A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



Lich. Epis. Reg. ix, fol. 125. The 

 admission took place on 9 Nov. William 

 Booth was then canon of Salisbury ; he 

 became rector of Leigh (q.v.) in 1445, 

 bishop of Lichfield in 1447, and arch- 

 bishop of York in 1452. He died in 

 1464 ; Le Neve's Faiii, (,553, &c. In 



mentioned as having been rector in 1521 in 

 a suit as to tithes ; Cb.Goods, 1552, p. 81 

 (quoting PiccopeMSS.). In 1523 Cardinal 

 Wolsey expressed a wish to have him as 

 subdean of his chapel, but Bishop West, 

 in sending him, expressed a doubt as to 

 the suitability of the appointment ; L.and 



Prescot ; Tat. Ebor. ii, 266. 

 s The succession at this point is not 



One of the early episcopal acts of the 

 last-named rector was to sanction the 

 appropriation of Prescot to King's Col- 

 lege and to ordain a vicarage there. The 

 first vicar, Dr. Ralph Duckworth, who 

 may have also been the last rector, stayed 

 for twenty years or more, and from 

 several notices in the registers it appears 

 that he frequently or usually resided. In 

 1453 he was associated with Archdeacon 

 Stanley and others in an inquiry con- 

 cerning various defaults in Burscough 

 Priory; in 1457 and 1459 he inquired 

 concerning frays in Wigan and Lowe 

 churchyards ; in 1459 also taking part in 

 an inquiry as to the condition of Walton 

 church ; Lich. Epis. Reg. xi, fol. 50, 91* ; 

 xii, fol. 124*, 125. 



* Ibid, xii, fol. 1 06. He was a fellow 

 of King's Coll. Cam. See Grace Book A. 

 (Luard Mem.), p. 52, 77. For his 'cau- 

 tion' he deposited a volume of Chrysostom. 



vicars printed by Gregson (Fragments, 174, 

 175) from one said to have been compiled 

 by Mr. Bere, probably the vicar in 1700. 

 It has been compared with the books 

 at King's College. For biographical 



Lanes, (ed. Croston), v, 6. Assistance has 

 been given to the editors by the Rev. F. G. 

 Paterson, M.A, lately curate of the parish, 

 in the general history of the township, and 

 more especially in compiling the accounts 

 of the vicars. 



Robert Hacomblene in 1509 became 

 provost of King's, which he had entered in 

 1462. He died in 1528, and was buried 

 in the College Chapel. Cooper, Athmat 

 Cantab, i, 34 ; Diet. Nat. Biog. 



6 Robert Noke's tenure of the vicarage 



7 Lich. Epis. Reg. xiii-xiv, fol. 65*. No 

 reason is given for the vacancy. Simon 

 Matthew went to King's Coll. in 1513, 

 held other benefices, and was prebendary 



of St. Paul's; he appears to have taken 

 an active part in the Anglican Reforma- 

 tion of Henry VIII's time, and some of 

 his sermons have been printed ; Cooper, 

 Athenae Cantab, i, 78, 533. 



Lich. Epis. Reg. xiii-xiv, fol. 38*. A 

 Robert Brassey was vicar of Friston in 

 Sussex in 1534 ; Vahr Eeel. (Rcc. Com.), 

 i, 341. For Prescot firstfruits were paid 

 13 April, 1541; Lanes, and Ches. Rec. 

 (Rec. Soc. Lanes, and Ches.), ii, 407. 

 Though he retained his benefice through 



Antiq. Notes, i, ii. Firstfruits were paid 

 21 Jan. 1616-7. John Alden entered 

 King's in 1592. He acted as justice of 

 the peace in Lancashire. A decision was 

 made by the bishop of Chester in 1619 

 concerning repairs, the election of church- 

 wardens, &c. as between the people of 

 Prescot and those of Farnworth ; Kenyan 

 MSS. (Hist. MSS. Com.), 25. 



19 Firstfruits paid ii April, 1643. Day 

 was admitted to King's College in 1622. 

 His will was proved at Chester in 1650. 



18 Commonwealth Ch. Surv. 71. He 

 was son of John Larking, prebendary of 

 Rochester; admitted to King's Coll., 

 becoming fellow ; M.A. 1647 ; described 

 as ' a very troublesome man in this col- 

 lege in the year 1650' ; became rector of 

 Dunton in 1653, and of Limpsfield in 

 1655 ; author of Speculum Patrum, 1659. 

 From the records of King's Coll. ; also 

 Cal. cfS.P. Dam. 1660-1, p. 165. 



Educated at King's Coll, entering 

 in 1639. He was presented 'on the 



have adhered to the ancient order and was 

 made provost of King's in 1556. He 

 retained this benefice; and in 1554 was 

 resident, for he was invited to take part 

 in the discussions with George Marsh at 

 Lathom House ; Foxe, Acts and Monu- 

 ments (ed. Cattley), vii, 42. He was of 

 King's Coll.; B.A. 1530; D.D. 1557. 

 He died a week before Queen Mary, on 

 10 Nov. 1558, and was buried in the 

 College Chapel, where there is a brass. 

 See Cooper, Athena Cantab, i, 182. 



9 Act books at Chester. Dr. Whitlock 

 was also beneficed elsewhere, and was 

 prebendary of Lichfield 1561 to 1583; 

 Le Neve, Fasti, i, 594. He entered 

 King', Coll. in 1537 ; B.A. 1542 ; B.D. 

 1553. Though he became an adherent 

 of the new system in religion he appears 

 to have had antiquarian tastes, and pub- 

 lished books on the history of Lichfield ; 

 Cooper, Atbenae Cantab, i, 485 ; Diet. Nat. 

 Biog. 



" Educated at King's Coll. and be- 

 came vice-provost. Firstfruits paid 17 

 Jan. 1583-4. He was chaplain to Henry 

 Stanley earl of Derby, and afterwards to 



344 



been instituted. He married Day's 

 widow; Dugdale, fisitat. (Chet. Soc.), 

 223. On his conforming in 1662 a new 

 presentation seems to have been required ; 

 probably he had not been episcopally 

 ordained. 



"Entered King's Coll. 1650. 



16 Entered King's Coll. in 1661 and 

 became fellow ; M.A. 1670. In the time 

 of James II he was received into com- 

 munion with the Roman Church, but 

 retained his benefice until 1690, when 

 he resigned it. His subsequent career it 

 unknown. His delay in resigning caused 

 great indignation, and 51. %d. was paid to 

 the ringers when the news came that he 

 was 'quite outed.' He was the subject 

 of a controversial tract by Thomas 

 Marsden, vicar of Walton ; Gillow, Bit/. 

 Diet. ofEngl. Catb. ii, 523. 



V Educated at King's Coll.; M.A. 1683. 

 He resided at Prescot during his short 

 tenure of the benefice. 



" Of King's Coll. ; M.A. 1685 ; fellow. 

 He resided at Prescot during his first year, 

 but not afterwards, Christopher Marsden 

 of Farnworth being left in charge. 



