[From Manx Soc vols 25+28 - Blundell's History]

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE MANER OF THEIR MAKING OF STATUTES AND NEW MADE LAWES IN YE ISLAND OF MAN.

THIS chiefest and highest court,’ and w is kept wth ye greatest solemnity, above any other in y^e island, wherein their kings are inaugurated, their lords admitted, their old customs confirmed, new lawes enacted, unto w’ all y^e Manks men are by proclamation (suthoned to appear) w’ j y^t court w is there called a Tinwald, and is kept publickly (sub die, in y^e sight of y^e sunn, having no other covering than y^e canopy of y^e sky) upon a little assent of earth adjoyning to a little chappell dedicated to St. John ye Baptist, two miles from Peel towne (as I have before shewed you). This court may, in my opinion, bee called their court of Parliam^t, it representing in little our Parliament (as I shall p^rsently discover).

For, as I said before, y^e governm^t of this Island is monarcliicall (although their kings were at no time monarchs). It should bee kept twice in y^e year ; and in ancient time y^e custome was to send out a proclamation before to give notice to all of y^e Island y^t y^e king or lord of y^e Island (or at least y^e governor in his absence) intended at such a day to call a Tinwald, y^e form of w’ proclamation my Manks’ Intel-ligencer thus setteth downe : —In old time when any new law or statute was to be made or proclaimed in a Tinwald, they used to proclaim it in this manner :— 1 The Tinwald.

" It is y^e King of Man’s pleasure, and his officers, to keep a court twice in y^e year, y^t all men, both rich and poor, deafe and dumb, halt and lame and blinde doe come, either on horseback or on foott, or to be drawn thither by a horse or upon a carr, y^t they may know y^e King of Man’s pleasure, and his officers, and y^e lawes of their country."

I psume (as was fitt) this was proclaimed in y^e Manks language ; and y^t this is but translated into our English, for otherwise it seemeth not to mee to bee of such antiquity as y^e title above insinuateth ; and speaking good English it cannot be psuined to mount higher than y^e reigrie of some of y^e r John Stanleys.

What formality is now used, I yet know not, but I finde this here set downe is not now practised, because (it seemeth) it is not now thought necessary, for at this day a Tinwald may be kept in any other place where y^e governor shall appoynt, and all y^e natives are not now called to be prsent.

For (in y^e chapter following) I observe y^t in Castletowne an ancient customary law was totally for y^e future abrogated, and a new forme instituted (for y^e recovery of debts wthout speciallty) by ye only consent of y^e lieutenant (yt is the governor, y^e two deemsters, and y^e 24 keys, without the assembling of y^e cothonalty to give their voyces. Now, wt is thus agreed upon by those officers and 24 keys (in ye lord’s absence), is sent and prseflted to y^e lord of ye Island (as from y^e Court of y^e Tinwald), and if he like well of it, and please to confirme it, then they are returned back and put upon record, and at y^e next Tinwald after they are proclaimed for absolute lawes.

Soe you see here a sufficient parliament (for a laconi call kingdome of soe little a latitude), yet representing y^e three estates of a parliam^t in England ; first, y^e governor is there, representing ye of y^e king ; secondly, y^e two deemsters, y^e lords of y^e upper house ; thirdly, y^e 24 keys, ye house of commons or y^e lower house ; and wt is by all these unanimously consented unto is received and recorded for law, and obligeth y^e natives for y^e future.

But these are meer shewes of formallity, for y^e lord of y^e Island hath a strong influence upon every one of these officers y^t have voyce in this Tinwald, all of them holding their places at his will and pleasure, wherefore it is to be admired by all, and to be had in ppetual hono" by y^e inhabitants of Man, y^t y^e family of y^e line of ye Stanleys (having had continuance for eleaven successions) there was never yet found any one y^t had his name soiled wth y^e note of a tirant or an exactor, whereas in y^e 12 descents those presedent kings, from Godred Crovan (by y^e attestation of their own Cronocles), there had been many.

POSSE NOLLE NOBILE.