[From Home Office File HO 98/71]

Bishop Murray to Robert Peel re Charities 19th July 1822

Isle of Mann Bishops Court July 19th 1822

Sir

The accompanying Documents relating to the Funds for the Education and Support of the Clergy of this Island, will, I hope, sufficiently prove that the Complaints of the Keys lately addressed to you respecting the mismanagement and misapplication of these Charties are without foundation.

The two Charities against which the Petition of the Keys is directed are called the Academic and Impropriate Funds. The Papers which I have now the honor of transmitting to you clearly shew that these Charities were intended solely for the education and support of the Ministers of the Established Church within the Isle of Mann. You will however perceive on reference to the items of the distribution hereadter detailed, that the Trustees of one of these Charities have extended its utility even beyond the limits fixed by the Donor, by giving Ninety one pounds per ann amongst sixteen parochial Schoolmasters for the general purposes of Education.

I beg leave first to draw your attention to the Impropriate Fund marked A. This Fund, as it appears was intended "For the encrease and further augmentation of the maintenance of the Ministers of the Gospel exercising their functions within the Isle &ca, &ca." There is a disposable Income of £443 9 1.75 arising from Estates lately purchased under the direction of the Lord Chancellor, and the above sum is thus appropriated
Augmentation of poor Vicarages to £90 each £231 6 1.75
Grammar School for the education of the Clergy £60 - -
Sixteen Parochial Schools at £5 10 and one at £3 3 91 3 -
Vicars General £18ea 36 - -
Episcopal Registrar £10 - -
Archdeacons Official £10 - -
Archdeacons Registrar £5 - -
£443 9 1.75

The four Ecclesiastical Officers were specially named as recipients by the Original Donor Bishop Barrow.

Academic Fund

This Charity on reference to the Paper marked B will appear to be specially confined to the Education of a certain number of Students for the supply of the Church. It was originally only twenty pounds per ann but the money having been invested in Land it now produces £357 per ann. It is thus appropriated.
Academic Master £200 - - per ann
Four Students at £30 each £120 - -
Books, Agency and incidental expences £37 - -

The Master is the Revd J Thimbleby A.M. Cambridge who has under him another Clergyman as Master of the Grammar School. The Students previous to their being ordained live in the House of the Academic Master and are immediately under his care.

Both the Masters are constantly resident, and I have every reason to be fully satisfied with their conduct.

The object of the Keys is to throw the funds of these Charities, which were intended for a specific purpose, into a general fund for the education of the Inhabitants of the Island, that they are not justified in attempting such an appropriation, will I think sufficiently appear from a perusal of the enclosed Documents. As far indeed as is practicable, and under the very general powers vested in the Trustees, they have admitted the Country at large to participate in these Charities, for in addition to ten free Scholars at the Grammar School, educating for the Church (a greater number than is necessary) any Persons are allowed to send their Children to the School on the payment of £10 per an. This sum was fixed upon in order to exclude the lower Classes of the People with whom it was not considered proper that the Young Men intended for the Church should associate. At the same time a National School has been established for theie benefit, and the before mentioned sum of Ninety pounds is paid to sixteen parochial Schoolmasters for the benefit of other parts of the Island.

It will be gratifying to me to learn that the appropriation of these Funds by the Trustees meets with your approbation. It is the result of much care and deliberation on their parts, and they have endeavoured as far as possible to act according to the Will of the Donor which is clear and specific. I shall be happy to transmit any further information or explanation that you may be pleased to require upon the Subject

