The History of the Church and Manor of Wigan/William de Langton
He was succeeded by a certain William de Langton, who occurs as parson of Wigan in 141 5, and who paid a fine to the King for a writ on 8th March, 1417.[1] William de Langton was probably an illegitimate member of the family, for in 1398 William Langton, a secular, was admitted to consecration at Lichfield, notwithstanding defect of birth.[2]
On Easter Monday 8 Hen. V. (24th March, 1420) there was an enrolment of a Charter of Ralph de Langton, Esq., by which he grants to Thomas, Lord Bishop of Durham, William de Langton parson of the church of Wigan, Henry de Kyghley, Esq., and James de Langton, brother of the said Ralph, the manors of Newton in Makerfield, and Walton-in-le-Dale, and all his other lands, tenements, &c., within the county of Lancaster, together with the advowson of the church of Wigan, to hold to them and their heirs and assigns for ever of the Chief Lords of the fee.[3]
In 1423 it was found by inquisition that Matilda, widow of Sir John Lovell, knight, died seized (inter alia) of the manor of Upholland, in the county of Lancaster, which she held of the King in capite as of the Duchy of Lancaster; also of the manor of Orrell, holden of Sir Ralph de Langton, knight, in socage; and also of a burgage, with appurtenances in Wigan, holden of William Langton, parson of the church of Wigan.[4] In like manner, in December, 1428, Alice, widow of John le Mascy, was found to have died seized of 8 burgages, 23 acres of land, and 3 acres of meadow, with appurtenances in Wigan, of the inheritance of the said John le Mascy, which she held of William, parson of the church of Wigan.[5]
About this time the Standishes appear to have revived an old claim which their ancestor, William de Standish, had made in the time of King Edward I. to the advowson of the church of Wigan. It was probably with the view of avoiding costly litigation that the question was referred to Alice, wife of John Gerard of Bryn, for her decision in the matter.[6] The following deeds concerning this dispute are preserved among the Standish evidences:[7]
1. A bond of 1,000 marks from Henry de Langton and Ralph de Langton, Esquires, and Sir Thomas Gerard of Bryn, knight, and William de Langton, parson of the church of Wigan, for performance of covenants with Ralph de Standish and Lawrence de Standish, his son, Esquires, and Alexander Standish, parson of the church of Standish, concerning the advowson of the church of Wigan, dated 2 Hen. V. (1414-15).
2. Bond in £1,000 between Sir Ralph Langton and Lawrence de Standish, Esquire, in reference to the disputed title to the advowson of Wigan church. Sealed with the ancient arms of Wigan, a church between two tall trees, on the reverse a crowned head, in base a lion couchant between two turrets crenellated, dated 7 Hen. VI. (1428-9).
3. An indenture tripartite made 5th Jan. 8 Hen. VI. (1430), reciting a statute merchant from Sir Ralph Langton, knight, to Lawrence de Standish, of £1,000, and another from the said Lawrence to the said Sir Ralph, both to be delivered to Alice, wife of John Gerard of Bryn, the arbitrator chosen by both parties in the affair of the advowson of the church of Wigan, by which they mutually bind themselves to abide by the award of the said Alice.
4. Award of Alice, the wife of John Gerard of Bryn, in the matter in dispute with regard to the church of Wigan, between Sir Ralph Langton, knight, and Lawrence de Standish, Esquire. After having heard all that was alleged and denied on either side, and having consulted with her counsel learned in the law, both spiritual and temporal, and having considered the claims made by Sir Ralph Langton, knight, on the one side, and those of Lawrence de Standish, Esquire, with Alexander, his son and heir apparent, on the other side, she makes her award as follows:
"It appears evident from the concurring testimonies of great antiquity that the ancestors of Sir Ralph Langton have enjoyed the advowson from time immemorial, and also the presentation to the said church of Wigan; and that it is a parish church and not a chapel; and there was no proof shown that the said Lawrence de Standish had any right or title to the advowson or to any part thereof. Therefore it is awarded, deemed and ordained that the said Lawrence de Standish should take out a writ of right to the advowson of the said church against Thomas the bishop of Lichfield and Coventry, Sir Ralph Langton, Henry Brightley, and William Langton, parson of the church of Wigan, and James Langton, returnable before the Justices at Lancaster at the sessions next to be held there or elsewhere within the county of Lancaster, to show his title and have his champion ready. And that the above-named Thomas, Ralph, Henry, William and James, should appear in person or by their sufficient attornies; and that the said Lawrence de Standish should then declare his right upon the same writ to the said advowson or any part thereof, and cease all debate