Page:The History of the Church & Manor of Wigan part 1.djvu/147

Rh the duties of the office to be exercised by the said Fleetwood or his lawful deputy. Sir Thomas Langton, being Fleetwood's deputy, the [blank] day of [blank] last past, on going to the court to exercise the said duties was riotously interrupted, troubled, and disquieted by certain evil disposed persons, among whom were Richard Moore, Peter Marshe, Thomas Becke, Robert Penington, Rauffe Turner, John Scotte, John Prescotte, Robert Prescotte, Thomas Barrowe, Richard Casson, Geoffrey Pilkington, John Fraunce, and Thomas Orrell, who have divers times since misused (and wrongfully imprisoned) James Henryson, William Straitbarell, and other servants of the said Stanley and Sir Thomas Langton, both by violence and threatenings, and certain of the said riotous persons refuse to appear at the said court to do their duties and service according to their tenure.

The inquisition was taken at Westminster on the 28th of April, 3 Eliz. 1561, when Richard Moore of Wigan, yeoman, aged 50, John Scott of Wigan, yeoman, aged 55, and Geoffrey Pilkington, three of the defendants, appeared, and were examined upon oath. They deposed that the parson of Wigan had had a "Leete or Lawe daye" and a Court of Record for all manner of pleas or matters in Wigan to their knowledge by the space of 20 years, and that the said deponents had done suit and service there until now of late they and divers others of the inhabitants had said nay to do any such suit or service, thinking that of right the said bishop ought not to have or keep any such court or leet there. That they had no knowledge of Stanley's having appointed William Fleetwood to be his steward general of the same court, or of his having ever exercised the said office. They denied having troubled, vexed or disquieted the said Sir Thomas Langton when sitting in the said court, but they said that Richard Moore, being then Mayor of Wigan, had sat down by Sir Thomas to see that nothing was done to the prejudice of the town of Wigan or the liberties thereof, and John Scott deposed that when Sir Thomas was sitting in court and