Thanks Frances, very interesting and useful. I’ve been working through it. This Alice Kewley who died early January 1722/23 was a member of the Ballafreer Marown family. As it says, she bought a parcel of sandy land in Ballakermeen near Douglas (with John Quilliam) from a William Kewley and wife in 1720. Then just over 2 years later, Alice (presumably unmarried) died, and the land fell to her siblings: John, Nicholas, Robert, William and Mariod. But it seems they didn’t much want it, so in the end brother Robert bought it for a song (4+ pounds). I bet it’s worth a fortune now.

Fast forward 17 years to 1741, and the 5 sibs (nicely identified with their spouses, thank you!) sold their half interest to a William Corkill labourer of Douglas. So who are they all?

A great source of information is in the Manx Notebook, “The Kewleys of Ballafreer”. /isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/jmmuseum/d166.htm

Their parents were Nicholas Kewley and Ellinor Cannon, who married 12 Nov 1668 Kirk Michael. I think I found baptisms for 4 of the 6 known children in Marown, none of which include the mother’s name. I think Alice is 2 Jul 1671, but the name is faint and hard to determine. John is probably 27 Sep 1673. Nicholas is either 10 Jan 1682/83 or 14 Feb 1683/84 [ the other of which could be s/o Nicholas Kewley & Isabella Gelling md Dec 1688 Marown (his 1726 will mentions son Nicholas with other children having m/cs, her 1737 will isn’t available yet.) ]. William is probably 22 Oct 1689. There’s no baptism found for Robert or Mariott. My guess for wills of the parents of the 6 children are Nicholas will 1705 and Ellinor will 1725 but neither available.

I did some digging of the five children, other than Alice who didn’t marry. Children without baptism are slotted where I thought they’d go:

1. John bp 27 Sep 1673, md Elizabeth Gelling (b 1685 d/o John Gelling & Margaret Christian of Camlork Braddan) 30 Nov 1703 [Braddan ?] [source “Kewleys of Ballafreer” provides date as “St Andrews Day 1703” but I can’t find this on Family Search]. 9 children starting 1706: Eleanor, John, Elizabeth, William, Paul, Margaret, Catharine, Margaret, Jane. John & Elizabeth were buried within a month of each other June & July 1753 at Marown. Both had wills, neither available.

2. Mariott, no bapt found, md William Kelly, perhaps at Marown well before start of available marriages (1733). Burial Mariot Kelley als Kewley Jan 27th 1747/48 Braddan. MNB will extract mentions husb Wm, dau Jane and Ann exex, gdau Margt Kelly.

3. Nicholas, chose 14 Feb 1683/84 as his bapt, md Alice Cooper 17 Feb 1711/12 Braddan. 10 children: Thomas, Thomas, Robert, Elizabeth, [2 blank], Alice, John, Catharine, Nicholas. Alice Kewley als Cooper b’d 18 Aug 1741 (transcribed will). He fits 1777 Marown Burial: Nicholas Kewley from Ballafreer, Kirk Marown aged 94 buried June 3, no will.

4. Robert, no bapt found, md Christian Tear 13 Nov 1723 Braddan (Robert Kewley of Marown, Christian Tear of KK Lonan). Only baptism that mentioned mother’s name was Robert b 1735. Others earlier could be theirs, or another couple (Robert of Ballanard & Susanna Quay). He bought Ballakermeen from his siblings after sister Alice died 1723. Christian Kewley als Tear was buried 3 Jul 1763 Onchan. Onchan 1763 burial Robert Kewley Mar 25 may be him. No wills.

5. William, bp 22 Oct 1689. The property record says his wife was Ann in 1723, and Grace Cashin in 1741. William Kewley of Douglas married Grace Cashin of Lezayre 15 Jun 1728 Lezayre. 6 children found at Lezayre to Will & Grace: Catherine, John, Thomas, Paul, Daniel, Elinor. William Kewley b’d Lezayre 3 May 1766. His Lezayre will dated 2 May 1766 “old + feeble” has ch Charles, Wm, Joseph, Ann, John, Thomas, Daniel, Ellinor, so first 4 must have been born to first marriage. Grace Kewley als Cashin, widow, bd 16 Oct 1773. Potential first wife might be the Anne Kewley als Cooper listed Braddan Register as one of the 8 passengers “cast away at sea coming from Ireland” 4 Jun 1726. [#3 Nicholas’s wife Alice Cooper has same surname]. Later: yes, this is first wife. Ann Cooper’s first husband was Thomas Harrison, mariner died at sea some yrs before 1717 admin 2 ua children. Then Ann married William Kewley ca 1717. Can’t find any marriage or baptism entries. MNB has extract for 1727 will for Ann that explains a lot. Uncle Nich Kewley is a supv, which means Alice Cooper and Ann Cooper are sisters. Maybe from Ireland?

This went better than I expected. I hope it will help some researchers interested in these families.