Billinge families

MATHER

By Hugh Mather (extracted from the main text)

RICHARD (16??-1672) AND MARGARET MATHER. A Richard Mather is the earliest family member who can be traced with reasonable certainty. His date of birth is unknown. In 1654 he obtained a lease of 'the Long Croft' in Billinge from the Gerard Estate. He paid £160 to James Anderton of Birchley for various properties, including the 'Longe Hayes, the Oxcroft, the two Clay Crofts, the Makeins Hey, the Makeins Lane and the Oven House Hey'. Richard was elected constable of Billinge and Winstanley in 1659. In 1661/2 he is described as yeoman and credited with giving one shilling as a 'free and voluntary present' to Charles II. He is recorded as occupying 18 acres in Billinge. The family links with recusancy are shown by a deed from 1665 relating Billinge Chapel, which names one Peter Mather (possibly Richard's son) 'if he be and continues a member of the C of E'. Richard was buried at Wigan on 13/3/1672 and his widow, Margaret, was buried on 5/4/1680. He had at least three children, namely Peter and Richard, born in or before 1651, and Francis, born by 1660/1. Our line of the family comes through his second son, Richard.

RICHARD (c1651-1733) AND ELIZABETH. Richard Mather was born around 1651. He married his wife, Elizabeth, before 1682 and had four children, namely Margaret, baptised in Wigan in 1682, Thomas, born c1686, John, and Anne, born c1688. He took a new lease of 'The Long Croft' from the Gerard Estate and this lease was renewed in 1715. The 'Return of Papists' of 1705 details him as being a Roman Catholic. In Estcourt and Payne's English Catholic Non-jurors, he is referred to as Richard Mather of Billinge, yeoman. He had a £5 annuity 'out of a house tenanted by their Protestant son Thomas'. In 1717 he is recorded as holding 19 acres in Billinge, leased from the Gerard's. He made his will in 1717, in which his property includes the 'Miln House', 'Chaddocks Ground' and 'the little house called Jennetts'. Richard died in 1733 and was buried at Wigan in June. His inventory survives. Elizabeth, his widow, died in 1745 and was buried at Wigan on 4/11/1745.