Page:The History of the Church & Manor of Wigan part 2.djvu/70

Rh for eight shops under the Moot hall, £1 3s. 8d.; of [Roger] Brown On 4th January, 1619-20, the bishop took into his own hand this Hardibut Toft in Scolfield, which was held by Roger Brown, gent., at a rent of 1s. 8d. as a tenant at will, "because the said Roger Brown lives rogueing about London and does not pay his rent," and denied that he was a tenant at will to the bishop (fol. 41). The bishop afterwards let it to Lawrence Prescot, his servant, and Lawrence, being old, disposed of it in May, 1622, to old James Brown, of Scholes Girdler, who asked to be admitted as tenant, so the bishop accepted him as a tenant at will at an increased rent of 3s., but only for a short time, because he intended, if he saw fit, to offer it to young William Brown, the son of Roger, his former tenant, when he came to the age of 21 years (fol. 70). Roger Brown was possessed of considerably more land than this in Wigan, unless he had made away with his inheritance. By inquisition taken at Wigan on 31st March, 1610, after the death of William Brown, gentleman, who died at Ince on 13th May, 38 Elizabeth, 1596, it was found that he died siezed of 16 messuages, six acres of land, one acre of meadow, and four acres of pasture, in Wigan, besides lands in Ince, leaving Roger Brown, his son and heir, who was 30 years of age and more at the date of the inquisition. The messuages, &c., in Wigan were held of Gerard Massie, clerk, in socage by fealty and 8s. 4d. yearly rent, and were worth per annum (clear) £4 (Inq. p. m. 8 James, No. 62). The said Wm. Brown, the younger, appears to have been shortly afterwards admitted as a tenant in fee, for on 12th July, 1626, Ralph Brown, of Wigan, gent., came to the bishop and in the presence of Edward Lloyd and Mr. Langley, vicar of Leyland, tendered 8s. 4d. for a relief for that land which fell to him in Scholes, &c., in the manor of Wigan, by the death of his nephew, William, late son of Roger Brown, of Ince, brother of the said Ralph. The bishop refused it, because full two years' rent was the customary relief in the manor of Wigan, which had formerly been paid by the said William on the death of Roger his father. A few days later Ralph acknowledged his liability, but as he was afflicted by a grievous fit of stone and could not stir, he desired that his son, to whom he had given over his title to the estate, might be admitted in his stead (Wigan Leger, fol. 115). Mr. Ralph Brown, gentleman, de Ince, was buried at Wigan on 11th March, 1626-7 (Parish Register). for Hardibut, 1s. 8d.; of Mrs. [Elizabeth] Markland,