Archdeaconry of Colchester

The Archdeacon of Colchester is a senior ecclesiastical officer in the Diocese of Chelmsford – she or he has responsibilities within her archdeaconry (the Archdeaconry of Colchester) including oversight of church buildings and some supervision, discipline and pastoral care of the clergy.

The title first appears in sources before 1144, as one of four archdeacons in the (then much larger) Diocese of London, but there had been four archdeacons prior to this point, some of whom may be regarded as essentially predecessors in the line of the Colchester archdeacons. The territorial archdeaconry remained part of the London diocese for about 700 years, until, on 1 January 1846, it was transferred by Order in Council to the Diocese of Rochester. The archdeaconry was afterwards in the newly created Diocese of St Albans from 4 May 1877 until her transfer to the Diocese of Chelmsford upon her creation on 23 January 1914. On 1 February 2013, by Pastoral Order of the Bishop of Chelmsford, the new Archdeaconry of Stansted was created from the Colchester archdeaconry; initially, the Archdeacon of Colchester was also Acting Archdeacon of Stansted.

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