[From Manx Soc, vol. 26]

No. IV.

DEPOSITIONS.

Att Castle Peele the fourth of Octobr 1662.

S^R ROBERT NORRIS, Clerke (now of Douglas towne) svorne & examined deposeth & sayth, That hee never knew of the risinge of y^e countrey in their insurrecion or rebellion in the yeare 1651 before the head court day at night that was to he houlden in that winter 1651, and that hee received that knowledge from the before named W^m. Xtian of Raynoldsway the same night, but sayth that W^m. Qualtrough of Kentraugh late Deemster in this Isle tould him about a month before or shortly after the late Earle of Derby went out of y^e Isle in the said yeare for England, that hee thought y^e countrey would rise, for that they found themselves aggreeved because of the troope that then was in the Isle & their free quarteringe or words to that effect, This Examt further sayth that beinge inquissitive from y^e said Wm. Xtian, Receivr to know uppon what grounds they did soe rise hee the said W^m. Xtian answered him hee need not feare for hee had a Comission for its from y^e States delivered by y^e hands of Major ffox and there uppon produced a writinge w^ch y^e said Receiver tould him was y^e s^d Comission & read ye same unto this exams and y^e s^d Wm. Qualtrough, Hugh Moore, John Cesar, & others & that y^e s^d Wm. Xtin also tould him y^t y^e Comission was from y^e Parliamt to y^e said Major ffox as before & that as hee remembers the contents of ye sd Comission was that the said Receiver should raise the countrey in Armes against the Counteese Derby then in y^e Castle Rushen, And further declareth that y^e said W^m. Xtin y delivered him this exams an oath to bee administered to y^e people, weh in substance is as followeth, viz., That the people should wthstand y^e Lady of Derby in her designos untill shee had yealded or condissended to their aggreavances both for y^e saftie of herself & y^e countrey ; And bee further sayth that y^e sd W^m. Xtin engadged him this examt by protestacon to be true unto him & y^t hee heard y^e said W^m. Xtin say (besides many others) that her Lapp should sell y^e people for 2d or 3d a peece, And y^t y^e s^d W^m. Xtin said that her Lapp promissed that shee would make known unto them when shee sent to make condicons with y^e Parliamt & y^e shee sent w'hout their knowledge contrary to her promise & would sell them for 2d or 3d a peece as before to destroy them, hee also sayth that y^e said W^m. Xtin of Raynoldsway administered y^e aforesaid oath to many of y^e people himself as to Sr Tho. Parr & others, And further sayth that hee never knew nor heard of any other to bee the cheife actor in the said risinge, but him y^e said W^m. Xtin of Raynoldsway only, bee also sayth that ye other actors in the said risinge was Hugh Moore of Douglas who brought in y^e company of K Lonan, & James Bankes of y^e How who brought in y^e company of KK Conchan & Henry Moore y^e company of K Marrowne W^m. Gawne y^e company of Trinit. Rushen, John Cesar ye company of K Malew and y^t it was y^e s^d John Cesar y^e first y^t came in to his best remembrance.

ROB T. NORRIS,¹

HUGH MOORE of Douglas, sworn & examined acknowledgeth & sayth that about a month before y^e risinge of y^e countrey, the s^d W^m. Xtin of Ronaldsway gave him an Oath, that hee this exams should not reveale if hee heard of a risinge, but did not know of y^e risinge before the night y^e risinge was, And y^t after ye risinge y^e sd W` Xtin showed this Examt a Comision w" was delivered him y^e s^d W^m. Xtin by Major ffox weh puported y^t by y^e same pouer that Lee y^e s' Major ffox had from y^e States he comissionaled him ye s^d W^m. Xtin to raise y^e countrey for y^e parliamt against all opposers ; And y^t y^e s^d W^m. Xtin Raynoldsway gave direcions s or order to James Banckes of y^e How to raise the parish of K s. Conchan & to give notice to y^e Lieutenant of K Lonan to raise tht Parish, hee further sayth that James Banckes afforesaid came to him with verball orders from y^e sa Em.Xtin Receiver to chadge a boate for to meete y^e Shippinge or Navy & to make condicons for y^e Lady and Countrey and thereuppon this examt went a shippboard & tould Colonell Duckenfield then generall that y^e Lady and y^e countrey had made condicions & y^t it was promiss'd it should bee pformed, And yt after cominge to Ramsey bay Major ffox came a shore with this examt & tould Deemster John Xtin, John Cesar, W°'- Standish & as hee thinks old John Curghie y^t Collonell ' Duckenfield had promised y^t y^e condicons made betwixt y^e Lady & ye countrey should be pformed, And thereupon the said psons last before named went aboard to conclude y^e same, hee further sayth that ye said Wm Xtin Receiver sent him this s exams to y^e north pt' of ye Isle for to give orders to arreast all y^e boates for goinge out of ye Isle.

