228 A HISTORY OF LON^GRIDGE. [Chap. 10. 



time for possible contingencies, but at present I wisli to stand clear of 

 the charge of having given grounds for expectation to those who have 

 so little claim. 



" Believe me, Dear Sir, your much obliged and very obedient 

 "Wm. Cross, Esq. " H. Shuttleworth."" 



What was probably a reply to these, or other notes not in my 

 possession, was sent to Mr. Shuttleworth from Whitechapel, by Mr. 

 Cross : — " The Churchwarden is now with me for the first time since I 

 received your letter, and he begs me to assure you on the part of the 

 Parishioners of this Chapeh-y, that they have not the least wish to 

 interfere with your free presentation, nor to dictate in whose favour it 

 should be exercised. But they wish me to convey to you in the most 

 respectful manner their regard that you would have the goodness to 

 appoint a Curate who will himself reside among them. With respect 

 to Mr. Wilkinson, I understand that Mr. Saul recommended him to 

 apjjly to you, and the parishioners thought it but due to him to testify 

 their approval of him during his residence among them ; and they had 

 no wish whatever to assume any undue influence upon the Patron." 



Such is the story of a successful attempt to force a non-resident 

 pluralist clergyman either to reside among his people or to resign. 

 But little mention is made of this dispute in Fishwick's " Goosnargh." 

 Probably he knew little about it. 



I shall be very glad to show these letters to the authorities at White- 

 chapel, and, if desired, wiU give them to the Church to be put along 

 with the other historical papers relating to Whitechapel. 



'The Kev. Humphrey Shuttleworth, terred m the Parish Church of Kirkham. 



M. A. , was sometime Vicar of Preston. He wrote a work on polemics, entitled, 



He was one of the preachers in-ordinary "Lectures on the Creed of Pope Pius 



to the King ; a man of truly singular IVth,"togetherwithmanymiscellaneous 



and eccentric habits, but of a generous tracts against the growth of popery in 



and charitable disposition. He died these parts. — Whittle— HiHur;/ of Pres- 



Aug. 14th, 1812, aged 76, and was in- ton. 



