Isle of Man Family History Society Journal Vol 5 No 3 July 1983

• A Delany Descendant Remembers
• Quarry's of Ballavoddan
• Thomas Kneen of Bishopscourt
• Strays (Lancashire 1849/51)
• Edward Clague of Lonan
• Memorials. of God's Acre - Corlett

A Delany Descendant Remembers

I was Just given the last two copies of your Journal 'Frauayn as Banglanoyn' by a friend in my office who, like myself, has ancestry in the Isle of Man. We've never known much about the family in the Isle of Man, and in fact we've struggled considerably just to track them down after they emigrated to the United States and to Canada. That's why I was so excited to see your Journal and your recent features on the Delany family - for those articles took off and described my family lines right at the point where I knew very little about them. I can't tell you how excited I was to read those articles. I would like to now write a bit about my family in hope that you will print it and continue the Delany story.

I am the daughter of George Henry Delany (July 13, 1910 - Nov 21, 1977) of Lethbridge, Alberta Canada. My father was a butcher like his father George Arthur Delany (April 28, 1881 - June 5, 1949) and his grandfather George Benjamin Patrick Delany (Jan 20, 1856 - Nov 18, 1929). George Benjamin Patrick Delany, my great grandfather, was the George Delany in Note E., page 9 of your January 1983 issue of the Journal.

My grandfather and great grandfather both died before I was born and so what little I know of them is from stories my Dad told me My grandfather was born in Peel and when he was a young man, he come over to Waco, Texas to visit his Uncle Henry. He stayed there for four or five years when he got malaria and the doctors told him he would need to go to a cooler climate. He returned to the Isle of Man for three years and then came back to the U.S. - to Denver, Colorado. He met Uncle Henry there (we don't know why Uncle Henry was in Denver). While in Denver, my grandfather met Sarah Roberts Childs, the daughter of a butcher. They fell in love and were married in 1909. However, he still needed to be in a colder climate and so they moved to Lothbridge, Alberta Canada. Grandfather knew friends there who were also from the Isle of Man - Willie Quayle and J.D. Higgenbottom.

Grandfather's father was having financial difficulties with his business in the Isle of Man and so grandfather saved the money to send for his father and the family to come to Canada.

According to your article, great grandfather came to Denver. That could well be for we know very little of exactly when or where the family came or even how many of the family came over. We do know that many of the family did live in Denver. Anyway at some point my great grandfather (George Benjamin Patrick) and his wife (Alice Mary Hudgeon) came and lived with my grandfather and his family in Lethbridge. My father remembers growing up as a small boy with his grandparents living in the home. He remembers his grandfather as being very, very strict and very religious. "A tall man, white hair, white Goatee, a moustache, and long sideburns ". Dad said his grandfather was extremely religious, but very temperamental and switched churches very often. He remembered his grandmother, Alice Mary, as being a very big woman and a very kind woman.

Both Alice Mary and her husband George Benjamin Patrick Delany died and were buried in Lothbridge, Alberta Canada. Their graves are together and on his stone are simply his birth and death dates. On her stone, it reads, " In memory of Alice Mary beloved wife of George B.P. Delany who died in peace giving glory to God Aug 24 1914 age 56 years. "

My grandfather, George Arthur was the oldest child. We don't know how many brothers and sisters he had, but we believe there ware ten children in all. They include q grandfather, Mary Esther (b 25 Nov 1882), Edith Alice (b 31 Dec 1886), Emily Mary (b 11 Apr 1888), John Joseph (b Mar 1892), m Thomas Henry(b 5 Mar 1894), William James (b 4 Nov 1895), Eva Isabel (b 5 Feb 1897) Robert Benjamin and Herbert. We don't know where or when Robert Benjamin and Herbert were born, but the other children were all born in Peel.

When my grandfather came to Lothbridge, he worked for Armor Meats, but as soon as ho could he opened his own shop. He built a slaughterhouse and railway tracks to it. Grandfather started in one small location and moved twice to larger locations. He was a generous man and gave credit to about anyone who requested it. When people never paid their bills, he never attempted to collect from them, and never cut off their credit. He believed everyone was honest and that " they would pay their bills when they could ". His generosity was costly and when times wore rough and when the depression came, he lost his business. That was 1929. Two years later he moved to Waterton Park (a beautiful resort town in the Rockie Mountains of Southern Alberta) and opened a grocery store there. Most of his family stayed in the large family home in Lothbridge, but my father George Henry Delany went and worked with his Dad. While in Waterton my father met my mother Mary Edith Neilson. Mom was working for a relative, helping her with her many small children. Mom was born on a farm in a town 20 miles from Waterton - Mountain View. Mom and Dad were married in 1933. My Dad was a good butcher and over the next several years worked for several different companies including working for his Dad in Waterton. Dad was working for Batons in Lethbridge in 1943 when his mother asked him to return to Waterton and help his Dad who was very sick. Grandfather had an abscess on the brain and from 1943 until 1949 when he died was extremely sick. The last few years he was a total invalid and when he died it was a blessing.

