Peter Townley

Church of England priest

Peter Townley (born 16 November 1955) is a Church of England priest who served as Archdeacon of Pontefract, 2007^[1]–2023.

Townley was born in Blackley, Manchester and educated at Moston Brook High School, the University of Sheffield and Ridley Hall, Cambridge.^[2] He was ordained deacon in 1980, and priest in 1981. After a curacy at Christ Church, Ashton-under-Lyne he was Priest in charge of St Hugh, Oldham. He was Rector of All Saints’, Stretford from 1988 to 1996; and then Vicar of St Mary-le-Tower, Ipswich from 1996 to 2008. He was also Rural Dean of Ipswich from 2001 to 2007.^[3] In 2004, he was nominated for a bravery award after apprehending a thief, who had stolen a parishioner's handbag.^[4] In 2023, Townley returned to parish ministry,^[5] resigning his archdeaconry effective 25 September 2023.^[6]

References

^ Companies House
^ "Townley Peter". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
^ TOWNLEY, Ven. Peter Kenneth’, Who's Who 2017, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2017; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2016 ; online edn, November 2016 accessed 25 July 2017
^ "Vicar could receive bravery award". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
^ "Peter Townley to leave diocese". Diocese of Leeds. Archived from the original on 6 August 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
^ "This week's notices". Sherburn in Elmet Group of Parishes. 6 August 2023. Archived from the original on 6 August 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.

Church of England titles
Preceded by Jonathan Greener	Archdeacon of Pontefract 2008–2023	TBA

Archdeacons of Halifax and of Pontefract

Halifax (old)

Ingham Brooke
William Foxley Norris
Henry Walsham How
Richard Phipps (became Archdeacon of Pontefract)

Pontefract

Richard Phipps (previously Archdeacon of Halifax)
Bishops suffragan of Pontefract
Edward Henderson
Ken Unwin
John Flack
Tony Robinson
Jonathan Greener
Peter Townley
Cat Thatcher (announced)

Anglican Diocese of Leeds

Ripon Cathedral
Wakefield Cathedral
Bradford Cathedral
Hollin House, Leeds
Bishop's Lodge, Wakefield
Bishopscroft, Bradford
Diocesan Office, Leeds
Bishop Mount, Ripon
Church House, Wakefield
Kadugli House, Keighley
Leeds Minster
Area scheme (2014–present)
Dioceses of Ripon and Leeds, of Wakefield and of Bradford

Office holders

Diocesan bishop	Nick Baines, Bishop of Leeds
Area bishops	Tony Robinson, Bishop of Wakefield Toby Howarth, Bishop of Bradford Arun Arora, Bishop of Kirkstall (area bishop for Leeds) Smitha Prasadam, Bishop of Huddersfield Anna Eltringham, Bishop of Ripon
Other bishops	AEO: the area Bishop of Wakefield & Rob Munro, Bishop suffragan of Ebbsfleet
Deans	John Dobson, Dean of Ripon Simon Cowling, Dean of Wakefield Andy Bowerman, Dean of Bradford
Archdeacons	Andy Jolley, Archdeacon of Bradford Paul Ayers, Archdeacon of Leeds Jonathan Gough, Archdeacon of Richmond and Craven Bill Braviner, Archdeacon of Halifax Cat Thatcher, Archdeacon-designate of Pontefract

Predecessor offices

diocesan Bishops of Ripon (1836–2014; renamed "Ripon and Leeds" in 1999), of Wakefield (1888–2014) and of Bradford (1919–2014)
Bishop suffragan of Penrith (1888–1889; reappointed to Richmond)
Bishops suffragan of Knaresborough (renamed Ripon), of Pontefract (renamed Wakefield) and of Richmond (renamed Kirkstall)
Provost of Bradford (1930–2000; see Dean of Bradford)
Provost of Wakefield (1931–2000; see Dean of Wakefield)
Archdeacon of Craven (1836–2014; merged into Richmond and Craven)
Archdeacon of Halifax (1888–1927; renamed Pontefract)
Archdeacon of Huddersfield (1888–1927; renamed Halifax)
Archdeacon of Ripon (1894–1921; renamed Archdeacon of Leeds)