ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 



On Tuesday before New Year's Day the matter was again pressed on the 

 bishop by Sir Edward Fitton, who informed the bishop that 



Mr. Westby his kinsman had told him he would willingly lose his blood in these matters. 

 Also he said that from Warrington all along the sea coast in Lancashire the gentlemen, except 

 Mr. Butler, beginning with Mr. Ireland then Sir William Norris and so forwards other 

 gentlemen there, were of the faction and withdrew themselves from the religion. 



The bishop again refused to execute the commission, but afterwards 

 signed precepts for divers ' Papistical priests ' and some gentlemen to appear 

 before the commissioners.'" A second paper, almost as confused, relating to 

 this affair yields further details. 



Again Edmund Holme informed of a letter from Dr. Saunders to Sir Richard Molineux and 

 Sir William Norris to exhort them to own the Pope's supremacy. Hereupon Sir Richard 

 Molyneux vowed to one Morne alias Butcher alias Fisher of Formeby and to one Peyle alias 

 Picke (who reported that he had the Pope's authority) and so received absolution at Picke's 

 hand. His daughters Jane, Alice and Anne and his son John did the same. And so did 

 John Mollin of the Wood, Robert Blundell of Ince, Richard Blundell of Crosbye.^" 



These informations stand curiously alone ; but on 3 February, 1567, Elizabeth 

 dispatched a letter to the earl of Derby, the bishop of Chester, and others, 

 commanding them to arrest persons who, under pretence of religion, draw 

 sundry gentlemen from their allegiance.'*^ Before the receipt of this letter 

 the earl had arrested all the persons in question ; but who they were we do 

 not know. A fortnight later, 21 February, 1567—8, Elizabeth wrote to the 

 sheriff to arrest certain deprived ministers.'*' And on the same day the 

 queen dispatched a severe letter to Bishop Downham upbraiding him for the 

 disorders in his diocese, 'as we hear not of the like in any other parts,''*' and 

 requiring him to repair into the remotest parts in Lancashire to see that 

 persons most justly deprived be not secretly maintained. Accordingly in the 

 summer following Downham visited the whole diocese ; and reported on 

 I November, 1568,'^" that he found the people very tractable and obedient. 



In the same letter in which he gives this report to Cecil the bishop 

 furnishes a summary account of the proceedings which had been taken against 

 certain Lancashire gentlemen, on the ground of their not repairing to church 

 and their entertaining priests. From this report it appears that on 3 i July, 

 1568 Edward, earl of Derby, the bishop, and others, Commissioners for 

 Ecclesiastical Causes in the diocese, sat in the dining chamber at Lathom, 

 where six Lancashire gentlemen appeared on their recognizance, viz., Francis 

 Tunstall, John Talbott, John Westby, John Rigmayden, Edward Osbaldeston, 

 and Matthew Travis, the last-named being a yeoman. With the exception 

 of John Westby they proved submissive, acknowledged their fault in enter- 

 taining priests, and promised to conform. By the queen's directions they 

 were, therefore, treated leniently. ' Their punishment,' adds the bishop, 



has done so much good in the county that I trust I shall never be troubled again with 

 the like : beside (Nowell) the Dean of St. Paul's, at his being in the county with his 

 continual preaching in divers places in Lancashire hath brought many obstinate and wilful 

 people into conformity.'"^ 



"' S.P. Dom. Eliz. vol. 48, No. 35. "' Ibid. No. 34. '" Ibid. vol. 46, No. 19. 



"» Ibid. No. 32. "' Ibid. No. 33; Strype, Jnnals, i, 254-5. "° S.P. Dom. Eliz. vol. 48, No. 36. 



^" More instructive than the bishop's meagre account are the papers appended to his letter. They are 

 printed in Gibson's LyJiaU Hall. The concluding paper of these depositions is entitled ' Articles objected by the 

 Commissioners against Sir John Southworth.' But as Southworth's name does not occur in any ot the prior 

 proceedings herein the paper is probably misplaced. He had been examined before Parker at Croydon shordy 

 before 13 July, 1568, but had refused to subscribe to a form of submission (S.P. Dom. Eliz. vol. 47, No. 12). 



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