List of Archbishops of Canterbury
2007 Concise Encyclopedia. Related subjects: Religious movements, traditions and organizations
This is a list of the Archbishops of Canterbury. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the head of the established Church of England and of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Until the first break between the Church of England and the Papal authority in 1534, the Archbishops of Canterbury were in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church, which selected and consecrated them. After this the full communion was restored but then finally broken nearly 40 years later by the excommunication of Elizabeth I on April 27, 1570. Since 1570, the Archbishop has been selected by the English (latterly British) monarch. Today, the choice is made in the name of the Sovereign by the Prime Minister, from a shortlist of two selected by an ad hoc committee called the Crown Nominations Commission.
Today, the Archbishop fills four main roles:
- He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury, which covers the east of the County of Kent and the extreme north-east of Surrey. Founded by Augustine in 597, it is the oldest bishopric in the English church.
- He is the metropolitan of the Province of Canterbury, encompassing 30 dioceses in the southern two-thirds of England. The remaining 14 dioceses in the north of England fall within the Province of York, under the aegis of the Archbishop of York. Four dioceses in Wales were under the Province of Canterbury until they were transferred to the disestablished Church in Wales in 1920.
- As "Primate of All England", he is the chief religious figure in the Church of England (the British sovereign is the " Supreme governor" of the church).
- As symbolic head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop is recognized as primus inter pares ("first among equals") of all Anglican primates.
Catholic Archbishops of Canterbury
| Tenure | Incumbent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 597 to 26 May 604* or 605 | Augustine | *Traditional date; prior of St Andrews; died in office; canonized: St Augustine |
| 605 to 3 February 619 | Laurentius (Laurence; Lawrence) |
Died in office; canonized: St Laurence of Canterbury |
| 619 to 24 April 624 | Mellitus (Miletus) |
Translated from London; canonized: St Mellitus |
| 624 to 10 November 627 | Justus | Translated from Rochester; died in office; canonized: St Justus |
| 627 to 30 September 653 | Honorius | died in office; canonized: St Honorius |
| 655 to 14 July 664 | Deusdedit (Deus-dedit; Adeodatus) |
First English archbishop of Canterbury; known as Frithona prior to consecration; died in office; canonized: St Deusdedit |
| 664 | Wighard (Wigard) |
Appointed by Pope Vitalian; died of plague before consecration |
| 664 | Adrian | Appointed by Pope Vitalian but refused the see, canonised: St Adrian, Abott |
| 664 to 668 | vacant | |
| 668 to 19 September 690 | Theodore | canonized: St Theodore of Tarsus |
| 693 to 731 | Bertwald (Brihtwald) |
Abbot of Reculver; canonized: St Bertwald |
| 731 to 734 | Tatwin, Archbishop of Canterbury and Primate of All England (Tatwine) |
canonized: St Tatwine |
| 735 to 740 | Nothelm (Nothelmus) |
canonized: St Nothelm |
| 741 to 758 | Cuthbert | Translated from Hereford; canonized: St Cuthbert |
| 759 to 764 | Bregwin | Canonized: St Bregwin |
| 766 to 11/ 12 August 791 | Jænbert (Lambert; Genegberht; Jambert; Janbriht; Janibert; Lanbriht) |
Abbot of St Augustia's; canonized: St Jaenbert |
| 793 to 12 May 805 | Æthelhard (Ethelhard) |
Translated from Winchester; canonized: St Aethelhard |
| 805 to 832 | Wulfred | Monk at Canterbury |
| 832 to 832 | Syred | Died before obtaining full possession |
| 832 to 832 | Feologild (Theolgild) |
Abbot of Canterbury |
| 833 to 870 | Ceolnoth | Dean of Canterbury |
| 870 to 889 | Æthelred | Translated from Winchester |
| 890 to 914 | Plegmund | Preceptor to King Alfred |
| 914 to 923 | Athelm (Adelmus) |
Translated from Wells |
| 923 to 941 | Wulfhelm (Wolfhelmus) |
Translated from Wells |
| 942 to 958 | Odo (Odo Severus; Oda the Severe) |
Translated from Wilton; canonized: St Oda |
| 959 to 959 | Alfsige (Alfsin) |
|
| 959 to 959 | Birthelm | Translated from Wells, deposed & returned to Wells |
| 960 to 988 | Dunstan | Translated from London |
| 988 to 989 | Athelgar (Ethelgarus) |
Translated from Selsey |
| 990 to 994 | Sigeric (Sigeric the Serious) |
Translated from Wilton |
| 995 to 1005 | Ælfric (Elfric; Aluricius) |
