MAN (ISLE-OF), an island annexed to the British dominions, in the
Irish sea, and nearly at an equal distance from the English
and Irish coasts, in latitude between 54° and 55° (N.)
and longitude, about 5 ° (W.), in the centre of the island;
the distance from Douglas to Liverpool (N. W.) is 60 miles, and
to St. Bees point of Ayre to the Mull of Galloway 21, and to the
Copeland islands at the entrance of Belfast Lough 38, and
from the Calf of Man to Dublin 60, to Holyhead 45,
and to Liverpool (N. W. buoy) 68: the population,
according to the census of 1821, amounted to 40,081.
This island, called by Ptolemy Monoeda, or the farther
Mona (in contradistinction to the Isle of Anglesea, which
also was called Mona), by Pliny Monapia, and by Bede
Menavia Secunda, to distinguish it from Anglesea, which
he terms Menavia Prima, was, from the rocky, or stony,
nature of the soil, called Menang and Manen, from the
latter of which its present name is derived. The Britons,
by whom it was originally inhabited, practised the superstitious
rites of their ancestors under the government
of the Druids, till they were converted to Christianity
by St. Patrick, who, about the year 440, founded here a
church and established a see, of which he appointed St.
Germanus bishop. Under St. Germanus and his successors
the inhabitants continued for many years to maintain
undisturbed possession of the island, till, on the
irruption of the northern barbarians, it fell under the dominion
of the Scots, and was subsequently annexed to
that kingdom byAydan, who sent his three grandsons
hither to be educated by Conanus, at that time bishop.
In 610, it was wrested from the Scots by Edwin, King
of Northumberland, who annexed it to his own dominions;
and from this period, for nearly three hundred
years, the British historians are silent with respect
to any circumstances connected with its history. The
Manks' traditions, however, record, during this interval,
a succession of twelve petty kings, called Orries, of
whom the first was son of the King of Denmark and
Norway, an enterprising prince, who, having subdued
the Orcades and the Hebrides, took possession of this
island also, where he fixed his residence, and enjoyed
for many years a reign of uninterrupted tranquillity.
Guttred, his son and successor, built the castle of
Rushen, in repairing which, in 1815, a beam was
discovered by the workmen, inscribed with the da.te
947. Nothing further is recorded of his reign than
that he was interred in the castle which he had built,
and was succeeded by his son Reginald, on whose
assassination, his younger brother Olave assumed the
government; but not having obtained a ratification of
his title from the King of Norway, to whom the island
was tributary, he was invited to that kingdom, and on
his arrival was arraigned and put to death. Olain, his
brother, next took possession of this and some other
islands, and, after a reign of twenty-three years, died in
Ireland, and was succeeded by Allen, who, being poisoned
by his governor, made room for Macon, but he refusing
to do homage for his crown to Edgar, King of England,
was deprived of it, but was soon afterwards restored,
and made admiral of the great fleet raised by that monarch
to protect the English coasts from the repeated
assaults of the northern pirates; Macon was one of the
eight tributary kings whom Edgar, in token of their vassalage,
compelled to row his barge on the river Dee.
Godred Crowan, son of Harold Halfager, King of
Norway, who accompanied his father in his invasion
of England on the death of Edward the Confessor, was,
after the defeat of his countrymen, hospitably entertained
in this island, in which he had taken refuge. Returning
the following year with a numerous army,
after being twice repulsed by the inhabitants, he succeeded
in taking possession of it after a sanguinary
contest, and established himself in that part of the isle
which lies to the south of the mountainous ridge by which
it is divided, granting the remainder to the inhabitants,
on the absolute condition of their holding it under him,
as lord of the whole; from this time the island became
vested in the- kings, or lords, of the isles, and continued
to be held of them till the commencement of the last
century. Godred, who also held the sovereignty of the
Hebrides, or Western islands of Scotland, maintained a
navy of sufficient force to enable him to keep possession
of his conquests, and turned his arms against Ireland, at
that time divided into petty principalities, and reduced
Dublin and a considerable part of the province of Leinster.
He left three sons, Lagman, Harold, and Olave;
Lagman, who succeeded to the government, being jealous
of his brother Harold, whom he suspected of exciting
insubordination among his soldiers, put him to death;
but repenting, he resigned the crown to his youngest
brother Olave, and died on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
Olave being then a minor, and residing in the court of
Henry I., where he received his education, the island,
from its unsettled state, was exposed to the attacks of
the neighbouring powers, and the principal inhabitants
applied to the King of Ireland to appoint some person
of royal descent, who might act as regent during the
minority of that prince. The king appointed Donald
Tade, but his haughtiness and tyranny disgusting the
inhabitants, they expelled him from the island, and entrusted
the regency to one Mac Marus, a person of
great prudence, moderation, and justice, who, in 1098,
laid the foundation of the abbey of Rushen, and continued
for a time to preserve the peace, and promote the
prosperity of the island; but a conspiracy being formed
against him, internal dissensions were created, and the
island became an easy prey to Magnus, King of Norway,
who, having conquered the Orkneys and the Hebrides,
landed in the parish of St. Patrick, and possessed
himself, almost without resistance, of the Isle of Man,
over which he reigned more than six years; but having
gone with sixteen ships to reconnoitre the Irish coast,
in 1102, and incautiously landing, with a party of his
followers, he was taken by surprise, and slain.
Olave, who had been an exile for sixteen years, was
now invited to the government, which he enjoyed in
undisturbed tranquillity for many years: he went over to
Norway, to get his title acknowledged, and was honourably
received and crowned king. Leaving his son Godred
to be educated at the Norwegian court, he returned
to his dominions, which he found distracted by the
pretensions of the three sons of his brother Harold,
who, having been educated in Ireland, raised considerable
forces in that country, and landing in the Isle of
Man, demanded one moiety of the isles to be surrendered
to them; and while attending a meeting at Ramsey,
which had been appointed by the king, for taking their
demand into consideration, both parties being drawn
up in lines opposite to each other, Reginald, one of the
brothers, feigning to address the king, by whom he had
been called, raised his battle-axe, and at one blow struck
off his head. This, which was a preconcerted signal for a
general attack, was followed by a sanguinary conflict, in
which many fell on both sides. But such insidious treachery
did not long remain unpunished: on the return of
Prince Godred from Norway, the whole island submitted
to his authority, and the three sons of Harold were delivered
up to condign punishment, Reginald having been
executed, and his two brothers deprived of their eyes.
In 1158, Summerled, Thane of Argyle, and brother-inlaw
to Godred, attempted to usurp the government;
but the fleets of Godred and the usurper meeting, a
desperate battle ensued, and after an obstinate and sanguinary
conflict, without the victory inclining to either
side, a truce was agreed upon, and afterwards a treaty,
by which the kingdom of the isles was divided between
them. Another attempt was made to'deprive Godred of
his throne by his bastard brother, Reginald, but without
success; and that prince, having reigned for some
years in peace, died in 1187. Godred left throe sons,
Reginald, Olave, and Ivar, of whom he appointed Olave
his successor, because born in wedlock. Olave, being
at, that time a minor, the people made Reginald king,
but afterwards, on his attaining maturer age, raised Olave
to the throne. Reginald, in order to recover his lost
dignity, did homage to John, King of England, for his
crown, and made submission to the pope; and having
obtained assistance from Allen, Lord of Galloway, and
Thomas, Earl of Athol, landed on the island, while
Olave, with his chief officers and soldiers, was in the
Western isles, massacred the unprotected inhabitants
plundered their houses of every thing valuable, burnt
the churches, and laid waste the southern parts of the
island; and, even after the return of Olave, succeeded in
setting fire to the shipping, then at anchor under Peel
castle. An intestine warfare raged for some time with
great fury, and Reginald was ultimately killed in a battle
fought at Tynwald Mount. From minutes of council
it appears, that Olave received from Henry HI. an annual
payment in silver coin and wine, for defending
this part of the coast; from which it may be inferred
that the island possessed a naval force at that time by
no means inconsiderable. Olave died in 1237, and was
succeeded by his son Harold, who having gone over t<r
Norway, was, with his wife, drowned on his return;
and his brother Reginald, who assumed the government
in 1249, was slain, with all his party, in an insurrection
headed by a knight named Ivar. On the death of Reginald,
who left only an infant daughter, his brother
Magnus was chosen king, and, according to the usual
custom, went over to Normandy, where, after two years
attendance, he was declared King of the Isles, and had
his title confirmed to him and his successors. Notwithstanding
this, Mary, the daughter of Reginald, set
up a claim for the kingdom, and did homage for it to
Edw. I., which circumstance was, four hundred years
afterwards, adduced as a plea on which judgment was
obtained in favour of the heirs general of Ferdinand,
Earl of Derby, against their uncle, Earl William; but
it was afterwards settled by parliament in favour of a
male succession.
From this time the power of the Norwegian kings
began to decline, and that of the Scottish kings, from
whom these islands had been wrested, recovered strength,
Deprived of that support which the inhabitants bad received
from Norway, and threatened by the Scots, who
were preparing to regain possession of the islands by
force, which the death of the Scottish monarch alone
suspended, Magnus, in 1256, visited England, in order
to secure the protection and assistance of Henry III.,
by whom he was hospitably entertained, and from
whom he received the honour of knighthood. In 1263,
Aquinus, King of Norway, made an attempt to revenge
the affront offered to his authority, by the recent attempt
of the Scots upon this island, and made a descent
upon that kingdom; but he was so powerfully resisted by
Alexander, who had succeeded to the throne, that he
was forced to take shelter in the £)rcades, where he died
at Kirkwall. Magnus dying without issue, in 1265, was
buried in the abbey church in Rushen; and the King
of Scotland having subdued the Orkneys and the He<
brides, attacked the Isle of Man, now unprotected,
and, after many battles fought with varied success, at
length achieved the conquest of it with a powerful
army under the command of Alexander of Paisley ana
John Comyn, in 1270, when, after a decisive battle at
Ronaldsway, in which five hundred of the ManKs,
with their leader, were slain, the kingdom was eni"e
subjugated, and annexed to the dominions of Alexander,
who, in token of his conquest, substituted lor
the ancient armorial ensign of the isle, which was a
ship in full sail, the device of the three legs, which
still retains. The tyrannical oppression of the lieutenants
(by whom it was governed) under the Scottish
kings inspired the inhabitants with the resolution of
throwing off the Scottish yoke, or of perishing in the
attempt; but the bishop, informed of their determination,
interfered to prevent the effusion of blood, and obtained
their mutual consent to decide the contest by
thirty champions selected from each party, and a place
was accordingly chosen for the combat. The Manks
champions were all killed in the contest, and twenty-five
of the Scottish warriors shared the same fate; this victory
confirmed the conquest of the Scots, and the
Manks, finding no resource, submitted to their fate: the
ancient regal government was abolished, and a military
despotism established in its place. In 1289, the
island was surrendered by the Scottish commissioners
to Edward I., who restored it the following year to John
Balliol; and, on the death of Edward, in 1307, his
successor, Edward II., seized it, and, in the course of
one year, bestowed it successively upon his favourites,
Piers de Gavestone, Gilbert de Mac Gascall, and Henrdcus
de Bello Monte. In the reign of Edward III., a
female descendant of Mary, daughter of Reginald, revived
the claims of her family to the sovereignty of the island,
and solicited the protection of that monarch, who,
having ascertained the validity of her title, gave her in
marriage to Sir William de Montacute, and granted them
such succours in ships and men, that Sir William expelled
the Scots, and, to the great joy of the natives, restored
the ancient government in the right line. In
the prosecution of his lady's claim, Sir William had
contracted so large a debt, that he was compelled to
mortgage the island for seven years, to Anthony Bee,
Bishop of Durham, who, in 1377, obtained from Richard
II. a grant of it for life; but at his decease it
reverted to the natural heir, William de Montacute,
Earl of Salisbury, who sold it, in 1395, to Sir William
Scroop, afterwards Earl of Wiltshire, who was
beheaded at the commencement of the war between
the houses of York and Lancaster.
In the reign of Henry IV. it was in the possession of
Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, upon whose
rebellion against that monarch it was seized for the
king's use by Sir William and Sir John Stanley, to
the latter of whom it was granted, in 1406, for one
year only. This grant was revoked, and a new patent
passed the great seal, in 1407, bestowing the
island, castle, peel, and lordship of Man, and the isles
appertaining thereto, with all the royalties, regalities,
and franchises, with the patronage of the see, on
him and his heirs, in as full and ample a manner as
had been granted to any former lord, or king, to be held
of the crown of Great Britain, by liege homage', paying to
the king a cast of falcons at his coronation. In this
family its royalties and revenues descended regularly
to William Stanley, sixth Earl of Derby, who obtained
from James I. a new grant of the isle, which was confirmed
by acf of parliament. The title of "King of Man"
was first exchanged for that of "Lord of Man" by Thomas,
second Earl of Derby. During the parliamentary
war, the island remained steadily attached to the interests
of the'.king, and was among the last places that
yielded to the usurped authority of Cromwell. General
Ireton, on the part of the parliament, offered to
James, Earl of Derby, the repossession of all his estates
in England, upon condition of his surrendering the Isle
of Man; but the earl, in a most spirited and memorable
reply, rejected the offer with the greatest indignation,
and declared his determination to hang any future
messenger that should be sent with similar proposals.
On the execution of the earl at Bolton le Moors, in
1651, its defence was undertaken by his lady, who determined
to hold Castle Rushen, to which she had retired,
to the last extremity; but Receiver-General William
Christian, who had the command of the garrison,
deeming her cause hopeless, surrendered the castle to
Colonels Birch and Duckenfield, who, with ten armed
vessels, had invaded the island, which was subsequently
granted by the parliament to Lord Fairfax. Charles II.
restored the island to the son of Earl James, and Christian,
being tried by the Manks' authorities, and found
guilty of treason, was shot, in January 1662; but the
sentence was afterwards reversed, and the family restored
to their estates, by an order from the king.
