the justices granted him restitution. But the story is best told in a list of proofs of the parson's title to the Wigan corn mill, recorded in the Wigan Leger, of which the following are the most important:
Imprimis; the parson of Wigan had a suit corn mill in Wigan before 30 Henry III., as appears by Mansell's charter wherein he grants to his burgesses "quod molendinent ad molendinum meum ad 20 mensuras sine sectâ."
Item; in the valuation of the rectory, 26 Henry VIII. (on record in the Office of First Fruits): "Rectoria de Wigan in manibus Rich's Kyghly capellani valet, &c. In redditibus duorum molendinorum aquaticorum ib'm p' annum £3 6s. 9d." These 2 mills must needs be the lower fulling mill and the Bridge mill, for we have but 3 water mills, and the highest of them, namely the Coppull mill, was built long after this valuation.
Item; in the Court Rolls of the parson of Wigan, John Herbert, 35 Hen. VIII. (fol. rotuli 3): "Petrus Letherbarow queritur de Roberto Kighly gen. executor' testamenti . . . ulti'æ voluntatis D'ni Rich'i Kighley clerici nup. Rectoris de Wigan in pl'ito deb'ti 41s. 2d., quos idem Riclius Kighley cl'icus nup. debuit pro servitio fact."; and in the next leaf of the said roll it appears that this suit was for dilapidations of the Bridge mill, which was repaired by parson Kighley, and therefore it was in his demayne, or else why should he repair it? For thus it follows: "Petrus Letherbarow queritur de Rob'to Kighley gen. in pl'ito convenc. fact. de &c. ad damnum querentis 41s. 2d. prout &c. Defendens petit diem, unde idem q. dicit quod 25 die martii anno R. R. Hen, VIII. 30 predict. defendens apud Wigan predict. coven' et barganizavit cum prefato quer. quod ip'e idem quer. faceret certas reparac'ones et opera et alia necessaria in molendino aquatico voc. Bridgmiln in Wigan pred. et quod solveret prefat. querenti aut allocat. dict. quer. in reddit. predict. molendini predictis reparationibus' &c. Et super hoc pred. quer. fecit certa opera et reparac'oes et alia necessaria in et sup. predict. molendinum prout decet ad valent. 41s. 2d. ut patet p' billam de p'cell. inde fact. &c."
