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No. VI
CATHOLIC REGISTERS OF TOWNELEY HALL, LANCASHIRE ( BAPTISMS AND MARRIAGES ) . By the REV. THOMAS ANDERTON, 1705-1727. With the CHAPLAIN'S STIPENDIARY ACCOUNTS , 1705-1720 . Also , SOME ACCOUNT OF THE TERRIER OF MARTHOLME, 1667, and the CHAPLAIN'S COMMEMORATIONS AT MASS, 1706-1722 . Edited by JOSEPH GILLOW.
SHORTLY after his arrival at Towneley Hall, as chaplain to Richard Towneley, Esq., who died at York in Jan. 1706-7, the Rev. Thomas Anderton commenced to keep a record of the payments of his stipend, of his baptisms and marriages, and of his daily commemorations at Mass . The last take up by far the largest portion of his MS., being entered daily from May 1, 1706, to Dec. 31 , 1722. He offers up the Holy Sacrifice for many deceased members of the Towneley family and their connections , for his own relations and friends, for those of his congregation, for the benefactors and deceased members of the Lancashire Infirm Clergy Fund, and for many priests whose deaths were noted to him through the usual ecclesiastical channels . These entries are often of value as approximating dates of death in cases where exact records are wanting. Amongst other notable intentions are Pro Rege Jacobo " and pro conversione Angliæ. " His omissions to celebrate are comparatively rare, save during those troublous times following the unsuccessful JacobiteRising of 1715 , when the Commissioners for Forfeited Estates came down to Towneley in 1717. During the wholemonth of July and the first eight days of Angust in that year he was unable to say Mass , being no doubtin hiding. Though these commemorations are interesting, and in some cases, as it has been said , are of historical value , they would occupy too much space to print them in the present volume . The good chaplain made his entries in a thick but small oblong volume, of which about a fourthof the space was filled with A Terrier of the Manor of Martholme, in Great Harwood, " belonging to the Heskeths of Rufford, begun on Tuesday, the 8th of October, 1667, and finish'd the 16th of November, 1667," evidently at that time accompanied by a map. The Heskeths up to this time were staunch recusants . Robert Hesketh, Esq. , lord of Rufford, Martholme , &c. , was thrice married. His third wife was Jane , daughter of Thomas Spencer , of Rufford, and by her he had a son Robert, alleged to have been born before wedlock, and subsequently a son Cuthbert, who settled at Kenwick, co. Salop . Robert Hesketh died in 1620 , and his widow married Sir Richard Hoghton, of Hoghton Tower, Knt and Bart , who died Nov. 12, 1630. Lady Jane Hoghton was a staunch recusant , and in 1650 two- thirds of the demesne lands of the manor of Martholme, belonging to her as dower, were sequestrated for her recusancy , and let by the receiver -general to John Molyneux, Esq. , for the yearly rent of £ 50 2s . This was afterwardsdischarged, and ThomasHesketh, a minor, born in 1647 , grandson of Lady Hoghton's step -son, Robert Hesketh, who died in 1653 , was admitted into possession of the estates . The child'sfather, Robert, who died in his father's lifetime in 1651 , married Lucy, daughter of Alexander Rigby, of Middleton, Esq . Rigby was an intolerant puritan , and was no doubt owing to this unfortunate marriage that the Rufford Heskeths were deprived of the ancient faith . The boy's uncle, Edward Rigby, of Preston, barrister -at-law, appears to have been his guardian, and had him brought up a Protestant. In a letter dated Preston, Dec. 26 , 1667, he writes to William Daniell , Esq., at Wigan , as follows : The reasons are obvious why we desire all the speed that may be in this matter , viz. , it is full time my nephew shd be disposed of, hee being the onely sonn we have amongst us and of the family is well descended ; next it is meet that at ye next assises a Recoverie shd be suffered of his whole estate to barre the spurious issue of the Lady Hoghton from all pretensions to the estate wch also , if things before that time could be concluded , would serve for the new settlement . " Thomas Hesketh, the nephew ,
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