One of the most important occurrences in the civil
history of the island was the granting, in 1703, by James,
the tenth Earl of Derby, and Lord of Man, of the Act
of Settlement, by which the lessees of estates were finally
established in possession of them, and their descent
assigned in perpetuity, on the payment of certain fines,
rents, and duties to the lord. James dying withoutissue,
in 1735, the lordship of Man descended to James
Murrajr, second Duke of Athol; and, in order to put an
end to the contraband trade of the island, which, in the
beginning of the last century, had become so excessive,
as materially to affect the revenue of the country, an
act of parliament was passed, in 1726, authorising the
earl to sell the royalty and revenue of the island; but
though many overtures were made for the purchase
of them by government, no treaty was concluded till
after the death of the duke, whose only daughter Charlotte,
Baroness Strange, being married to her cousin
James, heir to the dukedom of Athol, conveyed to him
the lordship of Man. Proposals for the purchase were
renewed to this nobleman, in 1765, and measures having
been at the same time introduced into the house of parliament
for more effectually preventing the illicit trade
of the island, the duke and duchess agreed to alienate
the sovereignty of it for £70,000, which sum was
accordingly paid; they reserved only the manorial
rights, the patronage of the see, and some emoluments
and perquisites, respecting which a misunderstanding
arose, in consequence of the British government
claiming more than the duke and duchess intended
by the treaty to relinquish, and a further sum of
£2000 per annum was granted to them, upon their
lives, and the sovereignty of the island was thus transferred
to the crown. Soon after this an act of parliament
was passed, which effectually checked the contraband
trade. On the ground of inadequate compensation,
their son John presented petitions to parliament,
but unsuccessfully, until the year 1805, when
an act was passed, assigning to him and his heirs
one-fourth of the gross revenue of the island. In
1825, an act passed both houses of parliament, authorising
the Lords of the Treasury to treat with the duke
for the purchase of his remaining interest in the royalty
and revenues of the island, the patronage of the see,
the manorial rights, and other profits and emoluments.
The duke agreed to sell, and the valuation was left to
arbitrators appointed on both sides, who awarded the
sum of £416,000, as an indemnity, and the Isle of Man,
with all its privileges and immunities, was entirely ceded
to the British government.
It is about thirty miles in length, extending in a
direction from north-north-east, to south-south-west,
varying from eight to twelve miles in breadth, and about
eighty miles in circumference. It is divided into two
unequal parts by a mountainous ridge reaching from
North Barrule at the northern, to South Barrule at the
southern, extremity of the island, and comprehending in
the chain Snawfel, Mount Greeba, Pen-y-Pot, and several
others. Of these the most considerable for their elevation
and extent are, Snawfel, and the North and South
Barrules, which are nearly of an equal height; Snawfel,
tlie highest of them, being five hundred and eighty yards
above the level of the sea. The sides, as is the case
in most of the other mountains, are covered to the
height of several yards from the base with turbary, or
turf, and with various kinds of moss, heath, and rushes,
to the summit. North Barrule is a rock of clay-slate,
which is also the prevailing formation in South Barrule,
the latter differing chiefly by its being varied, on the
north side, with large masses of granite, containing
silvery mica, red and white felspar, and grey quartz.
Mount Greeba is of very rugged and precipitous ascent,
especially in that part near the road leading from
Douglas to Peel: the stratum near the surface is a
glossy clay, intersected by many large veins of quartz,
alternating in some parts with layers of mica slate.
Pen-y-Pot, consisting chiefly of clay-slate from the
base to the summit, is extremely marshy, and in dry
weather, and even in summer, the ascent is difficult
and tedious. From Ramsey to Derby haven, and round
the south and western shores of the island, the land
terminates in cliffs, consisting of clay-slate, and varying
in elevation from one hundred to more than two
hundred and fifty feet; at the southern extremity is
the promontory of Spanish head, consisting of bold precipices,
rising perpendicularly from the level of the
beach to the height of more than three hundred feet,
and divided by extensive chasms into pyramidal and
conical masses, which overhang the shore. In one of
these recesses, which penetrate many yards into the
solid rock, is a circle of erect stones, appearing to have
been a Druidical temple, for which, from the solitude
aiid sublimity of the situation, no place could be more
appropriate. Detached from this extremity of the
island, by a rocky channel, several hundred yards in
breadth, in the middle of which is an island, called Kitterland,
whereon sheep are fed in the summer, is the
Calf of Man, the largest of numerous rocky islets surrounding
the coast: it is nearly five miles in circumference,
and comprises an area of more than six hundred
acres; on the western side, the cliffs rise in perpendicular
masses, to the height of four hundred feet,
and its summit, which commands an extensive view of
the Welch, Scotch, and Irish mountains, is five hundred
feet above the level of the sea. On the south side of the
Calf of Man is a very large mass of rock, called the
Burrow, or Barrow,, in its form resembling a lofty tower,
and separated from the other masses by an opening of
romantic appearance; near it is another, called the Eye,
perforated by a natural arch, resembling the eye of a
needle, from which circumstance it has its name. Two
handsome lighthouses have been erected here, for the
protection of vessels navigating the Irish sea; they are
distant from each other one hundred and eighty-seven
yards, bearing north half east, and south-west half
west. The lower is three hundred and five feet, and
the upper three hundred and ninety-six feet, above
the level of the sea; they are furnished with double
revolving lights, which make their revolution in favo
minutes, and at their greatest splendour may be seen
at the distance of seven leagues; the bearing of the
upper light is north-east half east from the dangerous
sunken rocks, called the Chickens, from which it is
nearly one mile and a half distant.
The harbours are, Douglas, Ramsey, Peel, Port le
Mary, and Castletown. The natural harbours are, Derby
haven, Laxey, and Port-Erin. Douglas, Ramsey, Derby
haven, and Laxey, are on the eastern coast, Castletown
and Port le Mary on the southern coast, and Peel and
Port-Erin on the western coast. Douglas harbour,
which is dry at low water, being considered the best
dry harbour in the Irish sea, admits vessels of considerable
burden to approach the quay at high water,
the depth being then from fifteen to twenty feet. The
pier, constructed by government, at an expense of
£22,000, is five hundred and twenty feet in length, and
forty feet broad for an extent of four hundred and fifty
feet from its commencement, when it expands to a
breadth of ninety feet, terminating in a circular area
of greater elevation than the narrower part, and having
in the centre a handsome lighthouse: the whole is
built of yellow stone brought from Runcorn in Cheshire,
and affords great security to the harbour. The quay is
spacious, and well adapted to the loading and unloading
of vessels, of which all having goods or merchandise
for bonding are, by act of parliament, compelled to deliver
their cargoes exclusively at this port. The whole
bay is two miles across, and has good anchorage, except
on the north side, being sheltered from all winds except
the east and south-east: both its points are rocky, precipitous,
and dangerous, and in the centre is a large bed
of rocks, called St. Mary's rock, or the Connister, which
are just covered at high water, being extremely dangerous
to mariners. In tempestuous weather the harbour itself
affords but insecure shelter to vessels, being exposed
to a heavy swell; and those in the bay, at such times,
are subject to many accidents, numerous shipwrecks
happening on this part of the coast. To remedy these
inconveniences, Sir William Hillary, Bart., in 1826, submitted
a plan to the consideration of government, for
forming a spacious central harbour, which, by, the
construction of a breakwater from Douglas Head, and
a pier from St. Mary's rock, might be accessible at all
times to tlrt largest vessels navigating the Irish sea, and
within which a squadron of the largest ships of the
line, and a numerous fleet of merchantmen, might ride
in safety. Ramsey harbour, accessible to vessels of one
hundred tons' burden, has been greatly improved by the,
construction of an additional pier in 1830, the depth ot
water being thereby increased more than three feet, ine
quay, on which a lighthouse has been built, is very commodious.
This is the principal port from which wheat
is exported. The bay is spacious, and the anchorage
good; and a considerable number of the herring boa
are laid up here during the winter. Peel harbour, a-
fording shelter to vessels of small burden, is formed
by a pier four hundred yards long, and varying from
seven to ten yards in breadth, at the extremity of
which is a harbour-light. A jetty, forty yards in
length, was erected in 1830, at an expense of £550; the
depth of water at ordinary spring tides is about fifteen
feet, and at neap tides eleven feet. There are seventy
herring boats, from sixteen to thirty tons' burden each,
belonging to this harbour. Derby haven, the principal
resort of the herring boats during the latter part of the
fishing season, is about a mile and a half from Castletown,
on the further side of the isthmus which joins
the peninsula of Langness to the main land. At its
southern extremity is the small island of St. Michael,
connected with the main land by a stone wall, about one
hundred yards in length, and twelve feet thick; on this
small isle a circular fort was erected by the Earl of
Derby, in the early part of the seventeenth century:
the walls, on which is placed a harbour-light, are eight
feet in thickness, and eighteen in height; they are
still entire, and enclose an area eighteen yards in diameter,
in which are the ruins of two houses, and
near them the remains of a church, now used as a
place of interment for Roman Catholics, and for persons
who may be shipwrecked on that part of the
coast: the haven, which is a mile and a half from the
direct course, is, from its greater security, generally
selected as a place of landing by passengers to Castletown
from Ireland. Port le Mary has a good harbour,
protected by a pier of considerable extent, erected a few
years since, at the extremity of which is a harbour-light.
Port- Erin has an excellent bay, affording protection from
all'winds except the west, and much frequented by the
fishing fleet at the commencement of the season. Laxey
bay affords convenient anchorage, and partial shelter
from the winds.
In the high lands between North Barrule and
Mount Greeba rise several streams, which run into
the sea at Douglas, Ramsey, Peel, Laxey, and Castletown,
and bear the same names as those places. Of
these the Ramsey river is the largest: it rises in the
mountainous group around Snawfel, and from the flat
tract of land through which it passes, within two
miles of the sea, its shallow channel is frequently diverted
by the sea, at spring tides. The Douglas river
is formed of two branches, of which the southern
rises in the west side of Mount Garraghan, and the
northern in the group of which Mount Pen-y-Pot is
the centre. The river Peel rises in the northern side
of South Barrule, and receives also another branch issuing
from the western side of the mountains of St.
German and St. Michael. The Laxey river descends
from the eastern declivity of Snawfel, and pursues a
westerly course to Laxey bay; and the Castletown river
has two branches, the principal of which rises in the
south side of South Barrule, uniting a little below
Athol bridge. Besides these rivers, which are shallow
and inconsiderable, there are numerous streams in various
parts of the island, but few of them are of sufficient
force to turn a mill. This island, like those of
the Hebrides, is destitute of wood, and almost of all
trees not artificially planted; a little brushwood and
furze is found on the uncultivated hills and low lands,
but seldom on the mountains. In various parts, plantations
and shrubberies are brought into a luxuriant
state; but there is neither park nor forest scenery in
the island. The climate is rather milder in winter
than that of the neighbouring coasts; the frosts, which
rarely commence before Christmas, are but of short duration,
and generally so slight as very little to impede
vegetation, and the snow seldom remains on the ground
for any length of time; gales of wind and rains are frequent
and of long duration in the spring, rendering the
seed-time unfavourable, and being greatly prejudicial
to the tender shoots of corn: the heat in summer is
also more moderate, the harvests being consequently
later; in general, the grain does not attain its full size,
and the straw is less valuable for fodder. The soil of the
northern portion of the island is a light sand, resting on
a bed of common clay, and in some places of clay-marl;
but the greatest part consists of a. soil resting on grey
wacke", and on clay-slate, in general thin and unproductive
without good management. A small portion of the
land around Castletown is composed of transition limestone,
of a blueish grey colour, containing veins of calcareous
spar, with impressions of shells and other marine
exuvise, the strata of which are generally from one to
four feet in thickness, having a dip to the south and
south-west of from five to ten degrees, and frequently
alternating with the grey wacke" slate, on which it lies.
The boundaries of this limestone district extend along
the coast, from the first creek northward from Derby
haven to the most western point of Port le Mary, and
from the same creek over land to Ballasalla, and thence
across the Castletown river again to Port le Mary. The
clay, and the grey wacke" slate, the latter of which increases
in proportion to the distance from the higher
mountains, occupy the southern and central portions
of the island. The soil of the valley, from St. John's
to Peel, is alluvial, and abounds with marine exuviae; in
some parts it consists of loose sand, with a substratum
of grey wacke slate, extending northward to Kirk-Michael,
and forming a narrow slip of land, one hundred
and fifty feet above the level of the sea, bounded on
one side by the sea-shore, and on the other by mountainous
elevations, consisting chiefly of grey wacko"
slate, in some parts covered with a bed of common clay.
The sandy soil along the sea-shore to the north expands
over the whole of that part of the island which is separated
from the south side, by a line extending from
Ramsey to Kirk-Michael, in a direction from east to
west. Underneath the sand is a bed of very pure com
mon clay, at the depth of from one to three feet below
the surface, called by the inhabitants marl, of which
they make an advantageous use in giving consistency
to the light sandy surface; and near Ramsey is a bed
of real clay marl, containing a considerable portion of
lime, and dug midway between high and low water
marks: there are several pits of shell marl in the
vicinity of Ballaugh, and in many parts of this flat
northern district peat is found in considerable quantities,
usually in layers from six to eight feet in thickness,
forming an extensive turbary in the centre of the
flat, which has been partly drained, and contains great
quantities of diluvial timber, among which are trunks
of the pine and the oak. Much of the land has been
greatly improved by draining, and in the northern part
of the island a considerable tract has, by that means,
been converted from a marsh into good arable and pasture
land, the soil of which is peat moss and clay.
The prevailing mode of agriculture comprises a
succession of crops in the following order. First,
potatoes or turnips; second, barley; third, clover;
fourth, oats, or, if good land, wheat; and fifth, peas, or
oats if wheat has preceded. After two or three rotations,
a poor soil is generally laid down to grass, and is afterwards
brought again into tillage. Wheat is not generally
sown except on the best cultivated farms, and
in the best districts; the produce is commonly from
twenty-four to thirty-six bushels per acre, the bushel
weighing sixty-four pounds. About one-half of the
arable land is appropriated to the growth of barley,
of which two kinds are sown; one having two rows
of grain in the ear, and the other four; the latter is
used only for malt, and the former is made into bread
for the islanders; the seed time for this grain is from
the middle of April to the middle of May; the fourrowed
ear requires to be sown earlier, and in general
ripens a fortnight sooner, than the other; the average
produce of each sort is thirty-six bushels per acre. The
other half of the arable land is appropriated to the
culture of oats, of which also there axe two kinds, the
white and the Poland; the former is generally preferred;
the time for sowing is from the beginning of
March to the middle of April; the average produce of
both is thirty bushels per acre: a very little rye is
also grown. Potatoes are in general a very favourite
crop, and there are many sorts, requiring different
modes of cultivation: the time of planting is generally
from the end of March to the middle of May;
the produce is from one hundred and sixty to two
hundred bushels per acre. Turnips, for which the climate
and the soil appear to be extremely favourable,
are produced in great quantities, and flax is grown
in most parts of the island, but not sufficient for the
supply of the manufacturers; the time for sowing it is
April. Most of the artificial grasses thrive well; the
white and red clover, ray-grass, and the common grasses,
are generally good crops, and great quantities of hay are
stacked in most of the agricultural districts. The light
ploughs are generally preferred, many being procured
from England and Scotland. In addition to the general
manures, sea-weed is extensively used, and with success,,
by farmers near the coast.
