Welcome to the Norwich Diocesan Registry web site

The Anglican Diocese of Norwich was founded in 1094. It covers all of the County of Norfolk, apart from a small area in the extreme west of the county, which lies in the Diocese of Ely, plus the Waveney area of north east Suffolk, with a population of approximately 833,000. The Diocese has 577 parishes, with some 209 benefices and 648 church buildings.

Wireless Broadband in Churches

The Chancellor of the Diocese held a hearing of the Consistory Court at Postwick on 26 September 2011… [more]

Wireless Broadband in Churches Wireless Broadband in Churches

Common Licences for Marriage

A new fee of £165 came into force for applications for Common Licences for Marriage from 1st April 2012.… [more]

Common Licences for Marriage Common Licences for Marriage

Table of Parochial Fees

The Parochial Fees and Scheduled Matters Amending Order 2012 has now been made and has changed some… [more]

Table of Parochial Fees Table of Parochial Fees

The Work of the Diocesan Registry

Each Diocese of the Church of England has two Legal Officers, the Chancellor and the Registrar, who may have deputies. The following are the main areas of work undertaken by the Registrar at the Diocesan Registry:

Advice
The giving of advice to the Bishops and all other clergy, to diocesan boards and committees, and to Churchwardens and Parochial Church Councils, and dealing with general enquiries from members of the public in relation to marriage, baptism, burial, etc.
Appointments
The preparation of notices, licences, permissions, instruments and all other documents relating to the appointment of clergy and lay office holders.
Consecrations
The preparation of the documents required for the consecration of churches, churchyards and cemeteries.
Diocesan Records
The maintenance of records relating to churches, clergy, etc.

Faculties
The granting of Faculties to authorise changes or additions to consecrated buildings and burial grounds.
Marriage Licences
The issue of Common Licences on behalf of the Bishop of Norwich, to authorise marriages in parish churches and in other buildings licensed for the solemnisation of marriages according to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England.
Patronage
Maintenance of a register of patrons of the diocese, and ensuring that the provisions of the Patronage (Benefices) Measure 1986 are complied with in relation to the filling of vacant benefices.

Latest News

Diocesan Synod Standing Orders

July 1, 2013 By

The Diocesan Synod approved some minor amendments to the Synod’s Standing Orders at its meeting on 15th June 2013. A copy of the revised Standing Orders may be found at  Diocesan Synod Standing Orders June 2013

Church Representation Rules 2011

May 28, 2012 By

The Church Representation Rules 2011 are now available online, free of charge, on the Church of England website, at Church Representation Rules 2011. A hard copy of the Rules is available for purchase from Church House Publishing at Church Representation Rules 2011 – Paperback. A ‘Kindle’ version of the Rules can be bought from Amazon […]

New Edition of the Canons

May 9, 2012 By

Church House Publishing have published a new looseleaf edition of the Canons of the Church of England (7th ed. 2012, ISBN 978 0 7151 1058 4). The new edition includes Amending Canons No’s 28 and 29, making changes respectively to Canon B44 (Local Ecumenical Projects), and to Canons C12, C25, D3, E6, G2, G3 and H2 […]

About Us

Ruth Arlow is the Chancellor of the Diocese of Norwich. She was appointed as the Chancellor on the 7th of December 2012. She is a barrister, practising from Chambers in London. She is also the Deputy Chancellor of the Diocese of Chichester.

Stuart Jones is the Registrar of the Diocese. He was admitted as a Solicitor in 1983 and is employed by Birketts LLP in Norwich.

He has been the Registrar of the Diocese of Norwich and the Bishop’s Legal Secretary since 1 January 2009. [Read More…]

Contact Us

Norwich Diocesan Registry

Birketts LLP
Kingfisher House
1, Gilders Way
Norwich
NR3 1UB

DX 5230 Norwich

Telephone : 01603 756 400
Fax : 01603 756 554

Stuart Jones M.A. (Cantab.), Diocesan Registrar
A Solicitor regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority
stuart.jones@norwich.anglican.org
Telephone : 01603 756 501

Gill Hadlum, Clerk to the Diocesan Registry
gill.hadlum@norwich.anglican.org
Telephone : 01603 756 459