CHAPTER XVIII.

THE CORONERS OF MAN.

THE coroners or crowners in Man (who, in y^e Manks language, are called Annos, and not Annuos, as y^e L. Cooke mis-writeth it),¹ are as our sheriffs in England ; although Mercator will have him but as o^r und^r sheriff ; but there is another officer there und^r the coroner w^ch is called a lockman, who is as y^e under sheriff to y^e coroner, who hath y^e power of a sheriff in y^e Isle of Man. The number of these coroners are according to y^e number of the sheedings, w^ch are six, for every sheeding hath its coroner, and are elected by and out of y^e sheedings (as was shewed you before) ; that at y^e instalm^t of a new lord all y^e coroners deliver up, upon their knees, y^e rodds of their office into y^e lord’s hand, and ye lord calleth six other of y^e six sheedings, and delivereth to every one of them one of y^e same rodds, and they give them to the coroners elected, and y^e eldest deemster giveth their oath for y^e due execution of their places.

The coroner of Glanfaba sheeding is y^e chief of all y^e coroners of y^e Island and commandeth y^e other five, for w^ch I cannot give any reason for, seeing Russin sheeding (in w^ch is y^e lord’s castle and court-towne), being accompted y^e principall sheeding and reckoned in y^e first place. And y^t of Glanfaba hath but y^e 2 place, except it be y^t y^e Manks may give y^e first place to Glanfaba, in honor to their apostle St. Patrick, and to their first byshop Germanus (w^ch two parishes doe make y^e sheeding of Glanfaba),—he commandeth y^e other 5 to fence a Tinwald and proclaimeth y^e new installed lord.

The office of a coroner is to arrest for debt, if y^e token of ye governor or deemstr be delivered unto him (for otherwise he cannot). Yet I find amongst their customary lawes they are authorised of themselves, by vertue of his office, to arrest in cases of felony. Hee is ~ a justice of peace (in y^e absence of others), yea, his lockman may take recognizances of y^e peace, and returne ym as the other officers doe, but they ought not to commit y^e party ; but he may raise y^e country to assist him and bring him before y^e governor or some officer that hath power to commit him.

Whosoever resisteth a coroner in pforming his office for-feteth an amercm^t 3s. He empanelleth y^e jury of indictm^t at y^e gaol delivery, he is to doe execution (or procure it to be done, as y^e sheriffs in England are found to doe alsoe) upon a malefactor condemned, and to have all his quick goods, horses, bullocks of 2 years old or under ; and all such goods as by y^e law should have fallen to y^e next heir as corbes, the coroner shall have them. He is alsoe y^e officer to execute a recovery in chancery (as hereafter more in their practick part of their lawes).

Footnote

1 The coron^rs are neithr call’d Annos nor Annous in the Manks language; but this, both here and in the translation of Cambden, is plainly a misconstruction of his latin coronatores quos vocant annuos, i. e., coron^rs whom they call every year : and by the constitution here, no person can hold y^t office two years successively.