Page:The History of the Church & Manor of Wigan part 2.djvu/226

unworthy Predecessors. This Malt house and Brew house, but the Brew house especially, must needs, by noise and smoke and filth, infinitely annoy both my Lo: y^e B^ps house and your owne. And I doe much wonder that any men of ordinary discretion should for a little trifling gayne bring such a mischiefe (for lesse it is not) upon the place of their owne Dwelling. But hitherto this concernes your Predecessors, and not your selves. That w^ch followes will appeare to be your owne fault. For not long since y^e Brewer dyed; and though y^e King's Le'rs were then come downe unto you to forbid letting into lives, yet you did renew it agen into three lives for a poore summe of £30. This was very ill done, and should his Ma^ty be made acquainted w^th it you would not be able to answer it. Now I heare y^e Brewer's wife is dead, and you have given mee cause to feare that you will fill up y^e Lease againe with another life. And then there will be noe end of this mischiefe. I have therefore taken a speciall occasion to moove his Ma^ty in this p'ticular. And his Ma^ty hath required mee to lay his commands upon you (w^ch now I doe by these p'sents) that neither you nor anie of your successors doe p'sume to let anie p^t of that court to anie other then some of the Prebends, or other necessary members of the Church. And that now for the p'sent you renew neither terme of life, nor terme of yeares, either to the Brewer or Maltster, but that you suffer them to weare out that terme which they have, and then reserve the place and houseing for the use afore said. And you are farther, by the same command of his Ma^tie, to register these Letters, that so your successors may know what they have to doe in this p'ticular. And in all this I require your Obedience in his Ma^tyes Name, as you will answer it at your p'ill. So I leave you &c."^[1]

On the back of this letter the bishop has written "I dd. the Arch Bp of Cant, his lr̃e (whereof this is the copy) to dean Malory, Mr. Ley, Mr. Bispham, & Mr. Clark, p'bends, Monday, 26th November, 1638, for their consent 2 days befor their audit & till then they had not a number to make a chapter. I dd. to them in p'sence of Dr. Mainwaring chancelor in the pallace."

His letter of thanks to the archbishop for his services in the matter, dated from Chester, 1st December, 1638, is preserved among the State Papers, and runs as follows:

1. Family Evidences.