Page:History of the Fylde of Lancashire (IA historyoffyldeof00portiala).pdf/385

 Henry VIII. from the abbot and convent of Vale Royal to the dean and chapter of Christ Church, Oxford.

In 1560 Queen Elizabeth ratified and confirmed by letters patent all former charters concerning Kirkham by a deed bearing the date of July 2nd; and later, in 1619, the 17th year of the reign of James I., a record of the Duchy Court of Lancaster states that the bailiffs and burgesses of Kirkham presented a petition praying that they might elect into their government some men of account dwelling near the town, and that it might be declared that the bailiffs had lawful power and authority to correct all malefactors and offenders according to the laws and liberties of the town, and to do and perform all other duties appertaining to their office. They prefaced their prayer by asserting that "the town of Kirkham had been used as an ancient market town and that the inhabitants thereof had time out of mind been accounted a Corporation, incorporated by the name of Bailiffs and Burgesses, and that of late owing to some of the bailiffs being but simple and weak men, and the inhabitants but poor and numerous, it had been found impossible to govern in a proper and satisfactory manner the large confluences of people at fair and market seasons," for which reason they were desirous of gaining an extension of their existing powers as set forth in the plea. The court decreed that "the then Bailiffs of Kirkham and the Burgesses of the same, and their successors, for ever, should and might from thenceforth have and enjoy their ancient usages and liberties by the name of the Bailiffs and Burgesses of the Town of Kirkham, and that the Bailiffs should yearly be chosen out of the Burgesses according to the said usages, or as they in their discretion should think meet, for the better government of the said Town and the people there-*unto resorting, also that the Bailiffs, Burgesses, and Inhabitants should be guildable, and have in the said Town a prison, etc., as had been heretofore, and that the Dean and Chapter and their successors, farmers, and tenants, should and might from henceforth have all their fairs, markets, liberties, privileges, jurisdictions, Court Leets, Court Barons, Courts of Pleas, and the Fair Court, as heretofore had been." The foregoing was ordered to be read in the parish church on the ensuing sabbath, and also in the market place.

From the following ancient and somewhat lengthy document