The Archdeacon of Northumberland is a senior ecclesiastical officer within the Diocese of Newcastle. As such she or he is responsible for the disciplinary supervision of the clergy within the geographical area of the archdeaconry. The incumbent is The Ven Geoff Miller, who was collated on 10 April 2005.
History
The first archdeacons in the diocese occur after the Norman Conquest – around the same time the post of archdeacon first started to occur elsewhere in England. There is no evidence of more than one archdeacon in the diocese until the mid-12th century, when two lines of office holders start to appear in sources. The titles "Archdeacon of Durham" and "Archdeacon of Northumberland" are not recorded until later in the century, although it is possible to discern which of the two lines became which post. Here are listed the archdeacons of the junior of two unnamed lines, then all those called Archdeacon of Northumberland.
The ancient archdeaconry of Northumberland was part of the Diocese of Durham until 1882, when the Diocese of Newcastle was formed. From that date, 23 May 1882, until the creation of the Lindisfarne archdeaconry on 27 August 1842, Northumberland archdeaconry was the only archdeaconry in Newcastle diocese.