The commons, or uncultivated lands, are estimated
to form one-third of the island, including the whole
of the mountainous chain nearly to the base. Into these
pastures horses, cattle, and sheep, are turned to graze,
particularly by the upland farmers, who take pride in
their mountain breed of sheep. Their principal food
during the winter season is the evergreen furze, of which
the sheep eat only the younger sprouts; the horses eat
the larger sprays, first clearing them of the prickles by
pawing them with their feet. The native breed of horses
is of a small kind, but hardy and useful, and patient
of labour, being somewhat similar to those of North
Wales. The horned cattle are numerous, but the native
breed having been much neglected, have degenerated; the
cows are in general good milchers, but are rather more
adapted for fattening than for the dairy; the farmers
have lately been very attentive to the improvement of
the breed, by the introduction of the Dunlop and shorthomed
cattle; but in general they rely more for keeping
up their live stock upon importation, than upon rearing.
The native breed of sheep is very small and hardy,
much resembling the South Down breed of England;
their wool is not very long, nor of the finest staple, But
the flesh is excellent, and when fat they weigh from five
to eight pounds per quarter. In the low lands a larger
breed has been introduced, besides which is another
called Laughton, having wool of a light brown colour
highly esteemed in the manufacture of cloth, which is
much preferred to that made of other wool: for this
purpose the breed is solely preserved; they are much
less hardy in their nature, and more difficult to fatten,
than any of the other kinds. The sheep are subject
to a peculiar and fatal distemper, called by the natives
Onw, supposed to arise from their eating a certain plant
that grows in the pastures. Pigs are bred in great
numbers; every cottager generally keeping one or two,
which, when ten or twelve months old, weigh usually
about fifty pounds per quarter. The herring fishery,
employing so many persons during the summer and
autumn, is injurious to the agriculture of the island,
and interferes greatly with the proper securing of the
crops; within the last twenty years the Isle of Man
was included in the districts occupying the attention
of the Cumberland Agricultural Society. The land is
chiefly divided into farms containing from fifty to two
hundred acres, and that in the immediate neighbourhood
of the towns is cultivated by the inhabitants, who,
after retaining a sufficient portion of the produce for
the supply of their own families, send the remainder
to market. The enclosures are generally from four
to ten acres, fenced with sods of earth raised to the
height of four or five feet, and planted on the top with
furze; uncemented stone fences are also common, and
the gate-posts are invariably of stone, and extremely
massive. The farm-houses are roofed with slate, and
the cottages with thatch; many of the meaner sort are
constructed of sods of earth raised up, and thatched,
without eaves, consisting only of two rooms on the
ground-floor, with an aperture in the roof to let out the
smoke, and frequently without a single window. Every
inhabitant has the right of quarrying stone for his own
use, and also, on the annual payment of one halfpenny
to the lord, a sum not now demanded, of digging peat
upon the mountains. The birds that frequent the coasts
are the white and grey larus fuscus, gulls, gannets, cormorants,
shags, herons, and Royston crows; there are
not less than eight different species of birds of passage
that spend the breeding season in the Calf of Man,
among which are the puffin and the razor-bill; the curlew
also frequents the Calf, Langness, and other parts of
the island. Among those which are accounted game
are partridges, woodcocks, snipes, landrails, plovers, teal,
widgeons, and wild ducks and geese: hares would be
very plentiful if not destroyed by snares, the furze1
and brushwood affording them excellent shelter. The
streams abound with trout and salmon, generally small)
some beautiful species of the molussa, the actinea litfo
of Linnaeus, are found adhering to the rocks, where
pools are formed: there are no noxious reptiles in the
island.
The principal minerals are lead and copper ore, of
which veins are found in several of the mountains;
the chief mines are at Laxey, Foxdale, and Bradahead,
near Port Erin. The mines at Laxey are situated
near the banks of the Laxey river, and about
a mile above the village; they are worked in 2
levels driven from the steep banks of the river: in the
higher level, which was opened towards the close of
the last century, and extends to the depth of one hundred
yards, lead and copper ore are found together, with
much blende, some zinc, and a kind of mineral earth,
called black jack, which generally sells for thirty-six
shillings per ton, and of which a great quantity is sent
to Bristol, where, after being ground and prepared,
it is manufactured into black paint; the lead-ore contains
a large quantity of silver, in some instances in
the proportion of two hundred ounces, and generally
in that of from sixty to eighty ounces to the ton.
The new level is situated about a quarter of a mile
further down the river, and is twenty-eight yards below
the level of the former mine: its chief use is to
drain off the water from the upper mine: the only
metallic substances it had produced in 1808 were carbonate
of copper and blende; at that period it had
been extended two hundred yards in depth, but the produce
was not sufficient to pay the expense of working
it. The Foxdale mines, between Castletown and St.
John's, of which the chief produce is lead, with a
small portion of copper, after having been for some
time relinquished, were resumed, and, in 1830, a new
vein of lead-ore was discovered within a few feet from
the surface, which promises an abundant supply, with
little labour and expense; these mines are now being
worked with great benefit to the proprietors, to whom
they are likely to prove an ample source of wealth; sulphuret
of copper is also found in those of Brada head,
which are worked only at intervals, and between Port-
Erin and Kirk-Arbory are shafts of lead mines now deserted.
The mines belong, by prerogative, to the lord
proprietor of the soil, who lets them to companies, consisting
generally of nine or ten persons, including the
lord, who claims, as lessor, one-eighth part of the
produce. Limestone is found in various parts of the
island; that which is quarried on the coast, to the
south of Pool-vash bay, becomes highly indurated, and
is of a fine grain and black colour; it is susceptible of
a high polish, and is much used for tombstones; the
steps at the entrances of St. Paul's cathedral, in London,
are from these quarries, and were presented by
Bishop Wilson. Below high water mark, at Spanish
head, there is a quarry of very tough clay-slate, which
is raised in blocks ten or twelve feet long, from eight to
twelve inches in breadth, and from four to eight inches
in thickness; these blocks are substituted for timber,
and used for gate-posts, small bridges across streams,
and for other purposes. The slate generally is easily
split into thin laminae, well adapted for the roofs of
houses, and into thicker slabs, used for walls. The public
roads, which, till within the last half- century, were
dangerous for horsemen in winter, and for carriages
even in the summer, have been greatly improved since
the passing of an act of parliament, in 1776, by which
they were ordered to be eight yards in width, with a
ditch on each side, and to be well gravelled on the
surface; they are now little inferior to those of England,
and are kept in repair by a fund arising from a tax upon
retailers of ale and spirituous liquors, on lands, houses,
dogs, and by some fines.
The chief source of employment is agriculture:
during the intervals of the seasons great numbers are
engaged in the herring fishery, for which the season
commences about July, and continues till the end of
October: there are not less than from two to three
hundred boats employed in the trade, which is a source
of considerable profit to the fishermen, and furnishes
a large supply of food for the inhabitants. The immense
shoal of herrings that makes its appearance on
the British coast, generally in June, is divided in its
progress southward into two parts, by the Shetland
isles; the western branch passes the Hebrides, and is
subdivided, by the northern parts of Ireland, into two
parts, of which one disappears in the Atlantic Ocean,
and the other passes into the Irish sea. The boats
employed in the fishery are generally of from fifteen
to thirty tons' burden, and mostly without decks; this
little fleet leaves the harbour in the evening, and returns
with its cargoes on the following morning. It
is a prevailing and long-established custom for the
fishermen to offer up public prayer before leaving the
harbour, and on no account to go out on the Saturday
or Sunday evenings. The nets, for the throwing
of which certain regulations are in force, are buoyed
up with bags of dog-skin inflated with air: the produce
of each boat is divided into eleven shares and
a half, of which two and a half are assigned to the
owner of the boat, and one to each fisherman, and a
net. The nets are always cast after sunset, and taken
up before sunrise; and on the return of the fleet to
the harbour, great numbers of women and children are
employed in carrying the fish to the several receiving
houses, which are extensive buildings, generally ninety
feet long, sixty feet wide, and thirty feet high, where
they are immediately salted; those that are to be
preserved-white are regularly packed in barrels, witha
layer of salt between each row; such as are intended
for red herrings are first " royled," or rubbed
with salt, in which they remain for two or three days,
and are then washed and hung up on rods suspended
from the ceiling, within eight feet of the floor, on which
fires of wood are kept burning till the fish are sufficiently
dried and smoked, when they are packed in
barrels for exportation. The number of herrings gene-
rally cured., though subject to great fluctuation, may be
averaged at from eight to ten millions. A flight of
gulls generally hovers over a shoal of herrings, serving
as an index to the fishermen, for which reason the
shooting of one of these birds during the fishing season
subjects the offender to a penalty of £3.
The commerce of the island, previously to the aet of
revestment in 1765, and the subsequent regulations,
consisted principally in the importing and exporting
of contraband goods, the average returns of which exceeded
£350,000, and by some are stated to have
amounted to half a million sterling, per annum; during
that period the Isle of Man was the grand shelter
and storehouse for smugglers, who, as occasion offered,
shipped their goods hence to England, Scotland,
and Ireland, to the great detriment of the British re
venue. On the act of revestment, the customs of the
ports became vested in the British crown, and were
placed under the control of a receiver-general, and subsequently,
after various modifications, by an act passed
in the 50th of George III., the regulation and management
were transferred to the board in England, and have
since remained under the superintendence of English
commissioners. In the interpretation of British acts of
parliament, it was formerly contended that they did not
extend to the Isle of Man, unless specifically mentioned;
and it was questioned whether the word " dominions "
comprised this island, but the subject has been decided
in the affirmative. By an act passed in the 6th of
George IV., a new code of revenue laws was framed, the
principal feature of which is the system of licensing the
importation of certain goods charged with high duties;
thus confining it to an extent proportionate to the consumption
of the inhabitants, and preventing the island
from becoming a depot for smugglers. With very trifling
exceptions, the exportation is confined to goods that
are the produce or manufacture of the island, on which
no export duty is paid. Among the imports are corn,
meal, flax, seeds, linen yarn, wood-ashes, and flesh of
all kinds, which may be imported from any place duty
free; agricultural implements, black cattle, horses, sheep,
boards, bricks, cordage, and twine for nets, pack-thread,
hemp, tackle for the fisheries, hoops, linen, utensils
for cloth manufacturers, salt, soap-lees, leather, tiles,
trees, and timber, which may be imported duty free
from all parts of the United Kingdom; balks, barrels,
staves, headings for pipes, ebony, hoops, rod and bar
iron, oak planks, oars, spars, pipe-clay, and naval stores,
from the colonies of Great Britain. The revenue, in
1829, was £21,143. 8. 7.; and in the same year,
ending the 5th of January, 1830, eight vessels were
built, of the aggregate burden of five hundred and
forty tons. The number of ships belonging to the island,
in 1829, was two hundred and seventeen, of the
aggregate burden of five thousand seven hundred and
fourteen tons; and four hundred and fourteen vessels
entered inwards, and one hundred and fifty-four cleared
outwards. The manufacture of sheeting, linen, towelling,
sail-cloth, and sack-cloth, was introduced about the
beginning of the present century, when flax-mills were
erected: about the same period the woollen manufacture
was established: there are also extensive breweries,
paper-mills, tanneries (chiefly for the Manks' hides
and skins), candle and soap manufactories, and various
others, which the freedom from the excise duties
tends greatly to encourage; the quantity of leather being
insufficient for the supply of the inhabitants, much
is imported from England, which is of a very superior
quality. Distilleries of all kinds are prohibited
by the British government, under a penalty of £ 200,
with forfeiture of all implements employed in the process.
Brandy, rum, geneva, wine, tea, coffee, chocolate,
tobacco, wrought and raw silk, glass, and salt, are
among the articles imported by license, the exportation
of them being absolutely prohibited. The collector is
obliged to give one month's notice of the expiration
of licenses, and to receive within fourteen days, all petitions
for their renewal; the petitions for imports
from England are transmitted to the commissioners
at London, and from Scotland to those at Edinburgh.
On granting the licenses, the parties are bound,
under a penalty not exceeding twice the amount of
the duties, to import the goods therein mentioned, and
if the quantity limited by act of parliament be found
insufficient for the consumption of the inhabitant®,
it may be increased by the Lords of the Treasury.
The native inhabitants are naturally of an indolent,
credulous, and frequently of a superstitious, character;
they are strongly attached to their native vales and
mountains, and to their ancient laws and customs. Previously
to the act of revestment, they considered thenrselves
independent of every other nation, and they were
deeply affected by the sale of the island to the British
government, which they imagined would blend the countries,
and tend to obliterate their original distinction. The
higher and the middle ranks associating freely with
the English residents, retain few traits of their original
character, and many of them are highly accomplished
and well informed; those of the lower rank are civil, of
an hospitable character, and of a charitable disposition.
Their language is the Erse, a dialect of the Celtic, many
of the country people being unable to understand a
word of the English language.
The government was originally exercised by a council
of elders, called, from a Celtic term of that import,
Taxiaxi, or, according to the opinion of a very learned
and reverend native of the island, derived from Taxi,
a corruption of Taisgi, a guardian, and Acci, hereditary
property. The first institution of this assembly is attributed
to the Danish prince Orry, who having added
the Hebrides and the Orcades to his conquest of this
island, directed the inhabitants to choose sixteen representatives,
and those of the out-isles eight, to assist
him in the government. This assembly, the representatives
of the people from time immemorial, consisted
of the principal landowners; what powers they exercised,
or for what time the institution continued, cannot
be distinctly ascertained. In the Chronicon Mannise,
which is continued from the year 1066 to the year
1270, no allusion is made to it, nor is there any record
of the people's having had any participation in
the government of the island. During the time that it
was under the Norwegian and Scottish dominion, the
ancient form of government appears to have been laid
aside, and after the grant of it to the Stanleys, that
family retained the feudal government, and, as feudatory
princes, lords proprietors of the soil, exercised sovereign
authority, dependent only on the British crown.
