High Medieval[edit]

Archdeacons without territorial titles:

• bef. 1086–aft. 1088: Benselin, Archdeacon of Exon
• bef. 1106–aft. 1106: Walkerius^{[N 1]}
• bef. 1106–aft. 1106: Robert^{[N 1]}
• bef. 1120–aft. 1136: Arald^{[N 2]}
• bef. 1122–bef. 1136: John de Bada (son of Hildebert)^{[N 3]}

Archdeacons of Wells:

• bef. 1142–aft. 1151: Eustace
• bef. 1159–aft. 1166: Robert
• bef. 1168–aft. 1194: Thomas of Earley (Erlegh) alias Agnellus
• bef. 1198–aft. 1199: Simon of Wells (later Bishop of Chichester)
• bef. 1204–1209 (res.): Hugh of Wells (became Bishop of Lincoln)
• bef. 1215–aft. 1231: William of Bardney
• bef. 1238–1248 (res.): William of Bitton (uncle; became Bishop of Bath and Wells)
• aft. 1248–bef. 1249 (res.): John of Bitton
• bef. 1249–aft. 1254: Peter Chaceporc
• bef. 1263–1267 (res.): William of Bitton (nephew) (became Bishop of Bath and Wells)
• 1267–1268 (res.): Godfrey Giffard (also Archdeacon of Barnstaple until May 1267; also Archdeacon of York from 1267; became Bishop of Worcester)
• bef. 1269–aft. 1269: S. (i.e. either Simon de Micham or Stephen of Chichester)
• bef. 1270–1284 (res.): Thomas Bytton (became Dean of Wells)
• bef. 1286–aft. 1295: Walter Haselshaw (later Dean of Wells)
• bef. 1295–24 January 1303 (d.): Peter de Insula (previously Archdeacon of Exeter)

Late Medieval[edit]

• aft. 1303–24 May 1326 (res.): Thomas de Charlton
• 24 May–13 June 1326 (exch.): Wibert de Lutleton
• 13 June 1326–bef. 1334: Robert de Wamberg (bishop's candidate; admitted but disputed by king's candidates)
• 29 June 1329 – 1330: Simon de Montacute (royal grant; never admitted)
• 15 October 1330 – 1332: Thomas Upton (royal grant; never admitted)
• bef. 1334–aft. 1336: Robert Mortimer
• bef. 1344–aft. 1344: Hugh
• bef. 1346–1352 (res.): Thomas Fastolf (became Bishop of St David's)
• 3 January 1353 – 12 June 1361 (d.): William de Court OCist
• 27 October 1361–bef. 1369 (res.): Étienne Cardinal Aubert (Cardinal-deacon of Santa Maria in Aquiro)
• 21 February 1369 – 22 July 1376 (d.): Simon Cardinal Langham OSB (former archbishop of Canterbury; cardinal-priest of San Sisto Vecchio until 1373, then Cardinal-Bishop of Palestrina; also Archdeacon of York from 1374)
• bef. 1385–aft. 1388: Andrew Baret
• 1386–aft. 1391: John de Rypon (royal grant)
• 13 September 1388: John Beer (unsuccessful royal grant)
• 6 June 1391: Thomas Tuttebury (unsuccessful royal grant; became Dean of Wells)
• 28 August 1391 – 4 May 1398 (exch.): Nicholas Slake
• 4 May 1398–bef. 1419 (d.): John Ikelyngton
• 13 April 1419–bef. 1449 (d.): Thomas Bubwith
• 15 April 1450 – 1 April 1470 (d.): Andrew Holes
• bef. 1471–bef. 1473 (d.): Thomas Bridlington
• 12 April 1473–bef. 1494 (res.): William Nykke
• 10 July 1494 – 1500 (res.): Richard Nykke (became Bishop of Norwich)
• 30 December 1500–bef. 1502 (res.): François de Busleyden, Archbishop of Besançon
• 19 November 1502 – 1507 (d.): Thomas Beaumont (previously Archdeacon of Bath)
• 1 January 1508 – 26 December 1546 (res.): Polydore Vergil (also called Castellensis)

Early modern[edit]

Archdeaconry resigned to the crown and abolished, 1547.

