Page:The History of the Church & Manor of Wigan part 2.djvu/62

Rh Wigan and Ince, and was diverted out of his course by the said Miles that he might thereby have water to serve his said new erected mill; and whereas there now is a sute depending between me the parson of Wigan and John Farebrother, Miller, for the tithe of the said new erected mill: Now the said Thomas Gerard hath supplicated to me that I would suffer his said mill to stand, and to take an annuall rent or sum of money for the tenth or tith thereof yearly, and he offereth to pay me yearly for the said tith 20s, that is to say 5s every quarter so long as I shall suffer the said mill ther to stand : Know all men therefore that, at the request of Sr Thomas Gerard the elder and his son Sr Thomas Gerard the younger, of the b'rin, Knights, I am content that the said mill shall stand, till I or my successors shall otherwise be pleased or have just grievance offered to them or me ; and also I am content to accept of the said 20s yearly rent for the tenth or tith of the Toll thereof to be paid quarterly as aforesaid.
 * Witnesses—

William Seller.

Robert Jolie.

Jo. Cestren.

Tho. Gerrard."

After the settlement with Hugh Forth for the two corn mills, namely, on the 15th September, 1619, Dr. Bridgeman, having now had quiet possession of the fulling mills on the Douglas for about a year and a half, admitted, as his tenants at will, to the upper or Coppull Mill, Ralph Astley, Ralph Anderton, and Edmund Greene, all of Wigan, fullers: they having acknowledged that they had no right or title to any of the said mills, from which they had justly been put out of possession by a final decree in the Duchy Court. They promised to behave themselves dutifully to the parson and his successors, and never again to claim any right thereto except as tenants at will; they engaged to pay the parson a yearly rent of 30s., covenanted to erect and set up the said mill in as good a fashion as ever it was before, and to give up possession whenever it shall be demanded of them by the parson for the