Page:The History of the Church & Manor of Wigan part 2.djvu/99

278 with protestation that if sensible amendment be not found in the education of the choristers before Michaelmas next, he shall then be utterly deprived of his place in this Church, and another put therein.

Item. It is ordained and decreed that every quarter of the year, that is to say, upon the Monday se'nnight before Christmas, Annunciation, Midsommer, and Michaelmas, the Sub-dean and the Prebendaries then residing shall go to the Grammer Schoole and there examine the schollars ; and such as they find indocible or non-proficient they shall give notice of their names that they may be removed, and others placed in their roomes. And because there is a generall complaint that some rich men's sons are made the King's Schollars, contrary to the intention of the foundation and to the great wrong of the poorer boys, it is ordained that forthwith a survey be made of the schollars, and this abuse be instantly redressed, and carefully avoided afterwards, upon pain of excommunication to him who hath or shall appoint any such Schollar, and doth not return it within a month.

Item. None of the Bedesmen shall from henceforth receive their pay unless they come daily into the Church and divine service, but shall forfeit for every day's absence 4d. unlesse sickness, imprisonment, or some other great cause, to be allowed by the Dean and Chapter jointly, do hinder them.

Item. Because the use and service of Cooke, Cater (Caterer ?), Butler, Baker, and other such offices is now extinct, it is ordered and decreed that the pensions allotted to those officers shall from henceforth be divided among the petty canons and singing men for the betterment of their wages; which is now too mean to maintain them, considering their charge of wife and children, and seeing they are so diligently to attend divine service as they can hardly by any other vocation procure a competency for their sustenances. As for those other officers of attendance, as Sextons, Virgers, and such like, whose office is either to attend the ministers in time of divine service, or out of service to attend the church that no prophanations or annoyance may attend it, it is decreed and strictly enjoyn'd them that they diligently and continually wait on their places, and not absent themselves any time of the day from the Church, excepting only at dinner and supper time.

Item. Because lamentable experience of the sacrilegious and ravenous disposition of those who formerly have been members of this church doe