[from Proc IoMNH&ASoc vol2 #1 1913]

REPORT ON ARCHAEOLOGICAL SECTION.

[not clear who was the Author - the assumption re Roman Maughold strongly suggests Canon Quine]

The work in progress during the past.year has been the contiriuation of the survey undertaken by Mr. P.M. C. Kermode,of our Keeills, Keeill-sites, and such vestiges as are associated with them.

The importance of this survey-apart from the unique competence of Mr. Kermode-is (1) that it is systematic, to include the whole Island;, and (2) that the 'record, in drawings, plans, maps, and descriptive catalogue of all facts brought to light, will preserve for all future students everything that still remains of these ancient churches at the beginning of the 20th century.

Funds for the furtherance of this-survey are greatly needed When one considers the lavish expenditure of Money on objects of remotely less importance, one is fain to wish that some generous person could be found to endow this research, -the object of which is to bring to light the lower strata of records of the early social system, and, generally, the early history of the Island.

The examination of Cronk-Mooar, or the Fairy Hill of Rushen, by Mr. Kermode and Professor Herdman, lies within the scope of the present survey. The mound was tunnelled, but no cist core was discovered : the results, in effect, showing that the mound is partly a natural formation, partly artificial; having been used as an early stronghold, occupied seemingly down to sub-historic times. But an investigation is valuable in what it disproves as well as. in what it comprises: the mound was seemingly not sepulchral.

The discovery of inscribed stones on the Ballavarkish Keeill, in Kirk Bride, approached in interest. the magnificent . results obtained from the Knoc-e-dooney eeill, in Kirk Andreas, viz., the Ammecat epitaph. These results are certain, ultimately, to give us invaluable help in identifying the early connection of Man with Britain,-with Britain rather than with Ireland.

The famous saying of Jocelyn of Furness, writing circa 1183,- that Mona was formerly regarded as part of Britain, stands as a landmark to the historical student. Jocelyn knew the Island: he was Abbot of Rushen in 1187. He knew Britain, since he belonged to the community of Furness. He knew Ireland, since he crossed to Ireland to organize the Cistercian monastery of Inch, at Downpatrick, in 1181. He wrote a life of St. Kentigern of Strathclyde; and he wrote a life of St. Patrick of Down. He lived at a period when traditions still existed that had a value and reality almost equivalent to historical documents-traditions that had not been destroyed by the Danish inundations.

From the northern parishes. Mr. Kermode has passed to the parish of Kirk Maughold, where he has begun his investigation of its Keeills. This parish is well known to be the richest in crosses and other inscribed stones. It includes within its bounds Ramsey-and formerly Ramessey Isle, a name obviously of Anglian origin. When we examine in a larger light the root name element, to, which was appended theAnglian terminal element -ey --isle, we find ourselves back in pre-Danish times: a Danish etymology is no longer tenable.

The Isle of Thanet was anciently, viz., in the 5th and 6th centuries, called Ruym,-surviving in Ramsgate, a town on Thanet : this word Danish in its second element, viz., gata, a way, road, or street. Now, Thanet was essentially the Roman foothold and landing-place in N.E. Kent. Two great Roman fortresses stood on the Kent shore over against Thanet--Reculbium or Reculver, at the north end of the strait that cut off Thanet from the mainland, and Retupium or Richborough at the south end. The name element Ruym suggests a derivation from Rom-or Roman. Again, at the south-west margin of Kent is Romney Marsh, the other great Roman foothold in Britain. At Lympne was the great port of Lemanis : and the Roman vestiges there point to the Roman-name element as derived from Rom-or Roman. There is a presumption equally cogent that our Ramessey Isle is in its root name element Rom-or Roman; and that Ramessey was the Anglian form of a name meaning the Isle of the Romans-who occupied Cumberland.

We have at present only reached the threshold of the investigation of Roman remains along the line of Hadrian's Wall and within it; and the bearings of these great investigations now in progress will throw light on the Roman occupation of Man. It will probably be found that Maughold Churchyard stands within the square of a Roman Camp, from which is visible at less than 20 miles distance the Roman Camp near Whithorn; and a range of Roman vestiges on the -Cumberland coast.

The parish of Maughold is curiously rich in the diversity of its old Ecclesiastical lands: (i) the church land around Maughold Church-the church itself on Staff land, no longer ecclesiastical, alienated since the Reformation; (ii) the glebe, still church land; (iii) the large Clerk's Glebe, adjoining Port Mooar; (iv) the Barony of St. Bees-consisting of Barony land and of Staff land; (v) the Barony of the Hough,-Ortus Hough, as brought out by Mr Ralfe in his paper on the terrier of Rushen Abbey lands; (vi) the particles of Thallooqueen and Thalloovitchel, an endowment, as I have pointed out, similar to that of St. Trinian's, for an hospice, the site of which is identifiable by still living tradition at Thalloo Vitehell,; (vii) the Abbey land at the Dhoon; and (viii) what is now called Ballagorrey treen, containing the farm of Rhenab, or the Abbot's ridge.

In short, the greatest part of Maughold was ecclesiastical land-belonging to at least tour ecclesiastical corporations. But the inves~igations of Mr. Kermode will deal with a stratum of early Christian activity prior to the grants of these lands : at least, it will deal with vestiges that survive probably from an earlier time.

During the current year the investigation will deal with Maughold; and will then deal with Lonan-a parish in which the ecclesiastical lands are of limited extent, but where the old system of treens or keeills remain as in Danish or pre-parochial times; every treen in this parish bearing a Danish neme.

Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received MNB Editor HTML Transcription © F.Coakley , 2008