Page:The History of the Church & Manor of Wigan part 2.djvu/51

230 Those who were being sued were highly exasperated when they found that the parson was likely to be successful. One Alexander Green (son of the above-named Edmund Green) came to Mr. Edward Bridgeman (Dr. Bridgeman's brother) on 18th May, 1618, and asked him when he had last seen Dr. Bridgeman; and on his demanding why he enquired, the said Alexander replied: "If I could meet him handsomely I would be one of those that should kill him," and he added the reason, "for he hath almost undone my father and hath made him spend half his estate." This was sworn to by Edward Bridgeman before Sir Stephen Soame, alderman of London. And when Dr. Bridgeman heard thereof he went to Sir Stephen Soame, who sent for young Green (on the Friday before the hearing for the walke mills), and when he asked him about these words he denied them, but confessed that he had said, "It is a pity he should live," and being committed prisoner to the counter in the Poultry he then confessed to the keeper that he had said, "If he" (meaning Dr. Bridgeman) " had been hanged when he first came to Wigan it had been a good turne." On being sent for from the counter before Sir Stephen and Mr. George Hyer he denied it again, but said he had spoken some words which he then remembered not, and being asked why he said it, he answered, because Dr. Bridgeman (as he had heard) is troublesome to the whole town, &c., as Mr. Peter Marsh and Wm. Forth had told him the last term.

On 3rd May, 16 18, while Dr. Bridgeman was in London, the deanery of Windsor became vacant by the death of Dr. Anthony Maxy, and application was made for it by many to the King, but the King offered it the same day to Dr. Bridgeman without any solicitation on his part. Three days afterwards, however, the archbishop of Spalatro claimed a former promise from the King, made at his first coming into England; whereupon Bridgeman relinquished his title.