Page "History of Wiltshire" Paragraph 14

On the division of the West Saxon see in 703, Wiltshire was included in the diocese of Sherborne, but in 905 a separate diocese of Wilton was founded, the see being fixed alternately at Ramsbury, Wilton and Sonning in Berkshire.

Shortly before the Conquest, Wilton was reunited to the Sherborne diocese, and by the synod of 751 the see was transferred to Salisbury.

The archdeaconries of Wiltshire and Salisbury are mentioned in 1180 ; in 1291 the former included the deaneries of Avebury, Malmesbury, Marlborough and Cricklade within this county, and the latter the deaneries of Amesbury, Potterne, Wilton, Chalke and Wylye.

In 1535 the archdeaconry of Salisbury included the additional deanery of Salisbury, while Potterne deanery had been transferred to the archdeaconry of Wiltshire.

The deaneries of the archdeaconry of Salisbury have remained unaltered ; Wiltshire archdeaconry now includes the deaneries of Avebury, Marlborough and Potterne ; and the deaneries of Chippenham, Cricklade and Malmesbury form part of the archdeaconry and diocese of Bristol.