Page:The History of the Church & Manor of Wigan part 1.djvu/125

 the last incumbent, by Thomas White, citizen and merchant-tailor of the city of London, having paid his first-fruits two days before into the Office of First-Fruits and Tenths. He was instituted and admitted by John, bishop of Chester (probably on that or the following day). On 9th August he appointed John Grene and John. . . . . to act as his proctors to take possession of the rectory of Wigan.

Shortly afterwards he had a contention with Ralph Bradshagh (or Bradshawe), Esq., then mayor of Wigan, and the burgesses thereof, for possession (inter alia) of the deed of John Maunsell, whereby he granted to the town of Wigan her liberties. This appears from a bill of complaint which was laid in the Duchy Court by William Fourde. mayor of Wigan, Adam Banke, Charles Lee and others, burgesses of Wigan, in 38 Hen. VIII. (1546), wherein they state that in the 35th year of the reign of Henry VIII. there was a contention between Ralph Bradshagh, at that time mayor of Wigan, and the burgesses of the same town, of the one part, and John Herbert, clerk, then and yet parson of Wigan, of the other part, concerning certain tithes and deeds relating to the liberties of the town, by one of which deeds John Maunsell, parson of the said town, granted to the burgesses all the rights and liberties of their said town, as they were by King Henry III. granted unto him (the said Maunsell) and to his successors for ever: Maunsell to receive 12 pence from each burgess