Since the act of revestment, the functions of the several
officers of administration have been more explicitly
defined; but the internal policy, laws, and ancient usages
remain unchanged, and it preserves its freedom from
the imposition of taxes. Lord Chief Justice Coke observes,
that although the island is no parcel of the realm
of England, yet it forms part of the dominions of the
king, and therefore an acknowledgment of allegiance
is preserved in all the public oaths.
The civil government is vested in a governor, lieutenant-
governor, a council of ten principal officers, and the
House of Keys, consisting of twenty-four constitutional
representatives, of the people; these estates together
constituting a court of Tynwald, by which all public laws
are enacted and promulgated. The Governor, who,
with all the civil and military officers, is appointed by
the crown, is chancellor ex-offido, and he, or his deputy,
used formerly to hear and determine all appeals
from the inferior courts, on matters not relating, to
landed property; which appellate jurisdiction was transferred
to him in 1777, but in 1793 was restored to
the House of Keys: his consent, or, in his absence,
that of his lieutenant, is necessary to the passing Qf a
law. The Lieutenant-Governor performs all the functions
of the governor in his absence, and, during his
presence, such only as he may choose to entrust to
him. The Council consists of the lord bishop of the
diocese, the attorney-general, the receiver-general, the
two deemsters, the clerk of the rolls, the water-bailiff,
or admiralty judge, the archdeacon, and the two vicars-
general, who are ex-offido members of that body.
The duty of the council is to advise the governor, and
to assist him in the administration of justice in his
several courts; and when not acting in a judicial, or
legislative capacity, to act for the public good in a summary
way, in cases of emergency, such as laying an embargo
on vessels, prohibiting the exportation of grain, or
other provisions, in times of scarcity, and similar acts
requiring promptitude; a majority of the council is necessary
to give validity to their measures. The House
of Keys, consisting of twenty-four of the principal
landed proprietors, appears to be only a continuation
of the ancient assembly called Taxian: they are
supposed to have obtained the name Keys from their
being, in all cases, the interpreters of the common law,
to whom lies an appeal from the inferior law courts,
and in all cases of disputed titles to landed property;
and from their decision an appeal lies only to the king
in council. To constitute a meeting of the House
of Keys, when acting as a separate body, thirteen
members must be present: they fill up vacancies in
their own body by a majority of votes, nominating two
persons, who must be possessed of landed property
and above the age of twenty-one, of whom the governor
returns one, who takes his seat for life: they elect
a speaker, who must be approved by the governor, and
holds his office for life, but without any emolument,
The House may be assembled at the pleasure of the
governor, who may either accept, or refuse, a tender
of resignation from any of the members; if any member,
however, accept an office entitling him to become
a member of the council, he vacates his seat. The
three estates may enact, abolish, or revive all insular
laws, but before they can be put in force, they must, be
confirmed by the king, and proclaimed in the Manks
and English languages, before the people assembled
at the Tynwald Hill, and signed by the governor, or
his lieutenant, and such members of the council, and
of the House of Keys, as are present at the proclamation.
The two Deemsters are officers of very extensive
jurisdiction and of high authority; they are chief
justices of the, island j one, presiding over the northern
part, keeps his court at Ramsey, and the other,
over the southern division, holds his court at Douglas;
they have cognizance of all causes exceeding the sum
of 40s., not being actions in which damages are to be
assessed, or such as properly belong to the court of
Chancery. A High Bailiff is appointed for each of the
four towns, by commission from the governor, and
holds his office during the governor's pleasure: he is
conservator of the peace, and superintendent of policcy
having jurisdiction in all matters of debt under the
amount of 40s.; he is also empowered to take the acknowledgment
of parties, or the testimony of witnesses,
for the probate of all deeds, or instruments, brought before
him. A Coroner, with powers analogous in many
respects to those of English sheriffs, is appointed by the
governor to each of the six sheadings, or great divisions
of the island; he is both a ministerial officer and a conservator
of the peace, and, according to an ancient statute,
holds his office only for one year: in addition to
the holding of inquests in case of sudden, or violent
death, he is bound to summon juries, to execute processes
issued by the governor and by the judges of the
courts of justice, and to carry into effect the sentence of
the court: in criminal matters, and in breaches of the
peace, he can arrest without a warrant, and, after the
legal forms have been observed, can sell any property
he may have previously distrained: it is his duty also to
assist in the salvage and sale of wrecks, and he has a
deputy in each of the parishes within his sheading, who
is called a Lockman. In each parish there is also an
ancient officer, called a Moar, whose duty it is to collect
the rents, fines, escheats, deodands, waifs, and estrays
due to the lord, and to execute the orders of the court
baron.
The laws of the Isle of Man still retain much of
their ancient peculiarity of character, though modified
by occasional acts of Tynwald. and in some respects rendered
more in unison with those of England. The common
law was hitherto administered by the deemsters
and keys, who, under the lord proprietor, governed the
island by &jus non scriptum, committed to their loyalty
and fidelity, as a sacred trust, and by them orally
communicated to posterity. This custom appears to
have been derived from the Druids, who, as is observed
by Caesar, were deeply versed in the laws, which they
would by no means publish for the information of the
vulgar. Hence the Manks, from the remotest period of
antiquity, designated their common law by the name
of Breast laws, being deposited in the breasts of the
deemsters and keys, and only on important occasions
divulged to the people. By an act of Tynwald, in 1777,
and subsequently, in the 57th of George III., the code
now in general use was revised, the institution of the
grand jury differing from that of England only in the
additional benefit of receiving evidence on the part of
the accused, which enables them with more certainty
to decide upon the finding of a bill.
The principal courts are the court of Chancery,
the court of Exchequer, the court of Common Law, the
court of General Gaol Delivery, the court of Admiralty,
the courts of the Deemsters, the courts of the High Bailiffs,
and the Ecclesiastical courts. The court of Chancery,
in matters of civil property, has the most extensive
jurisdiction of all the courts in the island, and is bofih
a court of law and of equity. The governor, or, in his
absence, the lieutenant-governor, who is the representative
of the king, presides in this court, and is assisted
by the deemsters, the attorney-general, the clerk of the
rolls, and the water-bailiff, or admiralty judge who, since
the act of revestment, are all appointed by the king, and
hold their places during his royal pleasure. Like the
English court of Chancery, the proceedings are conducted
without the intervention of a jury, and, with the
etxception only of power to imprison for contempt, this
court has equal authority: the proceedings in equity
differ from those at common law more in practice than
in principle. In order to prosecute a suit on the law
side of the courtj a common action is entered at the
Rolls' office, and process granted thereon by the governor;
three days previously to the meeting of the court,
which is generally on the first Thursday in every
month, at Castletown, the defendant must be summoned
by the coroner, or his deputy, to appear at the next
court day, when the action is called in rotation by the
coroner. Should he neglect to appear, an attachment
against him may be sued for, and renewed at the second,
third, and fourth meetings of the court, at the
last of which, if it be a matter of debt, and not defended,
it may either be heard and determined on
the plaintiff's own oath, or it may be, at his option,
deferred to the next court. Should the cause of
action be disputed, or denied, by the defendant, the
court may transfer it for trial in the deemster's court
by a jury at common law, or to any other court, ecclesiastical
or civil, as the nature of the case may require.
When a common action for debt is taken out, either
against a native about to leave the island, or against a
stranger, the defendant may not only be arrested and
imprisoned, but his effects may be taken possession of
by the constable, till he give security for his personal
appearance; and after the decree has been issued, the
effects must be sold by auction, or so much as will satisfy
the creditor, after paying one year's rent, if due,
and such servants' wages as may be due by the defendant
at the time. On the equity side of the court, the
proceedings are carried on by bill and answer, as in the
English court. The Manks' law compels a native
debtor to give up all his present and future effects to
his creditors, but exempts him from imprisonment:
a native cannot be arrested, or held to bail, for debt,
unless he is about to leave the island, and has obtained
the governor's pass for that purpose. The
laws relating to bankruptcy, as practised in England,
are wholly unknown in the Manks' jurisprudence i if
an insolvent shall have faithfully accounted for, and
delivered up, his property on oath for the satisfaction
of his creditors, the governor may order him an
allowance of sixpence per day for his subsistence, and
in default of payment weekly, liberate the prisoner. In
respect of arbitrations, no proceedings are cognizable
without a rule of court entered into by consent of the
parties. No person paying a lord's rent of an ancient
quarterland, or £ 3 of yearly intack, which is regarded
as equivalent, is liable to arrest for debt.
The court of Exchequer takes cognizance of all mat
ters connected with the revenue: proceedings are here
carried on for the recovery of penalties and forfeitures
due to the crown, incurred by frauds upon the customs:
the governor, or lieutenant-governor, presides in this
court, which is generally held immediately after the court
of Chancery, and has power to make, f rjm time to time,
such orders and rules for regulating its proceedings
as may be found necessary: this court also imposes
fines, and determines the right of tithes, which, previously
to the act of Tynwald, in 1777, had, been cognizable
only in the ecclesiastical courts. The court of
Common Law is held at Castle Rushen, or at such other
place as the governor shall appoint, in Hilary term,
on the Tuesday next after the first Thursday in February
5 in Easter term, on the Tuesday next after the
first Thursday in May; in Trinity term, on the Tuesday
next after the last Thursday-in June; and .in Michaelmas
term, on the Tuesday next after the 5th of October.
This court, in which the governor, or lieutenant-governor
presides, assisted by the deemster, takes cognizance
of all actions real, personal, and mixed, and of
all suits at common law that require to be determinedby
a jury; which practice of trial by jury appears to
have obtained in all places wherein the feudal system
was adopted, and in. .this island has continued from
time immemorial. The juries consist of six men, suit',
moned by the coroner, from whose verdict an appeal
lies to the House of Keys, who may proceed in the mat.
ter according to their judgment; the appellant must:
within twenty-one days after the recording of the ver?
diet, give a bond of £3 that he will prosecute the appeal.
In cases of trespass, a jury of four men, who are a jury
of enquiry, are summoned by one of the deemsters
from the parish in which the trespass was committed,"
or any loss sustained; whose province it is to view and
estimate the injury, and to endeavour to discover by
whom it was committed. The court is opened by the
coroner of Glanfaba, with an address in the Manks
language. The court of General Gaol Delivery is held at
Rushen Castle twice in the 3rear, or at such times as the
governor, or, in his absence, the lieutenant-governor, may
direct: in this court the governor, or lieutenant-governor
presides, assisted by the bishop of the diocese, the archdeacon,
the two vicars-general, the deemsters, the attor-
ney-general, the clerk of the rolls, the water-bailiff, or
admiralty judge, and other officers, for determining upon
all offences which by the laws;of the island are deemed
capital. The proceedings, by statute of 1777 and an
act of Tynwald in the 57th of George III., require the
bill of indictment to be previously found by the grand
jury, who not only hear the evidence in behalf of the
prosecution, but also receive depositions on the part of
the prisoner; by these means they are enabled to decide
with greater certainty on the necessity of putting the
prisoner on his trial, for which purpose four men are
summoned from each of the seventeen parishes in
the island, and when a jury of twelve men is empanelled,
they are sworn and charged by the deemster:
the prosecution is conducted by the attorney-general,
and counsel is allowed to the prisoner. When the
pleadings are concluded, and the jury have agreed on
their verdict, if it be a capital offence, the deemster
demands of the foreman, in the Manks' language, "Pod
fir charree sole?" in English, "May he that ministers
at the altar continue to sit?" if the foreman answers
that he may, a verdict of not guilty is returned,
and the prisoner is instantly discharged; but should
he answer that he may not, it is understood to be
the precursor of a verdict of guilty, and the bishop
and his clergy immediately retire; the verdict is returned,
and the senior deemster then pronounces
sentence of death, but the execution is delayed till
his Majesty's pleasure shall be known.
The court of Admiralty, in which the water-bailiff
presides as sole judge, is held every Saturday, and
takes cognizance of all ("pleas respecting maritime
affairs, and of all offences committed on the seas, witfc
in the distance of three leagues from the shores or
the island; and, according to ancient statutes, has the
superintendence of all concerns relating to the her4
ring fishery. Suitors in this court must apply verbally
or by petition, stating the cause of complaint: a sum
mons is then granted to compel the defendant to appear
at the next court, when the witnesses on both
sides are examined, and the cause is heard and determined,
either with or without the assistance of a jury,
at the discretion of the judge. Should he deem the
cause of sufficient importance to require the attendance
of a jury, the judge issues his warrant to thecoroner
requiring him to summon four persons out of his sheau-
ing, who must give a unanimous verdict, whereupon
the judge pronounces his decree, from which in all civil
cases an appeal lies to the governor. The Deemsters
courts, which are of great antiquity, are held weekly in
the north and south districts into which the island is
divided; the former at Ramsey, and the latter at Douglas;
they take cognizance of slanders, assaults, batteries,
debts, contracts, and all causes not involving
the inheritance of land; the process is conducted without
the intervention of a jury, and is attended with
many advantages independently of their celerity and
cheapness. The deemster, in particular cases, will elicit
a discovery of facts in the absence of more direct evidence;
will order the production of deeds and papers
not before the court, but essential to a right judgment
of the case, which frequently precludes the necessity of a
bill in equity; and in all disputes between landlord and
tenant, with respect to the possession of lands and
tenements, the cause is heard in a summary way, and
in the latter instance the deemster by his judgment
orders immediate possession to be given. In all the
courts of the island the parties are at liberty to plead
their own cause in person, which is generally practised,,
and till lately there existed very few attorneys,
or, as they are here called, advocates; but in matters
of great importance the pleadings are usually conducted
by an advocate, who, by the statute of 1777,
must be commissioned by the governor, and take the
requisite oaths. By the same statute, should any advocate
become bail in an action, or carry on a suit by
diamparty, that is, by making any contract either before
or during the pleadings, to have part of the lands
or profits that may form the object of the suit, he is
liable to be fined, or imprisoned, at the discretion of the
court, and be rendered incapable of practising in future.
The High Bailiffs' courts are held at Castletown, Douglas,
Peel, and Ramsey, for the recovery of debts under
40s.; the proceedings are similar to. those of courts of
requests in England. The court for insolvent debtors,
which is held quarterly at Castletown, is similar to the
English court. The Ecclesiastical courts are, the consistorial
court, the court of the vicars-general, and the
chapter, or circuit court. The consistorial court, in
which the bishop, or his vicars-general, and registrar
preside, takes cognizance of all matters relating to the
probates of wills, granting letters of administration, alimony,
church assessments, the guardianship of property
belonging to minors, and cases of defamation. The
court of the vicars-general has cognizance generally of
all offences against religion and the interests of the
church, and in all cases not cognizable by the common
law courts. The chapter, or circuit, court takes cognizance
of all matters connected with the see, and the
general affairs of the diocese. The proceedings in all
these courts, when not otherwise provided for by local
enactments, are regulated conformably to the practice
of similar courts in England.
