collections for the history of the Fleetwood family in all its many branches, informs me that Edward Fleetwood married Christian, daughter of Paul Wentworth of Lillington, in the county of Bucks, Esq., by whom he left surviving issue, Edward Fleetwood, who subsequently lived at Samlesbury, in the county of Lancaster, Bridget and Dorothy. The names of several of his children occur in the baptismal register as having been christened at Wigan, namely, "Theodor Fleetwoode f. E. f'woode baptized 6th August, 1591;" "Christian Fleetwoode f. E. ff. baptized 29th March, 1593," who was buried at Wigan 13th November, 1599; and "Dorothie daughter of Edw. ffletwood pastor of Wigan baptized 20th Maie, 1599."[1]
Parson Fleetwood died in June, 1604. The benefice was void before the 29th of June in that year.[2] As the record of his burial is not to be found in the Wigan register, it is probable that he died suddenly in London; for on 2nd May, 1604, it is recorded that "a petition by Egerton, Fleetwood, Wooton, Clark and others, for reformation of the Book of Common Prayer [was] imparted to the Lower House [of Convocation] in presence of the petitioners;"[3] and at Somerset House there is an administration of the goods of Edward Fleetwood, of London, in July of that year, which probably refers to the rector of Wigan.[4]
His wife, Mrs. Christian Fleetwood, survived him, and was living in August, 1618.[5]
Dame Dorothy Legh of Worseley, relict of Sir Peter Legh of Lyme, in the county of Chester, in her will dated 8th February, 1638-9, leaves legacies to Mr. Edmund (? Edward) Fleetwood and to Mrs. Dorothie Fleetwood, daughter to the parson of Wigan, who were two of her godchildren.[6]
- ↑ Wigan Par. Register. The oldest register Book at Wigan commences with the year 1580.
- ↑ Bridgeman evidences at Weston.
- ↑ Strype's Annals, vol. vii. p. 553. The first session of this Convocation was begun at St. Paul's the 20th of March, 1603, A° 1° Jacobi, sede archiepiscopi vacante.
- ↑ Ex. inf. J. P. Earwaker, Esq.
- ↑ Bishop Bridgeman's Wigan Ledger.
- ↑ Ex. inf. J. P. Earwaker, Esq.
