was the same as Richard Smyth who was instituted, on 27th September, 1548, to the vicarage of Sandbach, in Cheshire, which had become void by the resignation of Thomas Smyth.[1]
Richard Smyth, parson of Wigan, died early in 1554, and was succeeded by Richard Gerrard.
Mr. Richard Gerrard, clerk, was presented to the parish church of Wigan, vacant by the death of Mr. Richard Smyth, the last incumbent, on 27th February, 1554, by Edward, Earl of Derby, Henry Lord Straunge, and others by virtue of the concession of Sir Thomas Langton, knight, the true patron. He was admitted and instituted to the same by George [Cotes] Lord Bishop of Chester, on 2nd March of the same year.[2] Richard
- ↑ The patron of Sandbach for this turn was Richard Day of Leek, in the county of Stafford, by the grant of the Abbot and Convent of Dieulacres dated 3rd May, 1536, and signed by 13 members of the House. The Vicarage of Sandbach had become void by the death of the last incumbent before 20th April, 1554, on which day Peter Prestland was presented to this benefice. He paid his first fruits 9th May (Record Society, Lancashire and Cheshire, vol. viii. p. 396), and was instituted on 19th May in that year (Ormerod's Cheshire Helsby's ed., 1882, vol. iii. p. 105). This is strong presumptive evidence that the two Richard Smyths, whose livings became vacant about the same time, were one and the same person.
- ↑ Chester Diocesan Register.
of his church; but in 15 Hen. VIII. (1523) Thomas Boteler, Esq., the king's commissioner for Lancashire and Cheshire, made a return to Sir Thomas More, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and to the King's council, that Richard Smyth, clerke, was parson of the church of Bury by the nomination of the Earl of Derby; that the parsonage was worth xl marks ; and that the said Richard had been incumbent by the space of twenty years. In 18 Henry VIII. (1526-7) Richard Smyth, clerk, as parson of Bury church, proceeded against John Grenehalghe and others for assault and disturbance of church service (Calendar of Duchy of Lancaster Pleadings, vol i. p. 132). In 27 Hen. VIII. (1535-6) he was LL.B., and the Pope's pardoner in Lancashire (Chetham Tract lix. p. 113; Lancashire Chantries). He answered a visitation call as rector of Bury (about 1547), at which time his assistants, or curates of the chapels, were D'ns Will'us Marshall, curatus, and Dn's Rich'us Battersbye. (Inventories of Church Goods in 1552, Chetham Tract, cvii. p. 47.)
