Archdeacon of Richmond and Craven

The Archdeacon of Richmond and Craven is an archdiaconal post in the Church of England. It was created in about 1088 within the See of York and was moved in 1541 to the See of Chester, in 1836 to the See of Ripon and after 2014 to the See of Leeds, in which jurisdiction it remains today. It is divided into seven rural deaneries: Ewecross, Harrogate, Richmond, Ripon, Skipton, and Wensley, all in Yorkshire and Bowland in Lancashire. History The Archdeaconry of Richmond was created in about 1088 and was endowed by Thomas, Archbishop of York. Originally it comprised the western parts of Yorkshire and Lancashire, as well as the greater portion of the counties of Cumberland and Westmorland and was the wealthiest and most extensive archdeaconry in England. Its valuable impropriations included Easingwold, Bolton, Clapham and Thornton Steward. However in 1127 King Henry I removed Allerdale and Cumberland from the Archdeaconry in order to form the new See of Carlisle. By way of compensation for this loss, Thurstan, Archbishop of York, conferred upon the Archdeacon all the privileges and prerogatives of a bishop, with the exception that he could not ordain, consecrate, or confirm. The Archdeacon had his own consistory court at Richmond in Yorkshire, where wills were proved, licences and faculties granted, and all matters of ecclesiastical cognizance dealt with. He exercised the sole supervision of clergy within his jurisdiction, including institution to, and removal from, benefices. In 1541 King Henry VIII established the See of Chester in Lancashire, into which the office of Archdeacon of Richmond was incorporated, although its judicial powers were transferred to the See of York. Although its revenues suffered serious diminution and its position had become that of a commissary elected by the Bishop of Chester, the Archdeacon continued to exercise the same authority, judicial and otherwise, as his predecessors and retained his stall within the choir of York Minster. However by 1805 the position was described as a mere "sinecure".