Archdeacon of Bedford

The Archdeacon of Bedford is an ecclesiastical post in the Church of England Diocese of St Albans in the Province of Canterbury.

The 12/13th c. brass seal-matrix of the Archdeacon of Bedford was found in South Lincolnshire in 2003 by a metal detectorist, in almost perfect condition.

It displays a legend in Latin: SIGILLUM ARCHIDIACONI BEDEFORDI(A)E ("Seal of the Archdeacon of Bedford").

[2] The office of Archdeacon of Bedford had no connection with the See of Hereford and is known to have been under the control of the See of Lincoln, hence a possible reason for the location the object was found in.

A junior branch (see Baron Cantilupe) was seated at Greasley Castle in Nottingham and at Withcall in Lincolnshire, in which county they were prominent.

Wax seal (created post-2003) from 12/13th c. brass matrix of the Archdeacon of Bedford, found in South Lincolnshire in 2003 by a metal detectorist. Latin inscription: SIGILLUM ARCHIDIACONI BEDEFORDI(A)E ("Seal of the Archdeacon of Bedford"). The arms at dexter are Cantilupe (modern): Gules, three leopard's faces jessant-de-lys or , as used by Saint Thomas de Cantilupe (d.1282), Bishop of Hereford , and later adopted as the arms of the See of Hereford