• bef. 1547–aft. 1554: Vergil still called Archdeacon of Wells
• bef. 1554–?: Cotterell already called Archdeacon of Wells

Archdeaconry re-erected, 1556.

• bef. 1559–1572 (d.): John Cotterell
• bef. 1572–bef. 1582 (d.): John Rugge
• March 1582–?: Bartholomew Clerke (a layman)
• 4 February 1589–aft. 1605: John Langworth
• 1611–aft. 1645: Gerard Wood
• 1645–bef. 1649: William Watts (never took possession)
• 1660–27 April 1680 (d.): Grindal Sheafe
• 28 April 1680 – 1683 (d.): Charles Thirlby
• 10 November 1683 – 8 October 1705 (d.): Edwin Sandys
• 11 October 1705 – 7 March 1716 (d.): Samuel Hill
• 4 May 1716 – 24 November 1726 (d.): Henry Layng
• 7 December 1726 – 1 October 1739 (d.): Edmund Archer (previously Archdeacon of Taunton)
• 26 November 1739 – 14 November 1742 (d.): John Wicksted
• 24 November 1742 – 20 April 1749 (d.): George Shakerley
• 19 August 1749 – 7 November 1757 (d.): Edmund Aubery
• 26 April 1758 – 26 February 1760 (d.): Lionel Seaman (previously Archdeacon of Taunton)
• 9 August 1760 – 1 October 1767 (d.): Francis Potter (previously Archdeacon of Taunton)
• 20 October 1767 – 12 May 1815 (d.): William Willes (previously Archdeacon of Taunton)
• 7 July 1815 – 5 April 1826 (d.): Charles Sandiford
• 4 October 1826 – 1862 (res.): Henry Law (became Dean of Gloucester)

Late modern[edit]

• 1862–?: Fitzhardinge Portman (died 1893)
• April 1863–24 December 1897 (d.): Augustus Otway Fitzgerald, Rector of Charlton Mackrell (St Mary) until 1876, then Vicar of Brent Knoll^[1][2]
• March 1898–20 September 1899 (d.): Edwin Arthur Salmon, Vicar of Brent Knoll^[3][4][5]
• 1899–1 May 1917 (d.): Frederick Brymer, Rector of Charlton Mackrell (St Mary)^[6]
• 1917–19 December 1934 (d.): Walter Farrer, Vicar of St Cuthbert's, Wells until 1919^[7]
• 1935–1940 (res.): George Hollis, Bishop suffragan of Taunton^[8]
• 1940–1951 (ret.): Walter Norman Higgins, Rector of Mells until 1944^[9]
• 1951–1962 (ret.): Harold Bryant Salmon^[10]
• 1963–1973 (ret.): John Lance^[11]
• 1974–1982 (res.): Peter Haynes (became Dean of Hereford)^[12]
• 1983–1993 (ret.): Ted Thomas^[13]
• 1993–2003 (ret.): Richard Acworth^[14]
• 2003–2006: Peter Maurice (became Bishop suffragan of Taunton)^[15]
• April 2007 – 17 September 2016 (res.): Nicola Sullivan (became Dean of Southwell)^[16]
• 5 September 2016 – 20 May 2017: Kevin Roberts (Acting)^[17]
• 20 May 2017 – 6 January 2023: Anne Gell^[18]
• 6 January 2023 – present: Charlie Peer (Acting)^[19]

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

Sources[edit]

• Greenway, Diana E. (2001), Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066–1300, vol. 7, pp. 25–26
• Greenway, Diana E. (2001), Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066–1300, vol. 7, pp. 31–35
• Jones, B. (1964), Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1300–1541, vol. 8, pp. 12–14
• Horn, Joyce M.; Bailey, Derrick Sherwin (1979), Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541–1857, vol. 5, pp. 9–11