Translated from Wilton |
| 1006 to 19 April 1012 | Alphege (Ælfheah; Elphege) |
Translated from Winchester; Martyred by the Danes, canonized: St Alphege/St Elphege |
| 1013 to 12 June 1020 | Lyfing (Leovingus; Livingus; Elstan) |
Born Ælfstan; translated from Wells |
| 1020 to 29 October 1038 | Æthelnoth (Æthelnotus; Ethelnoth; Egelnodus; Ednodus) |
Dean of Canterbury |
| 1038 to 1050 | Edsige (Eadsige; Eadsimus; Eadsin) |
Canonized St Edsige. Crowned Edward the Confessor |
| 1051 to 1052 | Robert of Jumieges (Robert Gemeticensis) |
Fled England and was deposed |
| 1052 to 1070 | Stigand | Bishop of Winchester; deprived of both sees for simony |
| 1070 to 1089 | Lanfranc | Abbot of Caen; died in office; canonized: St Lanfranc |
| 1093 to 21 April 1109 | Anselm | Abbot of Becco; died in office: canonized: St Anselm |
| 1109 to 1114 | vacant | |
| 1114 to 1122 | Ralph (Ralph d'Escures; Rodolphus; Ralph de Turbine) |
Translated from Rochester; died in office |
| 1123 to 1136 | William de Corbeil (William Corbois; William Corbyl) |
Prior of St Osyth; died in office |
| 1136 to 1139 | vacant | |
| 1139 to 18 April 1161 | Theobald of Bec | Abbot of Bec; died in office |
| 1161 to 1162 | vacant | |
| 1162 to 29 December 1170 | Thomas Becket (Thomas à Becket) |
Archdeacon of Canterbury, Provost of Beverley, Lord Chancellor; murdered; canonized: St Thomas of Canterbury |
| 1174 to 1184 | Richard (Richard of Dover) |
Prior of Dover; died in office |
| 1185 to 1190 | Baldwin (Baldwin of Exeter) |
Translated from Worcester; died in office at the Siege of Ptolemais in the Crusades |
| 1191 to 1191 | Reginald Fitz Jocelin | Translated from Wells; died in office |
| 1191 to 1193 | vacant | |
| 1193 to 13 July 1205 | Hubert Walter | Translated from Salisbury; Lord Chancellor; died in office |
| 1205 to 1206 | Reginald | Sub-prior, chosen by the monks but set aside by the king at their own request |
| 1206 to 1207 | John de Grey (John Grey) |
Bishop of Norwich; chosen by the monks but set aside by the pope |
| 1207 to 9 July 1228 | Cardinal Stephen Langton | Died in office |
| 1229 to 1231 | Walter d'Eynsham (Walter de Hempsham) |
Chosen but set aside by the king and the pope |
| 1229 | Richard le Grant | |
| 1231 | Ralph Neville | |
| 1232 | John of Sittingbourne | |
| 1232 | John Blund | |
| 1233 to 16 November 1240 | Edmund Rich | Prebendary of Salisbury; died in office; canonized: St Edmund Rich (the last Archbishop of Canterbury to be canonized) |
| 1240 to 14 July 1270 | Boniface (Boniface of Savoy) |
Died in office |
| 1270 to 1270 | William Chillenden (Adam of Chillenden) |
Chosen but set aside by the pope |
| 1273 to 1278 | Robert Kilwardby | Made a cardinal; resigned |
| 1278 to 1278 | Robert Burnell | Bishop of Bath & Wells; chosen but set aside by the pope |
| 1279 to 1292 | John Peckham (John Pecham) |
Canon of Lyons; provincial of Friars Minors; died in office |
| 1294 to 1313 | Robert Winchelsey | Archdeacon of Essex; Chancellor of Oxford; died in office |
| 1313 to 1313 | Thomas Cobham | Precentor of York; elected but not confirmed by the pope |
| 1313 to 1327 | Walter Reynolds | Translated from Worcester; Lord Chancellor and Lord Treasurer; died in office |
| 1328 to 1333 | Simon Mepeham (Simon Meopham) |
Prebendary of Chichester; died in office |
| 1333 to 1348 | John de Stratford | Translated from Winchester; Lord Chancellor; died in office |
| 1348 to 1349 | John de Ufford | Dean of Lincoln, Lord Chancellor; died before consecration |
| 1349 to 26 August 1349 | Thomas Bradwardine | Chancellor of London; died in office |
| 1349 to 1366 | Simon Islip | Prebendary of St Paul's; secretary to the king and keeper of the Privy Seal; died in office |
| 1366 to 1366 | William Edington (William Edendon) |
Bishop of Winchester; elected but refused the see |
| 1366 to 1368 | Simon Langham | Translated from Ely; made a cardinal and resigned the see |
| 1368 to 1374 | William Whittlesey (William Wittlesey) |
Translated from Worcester; died in office |
| 1375 to 14 June 1381 | Simon Sudbury (Simon de Sudbury; Simon Tibold; Simon Theobold) |
Translated from London; Lord Chancellor; beheaded by the rebels under Wat Tyler |
| 1381 to 31 July 1396 | William Courtenay | Translated from London; died in office |
| 1397 to 1398 | Thomas Arundel (Thomas Fitz-Alan) |
Translated from York; Lord Chancellor; charged with high treason under Richard II, fled |
| 1396 to 1398 | Roger Walden | |
| 1397 to 1414 | Thomas Arundel (Thomas Fitz-Alan) |
