statute of bankrupts agt him wch would have been terrible not only to him but to all that he had traded with for a whole year, I travelled hard in that busines, and he would not bate a farthing of the whole debt viz sevenscore pound; we settled as much land on him as answered the whole

3 Ralph Norris in Bolton sued him for James Monilex children, and arrested him at water side, a great company of women rescued him for wch many of them were indited at the sessions for a battery or riot, and a great uproar was in the country, but at last we composed it, R: Crompton, and brother Whitehead undertaking to pay the debt 30li in 6 yeares, and I suffered them to take my rents for that end till the whole was run up, and so he was freed:

4 Though I might mention many, strange providences yet I will but mention one more, wch fell out this last year viz Anno 1674 he was arrested at the suit of Robert Harpur, for one Thomas Rivington deceased, for 40li carryed to Preston, when he was there, one Chadwick and another one Chorton clapt writs upon him, wheras he owed not all these one farthing, and yet in hazzard he was to goe to Lancaster, and they had laid desperate designes agt him, till he with much adoe procured strong testimonys and acquittances for payment of two of them, and Harper was peremptory, demanding 40li— there was no remedy, though there was nothing due from him, if any thing was due it was from my brother John wn they were not partners, but they hired two fellows to swear positiuely that my father had taken it upon himself, but it was a false oath, as appeares since, however all was a case it must passe in law, and though he had a tryal at the Assizes, yet he was cast by these perjured wretches, and so he must either pay the debt or goe to prison, or they would fall upon the bonds men, viz his two grandchildren Richard Heywood and William Whitehead, it was a matter of some trouble to us, my advise to him was to pay the mony rather then to goe to prison, or endanger them by forfeiting the bond, the young men were in little ease, so bound, we met about it, my father had secured them out of the 100li to be paid by his heires 2 yeares after his decease, he took up 50li upon one field from Adam ferniside, left in his hands as much mony as would satisfy Harpur,:

[this Robert Harpur the clark of Bolton was found dead in the Charles-aker in the night feb 7 1676-7

about a moneth before my father dyed]

But in the interim overtures were made to Robt Harpur to agree the busines, but he was stiffe, there was no talking to him, he would haue all, and it troubled my father to giue him 40li-and owed him nothing at all,

There was one thing considerable at this time, the Bailiffs that were imployed to arrest my father knew not how to accomplish their design, and therfore wrought subtilly, they had a pot-companion, one Luther Wood that marryed John Lords daughter in Darcy-Leaver, that was constable, at that time, thus they had laid their plot that Luther Wood must come to my fathers pretending to want a constable-ley, and when the door was opened, the Bailiffs must slip in after him and arrest my father, and as they contrived it so they effected their busines, for after that manner they did treacherously apprehend him, and led him away, wch proved an affliction, but behold a hand of god, this Luther Wood was catcht stealing geese, capons, ducks, and was sent to Mr Hulton of Park a justice of peace, who bound him to appear at the Assizes, and for his present punishmt ordered him to ride on horseback through Bolton with a goose tyed to him, exposed to shame and contempt, wch he did, and this was not aboue a moneth after he had so treacherously betrayed my father, and then for shame, guilt, or fear, ran away out of the country,

But to return to my father, whiles he was perplexing his thoughts and beating his braines to get this matter composed with Harpur, there was one Richard Wats, about Loten-common a great tradesman intangled in a troublesom suit at London about an account betwixt him and another to the value of 4 or 500li-he lookt upon my father as a competent witnesse for him, and prevailed with him to goe with him, provided him a pretty pacing mare, bore his charges kept him well, and he travelled sometimes about 20 miles a day, most of his relations knew not of his journey till he sent a letter that he was at London: his letter came feb 1 1674, that he was well, and kindly entertained, when he was there, my Cozen Nath Hulton, (whom my father had sent up to London as his factor, and maintained him there, and now is groun a rich man), Spake comfortably to him askt him what he would haue done, my father told him nothing except he could make an end for him with Robt Harpur he answered him, they would compose

that busines, Mr James Leaver (Robt Harpurs uncle, to whom he is much obliged) joyned in the same resolution to take off Harpurs rage, withall saying Harpur would at London shortly, he came up while my father was there, but would not meddle with any agreemt, because (as he pretended) the other Executor one Hartley of Dean-church was not there, so they referred it to Mr Tilsley, and Mr Bradshaw to agree it in the country, they met once or twice and could make no end, Harpur would haue every farthing, though Mr Tilsley silenced them in arguing, Lent assizes approacht, at wch my father must either pay or deliver up himself prisoner or forfeit his bond, and so insnare his bondsmen, they had another meeting about a day or two before the assizes, at wch they struck through sent him his bond, released him, but upon wt termes, my father did not know, and must never know, but Nath: Hulton cleared him, so the matter was comfortably ended, and he had notice, but about a day before he was to haue gone, the reason of their concealment of this agreemt was because my father was peremptory he would not pay that mony as being none of his debt, (whether there was any or no) and was troubled to haue any body else pay it, because this Harpur pretends its for the fatherles and motherles children of Th: Revingtons, but spends it wastfully himself and is in abundance of debt, being clark of Bolton could not doe his office but was glad to skulk, blessed be god that the good old man is so safely delivered out of the hands of such an unreasonable man, I own it as no small mercy:

