Chap. 2.] KCCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 09 



REV. EDWABD PIGOT, B.A. 1843-47. 



The vacancy caused by the death of the Eev. Frederick Maude was 

 filled by the appointment of the Eev. Edward Pigot, B.A. Mr. Pigot 

 was a young man almost fresh from the University when he came to 

 Longridge, having been Cm-ate of Deane for two years. He was a 

 fine man, a good preacher, and very popular. It was during Mr. 

 Pigot's time that the practice of putting straw on the floor of the 

 Church was put a stop to. Other decided improvements were also due 

 to him, and to the late Mr. P. Dixon, from whom he received warm 

 support. 



Mr. Pigot is now the Eector of Whittington, near Carnforth. He 

 has also held the following appointments : Curate of Wigan ; and 

 Vicarage of St. Thomas's, Ashton-in-Mackerfield. 



EEV. WILLIAM CHAKLES BACHE, M.A. 1847-77. 



Mr. Pigot was succeeded by the Eev. William Charles Bache, M.A., 

 being the last appointment to Longridge sanctioned by the Bishop of 

 Chester, as the new diocese of Manchester was created in 1847. Mr. 

 Bache remained Vicar for the long period of 30 years, having 

 resigned the Vicarage of Longridge in 1877 on his appointment to the 

 Eectory of Alresford, near Colchester. 



A rather free but in many points an eminently just criticism by 

 " Atticiis " of Mr. Bache's manner and style of preaching relieves me 

 from a somewhat awkward dilemma, as it would not have been easy 

 forme to have said (without pain) just what I thought on the matter, or to 

 escape the charge on the other hand of truckling. " The minister of the 

 Church," says "Attious," "is the Eev. W. C. Bache. Emerson, 

 c[uoting somebody else, says that a man's religion may be found out by 

 the natiu-e of his biliary duct. We are inclined to that opinion. 

 Father Bache is a corrugated, solemnly-shriveUed, good-hearted, pious, 

 faded-marigold-lookiug man, with a very white necktie — has a 

 defective biliary duct — looks too darkly yellow ; is cautious ; would 

 feel if the water were cold before drowning himself ; and yet he 

 means well. A phrenologist and physiognomist would say that, he 

 would have made a better Methodist circuit superintendent than 

 Church of England Incumbent — a better advocate of Zimmerman's 



