What is "archdeacons"

Usage examples of "archdeacons".

Young archdeacons were sent abroad to be taught the Roman law, and returned to preside over the newly-established archdeacons' courts.

When some years later the holy Hugh of Lincoln forbade his archdeacons and their officers to receive fines instead of inflicting penance for crimes, he was met by the objection that the blessed archbishop and martyr Thomas himself had taken fines.

And out of the first sort - that is to say, of such as are called to the ministry (without respect whether they be married or not) - are bishops, deans, archdeacons, and such as have the higher places in the hierarchy of the church elected.

The Bishop sent one of his archdeacons to preach a sermon in which he explained laboriously that the Anglican Church no longer created saints, without in the least diminishing the greatness of the saints of the pre-Reformation days -- this was a typically Anglican example of eating your cake and having it too -- and after a while it all quieted down.

In fact, because archbishops and bishops were politically active, it was understood that they depended on their archdeacons to carry out most of their duties.