Page:The History of the Church & Manor of Wigan part 2.djvu/102

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
History of the Church and Manor of Wigan.
281

which his successor was collated 30th September, and admitted 3rd October, 1623,[1] and a few weeks later, namely, on the 28th of October, James Markland, mayor of Wigan, and Peter Marsh came with the bishop's servant, William Brown, and with the two bailiffs of Wigan, William Leigh and Gilbert Gardner, to the parsonage house at Bangor, and desired him to forgive them, or at least to spare them from being proceeded against in the Star Chamber. He had served a process upon them to appear in the Star Chamber for that they had troubled his tenants and fetched them into the Chancery Court at Preston, because they refused to contribute towards Barrow's expenses in the journeys he had made to London in his suits against the justices before mentioned; and some of them had been forced to pay, in order to save a journey to Preston, but William Ormshaw refused to pay and acquainted the bishop with it, which moved him to call them again into the Star Chamber. But now, upon their humble submission and promise to carry themselves quietly and honestly hereafter, he was content to spare the mayor's appearance at London, "but so as he should take out a commission to rejoin (sic) here in the country."[2]

On 20th November, 1623, because Alexander Buckly no longer resided at Wigan, being in attendance upon the bishop as his servant at Bangor, he bestowed the clerkship upon Thomas Coates, the organ maker, with all the dues and fees belonging to it, and told Mr. Bridge, the curate, to give notice of it publickly in time of divine service in church.[3]

Mr. Massie of Strangways succeeded Mr. Richard Walton this year as parson's steward."[4]

While at Bangor, in 1623, bishop Bridgeman had a controversy with old Lady Puleston about tithes. The parish of Bangor then included Orton Madoc and Worthenbury, and for the great

  1. Willis' Survey of Cathedrals, vol. ij, p. 440-1; and Le Neve's Fasti.
  2. Wigan Leger, fol. 96.
  3. Ibid.
  4. Family Evidences, from MS. No. 1, being the account book of the bishop's private secretary, William Browne.