Archdeaconry of Essex

The Archdeacon of West Ham is a senior ecclesiastical officer – in charge of the Archdeaconry of West Ham – in the Church of England Diocese of Chelmsford. The current archdeacon is Elwin Cockett.

Historically, the Archdeaconry of Essex formed part of the Diocese of London, until the Victorian diocese reforms transferred it, on 1 January 1846, to the Diocese of Rochester. The title first occurs in sources before 1100, 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 Essex archdeacons.

From 4 May 1877, the archdeaconry made up part of the newly created Diocese of St Albans until it became part of the newly created Diocese of Chelmsford on 23 January 1914.

On 17 March 1922, the Archdeaconry of Essex was renamed the Archdeaconry of West Ham when the new Archdeaconry of Southend was created from part of the old archdeaconry.

The role of Archdeacon of West Ham has existed separately from the Bishop suffragan of Barking since 1958; the archdeaconry was itself divided to create the Harlow archdeaconry following a 1989 decision of the Diocesan Synod and again on 1 February 2013, by Pastoral Order of the Bishop of Chelmsford, the new Archdeaconry of Barking was created from the West Ham archdeaconry; initially, the Archdeacon of West Ham was also Acting Archdeacon of Barking.

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