[From Annals of Kirk Christ Lezayre]

CHAPTER XXII - THE REGISTERS

IN 1610 it was ordered "That there be a Register Book kept by every Minister within his several charge, of the Christenings, Marriages and Burials, etc." ¹ This order was made by Bishop John Phillips.

In 1683 Bishop Lake called attention to the neglect of keeping of registers, which he ordered to be done, while " all decayed or lacerated " old books are to be re-copied ; and he also ordered that " Coppies of all Regrs be brought in once every year to be entered in the Bopps Regry."²

At Convocation, June 13, 1717, the Clergy were ordered to bring the Registers to the next Sheading Court " so that the Bishop may see in what order the books are, and those who have not bound books for that use, may at the charge of the Bishop, provide such immediately, there being a Bookbinder lately come to the Island."³

At the Visitation of July 26, 1757, it was reported that " the old Register Book is now tattered and loose yt its commence^t or ending can't be assertained without great trouble." " Another Register Book comencing 1696 and carreyed down to this time."⁴

In 1833 there were Registers for each office, and copies were sent annually to the Bishop's Registry. There was no reason to believe that entries had been made or effaced unlawfully.⁵

The oldest Register dates from 1696 and contains Baptisms from April 26th to December 27th, 1805, Marriages from April 21st to June 14th, 1757 and Burials from March 25th, 1696, to March 20th, 1849,

The second Register contains Marriages from October 1st, 1757, to October 24th, 1801.

At the end of 1789 the Vicar, Rev. Thomas Corlett, ceased filling up the Baptism and Burial Registers while that for Marriages was duly entered up. (What was the cause of the neglect? The following statement in the Baptism Register gives all the information it has been possible to obtain.)

Whereas it appeareth that the Revd. Thomas Corlett, deceased, the late Vicar of the Parish of Kk. Christ Lezayre, has totally neglected to insert the names of all the infants whom he had baptized since the year One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty Nine to Easter One Thousand Eight Hundred and Three in the Parochial Registry ;-And whereas the Parents of such Children feeling and knowing that many inconveniences may arise from such neglect, do solicit the Revd. Henry Maddrell the present Vicar of the sd Parish and the Wardens for the time being to hold a general meeting of the Parishioners for the purpose of receiving the name of each and every child baptized in the Parish within the time before mentioned. In consequence of such solicitation there was in the Month October One Thousand Eight Hundred and Three a general meeting of the Parishioners the Parents of such Children in the Parish Church where and when the name of each and every infant after making the most accurate inquiry as to order of birth and time of Baptism was received by the Vicar and Wardens from the Parents of sd. Children upon their solemn affirmation. And their names are therefore inserted in the Parochial Registry in manner following.

A copy of the Lezayre Parish Registers from March, 1696, to the end of 1739, made by the Rev. Canon Kermode, with extracts of items of special interest from the Registers down to 1789, has been deposited in the Library of the Manx Museum.

Footnotes

1 Moore Dio. Hist., p. 131.
2 Ibid, p. 178.
3 Record of Convocation.
4 Manx Museum Papers.
5 Ibid.