1690
Jan. ye 16th. Then let Lower Salter to Tho. Berry and Robt. Skirrow for ye ensuing yeare for ye sume of £4. 6s. 8d. (William Rawson and Bryan Townson are mentioned in connection with the payment of the rent.)

Jan. ye 19th Mem; that upon the day aforesaid Thomas Wilson, of Garstang, in ye County of Lancaster, barber, did assign unto Thomas Dowbiggin, of High Winder yeoman, all money yt was due from John Dowbiggin, brother of ye said Thomas Dowbiggin, upon the said Thomas Wilson, for and in lieu of moneys allready laid out by the Said Thomas Dowbiggin for ye said Thomas Wilson.

Ffeby ye 21st. Lent then unto Cuthbert Threlfall of ye Ashes in Goosnargh ye sum of £5 by me Thomas Dowbiggin.
paid ye 2d. June next.

(In the "Tyldsley Diary" there are frequent references to "Cuddy" Threlfall, of whom it is stated:- "Cuthbert Threlfall of the Ashes, in Goosnargh, was the brother and successor Edmund Threlfall reputed to have been one of the most active agents in the supposed Lancashire Plot, who was slain by the party of militia sent to apprehend him. On his death Cuthbert took out the letter of administration in 1690. In 1716 he was residing at Woodplumpton, near Preston, and registered his estates at the annual value of £31. 12. 6d. by which he escaped forfeiture. The Threlfalls of the Ashes were once an influential Catholic family. Threlfelt, the tithing in which they lived and from which they likely derived their name, is mentioned in Domesday Book, Cuthbert Threlfall's grandson and namesake died at Woodplumpton 13th April, 1798, s.p. His sister Jane married James Smith only son and heir of John Smith, of Hazleheads, by his wife Agnes, daughter of Richard Parkinson of Hazlehurst. gentl. Hazlehurst is on Bleasdale, about six miles east of Garstang. At the beginning of this century about 60 or 70 persons lived here, their employment being wool spinning. John Smith joined the rebels in 1745, and after their defeat suffered imprisonment in Lancaster Castle."
Under date November 23, 1690, Thomas Dowbiggin mentions having, along with Robert Mayer, clerk, examined the register at Melling Church.)

1691
April ye 29th. Chris. Townson of Hornby sels for ever unto Richard Cartmell of Arkholme, husbandman, all his messuage situate within ye burgage of Hornby, for ye sum of £17 then makes defeasance for ye above-named Chr. Townson to redeme ye premises at ye expiration of 7 years to be accounted from ye 27th April, 1691.

May ye 4th. The surrender was sealed as above directed to be made, and ye defeasance was also sealed, ye interest of ye money to be paid ye 4th day of May every yeare during 7 years and ye principall ye lasy years of ye seaven.

(Christopher Townson of Melling, died about 1701; Richard Cartmell of Holm, parish of Burton, about 1719. Under date May 12th, 1691, there is written in Thomas Dowbiggin's pocket book a receipt for curing distemper in a heifer belonging to Thomas Wilson, the receipt being given by Robert Banks of Hornby.)

1692
A true and correct account of what money my uncle John Robison of Cansfield is indebted unto me the 2d of ffebruary, 1692. Imprimus as appeares by his bond I paid for him the sume of twelve pounds seven shillings and two pence and for writing and drawing three shillings and sixpence, which added together make ye sum of £12 10s. 8d. which sume was due upon the 24th day of June in the yeare 1690; soe till ye 2d day of ffebruary Ano 1692 is 2 yeares 7 months and 8 dayes; interest for £12 11 2 for 2 yeares 7 months and eight days comes to £1 19 2. which added to the principall debt makes the sume of £14 10 4 which is due upon the 2d ffebr. Ano Dom 1692 (John Robinson of Cansfield died about 1696).

ffebruary the 14th. The conditions by which Christopher Parkinson tooke my mother's rights of Winder are as follows:- Imprimis, Christopher to pay ye yearly rent of twenty pounds for ye ground aforesaid and all her stocks of sheepe what sheepe she delivers to he to redeliver att ye end of seven yeares coming the time for which he tooke ye ground if he happen to live soe long. Secondly she to sett 120 loads of lime upon what place he shall think convenient before ye next 29th September. Thirdly ye rent to be paid upon Candlemas day in the latter end of each yeare of within twenty days of the same.
(Christopher Parkinson of Claughton died about 1708).

ffebr ye 14th. Mem; that I took livery of my mother's sheepe; the numbers are as follows:- wethers 16, ewes 55, tooups 6, hoggs 36, totall 113, which numbers I am to redeliver upon the 14th of ffebr 1699, and for want of any sort ye prices here sett downe - for want of wethers, each wether 6/-, for want of each ewe 5/-, for each of tooups or hogs for each 4/-

1692-3
A particular account of what I receive for ye land yt I have of my uncle Robison towards ye payment of ye debt is sett downe upon the other side of the leafe:- Imprimis I lett ye land in the yeare 1692 to Anthony ffaithwaite and Sarjent Smith for the sum of three pounds ten shillings, out of which I am to pay assessments. The clear rent, assessments deducted, comes to the sum of £3 1s. 2d - Anno 1693. lett ye greate towne end, little towne end, and parrocks to George Garnett and Hugh Parker for the sum of thirty-two shillings, halfe to be paid ye 29th September next and the other halfe ye 24th March proximo.

Anno 1693 lett the Morill banks to Anthony ffaithwaite for the sum of thirty-five shillings to be paid at Candlemas next.
(Anthony ffaithwaite, of Cansfield, parish of Tunstall, died about 1729, George Garnett of Cansfield about 1696.)

On a torn page of the pocket book there is the following fragment of handwriting, evidently relating to the illness and death of a child - "and undertooke to sweate him againe, but the wether being extreme hotte, and she understanding nee difference nether of heate nor could, nor strength of the child, overheated him soe that perceiveing him faint, she tooke him out of his sweate hastily by which he contracted sudden could, yt struck all distemper to his hart. -- turning all yt he tooke (which was drinke) to tough flegme which in about 16 or 17 hours killed him, notwithstanding any remedy ye could be given him. Thomas Whaley came to him about an houre before he died. He was sweated upon Whit-Sunday 1693." ¹

To what part of the district Thomas Whaley belonged, or what his occupation was, I have not ascertained. In the latter half of the eighteenth century, one John Whaley, yeoman, occupied Camp House Farm near Hornby.

The following is the whole of the entry (part of which I gave in a previous article) in reference to the birth and death of the first of Thomas Dowbiggin's daughters:- "May the 24th 1693. My daughter Elizabeth was then borne, being Holy Thursday, and was baptised by Mr. Parker upon Sunday following, being 28th of May aforesaid, att home. She died the 29th August next following, and was buried upon the 30th day of the same month in Melling Church aged att ye time of her death 14 weekes wanting two dayes."

Webmaster's Notes:
¹This appears to be an account of the death of the son Thomas, who was buried 05 June 1693 in Melling. --Diane Main, February 2002

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