My father then bought the store from his mother and my parents stayed in Waterton and ran the store until they sold it and retired in 1971. I was born in 1950 and was raised in the store in Waterton.

My father was the oldest of seven children. Dad was born 13 Jul 1910. The other members of his family include Mona Wilson (b 26 Jul 1912). She married David James Viner and they lived in Calgary Alberta and raised four children. Nina Maureen Delany (b 24 Jul 1914) married Clarence Wilfred Schweitzer and they had one daughter. Edith Childs Delany (b 6 Jul 1916) s Pried Earl David Schweitzer (a brother to Clarence). Mary Roberts Delany (b 6 Feb 1919) married John Hugh Oland and they had two sons. Thomas Alfred Dolany (b 28 - - 1921)married Helene Smith and they have four sons. Blanche Nanette Delany (b 20 Oct 1925) married John Fexter Stewart and they have three children.

My father died of cancer 21 Nov 1977. His brother and all of his sisters are still living.

I hope this story has been of interest to my Isle of Man relatives. The stories that they have shared in your Journal are very meaningful to me. I could not tell from reading the stories exactly who wrote them, but I would appreciate your giving them my name and address as I would very much like to write to them and share more of the details of our history.

Thank you very much and thank you for your publication. If it can be as valuable to others as It has been to me in my search, then its a very successful Journal.

Sincerely,

Peggy Eileen Delany,

Quarry's of Ballavoddan

Michael Callister

In 'The Personal Names of the Isle of Man', J.J Kneen traces the above name back to the Scots Gaelic 'MacGUAIRE' - son of Guaire (a noble). A.W. Moore, in 'Surnames and Place-names of the Isle of Man', offers a similar derivation, commenting that 'it is a very uncommon name in the Isle of Man'. The development proposed in these works is

1504 Mac Quarres (AWM)
1511 Mac Wharres (AWM)
1684 Quarry (AWM / JJK)
1812 Quarry (JJK)

In 'The Treen Divisions of the Isle of Man in A.D. 1511-1515', the McQuarres are shown occupying tracts of land in: German (Alia Gnebe -2. and Ballahora), Lonan (Maorest), Patrick (Balymore), and Santan (Knok Slemyn).

Whilst accepting that this name would have progressed to 'Quarry' by 1684, I believe that further development subsequently took place - possibly into 'Gorry' (JJK suggests a link between these names). I believe that all today's Manx Quarrys/Quarries and their Manx-born ancestors descend from two Scots -possibly brothers or cousins - who brought their families to the Northern Plain in the first quarter of the 1800's.

This conclusion is drawn primarily from a study of the Mormon composite microfiche of marriages and christenings for the whole Island, which, while not definitive, is at least unlikely to have omitted an entire family. Other sources of reference have been selected Census Reports and Parish Records -mainly for Andreas, Bride and Maughold - held in the Manx Museum, and also the Parish records of Roxboroughshire in the Borders Region of Scotland.

A group of tombstones in Andreas churchyard may hold the key to the arrival of the Quarrys on the Island. In 1799, a gentleman named John Scott, aged 46,together with his sister Christian, aged 26, and father Walter, then aged 72, left their native Roxboroughshire, in Scotland, and came to Andreas to take over and farm the Estate of Ballavoddan - which was in the possession of the Duke of Atholl.

'Walter Scott died there in December 1810, and was buried in Andreas churchyard on the 8th of that month. His gravestone reads: 'In Memory of WALTER SCOTT of the Parish of Ancrum County of Roxburgh North Britain who resided the last 11 years of his life in Ballavoddan, died Dec'r 6th 1811) Aged 83 years'.

The 'Manx Advertiser' of 7 August, 1813, reported that 'a field of barley has been cut this week on the estate of Ballavoddan, belonging to the Duke of Atholl, and farmed by Mr. John Scott'.

Scott was also involved in the running of Ballavar Farm in the Parish of Bride where a business arrangement with a family named Brown proved unsuccessful, though the relationship with that family appears not to have been thereby severed. The 'Manx Advertiser' of 26 February, 1814, included an item whereby 'Creditors of John Brown, Ballaveer, are asked to send in their A/cs. to John Scott of Ballavoddan, and his brother James Brown of the Geary'.

Three years later, in the 13 March 1817 edition of that paper, 'John Scott Ballavoddan, given notice that the estate of Ballavair, which John Brown occupies, belongs to him and cannot be subject to any debts contracted by Brown'.

A year later, in the 'Manx Advertiser' of 4 June, 1818, 'John Scott of Ballavoddan gives notice that the connection between himself and John Brown of Ballavaer, Bride, is closed, and he now carries on his farms on his own account, as formerly'.

