The History of the Church and Manor of Wigan/James de Langton (1370)

by George Thomas Orlando Bridgeman

James de Langton, "habens tonsuram clericalem", was presented to the church of Wigan by Ralph de Langton, patron, on the death of Walter de Campeden, late Rector, and he swore, after institution, to pay a pension of £20 a year due to the cathedral. He was instituted at Heywode on ix Kal. (24th) of August, 1370.

In August, 1373, the bishop granted a licence of non-residence to Mr. James de Langton, Rector of Wigan, for one year.^[1] and on 11th September, 1374, the licence was renewed for another year on the payment of 5 marks.^[2]

In 2 Ric. II. James de Langton, parson of the Church of Wigan, had a charter of inspeximus of the charters which had been made to John Maunsell, Robert de Clyderhou, and John de Winwick, dated at Gloucester on 2nd November, 1378; which was again inspected, approved, and confirmed by King Henry IV. in the first year of his reign by charter dated at Westminster on l0th May, 1400. In 1394 he occurs as one of the Trustees enfeoffed by Richard Molineux in his manor of Sefton, and all his other estates.^[3]

In 4 Hen. IV. when John de Brodeheved, of Wigan, and Emma his wife sued Thomas de Gretherton of Wigan, draper, and Alice his wife for the third part of one messuage and acre of land, with the appurtenances, in Wigan, as the dower of the said Alice, which she had of the dowry of Robert Wade of Wigan, formerly her husband, before the King's Justices of Assize, James de Langton appeared, by his attorney, who produced the letters patent of King Edward III. to John de Winwick, together with the confirmation thereof by the present King, and claimed his right to have cognizance of that plea. The said attorney also stated that, in the King's Court at Lancaster, on the Monday of the 4th week of Lent, he had produced a close writ from the King to his justices at Lancaster, enjoining them to permit the said James de Langton to use and enjoy the liberties contained in the beforementioned charters, bearing date at Lancaster on 6th March, 2 Hen. IV. (1401).^[4]

James de Langton, the present Rector, was probably a brother of Ralph de Langton, the Lord of Newton, and patron of the church, though he is not mentioned in the pedigree. He occurs in 1406 as a trustee of the family estates.^[5] He obtained another charter of inspeximus from the new King Henry V. in the first year of his reign. On 1st May, 3 Hen. V. (1415) by inquisition taken after the death of Richard de Pemberton, it was found that the said Richard died seised in his demesne as of fee of three messuages in the vill of Wigan, of the clear annual value of 20s., which formerly belonged to Richard Atkinson, and which were held of James de Langton, parson of the church of Wigan, in socage; also of one messuage in the same vill, situate between the messuage of Adam de Berkhed and William de Orrell, and one messuage in the same vill situate between the land of the parson of the said church of Wigan and that of Matthew Russell, and one burgage which lately belonged to John de Kirton in the same vill, which same messuages and burgage were held of the said parson, lord of Wigan, by what service the jurors are ignorant, and they are of the clear annual value of 20s.; also of one toft adjacent to Bickerstath-acre in the same vill, and three acres of meadow in the same vill, which were held of the said parson of Wigan by socage, and are of the clear annual value of 12s.. He died seised also of other lands in Pemberton, which were held of Henry de Pemberton in socage, and also of certain lands in Pinington. Hugh de Pemberton, son of Thomas, son of the aforesaid Richard, was his heir.^[6]

James de Langton died intestate in this same year (1415); indeed, he must have been dead before the above inquisition was taken, for Henry, Hugh, and William de Langton give a fine to administer his goods and chattels, which fine is recorded among those of 2 Hen. V.,^[7] and must, therefore, have been made before the 20th of March, 1415, which closes the second year of his reign.

father's death, and the said Ralph gave and granted to his son Henry and Agnes his wife 15 messuages, 160 acres of land, 20 acres of meadow, 10 acres of wood, 20 acres of moor, and 100 acres of pasture, parcel of the said manor of Walton, to hold to the said Henry and Agnes, and the heirs of their bodies issuing, with remainder to the right heirs of the said Ralph, and the same Ralph gave to James de Langton, parson of the church of Wigan, John de Pilkington, parson of the church of Bury, and Richard de Cliptson, parson of the church of Radclif, and their heirs and assigns for ever, the manors and advowson aforesaid (except the premises before granted as above to the said Lawrence and Henry and Agnes), who afterwards released all their right therein to the aforesaid Ralph and his heirs and assigns for ever, and the said Ralph of such estate died siezed (the writ of Diem clausit extremum issued after his death was dated 16 April, 1406); the manors of Newton and Langton, together with the manors of Kenyan, Erbury, and the moiety of the manor of Goldbum, which are parcel of the manor of Newton, and the advowson aforesaid, are holden of the King in capite as of the Honor of Lancaster, by service of 10s. and suit at the wapentake of West Derby every three weeks; and the manors of Sotheworth, Wigan, Ines near Wigan, Hyndley, Adburgham, Assheton, Pemberton, Billynge, Wynstanley, Haydok, Orrell, Winquik-cum-Hulme, Wolfton, Pulton, Midelton, and Hoghton, with the other moiety of the town of Goldbum, which are parcel of the aforesaid manor of Newton, are holden as of the Duchy of Lancaster by fealty only, and the said manor of Walton is entirely holden of the King as Earl of Lincoln; the aforesaid Henry de Langton is son and heir of the said Ralph de Langton and Joan his wife. (Appendix to the 33rd Report of the Deputy Keeper of Records, p. 6.)

1. Lichfield Dioc. Reg. Lib. v. fol. 85b.
2. Ibid., fol. 30a.
3. Inq. Post Mort., 21 Ric. II., Lanc. Inquisitions, Chetham Tract xcv, p. 70.
4. Plea Rolls, Lane, 2 Hen. IV.
5. Chancery Rolls, Lanc, 7 Hen. IV., No. 37, being a precept dated 16th June, 1406, to the escheator to give to Henry de Langton, son and heir of Ralph, son of John, son of Robert, son of John de Langton and Alice his wife, and Agnes his wife, livery of his lands, taking security of him for payment of their relief. It was found by inquisition that John de Langton, clerk, by fine levied in 32 Edw. I. gave the manors of Walton in le Dale, Newton, and Langton, with the appurtenances, and the advowson of the church of Wigan, to John, son of Robert de Langton, and his wife Alice, and the heirs of the body of the said Alice by the said John begotten, with remainder to the right heirs of the said Alice, and after the deaths of the said John and Alice the premises descended to Robert, their son and heir, and after his death to John, son and heir of the said Robert, which said John gave to one Lawrence M … chaplain, and his heirs and assigns for ever, 16 messuages, 200 acres of land, 40 acres of meadow, 12 acres of wood, 40 acres of moor, and 200 acres of pasture, parcel of the said manor of Walton, who gave the same to Ralph de Langton and Joan his wife and the heirs of their bodies lawfully begotten, with remainder to the right heirs of the said Ralph, which said Ralph was the son and heir of the aforesaid John, son of Robert, son of John, and to whom the said manors and advowson descended after his
6. Towneley abstracts of Lancashire Inquisitions Chetham Tract xcv, p. 103.
7. Chancery Rolls Lanc., 2 Hen. V. No. 15 (appendix to 33rd Report, p. 12). Henry de Langton, the first named of the administrators, will probably have been the intestate's nephew, the Lord of Newton, and William de Langton was probably his successor at Wigan.