HUGH MOORE.

JAMES BANCKES ² of y^e Howl in y^e pish of K Conchan sworne & examined declareth and sayth, That he never heard of y^e risinge of ye countrey before y^t Munday y^e Head Court day was to bee houlden, & y^t Eveninge y^e foresaid W"'- Xtin y Raynoldsway, Wm Xtin Knockrushen, Wm Qualtrough Kentraugh & others beinge in company together in Castletowne, & that they tould him that y^e countrey was to rise, & y^t y^e sa Willm Xtin Raynoldsway wisht him this exams (being then Lieutenant of ye foresaid pish) to repaire home, & send forth y^e crosses and raise the pish for y^t y^e fleete was coming e and accordingly he pformed y^e same, & brought his company to Raynoldsway beinge (as he acknowledgeth) without ye consent of his Captayne, Hee also sayth that y^e sd W^m. Xtin Raynoldsway wish'd him to ride to Douglas & bidd Hugh Moore of Douglas to take a boate and meete y^e f fleete before they should come to Ramsey & tell them (meaninge y^e Comanders of ye fleete) that the countrey was all for them least when the fleete came to Ramsey & meete the countrey in armes, y^e countrey would be undone by itt, & ; y^t bee y^e s^d W^m. Xtin of Raynoldsway would come himself to Ramsey forthwith to meete them, And sayth y^t hee had noe direcons from y^e sd W^m. Xtin, Raynoldsway, to bid Hugh Moore make any condicons for y^e Lady and countrey, but as before.

JAMES BANCKES.

PHILLIPP MOORE of Douglas sworne & examined declareth and sayth, That hee was tould by y^e foresaid Wm Xtin Raynoldsway before the risinge of y^e countrey, that y^e countrey was to rise and that ye s^d Wm Xtin tooke him sworne upon the bible not to reveale the same, for yt an army was to come & that y^e countrey should be in readines against their cominge, & y^t y^e risinge was to bee for ye good of y^e countrey, he further sayth y^t hee was by when James Banckes came from y^e Receiver Xtin to this Deponent's brother Hugh Moore to take the boate and goe out to meete y^e fleete & to tell them all was right, or all was their owne or words to that effect.

PHILLIP MOORE.

SAM. RADCLIFFE of Gourden, in the pish of K Patricke & Captayne of the Company thereof in y^e yeare 1651, sworne & examined declarith & sayth That lice never knew of y^e risinge of ye countrey untill y^e head or great court day that was to be holden in y^e winter 1651, and then was told y^e same by John Cesar & Hugh Moore of Douglas, in Castletown, who as hee remembers was then together & brought him to y^e house of Robt. Barrey in Castletown, & after severall circumstances, brought him to y^e Receiver Xtin of Raynoldsway who then did incourage him this examt to joyne with him in raisinge y^e people in Armes, & to give out that Shippinge was aboute y^e countrey, that bee might bringe soe many of his company together into Castle Poole as thereby to surprize y^e said Castle, whereuppon this examt sent out y^e crosse to raise some of his company uppon that enterprise, but was disuaded by Deemster Cannell who then was at the house Knockaloe, viz., Thos. Racliffes, And this exam' further acknoledgeth that hoe, wth y^e North's Companyes lay siege against Castle Poole by Receiver Xtin's orders, & that hee this exam' himselfe was y^e chiefe Comander there upon y' designe, Hee further sayth y^t the reasons wch y^e above John Cesar & Hugh Moore moved him wth all touching the said risinge was that the countrey was a sould for ijd or iijd apeece by lady Derby. This examt alsoe sayth that there was severall Noates in writinge y^t past betwixt him & y^e sd Receiver Xtin after y^e rising for his care in maniginge ye same designe, & y^t Sr Robt. Norris his hand was to some Noates : And this examt also saith y^t ye Receiver Xtin tould him on y^e s^d head Court day that they were designed to surprize Castle Rushen and y^t John Cesar & Capt. Gawne tould him the same & were uppon y^e same ye designe.

