Events
Date of Baptism: 6 September 1612.
Place of Baptism: Wigan, Lancashire, England.
Marsden’s transcription of the parish register gives the baptism.
Date of Death: after 1684.
Relationships
Father: William Laithwait.
Mother: uncertain.
See the Commentary section.
Spouse: Ann (died 1693).
The Court Leet rolls for Wigan give the name of Ralph’s wife. Her name is recorded in her burial record.
Children:
(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project. All baptisms are in Wigan.)
John Laithwait (baptized 24 February 1646).
William Laithwait (baptized 1 December 1650).
Elizabeth Laithwait (baptized 12 October 1654).
Evidence
Ralph Laithwait’s baptism (Wigan, September 1612; from Marsden’s transcription)
Raph f Willia: Lethwhet de Standisgat ---- 6
Burial of Ann (Wigan, All Saints parish register):
January 1693/4
22. Ann Lathwaite wife of Ralph
from the 1642 Protestation Returns:
Ralph Laithwaite, Standishgate Street, Wigan
From the Wigan World abstracts of the Court Leet Rolls:
Roll 9 Inquisition taken 18th Dec. 1652
Elizabeth the wife of John Ryding and Anne the wife of Ralph Laithwaite skinner, assault
Roll 15 Court held 24th December 1659 Presentments
Ann the wife of Ralph Laithwait for abusing James Hollinhead
Roll 15 Court held 28th April 1660 Presentments
Anne the wife of Ralph Laithwaite and James Hollinhead abuse.
Ralph Laithwaite “For Fleeinge A horse in the street and Leaveinge the Intralles there”
Roll 17 Sessions held on the Saturday before the Feast of St John the Baptist June 24th 1662 Presentments
James Suxsmith for slandering Ralph Laithwaite.
Roll 22 Michaelmas Leet October 1st 1664 Presentments
Margaret the wife of Humphrey Farbrother and Ralph Laithwaite - assault
Roll 42 Easter Leet April 21st 1677 Presentments
Thomas Laithwaite tailor for assaulting Ralph Laithwaite.
Roll 50 Nov 2nd 1682
Ralph Laithwaite, Robert Crichlow, Charles Holecroft and John Deane “did keepe hounds to the prejudice of their neighbours”
Roll 54 Michaelmas Leet 1684 Petitions &c.
Complaint of Thomas Laithwaite tailor that Ralph Laithwaite skinner had made his drench pitts at the back of the petitioner’s house and had laid sheep shanks on part of his house “whereby Severall maggotts falling from the said skinns did fall” in part of the said house.
Commentary
Ralph’s parentage:
Ralph’s eldest child was baptized in Wigan in 1646. Ralph’s residence was recorded as Standishgate.
“Raph f. Willia: Lethwhet de Standisgat” was baptized 6 September 1612 in Wigan. The residence of Standishgate supports the identification of this baptism as the correct one.
There are several marriages and burials for wives of William Laithwait(s) in the period in Wigan, and it doesn’t seem possible to determine which was the mother of Ralph. Ralph seems to have had a sister, Alice, baptized in 1609 in Wigan (her father is said to have been of “Sta gate”.) There may have been other siblings.
References
Marsden, Len (transcriber) and Ken T. Taylor (editor). Registers of Wigan, Parts 2- 3, 1626-1710. (Lancashire Parish Register Society, 2001)
Court Leet Rolls, abstracted at www.wiganworld.co.uk.