List of Archbishops of Canterbury

This is a list of the Archbishops of Canterbury. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the head of the established Church of England and, symbolically, of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

From the time of St. Augustine until the the 16th century, the Archbishops of Canterbury were in full communion with the Bishop of Rome. During the English Reformation the church broke away from the authority of the Pope, at first temporarily and later more permanently. Since then they have been outside of the succession of the Roman Catholic Church's hierarchy and have led the independent national church.

In the middle ages there was considerable variation in the nomination of the Archbishop and other bishops — at various times the choice was made by the canons of Canterbury Cathedral, the King of England, or the Pope. Since the reformation, the church is explicitly a state church and the choice is legally that of the British crown; today it is made in the name of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom 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.

List of Archbishops

To the Norman conquest

All beginning dates are consecration dates, unless otherwise specified. All ending dates are death dates, unless otherwise noted.

Tenure	Incumbent	Notes
597 to 26 May 604* or 605	Augustine	*Traditional date; prior of St Andrews; died in office; canonized: St Augustine
c604 to 2 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 between 627 and 631	Justus	Translated from Rochester; died in office; canonized: St Justus
627 to 30 September 653	Honorius	died in office; canonized: St Honorius
March 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 to 666	vacant
c.666 to 668	Wighard (Wigard)	Appointed by Pope Vitalian; died of plague before consecration
March 26 668 to 19 September 690	Theodore	canonized: St Theodore of Tarsus
June 29 693 to January 13 731	Bertwald (Brihtwald)	Abbot of Reculver; canonized: St Bertwald
June 10 731 to July 30 734	Tatwin, (Tatwine)	canonized: St Tatwine
735 to 17 October 739	Nothelm (Nothelmus)	canonized: St Nothelm
c740 to October 26 760	Cuthbert	Translated from Hereford; canonized: St Cuthbert
September 27 761 to 764	Bregwin	Canonized: St Bregwin
February 2 765 to 11/ 12 August 792	Jænbert (Lambert; Genegberht; Jambert; Janbriht; Janibert; Lanbriht)	Abbot of St Augustia's; canonized: St Jaenbert
July 21 793 to 12 May 805	Æthelhard (Ethelhard)	Translated from Winchester; canonized: St Aethelhard
c October 805 to March 21 832	Wulfred	Monk at Canterbury
June 8 832 to August 30 832	Feologild (Theolgild)	Abbot of Canterbury
c July 27 833 to February 4 870	Ceolnoth	Dean of Canterbury
870 to June 30 888	Æthelred	Translated from Winchester
890 to August 2 923	Plegmund	Preceptor to King Alfred
Between 923 and 925 to January 8 926	Athelm (Adelmus)	Translated from Wells
c926 to February 12 941	Wulfhelm (Wolfhelmus)	Translated from Wells
941 to June 2 958	Odo (Odo Severus; Oda the Severe)	Translated from Wilton; canonized: St Oda
958 to 959	Alfsige (Alfsin)
959 to 959	Birthelm	Translated from Wells, deposed & returned to Wells
959 to May 19 988	Dunstan	Translated from London; canonized: St Dunstan
988 to February 990	Athelgar (Ethelgarus)	Translated from Selsey
990 to October 28 994	Sigeric (Sigeric the Serious)	Translated from Wilton
elected April 21 995 to November 16 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
November 13 1020 to c 29 October 1038	Æthelnoth (Æthelnotus; Ethelnoth; Egelnodus; Ednodus)	Dean of Canterbury
1038 to October 29 1050	Edsige (Eadsige; Eadsimus; Eadsin)	Canonized St Edsige. Crowned Edward the Confessor
March 1051 to September 1052	Robert of Jumièges (Robert Gemeticensis)	Fled England and was deposed
1052 to April 11 1070	Stigand	Bishop of Winchester; deprived of both sees for simony

To the Reformation

All beginning dates are consecration dates, unless otherwise specified. All ending dates are death dates, unless otherwise noted.

