Diocese of Lichfield

The Diocese of Mercia was created by Diuma in around 656 and the see was settled in Lichfield in 669 by the then bishop, Ceadda (later Saint Chad), who built a monastery there.{{CathEncy|wstitle=Lichfield}} At the Council of Chelsea in 787, Bishop Higbert was raised to the rank of archbishop and given authority over the dioceses of Worcester, Leicester, Lindsey, Hereford, Elmham and Dunwich. This was due to the persuasion of King Offa of Mercia, who wanted an archbishop to rival Canterbury. On Offa's death in 796, however, the Pope removed the archiepiscopal rank and restored the dioceses to the authority of Canterbury. In 803 the Council of Clovesho accepted this decision.

During the 9th century, the diocese was devastated by the Vikings. Lichfield itself was unwalled and had become rather poor, so Bishop Peter moved the see to the fortified and wealthier Chester in 1075. His successor, Robert de Limesey, transferred it to Coventry and the diocese was renamed the Diocese of Coventry and Lichfield. At this stage it also covered Derbyshire and most of Warwickshire. In 1539 the see was transferred back to Lichfield and the name was reversed to become the Diocese of Lichfield and Coventry.

File:'Ecclesiastical England at the time of Henry VIII'.png, from Phillips' new historical atlas (1920)]]

The diocese was one of the largest in medieval England and was divided into five archdeaconries roughly coinciding with the constituent counties or parts of counties: Chester (covering Cheshire and south Lancashire), Coventry, Derby, Salop and Stafford. In 1541 the Diocese of Chester was created and parishes in south Lancashire, Cheshire, Denbighshire and Flintshire were transferred to the new diocese. On 24 January 1837, the archdeaconry of Coventry was transferred to the Diocese of Worcester and the Bishop, see and diocese of Lichfield and Coventry all accordingly renamed Lichfield.{{London Gazette|issue=19460|date=24 January 1837|pages=169–170}} In 1891 the Bishop of Coventry became a suffragan see (1891-1903), in 1918 a new Diocese of Coventry was recreated.

In 1848 the Diocese of Lichfield gained the territory of Wolverhampton, previously under the independent Dean of the Royal Peculiar St Peter's Collegiate Church of the town.

In 1884 the archdeaconry of Derby was transferred to the new Diocese of Southwell.From Parson to Professional: The Changing Ministry Of the Anglican Clergy In Staffordshire, 1830–1960. A thesis written by the Rev. Dr. John W. B. Tomlinson (2008 Birmingham University) In 1877 part of the archdeaconry of Stafford became the archdeaconry of Stoke-upon-Trent{{London Gazette |issue=24486 |date=24 July 1877 |pages=4316–4318 }} (now generally called merely Stoke) and in 1981 the remainder was renamed the archdeaconry of Lichfield. In 1997 another part of the archdeaconry (of Lichfield) was removed to form the new archdeaconry of Walsall, covering Trysull, Walsall, Wednesbury, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton.{{cite web | url = http://www.archives.staffordshire.gov.uk/DServe/dserve.exe?dsqIni=DserveV.ini&dsqApp=Archive2&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqCmd=show.tcl&dsqSearch=(RefNo=='CA1')| title = Diocese of Lichfield |access-date = 20 January 2012}}{{cite web | url = http://theclergydatabase.org.uk/reference/diocesan-resources/a-z-list-of-dioceses/lichfield-and-coventry-diocese-resources/lichfield-and-coventry-diocesan-maps/| title = Lichfield and Coventry Diocesan Maps |access-date = 4 June 2017}}

The bishop diocesan is assisted by the area bishops of Shrewsbury (responsible for the Salop archdeaconry), Stafford (responsible for the Stoke archdeaconry), and Wolverhampton (responsible for the Lichfield and Walsall archdeaconries). The See of Shrewsbury was in existence from 1888 to 1905, then re-created in 1940; the See of Stafford was created in 1909, and the See of Wolverhampton in 1979. The diocesan area scheme was instituted in 1992.{{cite web|title=4: The Dioceses Commission, 1978–2002|url=http://www.churchofengland.org/media/40670/chapter4.pdf|publisher=Church of England|access-date=23 April 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120607020502/http://www.churchofengland.org/media/40670/chapter4.pdf|archive-date=7 June 2012|df=dmy-all}}

