[From Manx Families, A.W.Moore, MS 1889]

Radcliffe’s of Knockaloe

Arms: Arg. A bend engrailed, sa, charged with a crescent of the field for difference.

Crest: A Bull’s head erased. sa. horns, arg. tipped, or, sorged with a ducal coronet of the 2nd.

Motto: Virtus propter se.

This family, which claimed to be connected with the Radcliffe’s of Derwentwater, was an important one in the Island during the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. The Revd. Robert Radcliffe,^1,2,3 Vicar of Patrick and Vicar General (born 1703, died 1769) was the last of the family to hold this property. He and his brother Captain Thomas, who held the property before him,⁴ both died without progeny. They had four sisters, and the eldest, who succeeded, married James Parr, eldest son of the Deemster. They had eight children, the eldest called Caesar, but they all died young, so the property came to the descendants of the second sister, who married a Quirk of BallaVarr.⁵ About 1870, the property was bought from the Quirk family by Robert Corrin of Peel.

1 JMO: Revd. Robt Radcliffe is mentioned in 1771 addendum (as leaving to Ellinor [born or bapt 13 Aug 1734, Patrick to Rbt Radcliffe & Cath Radcliffe, apparently their only child] a mortgage owed by Captn Richd Tyldesley) in the 1760 will of Ellinor's husb Joseph Cosnahan who died 1768 (Will was a joint will made with Joseph’s first wife Mgt Caesar, who died in childbirth in 1760) Rbt Radcliffe md Mrs Catharine Radcliffe 23 Nov 1732, Rushen Parish, per parish register. Per Feltham’s Memorials to God’s Acre, page 2 "Cath. wife to Rev. R. Radcliffe, V.G., Oct. 9th, 1764, age 30[??], with two of their grandchildren, viz: Rad. Cosnahan, age 4, & Mark Cosnaghan, age 3 months"

2 JMO: Revd Rbt Radcliffe is mentioned as son in law to Ellinor Radcliffe als Christian, wife (widow) of Captain Charles Radcliffe of Knockaloe, in Ellinor’s will of 1761 (Archdeacon Wills 1761 #48, Patrick)

3 JMO: Thomas Cain of KK Patrick left his brother Rev Rbt Radcliffe, Vicar of KK Patrick as his executor (Archdeacon Wills 1758 #60, KK Patrick)

4 JMO: Revd. Robert, 1703-1769, son of Silvester[?] had 4 nieces (also sisters in law if AW Moore is correct) the eldest, Margery R who md James Parr in about 1725; a Captn Thomas, 1718-1787, was also a nephew. (These nieces & nephews were children of Revd. Robt’s brother Charles Radcliffe, who was Revd Rbt’s wife’s father, if Moore is correct)

5 JMO: see page 137-138: Margery Radcliffe md James Parr who had son Caesar who inherited Knockaloe from his mother, & whose sister Mary b 1731, who md Philip Quirk of Ballavargher, succeeded Caesar Parr to Knockaloe.