that he had the originall acknowledgment made by the Earle under his hand and seal, whereupon I sent to him some of my friends, viz., Robert Blindell [Blundell], Esq., and Edward Wrightington, Esquire, both counsellors at law, and also Richard Walton my steward, and William Horrocks my chaplen, and others, and Mr. Stanly shewed the said originall unto every one of them severally, who told me it was a fayr deed and so plainly acknowledging my title to that tith corne as would cleerly evince it to be myne: and therefore I writ to Mr. Edward Stanly on Friday, the 10th of May, by Richard Walton, desiring him to let me see it, or to send me a copy thereof, but he refused to doe so, only he promised that he would let me see a copy of it within 2 dayes; so this day he sent a copy of it to me by Peter Marsh, and told me that he would only let me see it, for his promise sake, but not let it out of his hand, because of the difference twixt him and the house of Darby; so Peter Marsh read it twice unto me, and as nere as I can remember these are the words: 'Whereas I am informed by my cosen . . . Stanly and my servant . . . Faringdon [Farington] that there is sutes and controversy like to arise between me Edward Earl of Darby and my cosen Thomas Stanly parson of Wigan, about the tith come of Holland and Dalton, which the said parson of Wigan claymeth to belong to him; and whereas he requireth me to make an acknowledgment thereof as belonging to his church, which I am unwilling to doe, yet because he challengeth them to belong to his church, to prevent sutes I am content to acknowledge the same, and have sent this my acknowledgment by my said servant to my cosen Stanly, the parson of Wigan, that he may see it, provided alwayes that I may have the said tithes, as my father Thomas Earle of Darby had, for the usuall rent of £12 13s. 4d. yearly. Sealed and signed, Edw: Derby.' This I writ the rather because if God call me out of this world yet my successors may know their right, for, upon my soul, the church of Wigan hath wrong in the withholding of those tithes, which by indirect dealing were evicted from me at Lancaster. But now that God hath brought this
