Catalogue description 1600

1. CHESTER (St John Baptist) Thomas Annion c Edward Bennett calling him cuckold and, "the bird called the Donock is said to have the cuckoos young one and brought up his wife's children which he knew to be begotten in adultery - libel.

2. CHESTER Lucy Jones c Margaret Smith for defamation - libel but in fragile condition.

3. CHESTER Joan Harper c Jane Birch in defamation cause - interrogations.

4. CHESTER (St Oswald) George Manley impropriator c Godfrey Warton for tithe cattle pasturing in Hale Hey - libel.

5. CHESTER Sentence in a defamation cause between Elizabeth Birchenhead and Susan Smith - very faded.

6. PRESTBURY Churchwardens c James Bateman, Francis Baxter and Richard Clowes of Sutton for not subscribing to repair of church tower, the purchase of a large parchment register book, a carpet and a table cloth - libel, responsions from Macclesfield that no one in living memory ever made payments to Prestbury.

7. MARBURY James Brook rector of Whitchurch cum Marbury c John Bickerton & Thomas Bentley for tithes of wheat, barley rye and dues - libel.

8. BLACKBURN Edward Braddell c George and Mary Bolton for tithe oats and barley - libel.

9. BLACKBURN Edward Fleetwood impropriator c Wm Bolton and Bartholomew Hurst for tithe cattle and dues - libel.

10. MANCHESTER Sentence in a tithe cause with absolution in cause of Richard Bradshaw c Geo. Kenyon.

11. HOLT Depositions in a cause concerning burials in the chancel (fragile).

12. HOLT Anne Powell c John Bathoe concerning his promise to marry her since she was pregnant. Anne's father had promised to pay John £16 viz; £8 on wedding day and £8 at Michaelmas but he had not yet married her - libel. 1600

13. TATTENHALL Jane Philkin c Margaret Ashurst calling her a rotten stinking scurvie jade who has the pox - libel.

14. NANTWICH Elizabeth Wright c Anne Kerry calling her whore and saying she was delivered of two red herrings instead of two children - libel.

15. KIRKHAM James France c Janey Cooke for saying that he had committed adultery and got her with child and "I am now great and burdened" - libel.

16. Unidentifiable interrogation.

17. Decree from York in cause between Thomas Holcrofte and William Hatton 12 April 1600 also a Consultate in cause of Babington c Humfrey Walley.

18. CHESTER Ellen Edge c.[? Owen] Hopley; maintenance of offspring - defense.

19. Fragments.