[continuation - from p72 vol ii]

Notes from the Registers The Parish of Malew

BURIALLS 1649:

THO: NORRIS

Secretary to or hoble Lord of Derby(who was slaine by Major Henry Goslett Stanley by the way con'inge from Duglas the 3d of August at night) was buried the 5th day of August

This extract appeared in the last number of the NOTE BOOK (p. 74), and it was there promised that a short account would be given in the present Number of the proceedings taken against Major Stanley.

By the kind permission of Mr. James Kewley, we have since been enabled to examine the records of these proceedings in the Rolls Office; from which it appears that some five or six gentlemen were riding home to Castletown, on the old road from Douglas, at a late hour on the night of August 3rd, and had got as far as the Malew side of the river at Mwyllin-y-Quinney (" Quinney's Bourne") without the occurrence of anything remarkable. At this point, however, Thomas Morris (sic) and young Arthur Cesar, of Ballahick, who were riding at some distance behind the others, began to dispute about the merits of their respective steeds, and Cesar offered to run his mare on the following day against that of Morris for a wager. This offer was at once accepted; but shortly afterwards Cesar refused to stand by it, and Morris called him a liar. Other strong language was interchanged, such as "jackanapes," "knave," etc., and swords were drawn on both sides. Whereupon Major Stanley, overhearing the wrangle, also drew his sword, and riding back at full speed rushed between the disputants. His object seems to have been to separate them, and to compel them to keep the peace; but, in some unexplained way, the result of his interference was that he mortally wounded his friend Mr. Morris, with whom he had had no previous quarrel. The wounded man was conveyed by the whole party to the house of one Quayle, in Ballasalla, where he died in a few hours, and where Major Stanley was arrested the same morning, and carried as a prisoner to Castle Rushen.

The depositions taken in the case are manifestly incomplete; but in the record of the Court of General Gaol Delivery, held on the 30th October, 1649, we find that Major Henry Goslett Stanley was " found guilty of the death of Thomas Morris, and of breach of the prison, but not of wilful murder." There is no mention of the sentence passed; but opposite the sentence there is inserted in the book (Liber Plitor: 1649) the following order from Lord Derby:-

I have pardon'd Major Henry Goslett Stanley, who was convicted at the last heade Courte of the death of Thomas Morres, which you are to take Notice of, and Put upon Recorde.

Given under my hande at Castle Rushin this 9th of Nov. 1649.

To my Servant Sharples Clarke of the Rolles J DERBEY

BAPTISMS:-

1659.-

John Huddlestone, son to Major Will: Huddleston, and Eliz: his wyfe, bapt. May 12th.

Bahie Quinney, gnat: Wm and Ann, Oaober 2th.

Issabella Parr, gnat: Tho: Parr, and Ellinr was borne about 3 a'clocke in the morninge, friday, December the 2th, the wind at north, two dayes before the change of the Moon the Sign in the Secrets, all the Planets friendly, and bapt . Decr 6th.

BURIALS:-

1659.-

Eliz: Parr, (wife of the Right Reverend father in god, Rich. that was Bop^e of Man), was buried in her aforesaid husbands grave in Kk. German in Peele June 13th, 1659.

Bishop Parr was buried in Bishop Philips' grave in the Cathedral Church at Peele, 26th March, 1644. See " Manx Note Book," Vol. I., p. 59.

BURIALS:-

1659.-

John Preston quaker buried ffebr 20th in Churchyard.

It seems probable that, being a Quaker, he was not allowed to be interred in the burial-place of his family within the Church, for, in 1661, we find the two following entries:-

Isable Preston als Tunman buried Church Aug 17th.
Alice Gunston als Preston buried Church 10^ber 25.

In the list of Burials for 1659 occurs this Note:-

The Burialls from 1643 to this prsent date is enrowled in the Lord's records given in by Tho: Parr.

There must, therefore, have been a Register (of Burials at least) before 1649. It is hoped that the earlier book may yet be found in the Rolls' Office, and a copy of it be obtained for the Parish Chest.

