Page:The History of the Church & Manor of Wigan part 2.djvu/54

Rh mill. But Dr. Bridgeman refused, only he told him that for the rent which was due in his mother's time (who was tenant to the said mill) he the said Dr. Bridgeman would accept of so much of it as his mother owed, namely, for that half-year which ended at Christmas last, forty shillings; but for this half-year which ended last Midsummer, being his mother died before it expired, and that the said Miles intruded into it without the parson's leave, therefore he would not accept of the forty shillings rent for that half-year, but would be satisfied for the mayne profits thereof. But at the instance of the said Miles (who besought him to accept as much and no more for that half-year than the Arch Bp of Ca$\overline{n}$t, set down for the time hereafter) the said Dr. Bridgeman was content to take £3 6s. 8d. of the said Miles in part of the mayn profits of the come mill which fell before last Midsummer, but with protestation that he did not accept it as a rent, nor would take any rent of the said mill hereafter, but upon the good behaviour of the said Miles and the due performance of all promises which he hath made to the said Dr.; and the said Miles is content herewith, and hereupon hath under his hand subscribed that he holds the said water come mill but only by Dr. Bridgeman's favour and as a tenant at will of the parson.
 * Witnesses hereof: Witt: Brown, Witt: Wicksteed."

The churchwardens of the Wigan parish church were chosen in those days as they are now, viz., one by the parson, and the other by the people, as appears by the following entry in the Wigan Leger: "On Easter Tuesday (being 7° Aprill), 1618, I, John Bridgeman, chose Robt. Markland of Wigan, shoomaker, to be churchwarden for this next year, according as Mr. Augustine Wildbore had chosen (this day twelve months last) John Wakefield, panner, to be churchwarden by my appointment, whiles I attended on the King in Scotland. Jo: Bridgeman." Dr. Bridgeman's curates at Wigan at that time were Mr. Augustine