[From Home Office File HO 98/68]

Memorial of Thos Stowell Esqr Clerk of the Rolls re Records Offices

Isle of Man

To His Grace the most noble John Duke of Atholl Governor in Chief of the said Isle &c &c.

The Representation & humble Memorial of Thos Stowell Esqr Clerk of the Rolls of the sd isle

Sheweth

That your Memorialist in his official situation has the care & custody of all the Archives and proceedings of the Superior Courts of Record of the sd Isle.

That the said Records are kept in two small offices or apartments within the walls of Castle Rushen, neither of them above fifteen feet square in which offices your Memorlt has occasion to keep four or five Clerks constantly employed.

That the only way, or road at present to the said offices is by a circuitous rout and lies through one of the prison yards.

That the Clerks in the sd offices are there educated for the profession of the Law and for the most part supply the members of the Manks Bar, some of whom must in process of time become judges or other principal Law officers of the Island.

That from the necessity of their passing & repassing through the Prison yard, the Clerks are led to mix & associate more or less with the prisoners, a circumstance which your Memlt greatly regrets as having a tendency to injure their morals.

That the Court house wherever the Courts of Chancery Exchequer & Common Law are holden is attached to the present Government house on the north and the principal office of the two offices of Record before mentioned is nearly attached to the Government house (say within eight or ten yards) on ther south. And your Memlt understands that there was formerly a general Communication between the offices and the Court house through the said Government house.

That there was also a less circuitous way than the present, to the said offices by means of a Flight of Steps near the old Barracks, which also afforded a nearer communication between the Court house and the offices than there is at present, Which flight of steps being now removed the sd offices are left without any other communication with the Court House than the circuitous way before mentioned which is as much exposed to the Weather as it can be and at least 140 yards round about.

That it is very desirable to have a water and less exposed communications between the Court house and the Offices of Record, as it is necessary to bring a variety of original Books & papers of Record from the offices to the Court house upon every ocassion of holding a Court of Chancery Exchequer or Common Law therein.

That the said Records of late years have greatly increased so much so that the aforesd offices are become very insufficient for the custody or safety - your memorialist therefore humbly begs to submit that for so important a purpose as the safe Custody & preservation of the Records better accomodation ought to be provided than is or can be afforded by the miserable little hovels before mentioned, in which the persons necessarily employed have scarcely room to turn round.

And your Memorialist humbly prays that your Grace will be pleased to take such steps for obtaining better accommodation for the Records of the Island And also a better Communication between the Offices of Record and the Court house, as your Grace in your wisdom shall think fit. And your Memorialist will ever pray, &c

Tho Stowell 2d Feby 1813

Notes