Since the grant of the island, by Henry IV., to Sir
John Stanley, it has been governed by its own peculiar
laws. Its most ancient records are the laws and ordinances
enacted by the court of Tynwald, in 1417, the
first of which was an act passed by commissioners appointed
by the lord of the island and the House of Keys,
to prevent abuses of the places of sanctuary, at that time
appointed for criminals by some of the ecclesiastics of the
island. The Manks' statute book commences in 1422, and
contains a collection of statutes, ordinances, and customs,
" presented, reputed, and used for the laws of the
island." The laws enacted in the fifteenth and sixteenth
centuries have but little weight as precedents; a more
regular system of legislation subsisted in 1764, subsequently
to which period very few alterations have
been made. The feudal tenure, by which the tenants
held their lands in villainage, at the absolute will of the
King of Man, or lord proprietor of the soil, in process
of time gave way to a more liberal tenure, called holding
by the straw, similar to the ancient tenure of the
verge in England. At length the tenants became
not only ascriptitious to the soil, but acquired permanent
estates in land descendible from ancestor to heir,
in the nature of free soccage; but there are no statutes
declaratory of the settled mode of descent, or of
the alienation of lands, prior to the act of Tynwald
passed by James, Earl of Derby, his council, deemsters,
and keys, in 1645. It is supposed that, prior to the
passing of that act, the lord's officers had prevailed
upon many proprietors of lands to surrender their estates,
which descended to the eldest son, and, in default
of male issue, to the eldest daughter, and to accept
from the lord leases for lives in lieu of them; but the
House of Keys interfering, obtained from the earl not
only the passing of that act, but \iltimately the celebrated
act of settlement, which is emphatically designated
the Manks' Magna Charta, in the year 1704. By this
act, the purchaser of a farm, quarterland, or other real
property, may alienate, or devise his estate, which, if
not disposed of, remains as assets, in default of personal
property, for the payment of all debts, whether of
specialty or of simple contract, without any preference
By the Manks' common law, such property, after one descent
from the purchaser, becomes an absolute estate
of inheritance, descending to the eldest son, or, in default
of male issue, to the eldest daughter, and, in default of
issue, to the next of kin, but subject always to any gift,
grant, sale, mortgage, lease, or assignment, executed by
deed of the owner, to the payment of arrears of the
lord's rent, in default of personal property, and to forfeiture
for felony or treason. Though lands may be
alienated by deed, they cannot by will, except by the first
purchaser; neither, after one descent from the purchaser,
are they subject to any other than mortgage debts, except
property consisting of mills, cottages, or intacks.
The term of a Manks' purchase cannot be construed in
the larger and more extended sense of Lyttleton's Perquisitio,
which includes every kind of title, except only
that of hereditary transmission; for, in this island, it is
considered only as a purchase for a valuable consideration.
The quarterlands, which are analogous to the
hides hi England, usually comprising about one hundred
acres, have, from time immemorial, been considered as
property of the highest order in the island; and, though
absolute estates of inheritance, are subject by the act of
settlement to the payment of a rent to the lord,  and
a certain fine upon descent or alienation. The tenants
names are, by the act, to be entered in the office rolls,
to the intent that, in the event of the conveyance
being destroyed, the title may not be impugned, and
the estates are thus absolutely and irrevocably confirmed.
An estate on which is an unredeemed mortgage
of five years' standing passes to the mortgagee,
who then becomes the lord's tenant, and pays a certain
fine, as in cases of alienation; but the mortgagers
have the power of redemption within twenty-one years
from the date of the mortgage. All mortgages are null
and void if not recorded within six months from the
time of their being executed: the most expeditious
and easy mode of recovering either the interest or
principal due on a mortgage is by application to the
court of the deemster, who, after summoning the parties,
and hearing the case, will, if the property consist of quarterlands
of inheritance, either order the interest to
be levied on the personal effects of the mortgager, or
give possession of the premises to the mortgagee, who
may hold them till payment of the principal, interest,
costs, and all other charges be made, according to the
conditions of the mortgage deed. In this case he must
let the premises by public auction to the highest bidder,
and apply the rents to the reduction and discharge of
the mortgage. If the premises be purchased lands,
cottages, mills, or intacks, the deemster will, if the
mortgage deed be in the usual form of bond and security
order payment to be made out of them. Estates
consisting of cottages, mills, and intacks, are subject to
the payment of debts of the owner, and may be alienated
by gift, grant, demise, will, or assignment, but, by
the statute of 1777, cannot be deemed personal effects, or
chattels, nor made assets in the hands of executors, or
be claimed by right of consanguinity, in exclusion of
the heir at law. No entail on hereditaments within the
island can be created beyond the life of the grantor, or
the heirs of persons in esse. The common conveyance of
a Manks' freehold is a deed signed by the parties in the
presence of two witnesses, not indented, and without
seal or stamp, neither of which is necessary for the
validity of any deed, except instruments of a public
nature, and letters of attorney to be used out of the
island, in which cases the government seal is requisite.
It is usual and adviseable for the parties to any deed
to acknowledge it before a magistrate, who verifies it
under his own hand to be their act, and it then becomes
admissible as evidence in any court of justice within the
island, without the necessity of producing witnesses to
prove its execution. There is no statutable form prescribed
for the execution of written wills, except that,
in cases of land, it is requisite to have two witnesses;
but by the statute of 1777, no nuncupative will is valid
unless proved by the oaths of two witnesses, and
the words, or the substance of them, committed to
writing within ten days after ,the uttering or publishing
thereof. If a man marries an heiress and survives
her, he shall be entitled to one moiety of her
estate, so long as he remains a widower, and also to a
moiety of her purchased lands, and during coverture
he is solely entitled to the rents and profits; and an
heiress after marriage has no power to sell, or lease, her
estate, without being joined in a deed to that effect by
her husband; neither can the husband sell, or make a
lease, of his own estate, without the consent of his wife,
so as to prejudice her right in case of survivorship. If
a man marry a second wife, having issue by the first, the
second can claim after his decease only one-fourth part
of his estate of inheritance, during her widowhood;
but if there be no issue by the first wife, she can claim a
moiety. If a woman be married to a man who is seized
pf an absolute freehold of inheritance, and survives him,
she is entitled to one moiety of his estate, and also
to a moiety of his purchased lands, and even in the
lifetime ot her husband may dispose of them by will to
such of her children as she shall think proper, or'to
her husband, but to no other person; but this right of
dower may be barred by settlement before marriage.
The military establishment of the island consists
generally of a company or two of regular troops detached
from regiments in England, stationed at Castletown,
for manning the garrisons, and for the defence of the
coast, under the command of the governor: each of
the parishes furnishes four men on horseback, armed
with a sabre and a pike, under a captain appointed by
the governor, and in each there is also an officer appointed
by the governor, called the captain of the
parish, with powers similar to those of the high bailiffs,
of the four towns, for the preservation of the peace.
The four towns are, Castletown, Douglas, Peel, and
Ramsey. CASTLETOWN, in the parish of Kirk-Malen;
anciently called Rushen, being the seat of government,
is considered the capital: it is situated at the
southern extremity of the island, and on the western
shore of Castletown bay, opposite the promontory of
Langness point, 9 miles (S. W.) from Douglas, the
principal port, and contains 2036 inhabitants. This,
which is the most ancient of the towns, is supposed
to have been coeval with the erection of the castle of
Rushen, from which it had its name, and which was
founded by Guttred, the second Danish sovereign in succession
from Orry: the present buildings, however, appear
to have been mostly erected during the last century; the
houses are in general neatly built; the streets are regular
and well paved, and the inhabitants are amply supplied
with water. Near the castle wall is a spacious area, forming
the market-place; and a convenient market-house,
with an assembly-room over it, was built in 1830. There
is a subscription reading-room well supported. In the
town and vicinity are breweries, corn-mills, and a tannery.
The town is intersected by a small river, over
which are a drawbridge, opposite to the castle, for foot
passengers, arid higher up a bridge of stone for carriages.
The castle, which is of great strength, and was originally
the principal fortress in the island, is situated on the west
side of the river, which is nearly dry at low water; and
is considered to bear a striking resemblance to the castle
of Elsinore in Denmark: it is surrounded by a lofty embattled
wall and fosse, and defended by a glacis of stone,
said to have been added by Cardinal Wolsey, when he
was guardian to Edward, Earl of Derby. The building is
quadrangular, with square towers on the sides, the
largest more than eighty feet high: within the area are
some commodious and recently modernised apartments,
appropriated as the residence of the lieutenant-governor,
and a spacious room in which the several courts of law
are held; and on the walls are three buildings of small
dimensions, where the records are kept, and the husv
ness of the Rolls' office is transacted. The keep, which
is built of hard limestone resembling that found in
the neighbourhood, is still entire, forming the only
prison in the island: it was formerly a very dreary
dungeon, in which prisoners were crowded together
in dark and damp chambers; but, in 1815, the m?
terior of the castle underwent considerable alterations,
and the keep was converted into a prison, divided into
three classes, for debtors, and for male and female cri-
minals. In addition to the general law courts, the
Tynwald court; the deemsters' summary courts, assembled
when they think proper; the water-bailiff's court,
every Saturday; the court of the high bailiff of the
town, the jurisdiction of which extends over the parishes
of Kirk-Arbory, Kirk-Malew, Kirk-Christ-Rushen,
and Kirk-St. Anne, for the recovery of debts under 40s.,
every Saturday; the court for insolvent debtors, quarterly;
and the chapter and circuit courts of the vicarsgeneral,
in spring and autumn; are held within the
castle walls. From the summit of the tower, now appropriated
to the execution of criminals, there is an
extensive view of the surrounding country, and of Castletown
and Pool-vash bays. Near the castle is a neat
building for the meeting of the House of Keys. In the
vicinity many handsome edifices have been erected
within these few years; in levelling the ground for the
erection of Lorn House, and the formation of the pleasure
grounds, some stone coffins and bones were found.
At the distance of a few hundred yards from the town, on
the road to Derby haven, was formerly the place of execution,
called Hango Hill, where Receiver-General William
Christian was shot, in 1662, for surrendering the
island to the parliamentarians. The numerous rocks in
the bay render access to the town by sea so difficult, that
most of the supplies for the consumption of the inhabitants
are landed at Douglas bay, or Derby haven, from
which latter place a great quantity of corn is exported.
The parochial church, Kirk-Malew, is one mile and a
half from the town; the old chapel, erected in 1698 by
Bishop Wilson, was taken down in 1826, and the present
edifice, handsomely built of limestone cemented,
with an octagonal tower, has been erected, at an expense
of £1600: the interior is well arranged, and contains one
thousand one hundred sittings, of which three hundred
are free, the Incorporated Society for building and enlarging
churches and chapels having granted £300
towards defraying the expense. There are places of
worship for Primitive and Wesleyan Methodists, and
Roman Catholics. King William's College was founded,
in 1830, by the Hon.. Cornelius Smelt, lieutenant-governor;
Dr. Ward, bishop of the diocese, and the other
trustees of property granted by Bishop Barrow, in
1668, for the promotion of sound learning, and for the
education and support of two young men, to supply
the Manks' churches, and other charitable and pious
uses. The course of studies embraces religious instruction
suited to the age of the pupils, the classics,
mathematics, oriental literature, the modern languages,
navigation, and other sciences, forming a complete and
general system of education. The principal, and the
other masters, with the exception only of the professors
of the oriental and modern languages, must be members
of the church of England, and graduates of
one of the Universities; the masters, under certain regulations,
are allowed to receive pupils of the college,
as boarders; the pupils pay a small sum per quarter
towards the funds of the college, and a small
admission fee towards the establishment of a library.
Provision is made, by Bishop Barrow's gift, for the
further education at either of the Universities of
young men intended for the church; and when the
funds of the college will allow it, professors of divinity,
law, physic, and surgery, will be added for the benefit
of such pupils as, having passed through the ordinary
courses of study in the college, may be unable to complete
their professional education elsewhere. The buildings,
partly in the early English, and partly in the
Elizabethan, style of architecture, form a spacious cruciform
structure, two hundred and ten feet in length
from east to west, and one hundred and thirty-five feet
from north to south: from the intersection rises an
embattled tower, one hundred and fifteen feet high,
strengthened witli buttresses, surmounted by an octagonal
lantern turret, intended for an observatory, having
in each of its faces an elegant lofty window, and crowned
with a parapet and handsome pinnacles, carried up from
angular buttresses; they include a handsome church, in
the early English style, and were erected partly with the
money saved out of the academic fund, and partly by
the liberal subscriptions of the inhabitants, the expense
of building the church having been defrayed from funds
collected in England by Bishop Ward, for the erection
of new churches in the island: there are also a public
lecture-room, a large hall for a library, four large class
rooms, and houses for the masters, containing numerous
apartments for the accommodation of pupils, and
every requisite arrangement for the purposes of the
institution; this extensive and handsome pile of building
was erected under the superintendence, and after
a design, of Messrs. Hansom and Welch, of Liverpool,
who are also the architects of the several churches
now in progress of erection in the island. A National
school, in which; two hundred and twenty children are
instructed, is supported by subscription; and a parochial
charity school for twenty boys is supported by
the impropriate funds of the island. Mrs. Catherine
Halsalls, in 1758, bequeathed £8 per annum to a mistress,
to teach poor girls to read, sew, knit, and spin,
and £2 per annum for repairing the school-house;
and Mr. and Mrs., Taubman, in 1799, bequeathed £25
per annum for the support of a free school for twentyfive
boys, of which sum, £20 is appropriated as a
salary to the master, and £5 to the purchase of books.
At Derby haven, which has been previously noticed as
a place of landing for persons visiting Castletown, is
a small village, chiefly consisting of cottages and some
large herring warehouses, and in the neighbourhood of
the town are several lime-kilns.
