September, 1646.
[28 September, 1646.]
Mr. Richard Whitefield & future Ministers of Holland Church to have all Tithes, Rents, &c., in ancient; precincts of that Church formerly paid to Rector of Wigan.; To bear sixth part of duties payable to King out of Wigan Rectory.; Inhabitants of Holland Precincts to hear necessary charges of Church there.; Wm. Ashurste & others discharged from certain payments to Bishop of Chester or Orlando Bridgeman.; Indemnity.
Whereas a Bill hath passed the House of Commons, and is
now in the House of Peers (whereunto the Kings Royal assent
in these times of distraction cannot be had) for making the
Chappel of Holland in the County of Lancaster, with the precincts thereof into a distinct Parish, and to be divided from the
rest of the Parish of Wigan; And whereas in the said Bill it is
declared, that the said Parish of Wigan is very spacious and
populous, and the Profits belonging to the said Rectory of Wigan
is very great, and that the Inhabitants within the Precincts of
the Church or Chappelry of Holland, do live far distant from the
Parish Church of Wigan (some of them near six miles) so as
they cannot possibly receive the benefit thereof; and although
all Parochial Duties be necessarily exercised at the said Church
or Chappel of Holland, yet here is no maintenance at all for a
preaching Minister belonging to it: And whereas now the whole
profits of the said Rectory of Wigan is taken and seized by vertue
of the Ordinance of both Houses of Parliament, for the Sequestring of Delinquents Estates; And the Committees for Sequestration have no power by the said Ordinance to distribute or
dispose any of the profits belonging to the said Parish Church of
Wigan unto any other Church or Chappel within the said Parish,
and the people by reason of these sad distractions, are utterly
unabled to maintain a Minister at their own charge; therefore,
for the providing of fit maintenance for a preaching Minister
at the said Church or Chappel of Holland, and for the ease of
the said Inhabitants within the said Church or Chappelry, according to the provisions in the aforesaid Bill; The Lords and
Commons assembled in Parliament, do hereby Order and Ordain,
That Mr. Richard Whitefield a godly, learned and Orthodox
Divine (now Minister of the said Church or Chappel of Holland)
and the Minister of the place successively shall have, hold, receive and take all the Tithes, Lands, Rents, Duties and Profits
whatsoever, within the ancient Precincts of the said Church or
Chappel of Holland (that is to say) the yearly Rent of Nineteen
marks anciently paid for the Corn Tithes of the several Towns of
Holland and Dalton, and all other Tithes and Profits whatsoever
within the said Towns, and of the Town of Orrel, and such parts
of the several Towns of Billing and Winstanly, as are within
the known or reputed Precincts of the said Church or Chappelry
of Holland, which the Rector of the said Parish Church of Wigan
had received, or heretofore enjoyed in right of the said Rectory
or Parish Church of Wigan: And all persons paying their Tithes,
Rents or other duties to the said Minister of Holland, and to the
Ministers of the said place successively, within the Precincts of
their said Church or Chapelry of Holland as aforesaid, are
hereby acquitted and discharged of the said payments, and from
all other claims and demands by any person or persons whatsoever concerning the same. And the Minister of the said Church
or Chappel of Holland, shall have the same remedy to recover
all Tithes and other Profits within the said Church or Chappelry that the Rector of Wigan had or ought to have had, if this
Ordinance had not been made. And whatsoever Duties to His
Majesty shall be payable out of the said Rectory of Wigan, the
said Minister of Holland shall pay and bear a full sixth part
thereof for the Profits he receives within the aforesaid Church
or Chappelry. And it is further Ordered and Ordained, That
the Inhabitants within the said Church or Chappelry of Holland
shall from time to time bear all necessary charges and payments
to and for the said Church or Chappel of Holland. And they
shall hereafter be discharged of and from all Offices, payments
and duties whatsoever unto the said Parish or Parish Church of
Wigan, and from all attendance upon the same. And whereas
for procuring the consent of Doctor Bridgeman Bishop of Chester
Rector of the said Parish Church of Wigan, unto the aforesaid
Bill, William Ashurst Son and Heir apparent of Henry Ashurst
of Ashurst in the County of Lancaster Esq.; James Marshal,
Richard Leigh, Hilliam Bowyer, Robert Holland, Jeffery Roby,
and William Prescot of Holland Yeomen, David Holland, George
Barton, and Richard Prescot of Dalton Yeomen, Jeffery Burchal
of Orrel, John Smethurst of Billing, and Nicholas Withington
of Winstanly, Yeomen, Inhabitants within the said Church or
Chappelry of Holland did covenant to pay unto Orlando Bridgeman, Esq; Son to the said Bishop of Chester, for his use six
hundred pounds per annum for all the rest of the Tithes and
Profits of the said Rectory of Wigan so long as he should continue Rector there; All which Tithes and Profits are now by
vertue of the aforesaid Ordinance of Sequestration seized and
taken for the Delinquency of the said Bishop, and the said Orlando Bridgeman; It is therefore further Ordered and Ordained,
That the said William Ashurste Richard Leigh, James Marshal,
Robert Holland, Will: Bowyer, Jeffery Roby, Will: Prescot,
David Holland, George Barton, Richard Prescot, Jeffery Burchal,
John Smethurst, Nicholas Withington, and their Heirs, Executors and Administrators shall hereby be clearly acquitted and
discharged from all payments unto the said Bishop of Chester,
or Orlando Bridgeman, or their Assigns, for any of the Tithes
and Profits belonging to the said Rectory of Wigan, and from all
Covenants, Bonds or other Writings concerning the same. And
that they and every of them shall make a true and perfect Accompt unto the Officers appointed for Sequestrations within the
said County of Lancaster, of all moneys or other goods belonging
to the said Rectory of Wigan received by them, or any of them,
or any other person imployed from, by or under them or any of
them; And if any moneys or other goods belonging to the said
Bishop of Chester, or Orlando Bridgeman be found in their
hands, they and every of them are hereby required forthwith to
pay the same unto the said Officers for Sequestration, whose
Acquittance shall be their sufficient discharge. And they and
every of them shall leave the whole profits of the said Rectory
of Wigan to be disposed of by the Parliament for the time to
come. And whatsoever any person shall do in pursuance of this
Ordinance, they shall be saved harmless by the power and authority of both Houses of Parliament.