Page:The History of the Church & Manor of Wigan part 2.djvu/97

276 was at home again at Wigan, where he lay sick, and where his wife nearly died of the fever.

More than one instance occurs this year of persons taken up in Wigan for stealing by Richard Ford, the parson's bailiff, when the felon's goods were forfeited to the parson's use. On one occasion, namely, on 17th June, 1623, one John Owen, a boy aged 17, had brought a load of knives and scissors to town and sold them so cheap that the townsmen suspected he had stolen them, and thereupon he was imprisoned, and his dame sent for, and the goods seized, which, upon sight of his dame, he confessed to belong to her husband, Thomas Foster of Knotsford, and the knives were thereupon seized by the town bailiffs, Thomas Banks and Thurston Whaly. The bishop therefore sent to them requiring them to bring them to him, and they brought them ; and because the said Thomas Foster took his oath before the bishop that the goods were his, and that the boy had received them from him to carry to Sawford (Salford) fair, and had run away with them, he delivered them up to the said Foster, and the boy was whipt by the bailiffs.

On the 7th of July, 1623, bishop Bridgeman left Wigan and came to dwell at the palace at Chester. Here he set himself to work at reforming the abuses which had crept into the cathedral establishment, and issued some stringent injunctions to the clergy and other officials of that church, which are dated "the twelfth day of July in the year of our Lord God 1623." The rules here laid down for their guidance shew that the church greatly needed reform at that time, as will appear from the following extracts :—

Imprimis. "That the absence of the Dean and Chapter of this Church is the cause of much disorder and negligence in other members. That the two ancientest Prebendaries shall reside and abide on their Prebends from Christmas Eve until Annunciation Day; and the two next senior Prebendaries shall do the like from Annunciation till Midsomer Day; and the two junior Prebendaries the like from the Feast of St. John