Tenure	Incumbent	Notes
August 29 1070 to May 28 1089	Lanfranc	Abbot of Caen; died in office
December 4 1093 to 21 April 1109	Anselm	Abbot of Bec; died in office: canonized: St Anselm
1109 to 1114	vacant
elected 26 April 1114 to October 2 1122	Ralph (Ralph d'Escures; Rodolphus; Ralph de Turbine)	Translated from Rochester; died in office
February 18 1123 to November 21 1136	William de Corbeil (William Corbois; William Corbyl)	Prior of St Osyth; died in office
1136 to 1139	vacant
January 8 1139 to 18 April 1161	Theobald of Bec	Abbot of Bec; died in office
1161 to 1162	vacant
June 3 1162 to 29 December 1170	Thomas Becket (Thomas à Becket)	Archdeacon of Canterbury, Provost of Beverley, Lord Chancellor; murdered; canonized: St Thomas of Canterbury
April 7 1174 to February 16 1184	Richard (Richard of Dover)	Prior of Dover; died in office
translated December 1184 to November 1190	Baldwin (Baldwin of Exeter)	Translated from Worcester; died in office at the Siege of Acre in the Crusades
elected November 27 1191 to December 26 1191	Reginald fitz Jocelin	Translated from Wells; died in office
1191 to 1193	vacant
translated May 29 1193 to 13 July 1205	Hubert Walter	Translated from Salisbury; Lord Chancellor; died in office
elected between July and October 1205 to quashed between October and December 1206	Reginald	Sub-prior, chosen by the monks but set aside by the king at their own request
postulated December 11 1205 to quashed about March 30 1206	John de Gray (John Grey, John de Grey)	Bishop of Norwich; chosen by the monks but set aside by the pope
June 17 1207 to 9 July 1228	Cardinal Stephen Langton	Died in office
elected 3 August 1228 to quashed January 1229	Walter d'Eynsham (Walter de Hempsham)	Chosen but set aside by the king and the pope
June 10 1229 to August 3 1231	Richard le Grant
postulated September 22 1231 to quashed December 20 1231	Ralph Neville	Bishop of Chichester, election quashed
elected March 16 1232 to June 12 1232	John of Sittingbourne	election quashed
elected August 26 1232 to quashed June 1 1233	John Blund	election quashed
April 2 1234 to 16 November 1240	Edmund Rich	Prebendary of Salisbury; died in office; canonized: St Edmund Rich (the last Archbishop of Canterbury to be canonized)
elected February 1 1241 to 14 July 1270	Boniface (Boniface of Savoy)	Died in office
elected September 9 1270 to quashed summer 1272	William Chillenden (Adam of Chillenden)	Chosen but set aside by the pope
February 26 1273 to resigned June 5 1278	Robert Kilwardby	Made a cardinal; resigned
postulated June or July 1278 to quashed January 1279	Robert Burnell	Bishop of Bath & Wells; chosen but set aside by the pope
February 19 1279 to December 8 1292	John Peckham (John Pecham)	Canon of Lyons; provincial of Friars Minors; died in office
September 12 1294 to May 11 1313	Robert Winchelsey	Archdeacon of Essex; Chancellor of Oxford; died in office
elected May 28 1313 to quashed October 1 1313	Thomas Cobham	Precentor of York; elected but not confirmed by the pope
translated 1 October 1313 to November 16 1327	Walter Reynolds	Translated from Worcester; Lord Chancellor and Lord Treasurer; died in office
June 5 1328 to October 12 1333	Simon Mepeham (Simon Meopham)	Prebendary of Chichester; excommunicated
postulated November 3 1333 to August 23 1348	John de Stratford	Translated from Winchester; Lord Chancellor; died in office
provided September 24 1348 to May 20 1349	John de Ufford	Dean of Lincoln, Lord Chancellor; died before consecration
July 19 1349 to 26 August 1349	Thomas Bradwardine	Chancellor of London; died in office
December 20 1349 to April 26 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
translated July 24 1366 to resigned November 28 1368	Simon Langham	Translated from Ely; made a cardinal and resigned the see
translated October 11 1368 to June 1374	William Whittlesey (William Wittlesey)	Translated from Worcester; died in office
translated May 4 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
translated July 31 1381 to 31 July 1396	William Courtenay	Translated from London; died in office
translated September 25 1396 to 1397	Thomas Arundel (Thomas Fitz-Alan)	Translated from York; Lord Chancellor; charged with high treason under Richard II, fled
provided about November 8 1397 to deprived of office 19 October 1399	Roger Walden	deprived
restored October 19 1399 to February 19 1414	Thomas Arundel (Thomas Fitz-Alan)	Restored by Henry IV; died in office
translated March 12 1414 to 12 April 1443	Henry Chichele (Henry Chicheley; Henry Checheley)	Translated from St David's; died in office
translated May 13 1443 to 25 May 1452	John Stafford	Translated from Bath & Wells; cardinal; Lord Chancellor and Lord Treasurer; died in office
translated July 21 1452 to March 22 1454	John Kemp	Translated from York; cardinal; Lord Chancellor; died in office
translated April 23 1454 to 30 March 1486	Thomas Bourchier	Translated from Ely; cardinal; Lord Chancellor; died in office
translated October 6 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
translated April 26 1501 to February 1503	Henry Deane (Henry Dean; Henry Dene)	Translated from Salisbury; died in office
translated November 29 1503 to 22 August 1532	William Warham	Translated from London; Lord Chancellor; accepted the schism with Rome 1531; died in office
1533 to 13 November 1555	Thomas Cranmer	Archdeacon of Taunton; excommunicated by Rome 1533 and deprived for heresy; put to death by burning, 21 March 1556
30 March 1556 to 13 November 1558	Reginald Pole	Dean of Exeter; cardinal; last Roman Catholic archbishop; died in office

Since the Reformation

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; commemorated in the Church of England and the Episcopal Church in the United States of America
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; died in office
27 January 1678 to 1691	William Sancroft	Dean of St Paul's; deprived for not taking oaths to William and Mary; died 1693
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; died 1930
1928 to 1942	William Cosmo Gordon Lang	Translated from York; retired; died 1945
1942 to 26 October 1944	William Temple	Translated from York; died in office
1945 to 1961	Geoffrey Francis Fisher	Translated from London; retired; died 1972
1961 to 1974	Arthur Michael Ramsey	Translated from York; retired; died 1988
1974 to 1980	Frederick Donald Coggan	Translated from York; retired; died 2000
1980 to 1991	Robert Alexander Kennedy Runcie	Translated from St Albans; retired; died 2000
1991 to 2002	George Leonard Carey	Translated from Bath & Wells; retired
2002 to present	Rowan Douglas Williams, FBA	Translated from Wales

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).