Page:History of the Fylde of Lancashire (IA historyoffyldeof00portiala).pdf/432

 eject Mr. Harrison from the building at once, but that gentleman refused to leave unless Mr. Clegg in person performed the duty of turning him out; incensed at his show of obstinacy, the vicar appealed to Christopher Parker, esq., of Bradkirk Hall, a justice of the peace, who was seated within six feet of Mr. Harrison, to remove him, but the magistrate refused to act in the matter, and Mr. Clegg was obliged to descend from the pulpit and undertake the unpleasant task himself. He walked up to the offender, and, taking him by the sleeve, desired him to go out from the church; Mr. Harrison went peaceably with the vicar, but had no sooner passed out through the chancel door than he exclaimed in a loud voice "It is time to go when the devil drives."

Shortly after this episode Mr. Clegg sued Cuthbert Harrison for the sum of 120s., being a fine of 20s. per month extending over six months, for non-attendance at the parish church. The defendant pleaded that when he had attempted to attend the service at Kirkham he had been ejected from the church by the plaintiff himself, and the judge who summed up the evidence in favour of the defendant, remarked—"There is fiddle to be hanged and fiddle not to be hanged." The verdict went against Mr. Clegg, who reaped only the payment of his own and defendant's costs from this piece of persecution.

Cuthbert Harrison died in 1681, and "a great entreaty," writes his son, "was made to Mr. Clegg to suffer his body to be buried in the church; he-was prevailed with, and Mr. Harrison was interred a little within the great door, which has since been the burial place of the family." The first epitaph below is said, by his son, to have been fixed upon "Cuth. Harrison's grave by Mr. Clegg"; the second one is a retaliation, reported to have been substituted by some local rhymester, after effacing the original one:—

1

"Here lies Cud, Who never did good, But always was in strife;  Oh! let the Knave  Lie in his grave, And ne'er return to life."

2

"Here lies Cud, Who still did good, And never was in strife,  But with Dick Clegg,  Who furiously opposed His holy life."

In 1768 another chapel was erected by the Romanists at Singleton by subscription, and almost immediately the officiating