1625

1. CHESTER (St John Baptist) Anne Blessing c Alice Cowper for defamation - libel.

2. CHESTER (St John) Margaret Hanford c Elena Johnson, sentence in a cause of defamation.

3. CHESTER (St Marton) Office c Richard Annyon and Anna Jones alias Annyon for marriage without banns or licence - libel.

4. CHESTER (St Peter) Thos & Elizabeth Roberts c Margaret Knowlesley for defamation - fragment.

5. CHESTER (St Peter) Margaret Nicholas c Henry Powell saying she committed adultery - libel.

6. CHESTER (St Peter) Margaret Price c Peter Vaughan for defamation - libel.

7. CHESTER (St Mary) Robert Meacock of Upton c Emma & Wm Basford saying, "a plague on thee and thy children" - libel.

8. CHESTER (St Mary) Elizabeth Case c Thos Case for deserting her for taverns and alehouses, playing at shoufleboard and tables all night spending money that should be employed for maintenance - responsions, depositions, sentence, costs.

9. CHESTER (St Mary) Sentence in a matrimonial cause between Margaret Fowler daughter of Peter Fowler of Flookersbrook and John Tyrer.

10. CHESTER (St Mary) Henry Starkey c Elena Jones saying she had a child by him - interrogations, depositions.

11. CHESTER (St Michael) Certificate that (?) Warmingham and Elizabeth Blinston were married after banns called.

12. GOSFORTH John Senhouse of Seascale c Wm Cowper rector for fighting, quarreling, being drunk at Egremond, Bootle, Whitbeck and at other places, standing in a chair in a Bootle alehouse and preaching a profane sermon - libel.

13. KENDAL Confession of Wm Miller that he had brought into church a somer rodd or maypole accompanied by some in men's apparell and others in women's namely John Sale, Henry son of Richard Pearson, Wm Wilkinson, Roland Chambers as women, John Philipson, James Jackson, John Nuby as men and Anthony Wilkinson dressed as a devil.

14. HAWKSHEAD Francis Mayson clerk c Alexander Tomlinson for defamation - sentence, costs.

15. TUNSTALL Bishop Bridgman's orders concerning the minister, churchwardens, 12 sidesmen and school. They are to create a stock of £100 for school, to levy rates to repair of church and officers to be chosen at Easter.

16. STALMINE John Greenhalgh improriator c Dorothy Pike of Stalmine Grange & John Smith of Staynall for tithe oats - libel.

17. WILLINGTON Margaret Dymocke, widow c Roger Ellis for tithe corn - allegations.

18. PRESTON Churchwardens c Jacob Martin vicar concerning his deprivation - sentence.

19. ECCLES Christopher Anderton of Lostock impropriator c Nicholas Valentine of Worsely & Thos Digle of Pendlebury for tithe wheat, barley and French wheat - libel, responsions.

20. BOWDEN Richard Vaudrey of Middle Temple, London impropriator c Geo Boden for tithe animals, fowls and oblations - libel.

21. ASHTON UNDER LYNE Henry Fairfax rector c Wm Marland for tithe of 3d for looms, at least 1d per loom and cows - libel.

22. WILMSLOW Thos Wright rector c Margery Burges for tithe on French wheat - libel.

23. WARRINGTON Peter Harrison impropriator c Thos Bispham for tithe oats from Fearnehead - libel, responsions.

24. ASHTON UNDER LYNE Nicholas Taylor c Henry Lees of Manchester saying he had two wives living and a bastard by one - libel.

25. SHOTWICK Anne Lloyd impropriator c Thos Hichcock for tithe corn - libel, allegations, costs.

26. SHOTWICK Laurence Swettenham impropriator c Richard Chambeleyne for tithe gorse - fragment.

27. THORNTON Geo Byrome rector c Edward Gregg of Hapisforde, Wm Clerk junr & Wm Ellis of Wymbolles for tithe barley and pigs. Defence quotes Act of 2 Edward 6 concerning tithe on heath, barren and waste land - libels.

28. WHITEGATE Churchwardens c Richard Poole concerning dues from manor of Darnall and certain named lands as well as the mill - responsions.

29. MANCHESTER Declaration that Henry Worthington and Alice Hunt were married in the schoolhouse near the parish church by Lodges a chaplain.

30. MANCHESTER Declaration that Wm Hulme of Trafford and Elizabeth Glover were married by Edward Targe curate of Manchester.

31. SALFORD Isabella Higham c Chris Sheppard saying that Henry Watson committed adultery with her and her daughter - libel.

32. STOCKPORT Anna Yearnshawe c Maria Davd saying she had a bastard - libel, depositions.

33. ROCHDALE Maria Ogden c Isabella Leigh calling her a drunken sough and arrant whore - libel, interrogations, depositions.

