Page:The History of the Church & Manor of Wigan part 2.djvu/94

Rh seats, although they had begun to challenge a right; but it appeared by the oaths of divers old men that within the memory of man there were few or no seats in the church, and to that day many seats were used by divers men which stood over burials of other kindreds, as namely, the seats of the mayor and aldermen at the higher end of the north Ile, and many others, and therefore, notwithstanding their pretence, he was sure they had no prober right to particular places; yet because he aimed only at the beauty and decency of the church in the new seating, he promised the parish not to question their places for that time, but on the understanding that he will neither confirm their claim or give them title or right to any place, but leave them in their disordered places, so that the seats be uniform. Only he advised them to rank the best in the highest seats, and so place on the one side only men, and on the other side their wives in order, and to seclude children and servants from sitting with their masters or mistresses.

On 16th September, 1622, he caused his steward and clerk of the market to alter all the measures and weights for corn, &c., from windles, affondolls, &c., and reduce them to the Winchester measure of 2 gallons to the peck and 8 gallons to the bushell, and 4 bushells to the sack, and 2 sacks to the quarter; whereas before they sold by affondolls, whereof 4 made a windle (whereof 3 quarters make a new or Winchester bushell) and 4 of those windles made but one old bushell.

On the 9th of November, 1622, William Ford, potter, the mayor of Wigan, with Peter Marsh, Robert Barrow, James Markland, and others, came to the bishop at Wigan Hall, and paid him 27s. for arrears of rent for the school land of Wigan after the rate of 4s. per annum; for before this he had received none since he became parson, though he had often demanded it and they had put him off; but at last he sued for it, and thereupon they brought it.