To this year, 1659, belongs one of the most quaint entries in the Register. It affords a curious example of the enforcement of the ancient discipline of the Church, and that, not by a Bishop, but by a temporal ruler. Observe the calm way in which this unfortunate woman, after being acquitted by a jury of the offence alleged against her, is " ordered to acknowledge the same before the Congregation, and, in the same breath, to "declare her Innocencie!" LIBR SCACCAR

B'ops Court 30th Sept. 1659.

Whereas Mrs Jane Cesar hath bene accused upon suspicon of witchcraft charminge or sorscerie wherupon certaine examinacons have beene taken And the said case beinge putt to the triall of a Jurie, they the sd Jurors (after examinacon of the busness) have this day cleared and acquitted ye said Jane Cesar of the accusacon aforesaid as by theire Answere may appeare Nevertheles that the said Jane Cesar may declare her inocencie of such pradtizes and that shee cloth renounce the same as diabolicall & wicked; She is herby ordered to acknowledge the same before the Congregacon off Kk Malew pish on the next Lords day to the end that others may be admonished to relinquish detest and abhor such delusions wh are of great induceme to greater temptacons and are too frequently pradtized in this Island as is dayly observed of wch if any one shall be hereafter accused and the same lawfully proved such persons are to be severely fined, and punished, or otherwise proceeded against accordinge as the law cloth p^vide in such cases.

To Sr Tho: Parr minister JAM: CHALONER.* of Kk Malew who is to read ye hefore his Congregacon the next Sabbath in English and Manxe and to returne this Order wth the acknowledgement made as aforesd into the Comptroulers offfice afterwards J. WOODS
A true Coppie agreeinge wth ye originall.
October the 2th 1659.

After the readinge of the above sd order this day as directed Mr Jo: Cesar (and his sd wife beinge in theire owne seate in ye Chancle) said to his wife Can't you say that you renounce ye Divell; she answeringe said I defie the Divell and all his workes and I trust that those that have brought me to this scandle shall never see theire eldest children in yt estate that my youngest are in.

The meaning of this last sentence is evidently, " I trust that their eldest children may never be as well off, as prosperous, as even my youngest now are"-a not very comfortable wish for her accusers to listen to coming as it did from a reputed witch. The Caesars, of Ballahick, were persons of a very good position in the Parish. They were ancestors of the late Major Caesar Bacon, of Seafield, who derived his Christian name from them.

The Ballahick pew is still "in the Chancel," and over it is a mural tablet with the following inscription:-

INTERRED HERE IS THE
BODY OF JULIUS CAESAR
A VERTUOUS YOUTH AND
ESTEEMED FOR HIS
PROFICIENCY IN ACADEM
ICK LEARNING; BURIED
THE 9TH JANUARY 1739;
AETATIS SUAE.

James Chaloner, who issued this remarkable order concerning Jane Caesar, was born in London in 1603. At the age of 13, he became a Commoner of Brazenose College, Oxford, and afterwards a member of the Inns of Court. On the breaking out of the Civil War, he joined the Parliamentary party, and sat for Aldborough, in Yorkshire, in the Long Parliament. He married a relative of Thomas, Lord Fairfax, and with him was one of the Commissioners appointed for the trial of King Charles I. Neither he nor Fairfax, however, were among those who assented to the judgment of the Court, or signed the King's death-warrant. When the Isle of Mann was granted by Parliament to Fairfax Chaloner was sent by him (August, 18th), as one of three Commissioners to administer his affairs in the Island, and on that occasion he wrote his well-known "Treatise of the Isle of Mann," republished by the Manx Society (Vol. X). He was afterwards (May, 1657), appointed by Fairfax, Governor of the Island, and held office till 1660. The Bishopric of Sodor and Mann had been vacant since 1643, and Chaloner seems to have taken up his abode at Bishop's Court, and to have exercised Episcopal authority in a highly satisfactory manner. The following Injunction to the Clergy and Churchwardens speaks well for the discipline enforced by him. Indeed, his kindly and judicious management of Ecclesiastical affairs in the Island may account, in great measure, for the easy and quiet way in which the re-establishment of Church order was effected here by the commissioners of Charles, Earl of Derby, in the autumn of 1660, when none of the Clergy seem to have made any difficulty about conforming, and none of them were ejected from their benefices:-

INSULA MONAE. 1658.