DOUGLAS, the largest, most populous, and greatest
commercial town in the island, containing 6054 inhabitants,
is situated near the centre of the eastern coast,
and on the south of the large semicircular bay of the
same name, in the parish of Kirk-Braddan. The town
derives its name from the rivers Dhoo and Glass
uniting their streams a little above it, and falling into
the harbour: it is of a triangular form, the longest side
extending from the bridge at the upper end of the harbour,
in a north-easterly direction, towards the coast,
and the shortest from the same point in a direction towards
the pier. The streets are in many parts inconvenient
and narrow, and the houses without order or
uniformity of appearance; but, from the relative importance
of its commerce, and the advantages of its port, it
has undergone considerable improvements, and in the
suburbs are several new streets regularly formed, and
many houses of handsome appearance. The town is
partially paved, and lighted during the winter, and the
inhabitants are supplied with water brought from a
declivity behind the town in casks, and carried about
for sale: the pier forms an agreeable promenade, and
is much frequented. To the south is a range of
hills, called the How of Douglas  and on the north-east
are seen the cliff of Clay Head, and the mountains of
Snawfel and Pen-y-Pot, with the spacious intervening
bay, to the right of which is a long extent of the Cumberland
coast, crowned with distant mountains; and
from the summit of Douglas head, still more to the
right, the high lands of Wales are plainly discernible.
The bay, with the town and country above it, rising
from its shores in the form of an amphitheatre, forms a
beautiful object as approached from the sea, and to the
north of the town are extensive and firm sands, much
frequented by company in carriages, on horseback, and
on foot. About half a mile beyond the town is Mona
castle, the magnificent mansion erected by the late Duke
of Athol, of a fine white sand-stone, brought from the
Isle of Arran, at an expense of £40,000: this castle, and
about one hundred acres of land surrounding it, are the
only property now belonging to that family. Near it is
the elegant marine villa of Col. Stewart, pleasantly situated
in the centre of grounds tastefully laid out; and
adjoining the lodge is the Marine Terrace, a handsome
range of houses recently erected. At the entrance of the
bay, on the south shore, is a battery of two guns; and
on the banks of the river, to the west of the town, are
several handsome seats; among which is the Nunnery, a
building in the early style of English architecture, so
called from the contiguous ruins of an ancient religious
establishment, founded, according to Manks' tradition,
in the sixth century, by St. Bridget, of which the prioress
was anciently a baroness of the island. The salubrity of
the air, and the fineness of the beach, have rendered
Douglas a place of general resort for sea-bathing, and
suitable residences and lodging-houses have been erected
at the northern extremity of the bay, and in the town,
for the accommodation of the numerous visitors who
frequent it during the summer season: a large hotel, with
bathing machines and every requisite accommodation,
has been established on the coast of the bay, and in the
town are several hotels and boarding-houses. A commodious
establishment of hot and cold sea-water baths
was erected in 1816. A neat theatre is opened during
the season, and assemblies are held in an elegant
suite of rooms at the British Hotel: there are several
libraries, news-rooms, and billiard tables, hi various
parts of the town, and a United Service club was established
in 1829. Considerable trade is carried on at this
port with the neighbouring coasts, and ship-building,
both for home and for foreign use, consisting chiefly of
small vessels and fishing-boats, is greatly encouraged,
the shipwrights being much esteemed for their skill in
the construction of those vessels: there are also several
extensive soap-manufactories, tan-yards, breweries, and
corn-mills in the town and neighbourhood. The customhouse,
a commodious building, formerly the residence
of the Duke of Athol, is situated on the quay. The
intercourse with the neighbouring kingdoms has been
greatly facilitated by means of steam - packets; the
post-office for the whole island is established in this
town, to which letters are brought by the steam-packets
from Liverpool, three times in the week during the
summer, and once during the winter. There are
two steam-packets from Douglas to Liverpool direct,
every other day, and during the summer the voyage,
seventy-two miles long, is performed in eight hours.
Scotch steam-vessels running between Liverpool and
Glasgow call here daily, and one from Whitehaven to
Dublin calls every Saturday, on her way thither, and
every Monday on her return, during the summer: there
are also several traders from this port to Liverpool,
Whitehaven, and to the Scotch and Irish ports. The
Isle of Man district association of the Royal National
Institution, for the preservation of life from shipwreck
which institution originated in this island, under the
auspices of Sir William Hillary, Bart., is held in this
town. It was founded in 1824, under the immediate
patronage of the king, the princes of the blood royalj
and many of the leading men in the state; and, since
its establishment, has paid premiums and bestowed honorary
medals for the recovery of one thousand four
hundred and forty-six lives: it provides with food,
clothing, medical assistance, and the means of restoring
to their homes, the destitute sufferers of all nations, and
has life-boats and a complete set of Captain Manby's ap-:
paratus in constant readiness at all the principal ports.
This district association is under the immediate super-* ,
intendence of the lieutenant-governor, as patron; Sir
William Hillary, Bart., president; the Bishop and the
Speaker of the House of Keys, vice-presidents; -and a
general committee of members of the legislature and of
the principal inhabitants. The market is on Saturday,
and is well supplied with provisions of all kinds brought
from different parts of the island: the town is amply supplied
with fresh fish throughout the year, and with a
little salmon during the summer months; the fair is on
November 12th, for cattle. The deemster for the southern
division holds his court here as often as may be neces-
sary, and the high bailiff every Saturday, for the recovery
of debts under 40s.; the jurisdiction of the latter extends.
over the parishes of Kirk-Braddan, Kirk-Onchan, Kirk-
Lonan, and Kirk-Marown; the vicars-general hold an
ecclesiastical court every alternate Friday, and a chapter,
or circuit court, in spring and autumn. The courthouse,
a plain building, is situated near the pier, ana
has a small lock-up house for the confinement of.
offenders previously to their being sent to Castletown.
for trial. The parochial church, called Kirk-Braddan,
is two miles distant, on the road to Peel. On one side
of the market-place is a small chapel, dedicated to
St. Matthew, containing about three hundred sittings
to which is attached a library established by Bishop
Wilson, and augmented by Bishop Hyldersley. with a,
bequest of two hundred volumes; and on an eminence,
to the west of the town is a neat chapel, dedicated to,
St. George, containing one thousand sittings. A new,
chapel, which will accommodate one thousand five
hundred persons, is now being erected in Fort-street,
to be dedicated to St. Barnabas; it is a neat
building in the early style of English architecture
with turrets crowned with pinnacles at the angles,
of the nave; the interior is lighted by a long range ot
fifteen clerestory windows on each side; at the west am
is a handsome tower, surmounted by a spire, a huadre
and forty feet high. The livings are perpetual curacies,
in the patronage of the Bishop. There are places of worship
for Independents, Primitive and Wesleyan Me-
thodists, and Roman Catholics. A National school, established
in 1810, for which commodious school-rooms
have been erected in Athol-street, at an expense o
£ 1120, is supported by subscription, for the instruction
of one hundred and twenty boys, and one hundred
and twenty girls; an infant school, in which are one
hundred children, has been recently established. The
establishment of a public kitchen, under the superintendence
of the high bailiff, to which each inhabitant
contributes what he may think proper, has afforded
material relief from the importunate visits of the poor,
to which other parishes are exposed: those poor persons
who, from infirmity or illness, cannot attend the
public table, are provided with food at their own
houses. A medical dispensary has been instituted
within the last few years, and is well supported; and
there are various benefit and friendly societies in
the town.
PEEL, anciently called Holme town, in the parish
of Kirk-German, is situated on the western coast, 10
miles (N. W.) from Douglas, and 12 from Castletown,
and contains 1909 inhabitants. It is chiefly remarkable
for the remains of its ancient castle and cathedral
church, to which it was indebted for its early importance;
it was a place of considerable commerce prior
to the suppression of the contraband trade, and was
the grand resort of smugglers j but since that period
the inhabitants have been principally employed in agriculture
and in the fisheries, herrings on this part of
the coast being taken in the greatest abundance, and not
less than seventy boats belong to the harbour. The remains
of the castle are situated on a small rocky island,
about one hundred yards west of the town, being separated
from it by Peel river, which is scarcely a foot deep
at low water, and joined to the main land by a stone wall
shelving towards the summit, built many years since to
defend the harbour; the entrance was formerly by a
flight of steps on the eastern side, now almost worn away
by time; the walls, which are from three to four feet
thick, and flanked with towers, are built of clay-slate,
and are in many places quoined and faced with red
sand-stone; they enclose a polygonal area of about five
acres, which is almost filled with the ruins of walls,
buildings, and dwelling-houses; and in the centre is a
pyramidal mound of earth, about seventeen yards at
the base, surrounded by a ditch five feet and a half
broad, supposed to have been either a tumulus raised
over the ashes of some illustrious chief, or from the
summit of which harangues were made to the populace;
the time of the erection of the castle is not
known, but it is by some supposed to have been prior
to the foundation of Castle Rushen. Till the act of
revestment, this fortress, as well as Rushen castle,
was garrisoned by native troops, in the pay of the
lord of the isles; but since the island became vested
in the British crown, the armoury has been removed,
the garrison reduced, and the building suffered to decay:
within the walls is a two-gun battery. Eleanor,
wife of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, in the reign
of Henry VI., and the Earl of Warwick, who for a
time was banished to this island, and placed under
the custody of the garrison, were at different times
confined in this castle. Within the area are the ruins
of the ancient church of St. German, erected about
the year 1245, as the cathedral church, which has not
been used, except as a burying-place, for many years:
beneath the eastern part of it is the ancient ecclesiastical
prison, a vault eighteen feet deep, of which the
groined roof is supported on low dwarf pillars, and in
one corner is a well. Some of the arches in the transept
are remaining, but the building is unroofed and
hastening to decay. Bishop Wilson was the last prelate
who was enthroned in this church. The ruins of St.
Patrick's church are a little to the westward of it: this
is supposed to have been the first Christian church in
the island, and, though roofless and in a greatly dilapidated
state, it retains some characteristics of the Nor
man style of architecture. In the rocks along the
neighbouring coast are many curious caverns: agates
and cornelians are found on the sands. The town is
paved, and supplied with water from wells. The market
is on Friday, chiefly for provisions, with which it is well
supplied; and there are fairs on March 28th and July
24th, for horses and cattle. The deemsters hold their
courts here occasionally, and the high bailiff every
Saturday, for the recovery of debts under 40s.; the jurisdiction
of the latter extends over the parishes of
Kirk-Ballaugh, Kirk-St. German, Kirk-Michael, and
Kirk-Patrick: the vicars-general hold a chapter, or circuit
court, in spring and autumn: a new court-house is
at present, being erected. The parochial church, dedicated
to St. Peter, is not distinguished for its architecture;
it will accommodate five hundred persons. The
free grammar school was founded, in 1746, by Philip
Moore, Esq., who endowed it with £500, directing the
interest to be paid to a master qualified to teach " the
Latin language, and such other learning as may prepare
youth for the service of their country in church and
state;" the bishop and the twenty-four keys are trustees.
A mathematical school was founded, in 1763, by
the Rev. James Moore, of Dublin, who bequeathed the
ground-rent of three houses in that city, producing then
£20 Irish per annum: he also ordered his books to
be sold, or exchanged, for mathematical books and instruments
for its use. John Stevenson, Esq., of Ashley
Park, in the county of Surrey, bequeathed £ 100 for the
instruction of two additional boys; and Czesar Corris,
Esq., in 1826, gave also £100 for the instruction of
two boys of his own kindred; or, in default of such,
for any other boys of the town: the school premises,
which were left by Sir George Moore, are in a dilapidated
state, no funds having been appropriated for
keeping them in repair. Philip Christian, Esq., in
1652, left two houses in Lovel's Inn, Paternoster Row,
London, to the Master and Wardens of the Clothworkers
Company, in trust for the yearly payment of
£ 20 to two poor boys, natives of the Isle of Man, as
apprentice-fees of £10 each, with an order that, if there
should not be a free school in the town of Peel, the
money should be paid towards the establishment and
maintenance of such a school; £18 per annum of
which sum to be paid to the master, and £2
per annum to be appropriated to the purchase of
books. Bishop Wilson bequeathed £ 50 for the instruction
of poor girls, and Mr. William Cain left a small
piece of land for teaching children. About three miles
from the town is the Tynwald Mount, where all new
laws, according to ancient usage, must be promulgated
to the people: the ascent to its summit, which is
about eighteen feet high, is by a flight of steps cut
in the turf on the western side; around it are several
terraces diminishing in breadth from the base.
When the legislative assembly is collected, a chair
under a canopy is placed on the summit for the go
vernor, or his deputy, below whom, on the terraces,
the deemsters, the council, and the keys, take their
places, according to their respective orders, the sur~
rounding area being occupied by the people. The
Tynwald court is held annually on the 5th of July,
when different officers are chosen for the year. The
legislative assembly meet at St. John's chapel, from
which, after divine service has been performed, they
move in procession to the mount.
RAMSEY is situated on the north-eastern coast, in.
the parish of Kirk-Maughold, 15 miles (N.N.E.) from
Douglas, and 25 (N. E.) from Castletown, near the
mouth of the river Sulby, the largest in the island,
over which is a stone bridge of three arches, one
hundred and fifty feet in length, and twelve in width:
it contains 1523 inhabitants. The town is irregularly
built, but the streets are wide, clean, and well
paved, and the inhabitants are amply supplied with
water. The surrounding country is remarkably picturesque,
and in a high state of cultivation. Several
handsome seats and pleasing villas, inhabited chiefly
by native families of respectability, have been erected.
There are many nourishing apple orchards, and the
stone fences on most' of the estates have given place to
quickset hedges. The neighbourhood is remarkable as
the scene of the numerous battles fought between the
Danes and the Scots, when the latter had possession of
the island. The trade is principally in exporting Manks
produce, especially wheat: the amount of exports is
about £40,000 per annum; there are no imports, except
coal, lime, and such commodities, all colonial and
foreign produce being, by act of parliament, landed
exclusively at Douglas; the custom-house and the revenue
establishment here are under the control of the
receiver-general at that port. Seven steam-packets between
Liverpool and Glasgow call at this port twice in
the week. The market, on Saturday, is abundantly
supplied with provisions, which are lower in price
than at any other town in the island. The common
law courts are held here quarterly, at which a deemster
presides, and the deemster for the northern division
of the island holds his court occasionally, and the
high bailiff every Saturday, for the recovery of debts
under 40s.; the jurisdiction of the latter extends over
the parishes of Kirk-Andreas, Kirk-Bride, Kirk-Jurby,
Kirk-Christ-Lezayre, and Kirk-Maughold. An ecclesiastical
court, in which either the bishop or his vicargeneral
presides, is held every alternate week, and a
chapter, or circuit court, in spring and autumn. The
court-house, which is the largest in the island, is a
neat building ornamented over the entrances with the
arms of England and those of the island sculptured in
stone. The parish church, dedicated to St. Bridget, is
nearly three miles distant from the town, near Maughold
head. A chapel, dedicated to St. Paul, is situated in the
market-place, and was erected in 1819, by subscription,
and a grant of £300 from the Incorporated Society for
promoting the enlargement of churches and chapels, in
consideration of providing free seats for the poor: it
is a neat edifice, with a tower, and contains sittings for
five hundred persons; the old chapel, just without the
town, is now used only as a burying-place for strangers.
