Basically collected by Edmund Goodwin - see www.manxnotebook.com/people/antiqarn/egoodwin.htm - his younger brother George also collected information.
as Donna says they can be useful but care is needed - one example of the use of the material was in www.manxnotebook.com/towns/peel/oldpeel2.htm - another was in Manx Annals - see www.manxnotebook.com/fulltext/mxa1901/index.htm
(I intend to complete transcription of remaining articles)