Thereafter, life continued more peacefully, with the Manx Press providing only the occasional glimpse of everyday farming life, and passing references to other families living on, or associated with, the estate:

Manx Advertiser 6 May, 1819
'John Scott, Ballavoddan, offers to buy ten or twelve boatloads of Limestone, to be laid down at Ramsey, as near as possible to Capt. Christian's Lime-kiln'.

Manx Advertiser 22 July 1819
'To be sold - Part of Ballavoddan, containing about 8 acres. Apply to the proprietor, Thos. Lace, of the Curragh Lezayre'.

Manx Advertiser 10 February 1820
'Stolen or strayed, from the farm of Mr. John Scott, Ballavoddan. A black horse'.

Manx Advertiser 16 December 1824' Died at Ballavoddan, Andreas. Mr. Arch. Minto, aged 62'.

Manx Sun 19 March 1825
'Creditors of the late Arch. Minto are requested to furnish their A/cs to his
executrixes, Elizabeth Brown and Janet Minto, residing at Ballavoddan'.

Manx Sun 16 September 1828
'A sheep killed at Ballavoddan weigh 21 lbs a Quarter and had 23 lbs of suet'.

Christian Scott died in January 1832, and was buried alongside her father in Andreas churchyard on the 23rd of that months Her tombstone also recalls her Scottish origin: 'In Memory of CHRISTIAN SCOTT (Daughter of the late Walter Scott) of the Parish of Ancrum County of Roxburgh North Britain, who resided the last 12 years of her life in Ballavoddan, died Jan'y 19th 1832 Aged 50 years'.

Curiously the 'Manx Advertiser' of 31 January 1832 reported: 'Died, at Kk Andreas, aged 67. Miss Christian Scott, Ballavoddan'.

A last reference to her brother in the 'Manx Advertiser' of 25 June, 1833s' Grazing for cattle and horses is offered at Ballavoddan. Apply John Scott, on the premises'.

By 25 October, 1833, the 'Manx Sun' was advertising - 'To be sold, The Cattle, Crops, Farm-gear and Furniture etc. at Ballavoddan', and at the end of December John Scott died, aged 31. he was buried on 7 Jan. at Andreas, and an inscription was added to he's father's tomb: 'Also JOHN SCOTT son of the above who resided 35 years in Ballavoddan ...... ' (below that, the stone has followed him into the ground,.

The 'Manx Sun' of 21 January, 1834 asked that 'Persons having claims against the estate of the 'late John Scott, Ballavoddan, are requested to present them', and the edition of 28th March offered 'To be sold at Ballavoddan, the Furniture of the late Mr. John Scott'.

As a footnote to the connection with the Browns, the ‘Manx Sun’ of 2 September, 1836, advertised ‘To be sold by the Coroner, Crops & Stock etc., the property of Eliz Brown on Ballavoddan’.

JAMES QUAY, and his wife MARGARET (nee DEANS), had both been born in Scotland around 1784. They lived at Chesters, in Southdean, Roxboroughshire, where JAMES was a cooper. They had three children at Chesters, in 1806, 1808 and 1810, but within two years of the death at Ballavoddan of Walter Scott, the family moved to the Island, coming to live in Andreas where, at the beginning of 1813, their fourth child was christened 'Walter Scott Quarry' - some sort of tribute to the dead man.

By 1815, the QUARRY family had moved to Lezayre where more children were born between then and 1820. During the 1820's, they moved to Bride where their eleventh and last child was born towards the end of 1829. Their home in Bride was Ballacowle, but the Manx Sun of 12 July 1833 the following advertisement appeared:

'To be sold. The crops on Ballacowle, together with the lease.
Apply Mr Jas. Quarry'.

We have already seen that there were changes taking place at Ballavoddan in 1833, with the eventual death of John Scott at the end of the year. The QUARRY family now took possession of Ballavoddan. The Manx Sun of 19 April 1835 contained the following announcements

'Married, at Kk. Andreas. Mr. Chas. Lace, of Ballasare, to Miss Macquarrie, of Ballavaden'.

JAMES QUARRY died in 1840. His gravestone in Andreas churchyard reads 'Sacred to the memory of JAMES QUARRIE Native of Roxbourghshire N.B. but lately of Ballavoddan in this Parish, who departed this life July 25th 1840 aged 56 years'.

His wife MARGARET lived on at Ballavoddan for another 16 years. The inscription on her gravestone reads 'Erected in memory of MARGARET QUARRIE, alias DEANS wife of James Quarrie, of Ballavoddan, in this parish and formerly of Roxbourghshire, N.B. who departed this life the 19th of November 1856 aged 72 years'.

One of JAMES and MARGARET's sons continued to manage Ballavoddan after her death. Wood's Atlas of 1867 shows a 'Ballaquarry' been, and Ballavoddan is still in the family's control at the time of the 1871 Census. It passed out of their hands before 1881. Of the eleven children of JAMES and MARGARET which I have traced, only two died in infancy, and of the remaining nine, six were boys to carry on the Quarry name. Some of these were later to be found in Bride, Jurby and Braddan.