There are places of worship for Independents,
and Primitive, and Wesleyan Methodists. The grammar
achool was founded, about the year 1760, by Mr. Charles
Cowell, who gave a piece of land, on which to erect a
school-room, which was built by subscription; the master,
who is minister of the chapel, receives a small quarterage
from the bishop's registrar} and formerly an annual
sum of £ 10, called Salt money, was paid by Lord
Cholmeley, which, though it has been discontinued for
many years, is not lost, as, in 1H28, an agent from
Chester called on the high bailiff, and offered to pay
the money, on receiving a proper discharge; but the
bishop not being at that time in the island, the money
was not paid. Captain John Kilpatrick left £200 to
the poor, and £ 100 to the parochial school; and Mr,
Edward Christian left the moiety of an estate, produc:
ing nearly £7 per annum, for the same purpose. There,
are two National schools, one for boys, and the other
for girls, both supported by subscription.
The ecclesiastical government
is vested in a bishop:
the see, according to Cainden,
was first established,
in the ninth century, by
Pope Gregory IV., in the
small village of Sodor, in
lona, or St. Columb's isle,-
corruptly called Icolmkill, a,
small island of the Hebrides.
In l098,Magnus, King
? of Norway, having by conquest obtained possession
of those islands and the Isle of Man, united them
under one bishop, under whose jurisdiction they continued
till the year 1333, when the English possessed
themselves of the Isle of Man, and since that period,
though the bishop has maintained no claim to
the see of Sodor, he has retained the ancient title,
being still styled Bishop of Sodor and Man. He
enjoys all the dignities and spiritual rights of other
bishops, with the exception of having a vote in the
house of peers, in which, by courtesy only, he has a seat,
the see not being a barony. The see of Man was annexed
to the province of York by Henry VIII., in the
33rd year of his reign. Under the bishop, it is governed
by an archdeacon, two vicars-general, an episi
copal registrar, an official, and other officers. ,
The island is divided into six sheadings, each of
them containing three parishes, with the exception or
the sheading of Garff, which contains only two: there
are no church-rates or poor-rates, the churches being
usually built and repaired by subscription, and the wants
of the poor relieved by collections at the doors of the
churches, distributed among them by the church, or
chapel, wardens. Ayre sheading comprises the parishes
of Kirk-Andreas, Kirk-Bride, and Kirk-Christ-Lezayrej
Garff sheading, the parishes of Kirk-Lonan and Kirk-
Maughold; and Michael sheading, the parishes of Kirk?
Ballaugh, Kirk-Jurby, and Kirk-Michael: these sheadings
are included within the northern division of the
island. In the southern division are Glanfaba sheadr
ing, comprising the parishes of Kirk-German, KirKMarown,
and Kirk-Patrick; Middle sheading, the par-
rishes of Kirk-St. Anne, Kirk - Braddan, and
Onchanj and Rushen sheading, the parishes of
Arbory, Kirk-Christ Rushen, and Kirk-Malew.
Anfoeas contains 2229 inhabitants; the living is a rec:
tory, in the gift of the Crown; the church, which was
one of the oldest in the island, was rebuilt in 1802, and
Contains six hundred and fifty sittings: in the interior
is a handsome marble font, which formerly belonged to
Philip I. of France, and being confiscated at the time
of the Revolution, was presented to this parish by Mr.
Corlett; near the entrance gate is an ancient cross with
Runic inscriptions. There is a parochial school, and
at Kerro Garrvoo a school for girls, of which the mistress
receives thirty shillings per annum, bequeathed
by Mr. John Tear. Annual fairs are held in the village,
on St. Andrew's and St. John's days, for cattle. Near a
seat called Ballacurry is a quadrangular encampment,
defended by a bastion at each angle, and surrounded
by a wide fosse, in good preservation, supposed to have
been constructed by the troops of Cromwell during the
parliamentary war; the interior of the area is sufficiently
sunk to defend the,t.roops from the fire of an enemy.
Some fine barrows have been opened in this parish, and
found to contain urns and other relics of antiquity.
Kirk-S't. Anne, or Santan, contains 800 inhabitants; the
living is a vicarage, in the gift of the Crown: the
church is situated on the old road from Douglas to
Castletown. There is a parochial school, to which Mr.
William Leece, in 1805, bequeathed £100, and, in the
village, a small school of industry for girls. A fair is
held on the 31st of May, for cattle. About a mile to
the east of the church is an irregular circle of stones,
probably Druidical remains; and on the coast, to the
left of Greenock creek, is an oblong tumulus, called
Cronk na Myrrhon, or the hill of the dead. Kxrk-Arbory
contains 1455 inhabitants; the living is a vicarage,
in the gift of the Crown: the church, which contains
three hundred sittings, has no architectural features.
The village of Colby is in this parish. There is a parochial
school; and fairs are held June 22nd, October 28th,
and December 6th. Near Balladoole is a brackish spring,
probably issuing from a salt rock. On the high grounds
between Balladoole house and the sea is Kiel-Vaal, or
Kirk-Michael; and behind Colby house is Kiel-Pharrick,
or Kirk-Patrick, both good specimens of the ancient
Kiels, or Kirks, so common in the island. These Kiels
consist of a small enclosed area occupied with graves,
in the centre of which are the ruins of the ancient
church, generally of a quadrangular form, and of diminutive
proportions. In the vicinity of the latter are
five lofty stones of uncommon dimensions, and some
other Druidical remains, and in several parts of the parish
barrows are seen. Kirk-Ballaugh contains 1467
inhabitants; the living is a rectory, in the gift of the
Crown: the old church, dedicated to St. Mary, and containing
three hundred and fifty sittings, is about a mile
from the village, near which a new church is now being
erected, to contain seven hundred sittings; it will be a
neat edifice in the early style of English architecture,
with a lofty embattled tower of three stages, strengthened
with buttresses and crowned with pinnacles. There
is a parochial school in the village, which is well attended.
A public brewery has been established, and
fairs take place on May 15th and August 26th. In this
parish are several rabbit-warrens; and near the village
are pits of shell-marl, in which heads, horns, and skeletons
of gigantic antediluvian elks have been found, of
which a complete skeleton, of the largest dimensions,
is deposited in. the museum of the University of Edinburgh.
Mr. Burman, of Douglas, has in his possession
a head, with the horns extending seven feet from tip to
tip. Beds of common marl, of great extent and depth,
are found in the country towards Kirk-Jurby, and in the
adjoining parish of Kirk-Andreas; the road from Ramsey
to Kirk-Michael runs through the village. Kirk-
Braddan contains 1754 inhabitants, exclusively of those
in the town of Douglas; the living is a vicarage, in the
patronage of the Bishop. The church, which is pleasantly
situated in a picturesque spot, about two miles
from Douglas, on the road to Peel, contains four hundred
sittings, but claims no architectural notice,
though beautifully situated; in the churchyard are a
Runic pillar, with an inscription, and several ancient
crosses. There is a parochial school; and in the
parish are paper and corn mills, and a linen manufactory,
employing about four hundred persons, to
which are attached a flax-mill and spacious bleaching
grounds; in this factory the whole process is conducted,
from the preparation of the raw material to its being
spun into yarn, and woven into cloth; the old system
of bleaching is adopted, which, being free from any
chemical process, has no injurious effect upon the cloth,
to which circumstance may be attributed the superior
durability of the Manks' linen, of which considerable
quantities are exported to the neighbouring ports of
the United Kingdom. Near the bleaching green, on
that branch of the Douglas river called the Glass, is a
fortified hill, named Castle Ward; and in the vicinity
are various ruins of Kiels, or Kirks, which are preserved
with scrupulous veneration. Kirlc- Bride contains
1001 inhabitants: the living is a rectory, in the
gift of the Crown: the church, containing two hundred
and fifty sittings, is dedicated to St. Bridget: over the
chancel door is a stone, about a foot square, on which
are rudely carved figures representing Adam and Eve
plucking the forbidden fruit. There is a parochial
school; and fairs are held on April 12th and May 6th,
for cattle. In this parish is the point of Ayre, the northern
extremity of the island; the land is very low, and the
shoals that extend to a considerable distance from the
shore have occasioned many shipwrecks. A few years
since, a lighthouse near the point was erected, to the
height of one hundred and six feet above the level of
the sea: it is furnished with a revolving light, shewing
alternately a red and white colour, which attain their
greatest brilliancy every two minutes; the white light
may be seen at the distance of four or five leagues, but
the red light is not visible at so great a distance.
Maughold head intercepts the view of a navigator to
the south, and Rice point to the west, of Ayre point:
there are several tumuli in the parish. Kirk-Christ
Lezayre contains 2209 inhabitants; the living is a vicarage,
in the gift of the Crown: the church, dedicated to
the Holy Trinity, and containing two hundred and fifty
sittings, is about two miles from Ramsey, and a little way
out of the road to Kirk-Michael. A new church is now
being erected, in the early style of English architecture,
with a tower surmounted by a spire, which will contain
eight hundred and fifty sittings. The parish, which comprises
the village of Sulby, is very extensive, and maybe
considered as the garden of the Isle of Man, abounding
with picturesque views, and diversified with beautifty
scenery. In addition to the parochial school are the
Sulby school, founded by Mrs. Christian, who endowed
it with property producing £ 11 per annum; and Mountain
school, founded in 1764, by Mr. John Kelly, of
Coo-il-Isischael, who bequeathed £71 for that purpose,
and to the support of which Mr. Philip Quayle gave his
quarterland of Ischeag, and Mr. William Kelly a portion
of Intaek in Kirk-Ballaugh, called Lhiargey-we-howne,
producing about £ 5 per annum. Fairs for cattle are
held at Sulby on the 8th and 24th of June. Turf and
bog timber are found in great abundance in this parish.
Kirk-Christ Eushen contains 2568 inhabitants; the living
is a vicarage, in the gift of the Crown; the church, dedicated
to the Holy Trinity, contains four hundred
sittings. Mrs. Clague left £3 per annum out of an
estate called the Grampiones, and the Rev. John Clague
bequeathed £2. 11. 5. to the parochial school, and Miss
Qualtrough left £ 100 for founding a school. In this
parish are the small villages of Port-Erin and Port-le-
Mary. Between these villages are the Giants' quoiting
stones, two huge masses of unhewn clay-slate, about
ten feet high, three feet wide, and two feet thick.
Within a mile of these is Fairy Hill, a barrow, situated
in a low morass, from which two defiles lead to Port-
Erin bay, and the creek' of Fleswick; the hill is a trun--
cated cone forty feet high, and one hundred and fifty
yards in circumference, completely surrounded by a
deep and wide ditch; on the summit is a circular excavation,
ten yards in diameter, with a regular parapet}
the sides of the hill facing the defiles are almost
perpendicular, and on the north - east side a pathway
to the summit is discernible. According to the
ancient modes of warfare, it must have been an almost
impregnable fortress, all access to which might
have been prevented by inundating the morass. In
this parish are Spanish Head, previously noticed, and
the Calf of Man, of which a small portion is converted
into arable land, but the greater part consists of
sheep-walks; it is leased to a farmer, who has erected
a house in the centre, and whose family and servants,
together with those who have the care of the
lighthouses, are the only inhabitants. The Calf of Man
is tithe free, having neither church nor minister;
and, except in the garden of the farmer, there is neither
tree nor shrub in it. Rabbits are found in abundance,
nearly two thousand being killed annually, and
the islet is a great place of resort for sea-fowl and aquatic
birds of every description; the copper mines of Brada
are also in this parish. Kirk-German contains 1849
inhabitants, exclusively of those in the town of Peel:
the living is a vicarage, in the patronage of the Bishop;
the church, dedicated to St. Peter, which is
situated in the town of Peel, contains sittings for five
hundred persons. There is a parochial school. Fairs
are held at St. John's on May 1st and l&th, July 5th,
and November 1st and 18th. There are several ancient
kiels in the parish. Kirk-Jurby contains 1108 inhabitants;
the living is a vicarage, in the patronage of the
Bishop; the church, dedicated to St. Patrick, and containing
two hundred and eighty sittings, is about half a
mile to the north-east of Point Jurby, occupying an elevated
situation, from which the high lands of England,
Scotland, and Ireland, may be plainly discerned. In the
churchyard is a barrow, and in the parish are various
others, besides several watch and ward hills. There is
a parochial school; and fairs are held on April 5th, for
hiring female servants, and on November 20th for cattle.
Turf and bog-timber are found in this parish in great
abundance. Kirk-Lonan contains 1846 inhabitants: the
living is a vicarage, in the gift of the Crown; the church,
dedicated to St. Lomanus, contains three hundred sittings,
and is not distinguished by any architectural features.
A new church, in the early style of English architecture,
with a tower surmounted by a spire, and containing five
hundred sittings, is now being erected in the parish.
There is a parochial school; and an annual fair is held
at Laxey, on the 5th of August, for cattle. About a mile
from the church, on the sea-shore,, is the small village
of Laxey, pleasantly situated at the mouth of a stream
of that name, which abounds with trout. Upon the
banks of the river, a little higher up the village, are a flaxmill
and a paper-mill, in the latter of which a considerable
quantity of paper is manufactured for home
consumption and for exportation; and about a mile
further up the glen are the lead and copper mines.
The glen presents a fine landscape, having Snawfel and
other mountains in the back ground; the greater part
of Snawfel is in this parish, and the summit, from its
central situation, commands a more complete view of
the surface of the island than can be obtained from
any other eminence. On the north side of Laxey hill
is an imperfect Druidical circle of small diameter; .and
a little lower down is a terrace three yards wide, leading
to a cairn of considerable magnitude, composed of loose
stones thrown together without order, and having, at
the extremity of the base, a lofty stone pillar; the
summit is nearly level. About two miles on the road
to Douglas are the Cloven stones, a Druidical tomb, or
altar, so called from two lofty stones more conspicuous
than the rest, which appear to have been riven asunder.
