Page:The History of the Church & Manor of Wigan part 2.djvu/96

Rh On the same 6th of March, the bishop appointed his servant, Alexander Buckley, to be parish clerk in the room of old Lawrence Prescot, and required Mr. Bridge, the minister, to publish it to the parish; which Buckley received the dues accordingly; but it was intended to be only a temporary appointment, for he purposed that, "when the organs should be renewed, he that is organist should have this clerkship to better his place; and he shall be bound, not only to play on the organs in time of divine service whiles psalms are singing, but shall teach all those children of the parish freely which shall be sent to him to learn musick, and for that purpose the parish consented to give him yearly, besides his clerk's wages, two lays or fifteens, which amounts to £20 or thereabouts."

On Easter Tuesday, 1623, the parishioners met in Wigan church in great numbers to pass the old churchwardens' accounts, to elect new churchwardens, and to lay money for the organs. Roger Baron was the churchwarden then chosen by the rector, and Thomas Ince by the parishioners; and five fifteens were laid throughout the parish for the making of the organs over the old chancel, because Mr. Coats, the organ maker, was to have £35 for his payment in making them, besides the tin and timber and leather and other materials; but because the dearth was great that year, and the parish had already been at great charges about the church roof, belfry, seats, &c., they ordered that only 2½ lays should now be gathered, and the other 2½ lays should be respited till towards harvest time, and in the meantime they desired the bishop to lend such money as the parish should need, and promised that they would repay it; and some undertook to discharge all the said fifteens for so much as their several towns should pay, namely, old Mr. Ford, mayor, and Peter Marsh gave their word for Wigan, Mr. Roger Hindly for Aspull, Mr. Roger Bradshaw for Haigh, and Mr. John Ince for Ince.

The bishop himself seems to have been away at that time, having gone to London for Easter, but by the 26th of April he