(to be continued)

Thomas Kneen of Bishopscourt

Mr. Kneen was born and bred on the Bishop's demense in the Isle of Man, where his father was head gardener to the Bishop.

Thomas Kneen emigrated to Montreal in Canada and a Montreal Paper dated July 1907 has the following report:

"Mr. Thomas Kneen passed away suddenly last night, at his residence, No. 3 Concord Street, from a stroke of paralysis. He was in his 77th year, and had been resident in Montreal for fifty years, coming to this city from the Isle of Man , his native place. He crossed the Atlantic on a sailing vessel, the St. Patrick, which arrived at Grosse Isle after a fair voyage of thirty days. From Point Lewis the train was taken to St. Lambert, and the St. Lawrence was crossed on July 7th 1857, on the Iron Duke which was employed on the steam ferry, before the Victoria Bridge was completed in 1860. Mr. Kneen was an expert joiner, especially in staircase work, the most difficult part of the trade, and he planned and constructed many of the staircases in the older mansions of the city. For many years he has been independently in business, however, as a builder, and the greatest confidence was reposed in his skill and judgement. A year or two ago he retired from business on the account of impaired health, and since then has been noticeably failing. He was a member and a regular attender of St. James Methodist Church and upright in all his relations with his fellow men. His word was his bond. he was charitable to others, and those who knew him best esteemed him most. Mrs. Kneen and 3 sons George, Harry and Percy survive him ".

Margaret Etherington

Strays

Burial: 2nd Feb 1849, Lionel Courtier Dutton, aged 47 of the Isle of Man, buried at St. Elphin's, Warrington, Lancashire.

Edward Clague of Lonan

by Paul Gregson

Edward Clague was my maternal great-great-grandfather. He was born at Ballagrawe Farm in Lonan in 1792, the seventh and youngest child of Joseph and Mary Clague. At the end of his life, in November 1852, he was called Neddy.

Ballagrawe Farm, SC 417810, is now called Cooilroi and is about a half mile up the road beside the Halfway House to Laxey. It is now a fine two storey private residence and I understand the Farmlands are leased to a neighbouring farmer. The s in building cannot now much resemble the structure of the original farmhouse as it was damaged by fire last century and rebuilt. Wood's Asylum plan, prepared somewhere between 1864 and 1867, shows the usual farm house, farm buildings, and what are probably workers cottages due north of the farmhouse.

The "Isle of Man Weekly Times" of August 15th, 1978 has an article reporting the sale of 93 acres at " Cooilroi, or Ballagroa, Lonan " by Geoffrey Martin Woods, farmer, of The Rhennie, Maughold, (which he had acquired in February 1977) to L.M. Consultants Ltd., of 8, St. George's Street, Douglas for £93,000,i.e.£1000 an acre. There is a good physical description and photograph of the house, in the real estate section on page 9 of the July/August 1978 issue of Manx Life " indicating the site is about three acres, with an asking price of £105,000. In May 1979 the owner indicated to me the property was for sale for somewhere around £100,000. As a matter of interest the wife told me they had cleaned out a pigsty at the southern end of the house and discovered it was actually a small private chapel, which I visited and photographed. Private chapels are rare in the Isle of Man - there is only one other this was probably added in Victorian times. The present owner is an English knight.

In historical documents it appears in the parish of Lonan, Sheading of Garff, Treen of Morest. There is a printed record of the first Manorial Roll dated 1511 showing four payers of Lord's Rent: Gilbert McClaug Junior 15s. for one tenement and one quarter of land, Donald McCluag 11s for one tenement and one quarter of land. In the same been the McStoiles pay 13s. and McQuarres and McTere pay 15s.

A.W. Moore's " History of the Isle of Man ", vol II page 873 says that quarterlands are the principal estates of the country, and average from 40 to 150 acres in size. The same section defines Intacks as parts of the forest or common lands, which from time to time have been licensed by the lord or his officers to be enclosed.

Wood's Asylum Plan of 1862 records Ballagroa as belonging to Samuel Broadbent, with the north western part belonging to F.C. Skrimshire. His Asylum Plans of 1864-1867 shows Ballagroa as the property of F.C. Skrimshire without mention of Broadbent, and divides it into sixteen field, dwelling , kitchen garden and cottage areas totalling 97.3.5 acres (over ninety seven acres).

Wood's 1867 atlas shows Ballagroa as roughly diamond shaped, with a north south length of about 56 chains, and a width of 22 chains giving an approximate 71 acres, close enough to 97 acres.

