Page:The History of the Church & Manor of Wigan part 2.djvu/44

Rh not hereafter observe the same, then nott to be binding to any partye; dated this 23: febr: 1618 [1618-9] Ge. Cant. He. Montague

L. Elie He. Hobart." The Archbishop of Canterbury at this time was Dr. George Abbot, and the bishop of Ely Dr. Launcelot Andrews, who was translated to Winchester a few days after this award was given; the Chief Justices were Sir Henry Montague, Lord Chief Justice of England, and Sir Henry Hobart, Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. It appears from the above account of the trial that Hugh Forth, the mayor of Wigan, and Case and Langshaw, the bailiffs, had been guilty of some rudeness towards the rector on 20th January, 1617-18, being the second year of his incumbency, for which they feared they might have to answer at the court of enquiry held before the four Lords. The occasion was this, as appears from a memorandum of Dr. Bridgeman's in the Wigan Leger. The rector was in the court-house waiting to hear the issue of an indictment which he had brought before Mr. Wrightington and other magistrates against Hellen Lathwayt for unlawfully holding possession of a certain part of the glebe.

"20 January, 1618. Md that while I was sitting at the bench (before the foresaid indictment was brought in) some of the towsmen, viz., the Baylifes Case & Langshaw, &c., went to the mayor's house and told him that I was sit in his place, whereupon the Mayor (called Hugh Forth) came up to the Hall, with his father, Peter Marsh, Hugh Challoner, Ralph Martland, Charles Leigh, &c., and came to the place where I sate, saying, 'you must arise', I answered, here the Justices placed me, yet if he required it as a Justice of peace I would arise. He then said, 'you shall not sit there.' I answered again, 'If you say you are a Justice of peace and so will sitt here I will remove.' Then he said, 'I am a Justice of peace, and so I will sitt there',