to Chester; and on 28th August, 1624, he moved with his family to Wigan.[1]
At this time the south aisle or transept of the old conventual buildings of St Werburgh, at Chester, which now form the cathedral church, had long been used as the parish church for the parishioners of St. Oswald, or St. Werburgh (for the two names appear to have been used indiscriminately), and there the mayor and corporation were accustomed to resort on Sundays and holy days to hear the sermon. But as the seats were inconveniently placed, the bishop, at the request of the parishioners, granted them a commission to re-arrange them and make them more uniform. The commission, which was dated 3rd September, 1624, a few days after his return to Wigan, runs as follows :—
"Johannes providen divifia Cestrien' Episcopus dilectis nobis in Christo d'no Georgio Booth milif et Baronetto, Edw' Whitby armigero, Will'mo Gamull, Joh'i Ratcliffe, Galfredo Winne, Nicholao Ince, Petro Drinkwater et Richo Dutton Alderman', Will'mo Fisher civitatis predicte vicecomit' uni, Thome Ince, Thome Humfries, Thome Knowles, Will'mo Higginson, Thome Aldersey, Joh'i Hardware, Joh'i Holly, Johanni Meoles, et Joh'i Ashton parochianis parochie sancti Oswald' civitatis Cestr', necnon Rob'to Ince et Joh'i Whitby ejusdem Ecclesie sancti Oswald' Gardianis salutem in d'no sempiternam; cum ad nostram nup' certitudinalr deventum sit noticiam lites contraiv'sias et altercaciones inter parochianos et inhabitantes ejusdem parochie circa scamna sedes seu sedilia (Anglice pewes, seates, and kneeling places) in ead'm Eccl'ia posit' edificat' et construct' ortas esse et graviores de verisimili in divinorum pacisque disturbaclonem fore nisi per nos et officium n'rum in hac parte mature provideatur, ac etiam nonnullos parochianos predicte parochie scamnis sedibus seu sedilibus in eadem Eccl'ia sancti Oswaldi caruisse et in p'nti carere, cumque etiam coram nobis querelatum esse intelligimus quod Pulpitum sive Rostrum in dicta Eccl'ia non est convenienter scituatum, nos ig'r prout ex officio n'ro pastorali tenemur finem hujusmodi litibus controv'siis et altercationibus imponere ac p'ochian' antedictos scamnis seu sedilibus ut p'fertur carentes in sedibus collocare cupientes, ad
- ↑ Wigan Leger, fol. 99.