Tradition records these stones to have been the
grave of a Welch prince, who, having landed at Laxey,
on his invasion of the island, was slain by the natives,
and buried on the spot where he fell. A little further
up the river there is a fine specimen of an ancient fortified
hill; and in various parts of the parish are several
barrows and cairns, of which considerable numbers, are
found in many parts of the island. Kirk-Malew contains
2649 inhabitants, exclusively of those in Castletown:
the living is a vicarage, in the gift of the Crown; the
church, containing five hundred and thirty sittings, is
situated about a mile and a half from Castletown, on
the road to Peel. About three miles to the north-east
of it is St. Mark's chapel, erected in 1772, under the
auspices of Bishop Hyldersley, who purchased the
glebe for it: it was repaired, in 1830, at the expense of
the Bishop of the diocese. Besides Castletown, this
parish includes the village of Ballasalla, Derby haven,
and Langness point. Independently of the schools in
that town, there are parochial schools at Ballasalla
and at St. Mark's. Fairs are held, January 5th and
May 12th, at St. Mark's; and April 25th, August
12th, and September 29th, at Ballasalla, for cattle.
Ballasalla is the most extensive and populous village
in the island: the scenery in its vicinity is richly diversified
and picturesque; the venerable remains or
Rushen abbey are seen on the banks of the river, and
form an interesting feature in the view; the mountain
of South Barrule is chiefly in this parish, and on its
northern declivities are extensive slate quarries. About
two miles from St. Mark's chapel are the Foxdale lead
mines, which are now being worked with great, benebt
to the proprietors; there are also in the parish several
flax and corn mills, and some extensive breweries. In
various parts of the coast are barrows and several ancient
fortifications, among which are the remains of a circular
encampment, surrounded with a fosse, and defended by a
parapet with gates; adjoining the fosse are some large
blocks of granite, one of which is called the Stone of
Goddard Crovan; and the fortification, most probably
of Danish origin, is, by Sir Walter Scott, in his Peveril
of the Peak, noticed under the appellation of the
Black Fort. Kirk-Marown contains 1201 inhabitants;
the living is a vicarage, in the gift of the Crown; the
church, which is situated in the western part of the parish,
five miles from Douglas, and six from Peel, contains
only two hundred and fifty sittings. The parochial
school is well attended; and there are fairs on February
2nd and May 20th, for cattle. A woollen manufacture,
the only one in the island, was established in this parish
in 1803, and after having been accidentally burnt
down, was rebuilt on a more extensive scale in 1828:
about one hundred persons are employed in the manufacture
of cloth, which is not inferior in quality to the
cloth made in England, though it is full twenty per cent
less in price; it is not allowed to be exported, and, with
a view to encourage this branch of manufacture, a considerable
tax is imposed not only upon all cloths, but
even upon all clothes made up, which are imported
from any other country. This is the most inland parish
in the island, and is chiefly remarkable for some
relics of antiquity, among which are the remains of
the ancient chapel of St. Trinian, and, on the northern
acclivity of Mount Murray, the most perfect
remains of a Druidical temple to be found in the
island; it is formed of stones of moderate size,
placed erect and at regular distances, enclosing a
circle fourteen yards in diameter; on each side is
a stream of water, issuing from fountains about fifty
yards higher up the mountain, which by the Druids
were held sacred: to the east of the enclosure are two
walls, or mounds, constructed of stones and earth/
bending round the temple, in a semicircular direction,
and about five yards distant from each other:
the spot of ground on which these remains are situated
is barren, bleak, and uncultivated; but from the name
" Glen Darrah," which in the Manks' language signifies
the vale of oalcs, it would appear that it was originally
planted with those trees, which the Druids held
in great veneration: there are numerous ancient kiels
in the parish. Kirk-Maughold contains 1514 inhabitants,
exclusively of those in the town of Ramsey, from
which the village of Maughold is three miles distant:
the living is a vicarage, in the gift of the Crown: the
church, dedicated to St. Maughold, and containing two
hundred and sixty sittings, is situated in the centre of
a spacious area, comprising, at least, three acres of consecrated
ground, which was formerly a sanctuary for
criminals; the ancient font, which is very large, has
been removed from the interior of the church, and
placed on one side of the entrance. In the churchyard
are numerous monuments, among which is a very
handsome one to the memory of Captain Hugh Crowe,
a native, and commander of several merchant-vessels;
opposite to the church gate is a Danish cross, and near
it a column, consisting of a circular shaft, about five
feet high, surmounted by a cubic block of stone, on one
side of which is sculptured a representation of our Saviour
on the Cross, with the arms of the Isle of Man
beneath; on the opposite side, the Virgin and Child;
on the third side, a figure in the attitude of supplication,
supposed to represent St. Bridget; and on the fourth
side is supposed to have been a representation of St.
Maughold, now totally defaced. The Society of Friends
have a burial-ground in this parish, and formerly a
distinct portion of the churchyard was appropriated
exclusively to their use. The parochial school has received
several small bequests, in addition to its original
funds. A fair is held on the llth of August, for cattle.
About half-way between the village and the town of
Ramsey is a stone cross, of great antiquity, six feet
high, three feet wide, and five inches thick, having on
its summit five raised balls, similar to which are
some stones in the churchyard, supposed to be of
Danish origin. Maughold Head is a bold promontory,
terminating in a. precipitous and lofty cliff,
and forming the most easterly point of the island.
On its summit are tiers of moss-clad rocks, and on
one of the acclivities is a spring, called St. Maughold's
well, which was formerly, and is still, much resorted to
for its supposed medicinal virtues. At Ballaglass is a
waterfall, surrounded with woodland scenery, forming
the highest and the most picturesque cascade in
the island: it arises from the obstruction of the
course of the rivulet Dhoones, on the coast between
the boundaries of Maughold and Lonan. The mountain
of North Barrule, -one of the most lofty and
remarkable elevations, adds greatly to the grandeur
of the varied and romantic scenery for which this pa-
rish is distinguished. Kirk-Michael contains 1427 inhabitants-;
the living is a vicarage, in the gift of the
Crown: the church is in the centre of the village;
about a quarter of a. mile from the sea, and contains
sittings for three hundred persons; the chancel was
built by Dr. Wilson, after the death of his father; the.
churchyard contains many monuments with Runic inscriptions,
and the tombs of the venerable Bishop Wilson,
who died in the ninety-third year of his age, and
the fifty-eighth of his prelacy; and his successor, Bishop
Hyldersley; in addition to whom, Dr. John Philips,
Dr. George Mason, and Dr. C. Crigan, also bishops of
this see, were buried here. Near the church gate is a
lofty square Runic pillar of blue stone, curiously sculptured,
from the base to the summit, with devices singularly
involved with each other, and bearing an inscription
representing it to have been erected in honour
of Thurulf, a Norwegian chief: there are numerous
barrows in the neighbourhood. Near the village a
neat court-house has been erected within the last few
years, in which the consistory court is held, on the last
Thursday in every month, except September and Decem-
her, and at which the bishop presides, either in person
or by his vicars-general and registrar: the vicars-general
hold their chapter, or circuit courts, in spring and
autumn. Bishop's Court, the episcopal palace, is situated
about a mile to the west of the village; it is a very
ancient structure, and is mentioned in history so early
as the thirteenth century: the original building was a
massive tower, surrounded at some distance by a deep
fosse; but various additions have been subsequently
made. Dr. George Murray, the present Bishop of Rochester,
when presiding over" this diocese, erected the
present elegant chapel, added several rooms, and also
improved and embellished the demesne, which comprises
from three to four hundred acres. Bishop Hyldersley,
in 1764, purchased a plot of ground, on which he built
a school-house with dwellings for the master and the
mistress, and gave £30, the interest to be appropriated
to keeping them in repair. There are fairs on the 10th
and 29th of October, for cattle. The high road from
Ramsey to Peel runs through the village. Kirk-Onchan
contains 1451 inhabitants; the living is a vicarage, in
the gift of the Crown; the church, dedicated to Oncha,
the mother of St. Patrick, contains three hundred sittings,
but is not entitled to architectural notice. A new
church, in the early style of English architecture, with
a tower surmounted by a spire, is at present being
erected, and will contain five hundred sittings. There
is a parochial school, and the fair is on the 20th of May,
for cattle. The village is pleasantly situated about two
miles from Douglas, on the road to Laxey and Ramsey,
and the high grounds command interesting and extensive
views of the bay and harbour of Douglas, with the
vessels going in and out of that much-frequented port,
and of the surrounding country, which abounds in bold
and varied scenery. The creeks and bays on the coast
produce a" variety of marine plants and mosses, the
latter of which are tinged with various hues, and with
the most beautiful shades of red, green, brown, and yellow,
and some few with tints of blue; there are several
barrows in various parts of the parish. Kirk-Patrick
contains 2031 inhabitants; the living is a vicarage,
in the gift of the Bishop. The parish was united to
St. German's till 1714, when a separation took place,
and the present church, containing three hundred and
twenty sittings, was erected, chiefly through the exertions
of Bishop Wilson, who gave £50 towards the
augmentation of the endowment. " Mr. Thomas Radcliffe,
of Knockaloe, bequeathed £5 per annum out of an
estate called Gobbreek, to the master of the parochial
school, for teaching children from the former place. A
fair for cattle is held annually on May 17th. To the
south of the church is the beautiful waterfall of Glen
Moij, formed by a rivulet, which, descending from the
mountains, winds through the vale, and enters the glen;
the banks of which, richly clothed with trees and shrubs,
are rugged, and, in some places, nearly perpendicular.
The stream, murmuring gently through the various
obstructions in its course, falls down the precipitous
banks of the glen with a pleasing effect; the adjacent
scenery is strikingly picturesque. The glen is surrounded
by hills; on the north bank is a precipitous
and lofty rock, partly concealed by the ivy that overspreads
it, and the south bank is richly wooded; the
vale, winding round the hill, presents a view of the sea,
into which the river, after a circuitous course, gently
glides. In the vicinity is a vein of lead-ore, near which
a mountain stream, descending with impetuosity, and
falling over an abrupt rock of considerable elevation,
forms a cascade. In this parish are several quarries of
blue slate, little inferior in quality to that of Wales. In
the several churches, the service is performed alternately
in the Manks and English languages. The whole
number of dissenting places of worship in the island
exceeds forty. By letters patent, dated 1675, Charles II.
granted an annuity of £ 100, payable from his Majesty's
Exchequer, out of the excise duties, towards the maintenance
of poor clergymen of the Isle of Man, out of
which £ 3 per annum was to be paid to the schools of
Castletown, Douglas, Ramsey, Kirk-Andreas, Kirk-Ballaugh,
and Kirk-Bride: the impropriate tithes of the
several parishes of Kirk-Arbory, Kirk-Christ-Lezayre
Kirk-Lonan, Kirk-Malew, Kirk-Marown, Kirk-Michael
Kirk-Onchan, Kirk-Christ-Rushen, and Kirk-St. Anne's
were also purchased from Charles, Earl of Derby, hy
Bishop Barrow and Archdeacon Fletcher, on lease for
ten thousand years, for the sum of £1000, as appears
by indenture, dated November 1st, 1666, for the purpose
of augmenting the stipends of the poorer livings, and
for the erection of a free school, and the support of a
master, in each of the parishes in the island. On
the death of James, Earl of Derby, in 1735, James,
Duke of Athol, as heir-general of the Derby family,
took possession of these tithes, for the recovery of
which, or for indemnity for the loss, Bishop Wilson and
Archdeacon Kippax, in 1742, filed a bill in Chancery,
with a view to seize upon the collateral securities,
viz., the manors of Bispham and Methop in the county
of Lancaster, which, by a decree of the court of
Chancery, were assigned to the earl, in consideration
of his paying annually, on Easter-Monday, the sum
of £219. 7. 10., at the town hall in Liverpool: this
payment having been discontinued in 1809, a bill of reviver
was filed by Bishop Crigan and Archdeacon Mylrea,
who eventually obtained the payment into the Bank of
England of £ 16,000, in discharge of the obligation: the
produce of this sum, £ 600 per annum, is appropriated to
the augmentation of all church livings under £ 90 per annum,
which are raised to that sum; to the payment of
£ 60 per annum to the master of the grammar school
at Castletown, and £5. 10. per annum to each of the
masters of the parochial schools. James, Duke of Ormond,
in 1676, charged certain of his estates in Ireland .
with the payment of £60 per annum, for the establishment
of a lectureship in philosophy, history, and logic;
after the duke's death the payment was discontinuedj
and Bishop Wilson obtained, in commutation, the sum
of £ 600, the produce of which is appropriated to that
purpose. Bishop Barrow, in 1668, gave two estates in
the island, viz., Ballagilley and Hango Hill, then producing
£20 per annum, for the education and support
of two young men, to supply the Manks' churches, and
for. such other charitable uses as his trustees should
think proper: these estates at present produce £500
per annum. Lady Elizabeth Hastings, in 1739, bequeathed
£40 per annum from lands and tenements in Collingham,
Shadwell, and Burton-Salmon, in the West
riding of the county of York, to -be distributed among
the parishes of Kirk-Arbory, Kirk-Braddan, Kirk-German,
Kirk-Jurby, Kirk-Christ-Lezayre, Kirk-Lonan,
Kirk-Malew, Kirk-Marown, Kirk-Maughold, Kirk-Michael,
Kirk-Onchan, Kirk-Patrick, Kirk-Rushen, and
Kirk-Santan, for the instruction of children. Mrs. Catharine
Halsalls, in 1758, bequeathed houses and lands in the
Isle of Man, now producing £ 111. 14. 6. per annum, to
erect a dwelling-house for the master of the grammar
school at Castletown; to erect and endow a free school
there for teaching girls only; to augment the four livings
in the patronage of the Bishop, and that of Kirk-
Christ-Rushen, with £4 per annum each j and the residue
to be annually applied to the support of the widows, and
apprenticing the orphan children, of clergymen. The
Rev, Dr. Wilson, in conjunction with his father, Bishop
Wilson, in 1730, established a fund for the support
of widows and children of clergymen, and a sum
of money was raised and vested in the English funds
for that purpose, producing £ 12 per annum; which revenue
was subsequently augmented by the purchase of
one-third of the tithes of Kirk-Michael from the Duke
of Athol, which was assigned to trustees. Miss Stevenson,
of Ashley Park, in the county of Surrey, also
bequeathed £500 South Sea annuities for the use of
this charity, which was afterwards exchanged for a
mortgage on lands: the whole income arising from
these various sources is at present £110 per annum.
Bishop Hyldersley left £ 600 to the Society for the Promotion
of Christian Knowledge, to supply the. island
with tracts.