard's faces jessant-de-lys or, as used by Saint Thomas de Cantilupe (d.1282), Bishop of Hereford, and later adopted as the arms of the See of Hereford. The reason for the use of the Cantilupe arms on the seal is unclear, the surviving (but incomplete) list of Archdeacons of Bedford does not include a member of the Cantilupe family.{{Cite web|url=https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/106913|title = Record ID: IHS-753A11 - MEDIEVAL seal matrix}} The office of Archdeacon of Bedford had no connection with the See of Hereford and is known to have been under the control of the See of Lincoln, hence a possible reason for the location the object was found in. The Cantilupe family were feudal barons of Eaton (Bray) in Bedfordshire and were seated (amongst many other places) at Eaton Castle, near Dunstable, not too far from the town of Bedford. A junior branch (see Baron Cantilupe) was seated at Greasley Castle in Nottingham and at Withcall in Lincolnshire, in which county they were prominent. Nicholas de Cantilupe, 3rd Baron Cantilupe (c.1301–1355) of Greasley founded the Cantilupe Chantry in Lincoln Cathedral and was buried in the Cathedral where survives his mutilated recumbent effigy. However the armorials of the Greasley branch include a fess vair, not shown on the seal.For a discussion on the seal of the Archdeacon of Bedford and its possible relation to the Cantilupe family see: M Julian-Jones, Thesis on de Cantilupe and Corbet families, 2015, Online Research @Cardiff (ORCA), Cardiff University [https://orca.cf.ac.uk/69064/1/2015julian-jonesmphd.pdf] The style of the seal with the gothic architectural elements date it to the 13/14th. centuries. Measurements: 32 mm x 51 mm; weight 2.5 g.

List of archdeacons

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=High Medieval=

=Late Medieval=

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=Early modern=

:The archdeaconry was transferred from the diocese of Lincoln to the diocese of Ely by Order-in-Council on 30 May 1837{{London Gazette |issue=19499 |date=30 May 1837 |pages=1369–1371 }}

=Late modern=

:Since the diocese's erection on 13 April 1914, the Archdeaconry of Bedford has been part of the Diocese of St Albans

  • 1924{{snd}}1933 (res.): Arthur Parnell
  • 1933{{snd}}14 November 1934 (d.): Gerard Lander (also Assistant Bishop of St Albans; former Bishop of Victoria)
  • 1935{{snd}}1945 (ret.): William Robins
  • 1946{{snd}}1955 (res.): Donald Harris
  • 1956{{snd}}1958 (res.): Basil Guy (also Bishop suffragan of Bedford from 1957)
  • 1958{{snd}}1962 (res.): Basil Snell
  • 1962{{snd}}1973 (res.): John Hare (also Bishop suffragan of Bedford from 1968)
  • 1974{{snd}}1979 (ret.): Robert Brown
  • 1979{{snd}}1985 (res.): Christopher Mayfield
  • 1986{{snd}}1993 (res.): Michael Bourke
  • 1993{{snd}}2003 (ret.): Malcolm Lesiter (archdeacon emeritus since retirement)
  • September 2003{{snd}}31 December 2018 (ret.): Paul Hughes (afterwards archdeacon emeritus){{Church Times | title = Appointments | url = https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2019/6-september/gazette/appointments/appointments | issue = 8164 | date = 6 September 2019 | page = 27 | accessed = 1 October 2019 }}
  • 30 March 2019{{snd}}present:{{cite web |url=https://stlukeswatford.org/news/sunday-notice-sheet/ |title=Sunday notice sheet: Sunday 2nd December 2018 |author= |publisher=St Luke's Church, Watford |access-date=8 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181203055915/https://stlukeswatford.org/news/sunday-notice-sheet/ |archive-date=3 December 2018}} Dave Middlebrook

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References

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Sources

  • {{Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae|period=1066-1300|volume=3|pages=41–44|last=Greenway |first=Diana E.}}
  • {{Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae|period=1300–1541|volume=1|pages=16–17|last=King |first=H.P.F.}}
  • {{Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae|period=1541–1857|volume=9|pages=12–14|last=Horn |first=Joyce M. |last2=Smith |first2=David M.}}
  • {{Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae|period=1541–1857|volume=7|page=14|last=Horn |first=Joyce M.}}
  • [http://blars.adlibsoft.com/wwwopac.exe?DATABASE=catalo%3Eitems&LANGUAGE=0&DEBUG=0&BRIEFADAPL=../web/adapls/wwwreq&DETAILADAPL=../web/adapls/wwwreq&%0=400030051&LIMIT=0 Bedfordshire County Council page]{{dead link|date=December 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

{{Archdeacons of Bedford}}

{{Diocese of St Albans}}

{{Archdeacons in the Church of England}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bedford, Archdeacon of}}

Category:Lists of Anglicans

Category:Lists of English people

Category:Diocese of St Albans