In 2022, it was announced that the suffragan See of Oswestry in the diocese would be used as a provincial episcopal visitor (for traditionalist Anglo-Catholic parishes in the western half of the Province of Canterbury who reject the ministry of women).{{cite web |website=Diocese of Canterbury |title=Bishops of Maidstone, Ebbsfleet and Oswestry |url=https://canterburydiocese.org/our-life/news-events/news/bishops-of-maidstone-ebbsfleet-and-oswestry.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220707135916/https://canterburydiocese.org/our-life/news-events/news/bishops-of-maidstone-ebbsfleet-and-oswestry.php |archive-date=7 July 2022 |access-date=3 August 2022 }} On 2 February 2023, Paul Thomas became the first Bishop of Oswestry and was consecrated a bishop.{{cite web |website=See of Oswestry |title=The Consecration of the first Bishop of Oswestry |date=2 February 2023 |url=https://seeofoswestry.org.uk/news/the-consecration-of-the-first-bishop-of-oswestry/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202161505/https://seeofoswestry.org.uk/news/the-consecration-of-the-first-bishop-of-oswestry/ |archive-date=2 February 2023 |access-date=3 February 2023 }}

There are also two retired bishops resident in (or near) the diocese who are licensed to serve as honorary assistant bishops:

• 2020–present: Jan McFarlane, former Bishop of Repton, is Dean of Lichfield
• 2005–present: Iraj Mottahedeh is a retired diocesan Bishop of Iran who lives in Church Aston, Shropshire, and is also licensed in the neighbouring Birmingham diocese.{{Crockford

| surname = Mottahedeh

| forenames = Iraj Kalimi

| id = 21172

| accessed = 18 June 2016

}}

:The archdeaconry of Walsall was created from Lichfield archdeaconry in 1997.

• 1997–2004 (ret.): Tony Sadler (afterwards archdeacon emeritus){{Who's Who

| title=Sadler, Anthony Graham

| id = U33635

| volume = 2014

| edition = December 2013 online

| access-date = 15 April 2014

}}

• 2004–2009 (res.): Bob Jackson{{Who's Who

| title=Jackson, Robert William

| id = U44589

| volume = 2014

| edition = December 2013 online

| access-date = 15 April 2014

}}

• 1 November 2009{{snd}}29 September 2014 (ret.):{{cite web|url=http://www.lichfield.anglican.org/ourdiocese/gazette/|title=Gazette|author=|date=22 December 2014|website=Diocese of Lichfield|access-date=28 December 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141228212800/http://www.lichfield.anglican.org/ourdiocese/gazette/|archive-date=28 December 2014|df=dmy-all}} Chris Sims{{Who's Who

| title=Sims, Christopher Sidney

| id = U250253

| volume = 2014

| edition = December 2013 online

| access-date = 15 April 2014

}}

• 11 January 2015{{snd}}September 2019: Sue Weller{{cite web|url=http://www.lichfield.anglican.org/ournews/the-new-archdeacon-of-walsall/|title=The new Archdeacon of Walsall|author=|website=Diocese of Lichfield|access-date=28 December 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141228221251/http://www.lichfield.anglican.org/ournews/the-new-archdeacon-of-walsall/|archive-date=28 December 2014|df=dmy-all}} (became Archdeacon of Lichfield){{cite web |url=https://www.lichfield.anglican.org/news/2019/06/26/sue-named-new-archdeacon-missioner/ |title=Diocese of Lichfield - News - Sue named as new Archdeacon Missioner |website=www.lichfield.anglican.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190627132018/https://www.lichfield.anglican.org/news/2019/06/26/sue-named-new-archdeacon-missioner/ |archive-date=2019-06-27}}
• 8 November 2019{{snd}}8 May 2024 (ret.): Julian Francis{{cite web |url=https://www.lichfield.anglican.org/news/2019/08/01/julian-returns-archdeacon-walsall/ |title=Diocese of Lichfield - News - Julian returns as Archdeacon of Walsall |website=www.lichfield.anglican.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190806145554/https://www.lichfield.anglican.org/news/2019/08/01/julian-returns-archdeacon-walsall/ |archive-date=2019-08-06}}{{cite web |website=Diocese of Lichfield |title=Appointments and Departures |date=25 April 2024 |url=https://lichfield.anglican.org/news/appointments-and-departures-2678.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240804201316/https://lichfield.anglican.org/news/appointments-and-departures-2678.php |archive-date=4 August 2024 |access-date=4 August 2024 }}
• 4 May 2025{{snd}}present: Liz Jackson{{cite web |website=Diocese of Lichfield |title=New Archdeacons for Walsall and Salop appointed from Oxford and Manchester |date=15 January 2025 |url=https://lichfield.anglican.org/news/new-archdeacons-for-walsall-and-salop-appointed-from-oxford-and-manchester.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250117225358/https://lichfield.anglican.org/news/new-archdeacons-for-walsall-and-salop-appointed-from-oxford-and-manchester.php |archive-date=17 January 2025 |access-date=10 March 2025 }}

{{Archdeacons of Walsall}}

{{Portal|Christianity}}

• Bishop of Lichfield
• Lichfield Cathedral
• Dean of Lichfield
• Archdeacon of Salop
• Archdeacon of Stafford
• Archdeacon of Stoke

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Province of Canterbury}}

{{Diocese of Lichfield}}

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Category:650s establishments

Lichfield

Category:Lichfield

Lichfield

Category:Religion in Staffordshire