Page:The History of the Church & Manor of Wigan part 2.djvu/35

214 shew some other tide, wch if they would it might happily satisfy me, but they refused. Hereupon I demanded of them these particulars, first, because I took myself (as parson of Wigan) to be lord of the town of Wigan, and did now clayme and chalenge the mannor of Wigan in right of my church, I asked them if the town, or any in or of the town, or any of them then present (who were more than the chamber could hold of the aldermen and burgesses) would chalenge the mannor, or say that the same did not belong to the parson; the mayor, Hugh Ford, reply'd the mannor did belong to them, but his father, old William Ford, and the rest recalled him and willed him not to say so; but that every one of them did and still must pay to the parsons of Wigan 12d for their burgages, and more than so they said that they could not answer to that question, and therefore they entreated tyme to ask of their counsell when they came home from their term what to answer therein. Then I asked them whether they would justifye, defend, or joyne wth any of the tenants if I try my church's title with any of them for the lands and tenements wch they hold of my church, or whether they layd clayme to any of those particulars wch I did question. They answered no, neither would they mayntayne any if I sued him for title of land. Then, because on Sunday the 28° Sept. last many that shot and used games in my maynes, being asked by me how they durst doe it wthut my leave, answered that the town would mayntayne them in it, I now asked the town if they claymed any such right, or would defend any whom I sued for shooting, &c., in my maynes; they all answered no, they claym'd no such thing as due to them, nor would mayntayne the accs. of any so doing. Then I told them that I had questioned the right and possession of many tenants at will that held of me, and had re-entred some of their grounds, as namely, 2 closes and 2 tofts of the old widow Lathwayt's, and one toft in the Scholes wch John ffayrbrother held, and that the sd ffayrbrother, having formerly agreed wth me for to give me a fine for the same, now this day refused to pay the fine