I doe herby order and injoyne ye Ministers and Churchwardens of each Church and Chapple within ye Isle That they shall not suffer or pmitt any Minister of the Isle, or stranger to officiat within theire severall or respective Churches or Chapples without ye leave and express pmition of such ministers first had and obtained under yer hands in writeinge; Neither shall they prmtt any pson or psons whatsoever not beinge in holy Orders to exercise or use preachings or any pte of gods worpe or service within the said Churches or Chapples upon any accompt or Coloure whatsoever, And for better Execution of this order the Coronner, lockman and most substantiall people of each pish are herby required to be aydinge & assistinge when ye minister or Churchwardens shall call upon them in this behalfe; And it is further ordered & injoyned yt non pson or psons whatsoever shall be pmitted to receive the Lords Supper in any pish but that wherin they live without a Certificatt under ye hand of ye minister and Churchwardens of such a pish, That such pson or psons stands not prsented for nor lyes not under any contumacy or disobedience for any scandleous sinfull crime by them Committed; And lastly it is herby ordered and injoyned that this act be fairly entered in the Church Register of every pish; and the same to be published openly in the Congregation in every Church and Chapple upon receipt thereof, And alsoe upon ye first Sunday in Lent every yeere successively, The Contrary herof aft yer pills. Given under my hand and scale of Armes in Castletowne ye second day Aprill Ano 1658. JAMES CHALONER.

To the Generall Sumner and his deputies to be dispersed without delay.

This is a true Coppie agreeinge with ye originall.

Examined by Tho: Parre.

The following injunction, which Bishop Isaac Barrow issued nine years afterwards, does not give us a very pleasing picture of the position and character of several of the Insular Clergy of the Restoration period. We suspect the discipline of the Church must have been sadly relaxed since Chaloner's days:-

Castletowne, July 29th, 1667.

Haveinge had informacon that sevrall Clergie men in this Island doe contrarie to ancient Canons of ye Church, and the prsent Constitucon and comands of our owns Church, disgrace theire Callinge & pstitute yer houses (wch should be as schooles of Discipline to the rest of theire Pishes) to Irreguler & disorderly meetinges by vendinge ayle & beere & Keepinge victuallinge Houses. These are to require all Ministers within the Isle aforesaid to forbears this unhansome & undecent Course soe inconsistante with the Dignity of yer pfession and soe contrary to that studious retirement they are oblidged to by it. And yf any shall herafter be found guilty of this sordid indecencie he shall for the first tyme be suspended from his office and benefice And for the second made incapable of any spirituall prferment in this Island

Isaac Sod: and Man. To the Register to be Disp^sed by the Genrll Sumner or otherwise as he shall think fitt.

Copia vera exta p

Thom Parr.

Immediately under the Vicar's signature is this amazing couplet in his handwriting:-

Ebrietie is a swinish societie
Unbeseeminge vessels of xptianitie.

The good man, doubtless, meant well, but it is evident that rhyming was not his forte! On the same page follows a note which bears no date, but which must have been made in 1693, as the marriages mentioned took place in that year:-

A catalogue of all the licences of marriages of the south side of the Isle of Mann granted by Tho: Parr clerks since Mr. Jo: Lomax Archdeacon of the Isle gave him his Commission

Tho Tubman & Besy Norris Wm Brew St An and Mary ffargher

Sr John Cosnahan's Manst Tho: Brew and Moore of Kk St Ann. 3s. 2d.*

~ Compare this fee with the Note under Burials 1689. The Vicar was a surrogate before the appointment of Archdeacon Lomax in 1690.

TO BE CONTINUED.