A HISTORY
OF
THE ISLE OF MAN

WRITTEN BY
WILLIAM BLUNDELL, ESQ.
OF CROSBY, Co. LANCASTER

1648-1656

PRINTED FROM A MANUSCRIPT IN THE POSSESSION
OF THE MANX SOCIETY

EDITED BY

WILLIAM HARRISON

VOL. I.

CONTENTS OF VOL. I.

INTRODUCTORY NOTICE BY THE EDITOR . . . xii
AUTHOR'S PREFACE . . . . . . Xliii
THE FIRST BOOK
CHAPTER I
Of the Island of Man in General . . . . 1
CHAPTER II.
Of several Names imposed by ancient writers upon ye Island of Man - . . . . . . 18
CHAPTER III.
Of the Length, Breadth, and Situation of ye Island of Man 21
CHAPTER IV.
Of the Island of Man in Particular. How the Island is divided 28
CHAPTER V.
Of certain Islands appertaining unto the Isle of Man . 32
CHAPTER VI.
Of the Air, ye Soil, the Sea, and Commodities of the Isle of Man . . . . . . . 38
CHAPTER VII.
Of the Manksmen, the Inhabitants and Natives of the Isle of Man in General . . . . 53
CHAPTER VIII.
Of ye Towns of the Island of Man in General . . 65
CHAPTER IX.
Of ye Towns in Particular, their Scituation, Manner of Government, and of ye Inhabitants therein . 74
CHAPTER X.
Of their Fishing for Herrings in the Isle of Man, their custom and form observ'd therein - . . . 85
CHAPTER XI.
Of the Havens, Castles, and Fortresses, within the Isle of Man 88
CHAPTER XII.
Of the Continual Watch kept in the Isle of Man, and their Customary Laws concerning the same . . . 95

THE SECOND BOOK
Treateth of the Political Government of the Isle of Man, and of their Laws and Customs . . . . 99
CHAPTER I.
DIVIDED INTO THREE SECTIONS.
SECTION I.-Of the little Kingdom of Man in General . 100
SECTION II.-Concerning the Antiquity of the Kings of Man . 103
SECTION III.-Whether the Kings of Man were Absolute Kings or not . . . . . . 106
CHAPTER II.
Of the Kings of Man in General, and of the Extent of their Power and Dominion of the Western Islands, called Hebrides . . . . . . 112
CHAPTER III.
The Cronicle of the Isle of Man, taken out of Mr. Cambden of the British Isles . . . 118
[continued in Volume 28]
CHAPTER IV.
Historical Descent of ye Kings of Man according to ye Manks Tradition, with the Author’s Censure thereupon . 1
CHAPTER V.
Of ye Coat of Arms belonging to the Kings and Isle of Man . 24
CHAPTER VI.
The Antient Manner of Inauguration of a King or Lord of Man, according to the Manks Tradition 31
CHAPTER VII.
Of ye Lords of the Isle of Man in General . 36
CHAPTER VIII.
Some More Particulars concerning ye Lords of Man, represented in the Person of the late Lord James,Earl of Derby 45
CHAPTER IX.
A Catalogue of ye Kings, Lords, and Absolute Sole Governors of the Isle of Man. 52
CHAPTER X.
Of ye Political Government practised in the Isle of Man, and of ye Officers employed therein in general 58
CHAPTER XI.
Of ye Governor of the Isle of Man, his Power and Duty 62
CHAPTER XII.
Of ye Deemsters’ Power and Duty . 66
CHAPTER XIII
Concerning ye Controwler of ye Island, his Power and Duty. 70
CHAPTER XIV.
Of ye Receiver-General his Office and Duty . 72
CHAPTER XV.
The Water Baylif’s Duty 73
CHAPTER XVI.
Of the Lord’s Attorney-Generall’s Duty 75
CHAPTER XVII.
Of ye 24 Keyes of the Island 76
CHAPTER XVIII.
Of the Coroners of Man 79
CHAPTER XIX.
Of the Moores of Man and their Duty 81
CHAPTER XX.
Concerning ye Legall Government of ye Isle of Man in generall 83
CHAPTER XXI.
Of ye Legall Government of ye Isle of Man more particularly . 88
CHAPTER XXII
Concerning ye Courts of Justice, their Citations to Appear and Answer. 91
CHAPTER XXIII.
ye Manner of Pleading in the Isle of Man and Governing of Appeals 95
CHAPTER XXIV.
The Manner of making their Statutes and New Laws . 100
CHAPTER XXV.
Certain other Laws and Customs not mentioned in the precedent part of this History 103

THE THIRD BOOK

TREATETH OF Y^E ECCLESIASTICAL GOVERNMENT OF MAN.

CHAPTER I.
Of ye Conversion of ye Island of Man, with a Discovery of many Erroneous Passages in Hector Boetius’ History of Scotland 109
CHAPTER II.
The Fable of St. Amphibalus Examined, and Refuted in every part of its particulars 116
CHAPTER III.
That St. Patrick was ye only Apostle of ye Isle of Man, and Gernianus the First Bishop thereof . . . 124
CHAPTER IV.
A Second Error Confuted concerning ye First Bishop of Man . 129
CHAPTER V.
A Description of ye Island of Iona, and of the Monastery of Sodor in general 133
CHAPTER VI.
Of ye Title and Town of Sodor and ye Sodorensian Bishops 138
CHAPTER VII.
Of ye Bishops of Man in particular 147
CHAPTER VIII.
A Catalogue of ye Bishops of Man . 157
CHAPTER IX.
Of the Abbeys, Priories, and other Religious Houses (before the Suppression) in the Isle of Man 160
CHAPTER X.
Of the Clergy of the Isle of Man, and the Religion now practised there 166
CHAPTER XI.
Of their Laws and Customs concerning the Clergy in the Isle of Man, both Antient and Modern 168
The Table to the Whole History 171