J.J. Kneen's " Place-Names of the Isle of Man ", published by Yn Cheshaght Gailchragh in 1926 has a map locating these names which shows Ballagrawe some 600 yards to the northeast to the present Cooilroi. I will have to recheck the back roads on my next visit. The same source gives the Manx Gaelic name origin as Balley ny groa, the farm of the cotes, or the pens.

The earliest record I have of Joseph is in an agreement dated 27th February between him and Robert Corlett of the adjacent farm of Ballakaighin in Onchan wherein the latter paid Joseph £2.19s.0d for an exchange of land to straighten out their common boundary.

Edward was christened on September 16th 1792 at Lonan and shortly after the father died intestate suddenly at Castletown in July 1794, Edward's older brother Joseph inherited (in effect) at the age of sixteen. The mother's petition for letters of administration indicate the deceased had paid "a considerable sum for being entitled to one moiety (half) of his estates, there were other debts" not altogether decent to express ", and that there was £20 0s 0d outstanding on the dowry of the eldest daughter Jane, who was off the island.

Joseph ran the farm and headed the family for as long as he could. Historically it was a difficult period for the Manx. There was a series of bad harvests from 1814 to 1816. On one occasion an attempt to export wheat led to a riot in Douglas. The mob began to unload a vessel but soldiers from the Castletown garrison arrived and arrested the ringleaders. In 1814 the Imperial Parliament[sic it was Tynwald] repealed its act of 1737 by which debts contracted out of the Isle of Man were not recoverable there. The effect was the departure of many residents. The end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 caused the departure of the numerous troops stationed on the Island. In October 1821 riots broke out in Peel and in Douglas because Manx (and English) ports had been closed to the importation of foreign corn, meal and flour. In 1825 there were potato riots in Arbory and Rushen, and a march on Bishopscourt. From 1825 to 1837 there was substantial emigration to the United States.

There was a major failure of the herring season in 1827. In 1832, 1837 and 1839 there were epidemics of cholera, typhus and smallpox respectively. The cholera epidemic was the worst ever known. Under the Assimilation Act of 1841 the Manx 14 pennies to the shilling became the English 12 to the shilling, that caused riots, and a company of soldiers was brought in from Liverpool.

The sale of Ballagrawe by Edward's eldest brother Joseph was a complex transaction. On the 2nd of June 1825 Joseph and his wife Isabella Clague sold one half of the farm to William Fayle of Braddan and Matthias Christian of Douglas. An 1851 document refers to the sale amount as being five shillings It is possible that this small sum was accompanied by cancellations of outstanding loans or mortgages inherited from Joseph's grandfather. The remaining half of the property was held by Mary Clague mother of Joseph, in Widowright.

The 1851 document was executed when both Joseph and Edward Clague were still alive. Mary Clague died in October 1825 whereupon Joseph would have inherited the remaining half of Ballagraw. as eldest son. In her will Mary left her share of the sheep to John Clague, son of Joseph Clague, and a ewe lamb to Edward, son of Joseph Clague. Joseph himself was made sole executor.

On the 21st of November 1850 arrangements were initiated for Joseph and Isabella to sell (six months later) the remaining half to Deemster Richard Sherwood of Bibaloe-beg in Onchan. The deemster had possibly previously acquired the first half. The sale terms were two hundred pounds, with fifty down, a further one hundred and fifty in six months time, and an annuity to Joseph and Isabella, or the survivor, of forty pounds a year. Joseph lived another ten years, surviving Isabella.

Six months later on May 14th 1851 we see what seems to be a quit claim signed only by John, eldest son to Joseph. and last document is a lengthy recapitulation of previous transactions: no doubt there are more sale and mortgage papers. It would take a lawyer to disentangle and understand all of the parties, amounts, and dates of the various transactions over the years upto the 14th of May 1851.

On the 5th of February 1828 there is a record of a mortgage showing Joseph Clague, proprietor of Ballagrow, borrowing sixty pounds from his brother Edward over a four year period at five percent annual rate of interest, giving two fields on the farm as security.

It is relevant to quote part of that agreement. "... I give for security two fields called... Bwoillee Irwin and Bwoillee Cran the said premises Joining and bounded on the South by the road leading to the farm and dwelling house (*) on the East by a place called Chibbys Lorcan(*) on the West by the road which goes up to my dwelling house (*) and on the North by the land I have let and sett to John Cowin ".

This tells us that in 1828, at the age of fifty Joseph was letting out part of the land. I have tentatively used (*) to suggest where a modern lawyer might have placed commas: there are no commas in the original. When you look at this you see "on the South by the road leading to the farm and dwelling house", then "on the West by the road which goes up to my dwelling houses. This is a problem in Boolean logic - one road cannot bound anything on both the south and the west sides. The Choices are two roads, one road with a fork, or a farm separate from the dwelling house.

