Page:The History of the Church & Manor of Wigan part 1.djvu/139

Rh lawfully possessed of two closes of arable land lying in an enclosure called "the Ease," in the town of Wigan, together with the tithe of hemp, flax, and hay growing and remaining in the same town, for the term of 26 years not yet expired, by the lease of one John Ketchyn, Esq., to him made by an Indenture dated 6th March, 32 Henry VIII. (1540-1). He was also possessed of one croft of land commonly called "the Checker" and one "frounte" called "the Mayster's croft" leased to him by Robert Hatton, the date of which lease was 6th April, 32 Hen. VIII. (1541); and his complaint is that one Richard Smyth, parson of the church of Wigan, together with William Hyde of Wigan, saddler, Hugh Pemberton, and divers other persons unknown, have at divers times riotously entered the said land and detained the said tithes amounting to the value of £4 and do yet detain them, in the endeavour that the said Oliver, being a very poor man, may relinquish his term and interest therein.

Richard Smyth's tenure of the rectory of Wigan was a short one. If he was the same with the rector of Bury of that name he must have been an old man at the time of his admission to Wigan rectory, for Richard Smyth had already been rector of Bury for more than forty years. It is highly probable that he