Settlement in England

Introduction

That England was a magnet for the Manx was well known - Blundell writing in the 1640's quotes an obsolete Elizabethan law that "no person shou'd bring over any rogues out of Ireland or y^e Isle of Man".

Vaughan Robinson [1990] shows the distribution of Manx born in 1951 - the main areas of settlement are around Liverpool (in particular the Wirral, along the North Wales coast and Southport & the Fylde to the North - all well known retirement areas), with a second area centred around Barrow in Cumberland. A third area is on the South Coast which includes Bournemouth.

Liverpool had been a natural magnet for the Manx from its growth in the early 18th century. A perusal of 1790's directories for Liverpool shows many obviously Manx names.

'Q' in Gore's Directory of 1796 has:

Quayle Charles, Shoemaker, 11 Ormond street, Oldhall street
Quayle John, Victualler, 3 Church Alley, Water street
Quayle Thomas, Mariner, 26 Oldhall street
Quayle Capt William 51 Pitt street
Quayle William, Joiner, 20 Copper street, Lawton street
Quayle ——, Timber Merchant,
Quay James, Household Broker, 1 Button street, Whitechapel
Quay John, Tailor, 67, Whitechapel
Quay John, Mariner, 18, Pownal street, Liver street
Queen Hannah, Shopkeeper 165, Dale street
Queen James, Plasterer Stucco-worker, 5 Circus street, Byrom st.
Queen John, Porter 8, Moorfields, Dale street .
Quick James, Book-keeper, 4, Bevington street, Bevington bush
Quick Richard, Roper and Victualler, 4, Knight street, Berry street
Quiggin John, Cabinet-maker, 4 Bath street, North Shore
Quiggin John, Tailor, 41 Cable street
Quilliam and Harvey,Woollen Drapers, 17, Pool lane
Quilliam William, Victualler, 11 Crosbie street
Quilliam William, Hair Dresser, 60, Whitechapel
Quilliam William, Warehouse-man, Pyle's garden, Tempest hey
Quin John, Mariner, 22, Copperas hill .
Quin John, Victualler, 23, South Dock
Quin Nathaniel, Porter, 2, Custom-house lane, Old Dock
Quin Neal, Victualler, 5 Seddon street, Cleveland street
Quin Richard, Pilot, 4, Benn’s garden, Pool Lane
Quin Thomas, Tailor, 36, Church street
Quin Thomas, Mariner, 12, Cumberland street, Dale street
Quine John, Joiner, 2 Kent street, Duke street
Quine Robert, Cooper, 1 Gilbert street ; Grocer’s Shop, 24 Kent street
Quirk and Baldwin, Carpenters' yard South Dock
Quirk John, Carpenter, 6, Stephen lane, Tythebarn street .
Quirk Paul, Tailor, 39, Crosshall street, Dale street
Quirk Philip, Carpenter, 11 Hurst street, Mersey street

Whitehaven & Workington also saw significant Manx immigration, partly because of close family connections between this area and Man (during the Athol Lordship Whitehaven was the main port for the Island) and the development of the coal mining during the latter part of the 18th century and then the shipyards later in the century. John Christian Curwen was a major owner of these mines and thus opportunities would be known to the Manx.

Other areas of Manx settlement were around Manchester - probably here due to the growing Cotton industry and possibly Manx foremen who would be prepared to employ compatriots - eg in Ashton-Under-Lyne Mason's Cotton Mill had Paul Kneale as foreman.

Manx Societies

Towards the end of the 19th Century and early 20th Century several Manx societies were formed. The Manx Quarterly carried notices from Manx Societies in the following towns:

• Accrington and District
• Barrow-in-Furness
• Birmingham:
• Burnley and District:
• Liverpool
• London
• Manchester:

London and Liverpool would appear to have been the most active.

References

V Robinson The Isle of Man Celebrating a sense of Place 1990