In October 1840 there is a curious document, number 57 in South Side Sales, recording a transaction wherein Joseph Clague of the estate of Ballagrowe, (and wife Isabella), apparently sells to David Gelling the Year by Rents and Covenants, for five shillings British. David Gelling is undoubtedly Joseph's son-in-law, married to Elinor Clague. Exactly what's happening here isn't evident from my notes but Joseph, then aged 62, appears to be retiring from Ballagrawe. He was is in residence much longer.

Eight months later on the June 1841 census the resident farmer is shown as John Garrett aged twenty, and Joseph's family doesn't appear in the area. The same name John Garrett shows up in the 1851 as a witness to John Clague's relinquishment of any claim on Ballagrawe.

The final entry of this long series of documents is in the Liber Vastorum RB 620 for the year 1852 recording transfer of the " said original rents " from Joseph Clague to Deemster Sherwood.

There seems to be no recent connection with the Clagues of Ballavarane, a mile and a half to the southeast by my mother and several other family members have always said: "we're the Ballavarane Clagues ". This is probably to differentiate from the Clagues in the south of the Island but also may be an oral tradition of a family connection going back before recorded history.

This is the background of Edward Clague. He was brought up in a rural area in difficult times, and must have started life with very few assets. When his mother Mary died in 1825 she left him a leaf table and three pounds British.

On August 31st 1818, aged twenty five years, he married a Margaret Moore who was about twenty three. Margaret may have brought him a dowry but at sometime he ran the Union Inn and must have prospered because in 1828, aged about 36, and 1829 and 1834 he was putting out his surplus cash in loans and mortgages as we shall see later on.

The exact whereabouts of the Union Inn are not known; the author of a well researched book on old inns and coffee houses in the Isle of Man invited readers to assist in identifying its location. Knowing that Edward is on record as proprietor of the Union Inn, the census taken on the night of the 7th of June 1841 may narrow it down to about one square mile, close to Ballagrawe Farm. The census preamble describes the area: " Strand Quarter. So much of the parish of Lonan as is contained from the Sea on the South to Cronk Shinny on the North and from Conchan on the West to Glengawne on the East. "

The parish boundary with Onchan is almost north-south and goes a couple of hundred yards to the west of Ballagrawe, grossing the main road beside the Halfway House. Glengawne is probably at SC 428817, site of an historic grain and feed mill. On the northern aide of the main road the census enumerator listed population cl w term in the following sequence, which may or may not be the order in which he visited them'

Enumeration schedule number ten records two families at Gudneish(?)'

Peter & Mary Corkill and their two Children. Peter's occupation is abbreviated to what appears to be "sh".

Edward Clague, 45, no occupation listed
Thomas 5
John 1
Jane 10
Christian 12

This is Edward and his children. Thomas was my great-grandfather.

Edward was a widower, his wife Margaret having died on the 17th January 1840 at about the time of John's birth. As no servants are indicated the children were probably looked after by Mrs. Corkill.

I think it's safe to assume that Edward lived on the premises, and that "Gudneigh " is as close as we can to the whereabouts of the Union Inn. Edward prospered in 1834 he loaned £18.12s. & on a mortgage to the Simpson family of Baldromma (which gave them a problem in 1897) so the Union Inn must have been well located and not up some back road. Inn suggests trade from travellers on as main road - perhaps the Halfway House to Laxey ? It now needs a Manx resident to follow these clues and complete the identification of " Guineish ".

As regards to five families at Ballagrawe, the present day farm beside the Cooilroi residence has several buildings which I assumed on my 1979 visit were all for farm purposes, but in 1841 some of them may have been homes. The residents were: the farmer, John Garret aged 20, plus three other people, an agricultural labourer James Brew with his wife and six children' an agricultural labourer Thomas Scarffe, 30, wife and five children, another Thomas Scarffe, 40, occupation "S. Maker", wife and seven children; a Margaret Bridson with two children; a David Gelling, wife and two children.

The David Gelling, 65, a tailor, was married to Elinor Clague aged 60, one of the two sisters of Edward. They had a twenty year old son Joseph living with them, occupation " S. Maker ". The Scarffes may also have been related to the Clague farmers: Joseph Clague's first wife was an Ellinor Scarffe.

The name Skillicorn sometimes crops up in the Clague history, where Skillicorns either married into the family or appear on legal documents. There is a most interesting article on a Captain Henry Skillicorn beginning on page 45 on the May/June 1972 issue of " Manx Life ".

The reason I am prompted to circulate this is that I have recently come across some interesting information concerning Joseph, John and Edward Clague. I have never heard mention of it within the family, someone reading it may recall it or other equally interesting events.

The John Clague referred to might either have been the middle brother aged about forty eight, or Joseph's own oldest son who would have been about twenty seven years old at the time of this action. He's relevant it only because there's no trace of the middle brother's movements or family and I've been wondering if he was pressed into the navy, or emigrated.

