As to the Wigan corn mill, with respect to which the archbishop had begged Dr. Bridgeman to deal moderately with the tenant and to let him have a lease on lenient terms, the following memorandum occurs in the Wigan Leger of July, 1618: "Md that on the day of July (1618), Miles Letherbarrow with Geffrey Sherington his unckle in law came to me at Wigan Hall, and tendred a lease to me for the corne mill in Millgate, and desired me to seal it to him. I told him that if he would renounce all the right to it save through me I would do so. For I found by experience in the Walk millers that though my predecessor parson Fleetwood had evicted them and by three several decrees gotten them to the church, yet upon submission he let the millers still enjoy them without the taking possession himself or making them renounce all other right save under the parson, whereupon they lately pleaded against me in the Duchy that, though Mr. Fleetwood had formerly such decrees against them, yet he knew in his own conscience he had no true right unto them and therefore he suffered them to enjoy the mill still. Now lest this Miles Letherbarrow might hereafter say so of me to my successors, and so put them to as much trouble for recovering this come mill as those fullers have put me unto for recovering of the fulling mill, I required Miles Letherbarrow to renounce all other title under his hand, and so I would seal him a lease, but he refused, saying his ancestors built the said mill and therefore he had right to it, whereupon I refused to sign his lease. After that I sent Wm Brown to claim possession of the said mill, but Letherbarrow refused to deliver it And in presence of Captain Manwaring, 28th July, I offered to seal him a lease if he would renounce all other title, but he refused."[1]
Dr. Bridgeman was therefore obliged to sue him for possession at the next assizes, and an order to give the parson possession of the Bridge mill was shortly afterwards made by Judge Winch, in the following terms:
"Die Jovis, 20th August, 1618, inter Joh'em Bridgeman clīcum
- ↑ Wigan Leger, fol. 20.
