23rd February, 2007
Abram
Abram (pronounced Abbram) lies about three miles southwest of Wigan town centre. In the 16th century it was a separate manor.
Susan Abram was the daughter of "Thomas Abram of Abram, a gentleman of 100 pounds land in Lancashire". She eventually inherited the Abram estates.
In about 1580 she married a Cornishman named Henry Lance. The marriage ceremony seems have been conducted under very strange circumstances.
While her parents were in London Susan appears to have been staying with Lady Gerard at nearby Bryn.
She was suddenly taken from the company and placed in a room with men she did not know. One of them was a priest who read "strange words" from a book. The only words Susan understood were "I Henry take thee Susan to my wedded wife..."
The poor girl was, understandably, extremely upset.
Here is an account of the events in the "Victoria County History of Lancashire" vol 4, taken from Leyland's "Memorials of Abram", but first told in "Original Letters Illustrative of English History" edited by Sir Henry Ellis Vol ii, pp292-3.
"The girl Abram, by the wife of the house, was conveyed into a chamber and shut the door after her and there left her. The girl found in the chamber four or five tall men. She knew them not. And immediately the girl fell into a great fear, seeing them to compass her about. Then began an 'old priest' to read upon a book. His words she understood not, saving these words: 'I Henry take thee Susan to my wedded wife,' etc. This done they charged the wench never to discover this to anybody living; and so sent her down to her fellows. And dinner being over the wench told to her fellows very lamentably what had been done; and they over to Sir Thomas and my lady."