This rector was a younger son of Thomas Fleetwood, of the Vache, Esq., Treasurer of the Mint, and some time M.P. for the county of Bucks, by his second wife Bridget, daughter of Sir John Spring of Lavenham, in the county of Suffolk, knight, and nephew of John Fleetwood of Penwortham, who married the daughter of Sir Thomas Langton, knight.[1] Mrs. Bridget Fleetwood, his mother, was afterwards married to Sir Robert Wingfield of Leatheringham, in the county of Suffolk, knight, and was living in 1571 when her son became rector of Wigan.[2] Edward Fleetwood, to whom Edward, Earl of Derby, was godfather,[3] must have been very young when he was made rector of Wigan, for by inquisition taken at Lancaster on 26th March,
- ↑ Priory of Penwortham, Chetham Tract xxx. p. liii. Mr. Thomas Fleetwood, who died 1st November, 1570, was buried in the church at Chalfont, St. Giles, in the county of Bucks. He died seised of the manor of Northbreke and a messuage called Rossal Grange, &c. Arms; per pale nebulée azure and or, six martlets counter-changed.
- ↑ Bishop Bridgeman's Wigan Ledger.
- ↑ Ibid.
was slain, and it is supposed that he made his peace with the family by ceding to them his manor and principal residence of Walton-in-le-dale, in the county of Lancaster. He was Knight of the Bath at the Coronation of James the First, and died 20th February, 1604-5, without issue, when his cousin Richard Fleetwood, eldest son of Thomas Fleetwood, succeeded as heir of entail under the will of his grandfather Sir Thomas Langton. Dodsworth preserves a record of the following tablet originally placed in Wigan Church, but which had then been removed to Duxbury :— "To oblivion And ye due [drie] bones of Sir Thos Langton of ye Honble order of ye Bathe Knt. Baron of Newton Mackersfeld ye last of his name and ye undoubted patron of this Church descended from a most ancient famous and farre renouned family of Langton of Leicestershire who some times were of great authority both in ye Church and Commonwealth of this kingdome and for ye space of 300 yeares have flourished in this County. A gentleman yt many times tuggd wth extremetyes and made warre with ye worst of misfortunes &c. He departed this lief in ye citty of Westminster 20 Feby. 1604 when he had lyved 44 yeres and lyes buried nere ye high altar in St. Peter's Church adjoyning to the Abbay." In the inquisition taken four years after his death, that event is said to have happened at Newton (Lancashire and Cheshire Wills and Inventories, Chetham Tract li. p. 251. See also History of Langton by John Harwood Hill, pp. 19-23).