I have the honor to be your very faithfull humble servant G. Sodor & Mann

A

1666 Novm 1st Indenture of this date Between Charles, Earl of Derby, of the one part, and Isaac, then Lord Bishop of Sodor and Mann, and Jonathan Fletcher, then archdeacon of the said Isle of Mann of the other part. Recites that the revenues and ecclesiastical promotions and maintenance for the ministers of the gospel settled within the said Isle of Man were very small by reason whereof many of the ministers within the said Isle are enforced to live in a mean condition, unbecoming their callings; and likewise were necessitated for the gaining and obtaining of a livelihood for themselves and families, to betake themselves to mean and inferior employments to the diminution of the Honour of their function and profession and to the prejudice of religion and ecclesiastical government by Law Established within the said Island, and His Majesty's dominions. Whereof the said Earl and Bishop taking notice, and duly considering the great inconveniencies arising from the Small Encouragement and maintenance of the ministers within the said Isle, and for the increase and further augmentation of the maintenance for the ministers of the gospel exercising their functions within the said Isle of Man, at the several Churches and Cures there, they the said Earl and Bishop had used their great care, and pious and religious endeavours and bounty, as well in their own particular and liberal contributions, as in procuring, upon their endeavours and earnest solicitations, other large and bountiful contributions, for the furthering and encouragement of the same pious and religious works, by the Archbishops, and Bishops, and other pious and well disposed persons within the realm of England; by which contribution the sum of One thousand Pounds had been already paid, or subscribed or undertaken to be paid for the furtherance and advance of the pious and charitable work - which said sum of one thousand pounds was directed and appointed to be bestowed and employed for the purchase of some Yearly Revenue within the said Island for the encrease and augmentation of the maintenance of the Ministry within the said Isle for the purposes aforesaid, it was thought most convenient to purchase the several Impropiations, Rectories, Tithes and Hereditaments within the said Island therein after particularly mentioned for and towards the encrease and augmentation of the maintenance of the Ministers of the Gospel resided and exercising their Ministeerial functions within the said Island, and for provision of maintenance for School Masters,or towards the erection of some School or Schools in such manner, and in such proportions, as should from time to time be thought meet and convenient by the said Bishop and his Successors, and by the Archdeacon of the said Isle and his successors, and by such two other persons as should be thought meet to be appointed for that service and employment by the said Earl and his heirs from time to time, or by three of them.

Recites further that the said Earl, at the request of the said Bishop was content to accept of the said sum of One thousand Pounds for the settling and advance of the same pious and Charitable Work, and in consideration thereof to convey and grant the Rectories, impropriations, Tithes and hereditiments therein after mentioned for the purposes aforesaid.

Declaration - That the Interest Title term and Estate in the said Rectories &c thereby granted to the said Bishop and Archdeacon their Executors and assigns as aforesaid, only in trust to the Intent that the Rents issues Revenues and clear profits thereof over and above the payment and satisfaction of the Yearly and other Rents thereby reserved should be from time to time and at all times thereafter during the said term Paid employed and disposed of for the Encrease and Augmentation of the Maintenance and better support and livelihood of the Ministers of the Gospel settled and exercising their functions within the said Isle, and for or towards the Erection of a Free School within the said Isle or the maintenance of some Schoolmaster or Schoolmasters there in such manner and to be paid and distributed for the uses aforesaid by such proportions and to such persons, as the said Bishop during his continuance in the same See and Bishoprick of Sodor and Mann, and the said Jonathan Fletcher, during his continuance of his Ecclesiastical promation of Achdeacon within the said Isle, and afterwards, as the several successors of the said Bishop and Archdeacon of the said Isle together with two other persons resident and inhabiting within the said Isle for the time being, and to be nominated for that purpose by the said Earl or his Heirs under his or their hands and Seals respectively, or as any three of them, whereof the said Bishop for the time being to be one, should think meet and convenient to order and dispose of the same. ...

The premises comprised in the above deed after a long course of proceedings in the Court of Chancery were restored to the Heirs of the Earl of Derby, who in consequence of certain collateral securities, were ultimately decreed to pay a sum of Money to the Trustees in lieu thereof - and which under the direction of the Court had been laid out in the purchase of Lands in the Island, and have been conveyed unto, or vested in the said Bishop of Sodor and Mann and Archdeacon of the Isle of Mann for the time being and their Successors, upon Trust to pay and apply the Rents issues and profits thereof upon such and the same Trusts, for such and the same purposes, and in such and the same manner, as by the said Indenture of the first day of November 1666 are declared and mentioned of and concerning the respective Rectories &c.

B

I give my Lease of twenty pounds per annum, which I purchased of Charles, late Earl of Derby and Lord of Man, known by the name of Ballagilley and Hango Hill, in the Isle of Man, and now in the occupation of John Norris, Constable of Peel Castle, in the said Island, towards the maintenance of three Boys at at the Academical School, when it shall be there settled; and in case there be no such School within twelve months after my death, then to go towards the maintenance of two boys of most pregnant parts at some University abroad: in the mean time to be employed as it is; and these boys to be chosen after my decease, by the Bishop and Archdeacon, pro tempore, the Governor or his Deputy, and the two senior Clergymen (not in office) in the Island, or any four of them, whereof the Bishop to be always one if present: and my intention is that those boys be by their education settled for the supply of the Clergy in that Island upon the vacancy of any living; and that therefore no boys shall be taken into any of these places till security be given by his friends, that upon the call of the Bishop, he shall immediately return to the Island, take Holy Orders, and supply the vacant living, or pay back such moneys as he hath received of their gift 'till that time; and those moneys to be employed for the benefit of the Church, as the persons nominated for the choice of the boys shall agree

Notes

Document A is a shortened version of that found in the 1831 Charities, B is the same