That this visit came off, and a second also on his return journey, appears from a letter of thanks for his entertainment which Lord Wentworth wrote to the bishop from Dublin in the January of the following year [1636-7].[1]
On 25th May, 1636, the bishop records the death of his loving and faithful wife after a long illness, which she bore with exemplary patience. She had borne him fifteen children, of whom but five survived her. Mrs. Bridgeman died at Chester, and was buried 30th May in the cathedral "under the arch between the two highest pillars at the East end of the church on the South side above the Quire next to the old Consistory, which is now called our Ladye's chapel."[2]
He says that "Dorcas like she caused 30 poor old women to be clothed in black gowns & linen kerchiefs; all which went so clad before her herse at the funerall, also 20 gentlemen in black cloth, viz. my sons Orlando & Henry (but they came home after); only at the funeral were present in black gowns Dove, & John (son to Orlando), Dr. Snel, my cosen Charles Jones, chaplen, Mr. Wm. Bispham, Mr. Essex Clark, prebendary, Mr. Cony, the preacher, &c.; and in mourning clokes 11 more viz. my sons James & Richard, Mr. Clark, physician, Edward Russel, Lawrence Booth, Thomas Wasse, George Croston, Wm. Tempest, Tho. Guest, Peter Stringer, John .....; women mourners, Dove's wife, my sister Snel, Eliz: Bispham, Ruth Clark, Mrs. Ambrose, Mrs. Townly, Mrs. Rogers, Mrs. Elianor Dumbel, & 4 other women servants in gowns; & porter, cooks &c., in black mourning coats."[3] The whole cost of the funeral came to about £300. The grave was "a vault being walled therein & planked over her to bear up the earth over the coffin with rest."
In this same year he consecrated the little chapel at Great Lever, which was dedicated to the Holy Trinity.[4] There was an inventory of goods at Lever Hall taken in that year, and the following are given as the contents of the chapel, viz.: "A Square