Note that on the 5th of February 1828 Joseph was friendly enough with Edward to borrow sixty pounds from him on a mortgage of two of the Ballagrawe fields. John Clague may have been unmarried and living at Ballagrawe with Joseph, working on the farm. The best description of the events is the wording of the April 1829 Chancery Court petition of Edward for a Judgement against his brother Joseph:

To Governor Smelt: petition of Edward Clague of Lonan and Edward Cain coroner of Garff Shearing. On the 23rd of September last year your petitioner Edward Clague took out his action in Chancery against John Clague for the sum of £2.10s.10d British, balance of an account for cash lent and goods sold and delivered. in at the said John Clague having left this island, the Constable who enforced the action arrested in the hands of Joseph Clague of Lonan certain monies and effects belonging to John Clague to be answerable and amenable to the decree to be made upon the action. That on the 5th of February last your petitioner obtained your Honour's decree against John Clague for the amount motioned for, with costs to be taxed and which degree directs that the amount may be levied out of the defendants efforts arrested. That your petitioner Edward Clague caused the said degree with a taxed bill of Costs amounting to £4.12s.2d Manx to be placed in the hands of Edward Cain, coroner of Garff Sheading, to be enforced against the property and effects arrested in the hands of Joseph Clague.

That your petitioner Edward Cain in his capacity of coroner convened a Jury to discover effects belonging to John Clague before which jury the said Joseph Clague was summoned to give an account upon oath of the monies in his hands belonging to John Clague. That the said Joseph Clague having appeared before the Jury he then and there refused to give any account of the monies in his hands belonging to John Clague. That your petitioners are aware that Joseph Clague hath more than a sufficiency of effects in his hands belonging to John Clague to discharge the amount of the decree and Costs, and your petitioners submit that Joseph Clague in refusing to give an account upon oath before the jury of the monies and effects in his hands belonging to John Clague hath been guilty of a Contempt of your Honour's authority. Your petitioners... pray ... your Honour order Joseph Clague pay the amount of the degree and Costs, together with the costs of this application.

Referred to Castle Rushen Court, 28th April 1829 by Gov. Smelt.

On the 11th of June 1829, after an adjournment from the 4th of June there is an order from Governor Smelt

... hereby ordered the defendant do forthwith pay... Edward Clague the sum of £2.10s.10d British the amount mentioned ... plus both sets of Costs.

I hope one day to find the papers for the original action by Edward against John.

Whichever the John Clague was, son or brother, he left the Island between September 1828 and April 1829. He may have gone to the sister Jane who was known in 1795 to be married and off the Island, exact whereabouts unknown. If he was the brother, if he was unmarried and if he never came back to the Island, it explains why there is no trace of him other than his christening at Lonan in 1780.

In 1980 I was advised by relatives in the Isle of Man that enquiries had recently been received from an American lawyer seeking to settle an estate by a descendant without issue, of a John Clague who had been a barrel maker in Liverpool before emigrating. I have no other information such as the year -or even the lawyer's name and would appreciate any further information on this matter.

If John Clague WAS Joseph's son he did return, because on the 14th of May 1851 he alone signs a paper connected with his father's sale of the remaining half of Ballagrawe to Deemster Richard Sherwood. In that agreement there is the customary reference to John's wife, who is named therein as Elizabeth.

The clearest message that comes from this court action is that it must have created an irrevocable split between the two brothers Joseph and Edward. They were amiable enough in 1828 so something must have happened in the seven months between February and September - probably John's defection and Joseph's defence of him. I have long known that Joseph took twelve years instead of the contacted four years to pay off the sixty pounds debt to Edward, and had assumed the delay was because Joseph was short of money.

It is further very clear that Edward was within an inch of putting Joseph in Castle Rushen for debt, to say nothing of contempt of court. I learned something about debtors prison when I looked at two Chancery Court petitions by a John Clague, one in 1822 and one in 1833. I don't know if this John Clague is one of our family but the episodes add a little more background to life in those days.

In 1822 a John Clague who had been put in Castle Rushen for debt to a Catherine Sansbury, petitioned Chancery for relief. He had no assets and was unable to pay his board and lodging' such was the extra penalty for imprisoned debtors in those days. The Court heard his petition and Catherine Sansbury was ordered to pay his jailers 3/oaf a day for his keep.

On the 20th March 1833 there again was a John Clague in Castle Rushen for debt of six pounds British plus costs, by suit of Mary Corlett of Douglas His petition or. May 8th reported he had no assets, was unable to maintain himself in jail, and requested liberty. At a court held on the 11th May Mary Corlett was ordered to pay the jailers 3/0 a day to keep him there with the provision that if she missed by one day the prisoner was to be released by the jailer without further notice or application to the court. It seems hard on Mary Corlett and if it's the same John Clague each time, is a good example of recidivism.

That was the sort of predicament that Edward came very close to placing his brother Joseph in.