SAM RADCLIFFE.

PHILIPP CANNELL of K Michaell Liewtent of ye s^d n pish in the yeare 1651, sworn & examined declareth & t sayth, That hee never heard of y^e risinge of y^e countrey untill ye head Court day 1651, & that then bee did rise with y^e rest of ye countrey but had noe orders for itt, but t sayth y^t W^m. M'Ylearran & Tho. Xtin of Jurby tould him that the countrey was sould for ijd apeece and y^t y^e y Comptroller Sharples & Receiver Xtin tould ye same to them, whereuppon this exam' raised y^e Company, & y^t they tooke Thomas Midleston prisoner at Bopps Court, & also sayth y' y^e said M'Ylearran & Tho. Xtinn wisht him to raise y^e company.

PHILLIP CANNELL.

DOLLIN CLARKE ³ of Jurby Lieutenant there in y^e yeare 1651, sovorne & examined declareth & sayth, that hee never heard of ye risinge of y^e countrey untill that Munday w eh should be head Court day in y^e said yeare or y^e night before beinge then in Armes by forever orders from y^e comanders under y^e Lady Derby, where they understood of a fleete cominge against y^e Island, whereupon they resolved y^t there was noe hetter way for the prservation & saftie of the country then to rise against my Lady, meaning y^e Countesse Dowager, And sayth y' W'n' M'Ylearran & Thos. Xtin. Jurby declared amongst them y^t the countrey were sould for ijd or iijd apeece & that Receiver Xtin & Comptroller Sharples tould ye s^d M'Ylearran & Xtin of y^e same, w eh incensed this Deponent & y^e Company to make y^e resolution afforesaid, and sayth y^t ye said M'Ylearran & Tho. Xtin brought direccons from y^e sd Receiver & Comptroller to surprise Major Duckenfield & y^e troope for y^t was y^e night or never, & likewise gave order to march to Ramsey & secure Capt. Engram & y^e Ordnance, & sayth y^t they called at Ewan Curghie Ballakillinghan's who went wth them, & yt hee & his company apeared y^e next day at y^e Loyall fourt where they were ordered to bee by y^e direccons afforesaid t take ye ffourt, where also Capt. Teare, Capt. Thompson of Ballaugh, ye Company of KK Bride, & John Lace, Lieutenant of K Andreas, were all present with their companies, & likewise y^e Company of K Maughall & soe upon y^t attempt y^e surpriz of Castle Rushen toeld by Recr Xtin. Caesar & Gawne on ye designe M'Ylearra and Xtin Jurby firs tould him of ye risinge. This exam had noe orders for itt. ye ffourt was taken and ceised upon by y^e said companyes, And sayth yt, this Deponent & Company would not have thought of any such enterprises & attempts but y^t y^e said M'Ylearran & Tno. Xtin brought them the foresaid message & soe incensed them upon ye said designes.

DOLLIN CLARKE.

