Province of Canterbury
Preserved but no longer current.
Rural deans are subsidiary officers of archdeacons. The title ~Dean" is also borne by certain resident Fellows at English Universities who have special functions; by the head of Christ Church, Oxford, and, in Scotland, by the President of the Faculty of Advocates (Dean of Faculty), and certain magistrates (Dean of Guild). In the U.S.A.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Province of Canterbury” mean?
Rural deans are subsidiary officers of archdeacons. The title ~Dean" is also borne by certain resident Fellows at English Universities who have special functions; by the head of Christ Church, Oxford, and, in Scotland, by the President of the Faculty of Advocates (Dean of Faculty), and certain magistrates (Dean of Guild). In the U.S.A.
Is “Province of Canterbury” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.