Page:The History of the Church & Manor of Wigan part 2.djvu/8

parsonage of Wigan." He reached London on 5th January, 1615-6, and was presented to the rectory of Wigan on the 17th of the same month, which had become void by the sudden death of Dr. Gerard Massie on the previous day.^[1] The King's letters patent were directed, on account of the voidance of the see of Chester, to Toby (Matthew) archbishop of York, by whom Dr. Bridgeman was instituted at Cawood Castle on the 21st of the same month, and his first fruits were paid on 10th February following.

Dr. Bridgeman resigned his prebendal stall at Peterborough, where he also held the office of sub-dean, about Midsummer, 1616, having been previously collated by Bishop Overall, on 28th May, 1616, to the prebend of Eccleshall in the cathedral church of Lichfield. He purchased the lease of a house of residence at Lichfield in that year; and on 17th November of the same year, 1616, he commenced his first month's residence on his canonry at Exeter. He gave up the vicarage of Bexhill before Christmas; and towards the close of this year he received a summons from the Lord Chamberlain, the Earl of Pembroke, to prepare himself for attending the King in his intended progress to Scotland in the following year, addressed to him at Wigan, and couched in the following words :—

"After my very harty cōmendacons: Wheras his Ma^tie is resolved (ift please god) to make a jorney this next yeare into his kingdome of Scotland, and hath given cōmandement to be attended therein by some of his chaplaines; amongst whom his Ma^ty hath made speciall choice of yo'self to be one; These are therefore to pray and require you to take notice thereof, and to prepare yo'self both of necessaries for the said jorney (w^ch god willinge his Ma^ty purposeth to begin the fifteenth of March next comeinge), as alsoe to provide yo'self to preach before his Ma^ty soe often therein as it shall come to yo^r turne. But because you are nowe at yo^r Benefice in Lancashire and that it may be inconvenient for you to come to London — I leave it to yo^r choice whether

1. It has been stated at page 180, on the authority of bishop Bridgeman, that Dr. Massie died on the 17th, but this is clearly inaccurate, and his present statement, which agrees with Ormerod, is doubtless the correct one.