MR. EWAN CURGHIE ⁴ of Ballakillingan sworne & examined declareth and sayth, that bee knew nothing of y^e Rising of the countrey before y^t the Countrey did rise, And y^t yt night W` M'Ylearran or Ewan Curghie Ballacarghee came to his house, & tould him y^t there were shippinge at Ramsey, and y^t Receiver Xtin wisht that crosses should bee sent out to raise y^e pish, & that thereupon bee went and tould his father thereof being Captain of y^e pish & ye Crosses ⁵ were sent, & y^t afterwards John Teare, Wm Teare, Dollin Clarke of Jurby, and others, knockt at his doore & raised him wth them to (Toe towards Ramsey & y^t goinge or thither they mett many people, wth Major Duckenfield, & Rich. ffletcher, who were taken prisoners, & there heard a mutteringe amongst yo company that the countrey was a sould for ijd or iijd a peece, & soe went to Ramsey, and seized upon Capt. Ingram then Comander there wth y^e Ordance, and y^t next morninge they went from Ramsey to y^e loyall ffourt & demanded y^e fourt from Major Stanley the Comander there, who refusing e to deliver it y^e same was resigned after most of his soldiers had deserted him. And then went to Bopps. Court where some message came, yt Receiver Xtin should send for a matter of six of the company to come over to Raynoldswar, & that this exams went for one, And further sayth that bee did not know who were y^e fomentors or contryvers in y^e said risinge, & y^t after hee came to Raynoldsway ye Receiver Xtin was looked upoon to bee y^e head Comander of ye Company there.

E W. CURGHEY.

WILLM M'YLEARRAN of Trint Ayre Sworn & ex-amined, declareth and sayth That hee nothinge heard of y^e risinge of the countrey before y^e day y^t y^e head Court was to bee houlden in Winter 1651, And that cominge to Castletowne being in company wth Receiver Xtin, Wm Xtin Knockrushen, Sam. Radcliffe, Hugh Moore, & others, & their being a private coussultacon amongst them about a risinge of ye countrey, and that the cause or grounds of y^e risinge was to bee against y^e Countesse of Derby, because that there were messengers that went out of y^e Island & came in contrary to her Lapps promises, And sayth that some of y^e said psons would have y^e risinge to bee y^e head Court day at night, & some yo next night after, but in y^e end it was aggreed upon that it should bee y^t night, and y^t it was con-cluded upon y^t Sam Radclife was arringed and did under-take to take Castle Peele with his complices, & Hugh Moore did undertake y, ffourt at Douglas, and y^t John Teare of Jurby & M' Ewan Curghey of Ballakillingan, Phillip Cannell of KK Michaell, & (as this exams thinks John Cayne Bullegawne) & Dollin Clarke of Jurby & others had comendacons sent unto them (by this examt) from ye sd Receiver Xtin, Sam. Radcliffe, Hugh Moore, & the rest above, and yt they should bee carefull & doe their endeavo' (being then to rise uppon this consultacon). & y^t Phillip Cannell & y^e said John Cayne should seize uppon and take y^e Bopps Court, And y' John Teare & Dollin Clarke & their Company should surprize & take ye Troope whereof Major Duckenfield was Comander, And y' y^e sa John Teare, Mr. Ewan Curghie & this exam' and as many as they could get to their company, should take y^e loyall ffourt, And y^t Castle Rushen was to bee taken y' same night also, but cannott remember by whome, he sayth y^t Comptroller Sharples was very instrumentall in the said consultacon, And yt Sam. Radcliffe & Xtin Knockrushen tould him this examt that y^e countrey was sould for ijd or iijd apeece, & y^t this examt should tell y^e same to the above Phill. Cannell (who this exams sayth was much confided in & espetiall by Xtin Knockrushen) John Teare, Ewan Curghey, Jo. Cayne, Dollin Clarke, & their Companies, & y^t bee accordingly tould y^e message unto them, who answered y^t they would doe their endeavr all which tooke effect by their acting afterward, ffor the said John Cayne & Phill. Cannell wth y^e Company of K Michaell (who they raised) took Bopps Court, wherein one Jo. Quayle Coolshellagg was very active, & strooke at Tho. Midleton, & y^t there wth others bound him, as this examt afterwards heard of, And y^t Jo. Teare, W^m. Teare Sertfield, Dollin Clarke & Jurby men, wth some of Ballaugh pish, & this exams himself tooke y^e troope & y^t Major Duckenfield ye Comander & Mr. Rich. Fletcher were taken prisoners; And y^t then this examt with Jo. Teare & y^e rest of y^e Company last named went to Ballakillingan to call on Mr Ewan Curghie to goe wth them to Ramsey according to y^e foresaid message, & when they came there (and Capt. Ingram being Comander) he tould them (after understanding their intencous) that hee longed for itt, & we resigned, & went wth them y^e said company towards y^e loyall ffourt incourddginge them, that they should make noe doubt of takinge it, and soe came thither wee was resigned by Major Stanley y^e Comander upon condicons unto y^e s^d Mr. Ewan Curghey & John Teare as chiefe of y^e s^d company with other pties. And then this exam' cominge w^th y^e s^d Major Duckenfieeld to Bopps Court as prisoner, but y^e s^d Major desired to goe to Parson Parr's & went thither to repose themselves, at wh tyme yo said Parson Parr asked of this examt why some of their company would have sett a guard on him, & said wt' all that they need not, for hee y^e s^d Parson knew more of y^e rising yt than they did, And further sayth y^t Mr. Rich. Heape being then at Bopps Court when Major Duckenfield & this examt came thither, said in like maner that hee knew of ye risinge before more than they did, And further sayth y^t there came a letter from Raynoldsway for John Teare, Dollin Clarke, Mr. Ewan Curghey with this examt & others, and as hee remembers John Garrett for to come over to Raynoldsway, & y^t accordingly they went, And there being a report of a company to come from my Lady Derby out of y^e Castle to Raynoldsway, John Garrett & Dollin Clarke went over to Peele side (but by whose comand of direccons this examt knows not) & fetched about fourty musquetiers from thence to Raynoldsway to oppose the said pties yt was to come out of ye Castle, And sayth yt this is all y^t hee cann materially speake touchinge y^e said risinge.