Edward's end is of interest. When I was small my mother told me as we passed the Quarterbridge that an ancestor of ours had been murdered in Port-e-Chee meadow. I recently remembered this and investigation produced an inquest report into the death of Edward on the stormy night of Friday, November 17th 1852. Edward at the age of sixty, had been employed as a labourer for three weeks by farmer Edward Kissack at Port-e-Chee Farm. He visited the Brown Bobby public house in Peel Road and had consumed a great deal of rum. There was a great storm of wind and rain that night but he declined offers of company home or any sort of assistance. His body was found in the claddagh next day, and the doctor reported at the inquest that there were no marks of violence on his body.

My knowledge of the details of Edward's death comes from my own recollection of a remark made by my mother. I hope that when this circulates among other members of the Clague family that if they have similar recollections they will pass them on to me

I can add one more item of interest. I have heard mentioned that our family lost the farm when a Clague sold it in his cups one day for the price of a drinks It should be evident from the above that there was pressure from other economic factors. Joseph inherited a lot of debts and when he was compelled to sell Ballagrawe may have made the best bargain he could. It is of course possible that the five shilling sale to William Fayle and Matthias Christian took place under the influence. Further research is needed though, into the agreements entered into by Joseph's ancestors whereby descendants were paying to use half of Ballagrawe. And there's the curious matter of Jane's £20 dowry - a very large sum two hundred years ago.

Yet there is an instance of a Clague RECEIVING a £20.0.0 dowry. On the 20th of November 1735 articles of agreement show such an amount contracted to be paid by Jony Kewley (plus a feather bed and her father's goods) to John Clague and Ellin Kewley (Joseph's grandparents) who were married on the 25th of November that year. Thomas Clague the father also agreed to give John one half of all his houses and lands in the parish of Lonan, half the corn, oxen, husbandry gear, and riding horses, with the balance on his death. One has to assume that the Clagues were then a family of some standing. How did this John get into debt?

HOWEVER, on the 28th of February 1742 Thomas Clague, brother of Joseph's grandfather John, married an Anne Beddaugh. Now Beddaugh is an odd name there are no Beddaughs in today's telephone directory for example yet there seems to have been a small number of Beddaughs or Boddaughs in the Island at one time [FPC - later this name usually given as Boyd]. Going through old records recently I spotted the name of a John Beddaugh of the parish of Arbory, appearing in ecclesiastical court records in 1662. The recorder's handwriting is difficult to read but goes something like this:

To the Lord Bishop: petition of John Beddaugh.

On Sunday March 10 last year petitioner was going to his own parish church of Arbory ... was sent for by friends from German to speak to them in Rushen. He met Gilbt. Mylchreest in an alehouse and was invited to stay, tippling and drinking ... got drunk, and sold them his birthright and inheritance and quarterland at an undervalue. Said persons made it their business to come from German to Rushen on Sunday morning and plotted the destruction of your petitioner.

... said persons may not only receive punishment but that the bargain be illegal and contrary to the word of God etc.

I can't help wondering if this John Beddaugh was an ancestor of the Anne Beddaugh who married into our family in 1742; it could very well account for the legend being passed on down by the Clagues.

Joseph Clague died in May 1861 aged 83. He is buried at new Braddan cemetary in a double plot he purchased, under an ornate monument of polished red granite some sixteen feet high right beside the chapel. The monument is so large it took multiple visits over several years to actually find it. Henry Bloom Noble's obelisk on the opposite side of the chapel doesn't compare. Well worth a visit. In response to the question of how the estate could afford the cost it has been slyly suggested that the breweries were honouring a valued customer. In fact his daughter Isabella married well and there are several interesting inscriptions concerning her family.

Edward Clague is buried in old Lonan church. His memorial has not been found but in 1914 the inscription was recorded in a typescript of Manx monumental inscriptions which I came across in December 1981 whilst in Salt Lake City Because he died intestate his eldest son Joseph, a saddler in Tynwald Street, was appointed executor. Unfortunately for the Simpson family Joseph never cleared up the 1834 mortgage for £18.12s.8d and in 1897, forty five years after Edward died in Port-e-Chee meadow and sixty three years after the loan the Simpson family asked Edward's relatives to close out the account. To a man they all declined. Edward's administrator, son Joseph the saddler having died in 1886 my great grandfather Thomas was ordered by the court to wind up Edward's estates

Walls

WILLIAM WALLS married MARGARET TAYLOR at Kirk Braddan on 21st April 1822. William worked as a Journeyman Printer in the office of the "MANX RISING SUN and then between 1833-39 was in partnership with Robert Faragher, publishing the MONA's HERALD. In 1839 Wm. Published a radical newspaper THE MANXMAN from offices in Great Nelson Street, Douglas

Nothing more is known of William after 1839 - However his wife Margaret and children - (Edward, Henry, Allen, Louisa, Edward Albert, Herbert) were living in Liverpool in 1871.

Memorials of God's Acre - Corlett