Restored by Henry IV; died in office |
| 1414 to 12 April 1443 | Henry Chichele (Henry Chicheley; Henry Checheley) |
Translated from St David's; died in office |
| 1443 to 25 May 1452 | John Stafford | Translated from Bath & Wells; cardinal; Lord Chancellor and Lord Treasurer; died in office |
| 1452 to 1454 | John Kemp | Translated from York; cardinal; Lord Chancellor; died in office |
| 1454 to 30 March 1486 | Thomas Bourchier | Translated from Ely; cardinal; Lord Chancellor; died in office |
| 1486 to 15 September 1500 | John Morton | Translated from Ely; cardinal; Lord Chancellor; died in office |
| January 1501 to 27 January 1501 | Thomas Langton | Bishop of Winchester; died 5 days after being chosen |
| 1501 to 15 February 1503 | Henry Deane (Henry Dean; Henry Dene) |
Translated from Salisbury; died in office |
| 1503 to 22 August 1532 | William Warham | Translated from London; Lord Chancellor; accepting the schism with Rome 1531 |
| 1533 to 21 March 1556 | Thomas Cranmer | Archdeacon of Taunton; openly Protestant from 1547; put to death by burning |
| 1557 to 17 November 1558 | Reginald Pole | Dean of Exeter; cardinal; last Roman Catholic archbishop of Canterbury; died in office |
Anglican Archbishops of Canterbury
| Tenure | Incumbent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1559 to 17 May 1575 | Matthew Parker | Dean of Lincoln; died in office |
| 1575 to 6 July 1583 | Edmund Grindal | Translated from York; died in office |
| 1583 to 28 February 1604 | John Whitgift | Translated from Worcester; died in office |
| 9 October 1604 to 2 November 1610 | Richard Bancroft | Translated from London; died in office |
| 4 March 1611 to 5 August 1633 | George Abbot | Translated from London; died in office |
| 6 August 1633 to 10 January 1645 | William Laud | Translated from London; executed in office |
| 1645 to 1660 | vacant | |
| 3 September 1660 to 4 June 1663 | William Juxon | Translated from London; died in office |
| 14 July 1663 to 1677 | Gilbert Sheldon | Translated from London |
| 27 January 1678 to 1691 | William Sancroft | Dean of St Paul's; deprived for not taking oaths to William and Mary |
| 23 April 1691 to 22 November 1694 | John Tillotson | Dean of St Paul's; died in office |
| 1694 to 14 December 1715 | Thomas Tenison | Translated from Lincoln; died in office |
| 1716 to 24 January 1737 | William Wake | Translated from Lincoln; died in office |
| 1737 to 10 October 1747 | John Potter | Translated from Oxford; died in office |
| 1747 to 23 March 1757 | Thomas Herring | Translated from York; died in office |
| 1757 to 18 March 1758 | Matthew Hutton | Translated from York; died in office |
| 1758 to 1768 | Thomas Secker | Translated from Oxford; died in office |
| 1768 to 19 March 1783 | Frederick Cornwallis | Translated from Lichfield & Coventry; died in office |
| 1783 to 18 January 1805 | John Moore | Translated from Bangor; died in office |
| 2 February 1805 to 21 July 1828 | Charles Manners-Sutton | Translated from Norwich; died in office |
| 4 August 1828 to 11 February 1848 | William Howley | Translated from London; died in office |
| 22 February 1848 to 6 September 1862 | John Bird Sumner | Translated from Chester; died in office |
| 20 October 1862 to 27 October 1868 | Charles Thomas Longley | Translated from York; died in office |
| 26 November 1868 to 3 December 1882 | Archibald Campbell Tait | Translated from London; died in office |
| 18 January 1883 to 1896 | Edward White Benson | Translated from Truro; died in office |
| 1896 to 23 December 1902 | Frederick Temple | Translated from London; died in office |
| 1903 to 1928 | Randall Thomas Davidson | Translated from Winchester; retired |
| 1928 to 1942 | William Cosmo Gordon Lang | Translated from York; retired |
| 1942 to 26 October 1944 | William Temple | Translated from York; died in office |
| 1945 to 1961 | Geoffrey Francis Fisher | Translated from Lincoln |
| 1961 to 1974 | Arthur Michael Ramsey | Translated from York; retired |
| 1974 to 1980 | Frederick Donald Coggan | Translated from York; retired |
| 1980 to 1991 | Robert Alexander Kennedy Runcie | Translated from St Albans; retired |
| 1991 to 2002 | George Leonard Carey | Translated from Bath & Wells; retired |
| 2002 to present | Rowan Douglas Williams, FBA | Translated from Monmouth |
- Note
- Where the full name of an incumbent is not generally used, the name that is most commonly used is shown in bold (so, for example, Rowan Douglas Williams is usually called simply Rowan Williams).