The history of the office of dean rural, like that of the office of the archdeacon, is shrouded in the mists of ancient Church history. It is however clear that since the rural dean, by whatever name he was called, stood in a relationship to the parochial clergy beyond the immediate episcopal environment, the history of the rural dean's office is directly related to the development of the parochial system. The development of this system is vastly different in the various corners of Christendom, and the appearance of the dean rural, or his equivalent, varies by nearly four centuries from place to place.