34. CONGLETON Ellen Davenport c John & Elizabeth Roade saying she was a piper's whore - libel.

35. CONGLETON Margaret Hanford c Eleonora Johnson for calling her a whore - depositions (see also No. 2).

36. TARVIN Anna Amerie c Roger and Joan Carter for defamation - libel, sentence.

37. CLITHEROE Elizabeth Colthurst c Jennet Maylie for defamation - libel, interrogations, depositions.

38. BOLD Dispute between Richard Bold and Thos Starkie and James Atherton concerning a bargain to farm let for £50 the messuage of Markells with lands and right to dig marl and clay in the inclosed grounds from Markell Mosse.

39. BURY Office c Alexander Bradshawe and Elizabeth Stott for a clandestine marriage by Wm Rostherne vicar in a private house - responsions.

40. PRESCOT Huan Haigh c Margaret Leigh saying she would beat his brains out and steal all he had - libel, depositions.

41. BLACKBURN Wm Fleetwood impropriator c Ratcliffe Ashton for tithes - sentence.

42. WYBUNBURY Office c Jacob Whittingham for attaching the body of Thomas Slade by one Burrowes in church on the Sabboth day - libel, depositions.

43. BUNBURY John Povall of Sparstowe and Jane Morris in a matrimonial cause - responsions, sentence.

44. BUNBURY Anna booth c Richard Brownesword for forbidding banns between Anna Booth and Thos Rowlands saying she was contracted to Richard - libel.

45. BUNBURY Thos Hopley c Wm Buckley concerning his title to a seat in right of a messuage called Stonehouse - libel, depositions.

46. WRENBURY Edmund Crewe and JoAnna his wife c Maria Goldsmith saying "God's curse light upon them and the old witch" - libel, sentence.

47. DODLESTON Certificate that John Pickering and Elizabeth Page were married by the curate of Wrexham without banns or licence.

48. AUGHTON Maria Neale c Robert Bickersteth for defamation -libel.

49. PULFORD Anna Booth c John Ducker saying that if she would not make clothes for him and John Wright they would half hand her - libel.

50. PRESTWICH Elizabeth Dickson c Henry Tildesley for defamation - libel.

51. OLDHAM Sentence in a cause between Abraham Leigh and James Beswick of Openshaw and Thos Lawton.

52. LEIGH Office c Henry Byrom and Alice Green for adultery - libel.

53. LEIGH Peter Astley c Margaret Meaneley saying he committed adultery with Cloes wife - libel.

54. PRESTBURY Ellen Dean c Elizabeth Simpson for defamation - libel.

55. PRESTBURY Thos & Ellen Astles c Richard Mateyre in a correction cause - sentence.

56. ALDERLEY Edward Richardson c Henry Fallowes, John Chantler, Jacob Harrop for brawling in church and churchyard - libel.

57. WALTON Neville Key vicar c Jacob White saying the vicar's preaching was like a barking dog - libel.

58. WIGAN Henry Reynolds c John Jolley for defamation - libel.

59. BARROW Eli Houghton clerk c Henry Lowe for tithe hay - responsions.

60. ECCLESTON Office c Ellen Parbolt and Sam Prescott for adultery - libel.

61. WILMSLOW Ellenor Preston widow c Richard & Maria Preston saying she lived in adultery during her husband's lifetime - libel.

62. CONGLETON Elizabeth Fox c Richard & Cecily Heathcoat saying she committed adultery - libel.

63. BARTHOMLEY Robert Kettle c John Yonge saying he committed adultery with Sherretts daughter and sent her to London to have the child born - libel.

64. ULVERSTON Fragment concerning churchwarden and Atkinson the minister of God's Word and communicating at Easter.

65. Responsions in a cause concerning Richard Urmeston by Chris Hey and Jacob Grundy.

66. MANCHESTER Fragment of a case concerning Stephen Radley and Robert Twiford and a bond made at Lancaster assizes.

67. PENANCE ORDER BOOK Several folios containing the names of those persons who were presented for fornication, harbouring women with child got infornication and the places where the offenders are to perform their penances. The following are of interest: Randle Moyle of Tilston for wearing his hat during the communion. Wm Prynne of Tilston for cutting grass on the Sabboth after evening prayer. Wm Beddowes for ploughing upon a holy day. Thos Hanson of Willington setting down the corpse of his mother at two stops on the way to Hanmer church. John Aston and John ap Edward of Hanmer for travelling on the Sabboth to play on Greens, both being minstrels. Grace Wood of Hanmer for casting down mooldywarpp hillockes on feasts of the Annunciation. Henry Hutton of Malpas minstrel for travelling on the Sabbath to play on Greens. John Aston and John ap Edward of Hanmer for "Tyninge" on the feast of St Philip and James. Margaret Baxter, Randle Eddow, David Howell, Randle Jenkyn, and John Broster for carrying salt on the Sabboth. Robert Downes - subdean of Malpas and Bangor Monachorum.

68. Miscellanea.