I am in the throes of attempting to connect the Qualtroughs back in the late 1600s of Lezayre, Lonan and other northern parishes with the Qualtroughs who were predominantly from the south, mainly in Rushen and Arbory.

From Nigel Crowe, I have some wonderful work which he did some years ago (which he has permitted me to utilise with mine... thank you Nigel), and on a tree he gave me, there is the following:

A William Qualtrough s/o Donald Qualtrough of Raby, Lonan - died 1670, & ? ( this Donald Q is mentioned as being from Malew also in some records) who married Elizabeth Flett of Orkney Isles. They had a daughter Mary Qualtrough. William died at sea c. 1701. This William had a sister Isabel Qualtrough.

Now:

The Rushen burials have Elizabeth Qualtrough, nee Flett being buried at Rushen 4 March 1747, which COULD mean that while her husband William is from the Raby, Lonan family of Qualtroughs, which also is connected with all the Qs in Lezayre etc, perhaps they... ie William, the mariner, and Elizabeth Flett and their daughter Mary lived in Rushen. Or alternatively, they lived in Lonan while William was at sea, and after his death, Elizabeth & Mary moved to Rushen for whatever reason..... family connections perhaps..

I found at Frances Coakley's site a will (Arch 1720/1 #67 Lezayre) of a William Mylecharane - he died 3 November 1720 (there are other variants of this spelling) who appears to have married a Mary Qualtrough (she died 5 October 1720, both buried at Lezayre.......)

Following this will after the inventory is the following:

"Trinity Rushen Nov 7 1720..I Ewan Qualtrough, brother of Mary McYlcharayne lately deceased, do hereby impower my son in law, John Gawn, to receive whatever legacy or legacies my said sister bequeath to me in her last will and also upon receipt of same, to give unto her Executor or Executors a discharge in my behalf for the same being by reason of old age and other infirmities not able to travel so far, as witnesseth my subscription the day and year above written [ signed] Ewan Qualtrough October 11, 1721; Received the above ten shillings by me [signed his mark] John Gawn."

John Gawn was married to Margery Qualtrough in 1710 at Rushen.

So according to the above, this Margery Qualtrough who married John Gawn at Rushen in 1710, is the d/o Ewan Qualtrough also of Rushen and?, who had a sister Mary Qualtrough who married William Mylecharane of Lezayre.........

There is also a Ewan Qualtrough mentioned with a John Qualtrough (brothers?) in the Trinity Rushen Presentments Jan 16 1675/76

My mind is wondering if the Mary Qualtrough, sister of Ewan, who married Wm Mylecharane of Lezayre, is the Mary Qualtrough, d/o Wm Qualtrough and Elizabeth Flett? Perhaps not too, as Mary would have been fairly young at the time.. she was young at the time of her father William's death c1701.

Note too, there is an Ewan Qualtrough buried at Maughold in 1729, possibly/probably the one mentioned above.

The connecting factor in all of this is the fact that Elizabeth Flett is buried in Rushen yet married a Q from Raby, Lonan.who family is connected to Qs of Lezayre. Also of course the other connection known at this time of Ewan Q of Rushen having a sister Mary who married Wm Mylecharane of Lezayre.

Till now no proof of connection has been made between the Qs of the north and the Qs of the south to tie in all the branches which have to date been researched, however it is my intention to begin to solve this mystery/ies... The records available for the period pre 1730s back to the 1600s are thin on the ground, but I am sure this jigsaw can be solved.

There are many other Qualtroughs of Malew too with records giving tantalising snippets, but proof of connection is what it is all about.

I write this here for comment and suggestions. The ongoing mystery is being worked on......

Elizabeth