and heaviness upon any pretence. And I, the said Alice, ordain and award that the said Sir Ralph Langton and Alice his wife shall release by fine to the said bishop, Henry, William and James, at the cost of the said Lawrence de Standish, all the lands, tenements, &c., in dispute in the town of Wigan, &c. And the said Ralph shall let or make James Langton, his brother, and George, brother of James, betwixt this and the feast of . . . next ensuing, release to the said bishop, William, and Henry, all their rights, &c., in the said lands. And that within six months after, the said bishop, &c., shall enfeoff William, Robert, and James de Standish, William the son of John Gerard, James de Heton, John de Chesenhall, Dakin de Standish, John and Thurstan de Standish, Richard de Molyneux, &c., upon condition that they shall enfeoff by deed the said Sir Ralph de Langton and his heirs for ever in the same lands and tenements, &c. And within a quarter of a year after the said Sir Ralph is so enfeoffed in the said lands, &c., he shall grant by his deed indented to the said Lawrence de Standish and his heirs an annual rent charge of forty shillings, to be taken out of the rents and profits of the said lands, payable by William de Langton, parson of the church of Wigan, at the terms of Michaelmas and Christmas. And that in the said deed a clause or covenant shall be inserted, that if the said Lawrence de Standish, his heirs or assigns, shall make any claim to any right or title in the said advowson or any part thereof in any court of Record, spiritual or temporal, or at any time present any clerk to the said church, or disturb the said Sir Ralph or his heirs in the presentation of any clerk to the said church, or shall disturb any clerk presented by the said Sir Ralph, his heirs or assigns, to be instituted or inducted in the said church, that then the said rent to cease and be determined for ever. With another clause or covenant in the said indenture that the said Sir Ralph may have power to enfeoff the said Lawrence de Standish in other lands in the county of Lancaster to the value of the above sum of forty shillings per annum in place of the said lands, &c., in Wigan; and that then the said lands, &c., in Wigan shall be free from the said annual rent-charge. And that after the deed of rent-charge is made and delivered to the said Lawrence de Standish by the said Sir Ralph de Langton, within 40 days ensuing the date thereof the said Sir Ralph shall enfeoff Edmund Crawford, &c., &c., his heirs and assigns, by deed indented, in the lands and tenements of Newton and Langton, upon condition that the said Edmund, &c., shall enfeoff the said Sir Ralph and his heirs for ever in the same lands, &c., within six months of the said enfeoffment made by the said Sir Ralph to the said Edmund, &c., and the said Sir Ralph shall deliver one part of the said indentures to the said Lawrence de Standish to keep with him and his heirs for ever. And also that both the said parties shall be sworn upon a book before me, the aforesaid Alice, in the presence of Sir Philip Boteler, Sir Richard Houghton, and Henry de Kyghley, truly and faithfully to hold this award in all points according to the true intent thereof. And if any altercation, case, or variance, full of matter of any circumstance or dependence thereof, amongst the said parties arise, that then the said parties shall be ruled by me the said Alice and my counsel therein until the time that this matter be at an effectual end by the advice of me the said Alice and my said counsel, so that I the said Alice determine this matter before the feast of St Michael next coming. Dated at Weryngton the Saturday next after the feast of St. Hilary in the 8th year of the reign of King Henry the sixth (1429), in witness whereof I the said Alice have hereto set my seal."
This award does not appear to have been acted upon, for litigation continued to a later date. In the meantime Sir Ralph de Langton died in July, 1331,[8] and John Gerard of Bryn, within a year afterwards. William de Langton also appears to have resigned the benefice about this time, for in 10 Hen. VI. (1431-2) we find him fining with the King as late parson of Wygan.[9]
- ↑ Chancery Rolls Lane, 4 Hen. V. (same appendix, p. 13). No entries of institutions to the Rectory of Wigan occur in the Lichfield Diocesan Register after 1370, when James de Langton was admitted, until the year 1457.
- ↑ Hill's Hist. of Langton p. 20.
- ↑ Chancery Rolls, Lanc., 7 Hen. V. (in tergo) No. 11 (same appendix, p. 23).
- ↑ Chancery Rolls, Lanc., I Hen. VI. No. 8 (appendix to 33rd Report, p. 24).
- ↑ Ibid. 6 Hen. VI. No. 50 (same appendix, p. 29).
- ↑ According to the Gerard pedigree Alice, wife of John Gerard of Bryn, was the daughter of John Boteler.
- ↑ Orig. documents of the family of Standish of Standish, contributed by F. Peake, Esq., to Local Gleanings of Lancashire and Cheshire, vol. ii pp. 60, 61.
- ↑ Chancery Rolls, Lanc., 10 Hen. VI. No 91.
- ↑ Ibid., No. 99.