WILLM. M'YLEARRAN, his X marke.

THO. CRAIN of Ballaugh, Lieutent of KK German pish in ye year 1651, sworn & examined sayth that y^e said examt (cominge from Castletown on Monday woh should hav been the head Cot day in winter in y^e said yeare) overtook Capt. Sam. Radcliffe by the way, who told him that ther was a fleete of shippinge cominge to y^e Island and bid y^e said examt (in his Cap. absence) to send for his company to Knocklanech in y^e said pish, and accordingly y^e said examt did and prsently after received orders from y^e said Capt. Radcliff to dismiss them again, And afterwards the companies of y^e Northside coming to Peeletown to lay seige agt y^e Castle, he y^e said examt was amongst them and Capt. Sam. Radcliffe was Chiefe Comander their as he ye examt pceived, & further sayth not.

THOMAS CRAIN.

1 Robert Norris was Vicar of Arbory 1623-1650.

2 The How estate is in the possession of his heir at the present time.

3 The descendants of this family are still resident at the Nappin, one of whom the Rev. John Thomas Clarke, so long the Chaplain of St. Mark's it the parish of Malew by whose exertions so much was done to raise the value of the living to its present state.

4 His representatives still reside at Ballakillingan.

5 SENDING ROUND THE CROSS.

This custom is no doubt derived from the Scandinavian rulers of the Island, who were accustomed to send round the "War Arrow" to warn or alarm the natives. The Captain of each parish had the custody of the cross, which consisted of two pieces of wood about the length of a maws arm. When it was required to summon the parish in case of any emergency, he gave it to his next neighbour, with instructions that the cross was to muster the people at such a place, and then the neighbour took it from the Captain and proceeded to his neighbour, who carried it forward to another, and so on, until the whole circuit of the parish had been informed. By this mode of summons persons were bound to attend at the place appointed. Sir Walter Scott, in his notes to the Lady of the Lake, canto third, gives an account of the manner of sending round the Fiery Cross to summon the clansmen.