Thus the Lord hath graciously preserved him in safety, and extricated him out of many snares, so that he not only walks abroad at liberty, but hath gone to the publick ordinances, he [was] at Cockey chappel May 30 1675 wch was the first time he hath appeared in church or chappel therabouts this many yeares, they hear not of any apparent hazzard, though there are some smaller debts not yet paid, but blessed be god they are brought into a narrow compasse :

Though this hath been a sad trouble yet not all the trouble that my father hath met with in his pilgrimage, there was another antecedent to this that was a matter of great vexation, though of another nature in the year 1647 or therabouts the Presbiterian government being settled at Bolton the ministers Mr John Harpur, and Mr Richard Goodwin, togather with the

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Eldership made an order, (after examination and approbation of the communicants), that every time they were to come to the Lords supper every particular communicant should upon the friday before fetch a little ticket (as they called it) of lead, of the Elders, and shew it to the Elders again in the church before they were to receiue the Sacramt, that they might know that none but such as were admitted did intrude themselues, the Elders also took them of them at that time and they were to fetch them agt the next, now my father togather with several others, able christians in the congregation were unwilling to submit to this practice, partly because they lookt upon it as an innovation, and a snare, partly because, it was cumbersome to the communicants, partly because it was an uncertain mean to attain the end, as experience testifyed, partly also because no other churches in the country used any such practice, these and such like reasons he exhibited to the Eldership in writing, and in his own practice refused to fetch or shew any such ticket when he came to the Sacrament, wherupon they sent for. him, summoned him to appear before them, he came, and many disputes they had, they admonished him, and when he was still resolute persisting still in his schisme, as they pleased to call it, they suspended him from the Lords supper, but that was not sufficient for (as I remember) they did also excommunicate him, for contempt, because as they said he laught them to scorne, for hauing naturally a smiling countenance, it may be he might sometimes smile in his discourses with them, however he would not submit himself upon their admonition, nor acknowledg that he had done wrong, therfore they proceeded, my dear mother would haue had him to haue yeelded, for peace-sake, the rest, old Robt Crompton, Roger Roscow &c (though approving what he did and incouraging him, yet) held off and would not appear, so that he was alone in that controversy, being in this strait, shut out from communion with them, he appealed to the classical meeting of ministers and elders, where it was debated a considerable time, and though the Classes, were unsatisfyed in the proceedings of the Eldership of Bolton agt my father, yet they were loath to censure them, only desired them to passe it by and admit him to the supper, but when they trifled about it and did nothing, my father made an appeal from the Classical presbitery at Bury to the provincial Assembly at Preston, and after the busines had been

debated there they made an Order that the congregationall Eldership of Bolton should revoke their sentence of Suspension of my father from the Lords supper, admit him again into fellowship with them, exhorting both sides to a mutual accommodation, &c (and (as I remember), the tickets, the occasion of this contention were by this time laid aside;) when this came to the Ministers and Elders of Bolton-church, they something stickled at his restauration without his submission, however they were bound to obey the order of the provincial assembly, and at last framed a paper wch was read in the church wherin they freed R Heywood from his suspension, but withall made some hints therin as though he had submitted himself, which he did not, and so it was not at all satisfactory to him, and I think he never joyned with them at the Lords supper afterwards but was entertained at Cockey and all places about, this is in short an account of that troublesome busines, wch was afoot just at that time when I was at Cambridg, and I remember when I came into the country in the later end of 1648 I writ much for him, which was in way of reply to the Eldership of Bolton, and some appeales, which I haue now forgot, but the controversy was hot begot much bad blood many animositys amongst good people in that society, some taking one side, others another, so that it became a very heavy burden to the spirit of my dear mother, who was all for loue and peace, and was willing to haue yeelded to any thing rather then haue contended, but he stood upon his oun integrity wch he often said he would not remove as long as he lived quoting that of Job 27 2 3 4 5 6: but however it was a great aflictian to him, which yet he bore with invincible courage and magnanimity, and was not daunted with any thing, he had severall friends to consult with, among wch was Mr Peter Bradshaw minister of Cockey who helpt him what he could, and was the Scribe of the Classical meeting, Mr Goodwin (now my brother in law, then minister of Bolton), was something sharp with him, wch he tooke worse because my father was the only man that brought him from London into Lancashire and procured him a settlement at Cockey after good old Mr Rathbands silencing but these things were long agoe, and forgotten, and I hope buryed and forgiven:

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I come now at last to the last Scene of my fathers life, he had injoyed his health very well most part of his days, only