WIG 



W I G 



as one perfon, yet there are fome inftances in which flie is 

 feparately confidered ; as inferior to him, and afting by his 

 compulfion. And, therefore, all deeds executed, and afts 

 done by her during her coverture, are void ; except it be a 

 fine or the like matter of record, in which cafe (he muft be 

 folely and fecretly examined, to learn if her afts be volun- 

 tary. She cannot by will dcvife lands to her hufband, unlefs 

 under fpecial circumftances ; for at the time of making it 

 (he is fuppofed to be under his coercion. And in fome 

 felonies, and other inferior crimes, committed by her 

 through conilraint of her hufband, the law excufcs her ; 

 but this extends not to treafon and murder. Sec Feme- 

 C overt. 



The hufband alfo, by the old law, might give his wife 

 moderate correftion ; but this power of correflion was con- 

 fined within reafonable bounds, and the hufband was prohi- 

 bited from ufing any violence to his wife. The civil law 

 gave the hufband the fame, or a larger authority over his 

 wife ; allowing him, for fome mifdemeanors, JlageU'is et 

 fujlibus acriler •verberare uxorem ; for others, only modicam 

 eajltgatlonem adh'ihere. But, with us, in the politer reign of 

 Charles II., the power of correftion began to be doubted ; 

 and a wife may now have fecurity of the peace againft her 

 hufband, or, in return, a hufband againft his wife. The 

 courts of law will (till permit a hufband to reflrain a wife of 

 her hberty, in cafe of any grofs mifbehaviour. Blackil. 

 Com. book i. book ii. 



If a wife bring forth a child during her hufband's abfence, 

 though of many years; yet if he hved all the time inter 

 ^uatuor maris, wilhin the ifland, he muft father the child ; 

 and the child, if firft born, ftiall inherit. See Bastard. 



If a wife bring forth a child begot by a former hufband, 

 or any other perfon, before marriage, but born after mar- 

 riage with another man ; this latter muft own the child, and 

 that child (hall be his heir at law. 



The wife, after her hufband's death, having no jointure 

 Jettled before marriage, may challenge the third part of his 

 yearly rent of land, during her life ; and, within the city 

 of London, a third part of all her hufband's moveables for 

 <ver. See Dower, Intestate, and Custom of London. 



The wife partakes of the honour and condition of her 

 hufband ; but none of the wife's dignities come, by mar- 

 riage, to her hufband. 



Yet, the hufband, who marries a woman feifed of lands 

 in fee-iimple, or fee-tail, /. e. of any eflate of inheritance, 

 and has by her ifTue born alive, which was capable of her 

 eftate, fhall, on the death of his wife, hold the lands for his 

 life, as tenant by the curtefy of England. 



The Englifh laws are generally efteemed by foreigners as 

 very hard, in refpeft to the women ; and yet Chamberlayne 

 is of a very different opinion, afferting, that the condition 

 of wives in England is better than in any other country. 



The difabilities to which the wife is fubjeft are for the 

 moft part intended for her protettion and benefit. So great 

 a favourite (fays judge Blackftone) is the female fex of the 

 laws of England. 



Tertulhan has two books, on the ornaments and attire of 

 Wives. In the fecond, he labours to prove that a Chriftian 

 wife cannot, in confcience, endeavour to pleafe by her 

 beauty, which fhe knows to be naturally liable to raife loofe 

 defires ; and that fhe ought not only to avoid all affefted 

 beauty, but even to conceal and cover her natural beauty. 



Wife, Mid, Obfletrix. See Dehvejiy. 



WIFFLISBURG, in Geography. See AvENCHES. 



WIGAN, a borough and market-town in the hundred 

 of Weft-Derby, and county of Lancafter, England, is 

 feated near the rife of the river Douglas, the banks of which 



are noted for a celebrated battle fought between king Arthur 

 and the Saxons, when the latter were defeated. In the 

 time of Henry VIII., Wigan is defcribed by Leland as a 

 " paved town, as big as Warrington, but better builded, 

 and inhabited by fome merchants, artificers, and farmers.'' 

 In its prefent ftate, it has a neat though irregular appear- 

 ance ; and has been lately much improved by the opening of 

 two new ftreets, and the ereftion of feveral handfome 

 buildings. An extenfive trade is carried on in the manufac- 

 ture of coarfe home-made linens, checks, calicoes, fuftians, 

 and other cotton goods. Here are alfo large brafs and 

 pewter works. 



Wigan is a borough by prefcription, and has had its pri- 

 vileges confirmed by the feveral charters of Henry III., 

 Edward II., Edward III., Richard II., and Charles II. 

 Its corporate body confifts of a mayor, recorder, twelve 

 aldermen, and two bailiffs. Two members are returned to 

 parhament ; and the right of eletlion is vefted in the free 

 burgeffes, in number about 200. The reprefentation ' of 

 this borough has occafioned iome very expenfive contefts ; 

 and it is faid to have coft George Byng, efq. 10,000/. in 

 his oppofition to the intereft of fir Fletcher Norton, and 

 Simon Luttrell, efq. Returns appear fo early as the 23d 

 and 35th Edward I., after which the privilege was fuffered 

 to be dormant for 240 years ; no other return being made 

 till ift Edward VI. 



The parifh-church is ancient, and confidered to be a 

 handfome ftrufture : it confifts of a nave, a fpacious chancel, 

 and two fide-aifles. Among the monuments in the church 

 is one to the memory of fir Roger Bradfhaigh, and another 

 to fir WilUam and lady Mabel Bradfhaigh. The remains 

 of George Hole, redlor of this church and bifhop of 

 Chefter, are depofited within the communion-rails. He 

 died Auguft 23, 1668. The redlory is one of the beft en- 

 dowed in the kingdom, and the incumbent is always lord of 

 the manor. In the town is a chapel of eafe, three chapels 

 for diffenters, and one for Roman Catholics. A town-hall 

 was built in 1 721, at the joint expence of the earl of Barry- 

 more and fir Roger Bradfhaigh, the then reprefentatives of 

 the borough. A free-fchool was erefted, and liberally en- 

 dowed, about the beginning of the laft century, by volun- 

 tary contribution ; and upwards of 30 years ago, the fame 

 liberahty eftabhfhed a blue-coat fchool for 30 boys. A 

 commodious workhoufe has been alfo built at the expence of 

 the inhabitants of the town, where the neceffitous and fuper- 

 annuated poor are comfortably accommodated ; induftry in 

 the more able are furnifhed with the means, and the meri- 

 torious are encouraged and rewarded. A difpenfary has 

 been erefted, and is fupported by the benevolence of the in- 

 habitants of the town and its vicinity. 



At the north end of the town is a monumental pillar, 

 erefted in 1679 by Alexander Rigby, efq., then fherifFof 

 Lancafhire, to commemorate the valour and loyalty of fir 

 Thomas Tyldefley, who was flain on this fpot in 1651, in 

 the aftion wherein the earl of Derby was defeated by colonel 

 Lilburne. 



In a field near Scholes-bridge, contiguous to this town, 

 a fpring was lately difcovered, wliich has obtained the name 

 of Wigan Spa, or New Harrowgate, as the water refembles 

 that of Harrowgate in Yorkfhire. 



The population of Wigan, which has been progrelfively 

 increafing, was, in the year 1801, according to the return 

 to parliament, 10,989; the number of houfes, 2236. In 

 181 1, the former had increafed to 14,060, and the latter 

 to 2686. 



The parifh of Wigan contains twelve townfhips, in three 

 of which, befides that in the town, are chapels of the efta- 



blifhment, 



I 



