[From Manx Soc, vol. 26]

No. VI.

DEPOSITION of THOMAS PARRE,

Vicar of Malew, November 13th, 1662.

Being the last court day called before the Worpl Comessionrs of our Rt Honl and most gracious Lo. of the Isle, & required upon oath to declare a truth touchinge the risinge of the country to witt, whether I myselfe knew of the risinge of the country before they did rise, who had a hand in it, or what I did heare or know touchinge ye sa risinge and to give in the same under my owne hande upon oath:-

(I) By virtue of my oath that I have taken, I say that I never had any hand in or any knowledge of the risinge aforesd untill the day after att or about the houres of 9 or 10 of the clock in ye forenoone being told of ye same then by Jo. Key & one or two of the Countess of Derbyes men, being returned from Peele that morninge, att wch I was sore troubled in minde not knowinge what should befall us, then afterwards upon ye pssuasion of some I was drawn to goe down to Ranoldsway where the people of this side were gathered hearinge that most or many of the countrie people that were in the Castle were gone downe out of the Castle to the rest, And that Mr. Archdeacon Rutter (our late Ordinarie ¹) with some others were gone down to Ranoldsway to a Parley (where the Clergie of ye south side were alsoe) and after I heard the Parley & goeinge (or about to goe) home Mr. Recr Christian seeing me asked me, where were my neighbours, Mr Tho. Norris ² and Mr. Wm. Tyldesley that they came not down, and when I returned home that night meetinge Mr Tyldesley & askinge what news told him what was said by Mr. Receiver, & afterwards was sent for by Mr. Tho. Norris to give him the meetinge that night aboute half way; the wch I did & being asked by the said Mr. Norris what was done there, & what was said of them that came not down, I told him of all, & what was threatned & how the comon report was that they would sett fire in their houses that were not with them, & soe when I went downe again to have y" Parley, Sr Robt. Norris Wm. Christian of Knock Rushen Mr Receiver Christian & some others came to me in the open field, & Sr Robt. first moved, & he & them would have me to take an Oath, & because I refused he & them sd that Mr. Norris Mr. Tyldesley, Jo. Quillinge, Mr. Robt. Quayle, Mr. fetcher & others that were come to them, did take an oath & why would not I ; againe, when I would not yeld to take an oath it was sd as God help you that you will bee true & not reveale our secreats, I replyed not I : for I know none of yor secreats, & upon the oath I have taken I know not one word of yr secreats nor was privie anyway to their acts or intentions, And whereas Sir Robt. Norris said that Receiver Christian did sweare me I answer upon & by virtue of the oath that I have taken that the said Receiver Christian nor any els did never take me svorne, or administred any oath to me against Kinge, Lo. Countesse, Lady or against the Governor or Government, or against the peace or quiettnes of the country or any such thinge, And I defie all the country & all the world to disprove, or to prove that I ever had a hand in any thing touchinge the sd risinge.

(2.) That day that Governor Greenehalgh ³ was buried after the Interinge of the corps & that the people were gone out of the Church Comptrowler Sharples Sr Robt Norris Receiver Christian Willm Christian of Knockrushen and (as I thinke) Jo. Ceaser were in counsell or some secreate discourse at the Alter of KK Malew, & when they saw me come up the Chancle they wished me to retire or absent myselfe & soe I went out of the Chancle doore & Mr. Recr Christian came out & went down the fields to outcast, & after returned to them againe into ye Chancle where I left them & went to Castletowne to heare & see Sr Phillip Musgrave 1 sworne Governor.

(3.) After the countrie was reduced & the Island comanded by the souldirie Sr Robt, Norris in his new house drinkinge & vaunting of ye exploits and passages touching the risinge of the country & purposes before sayd that that day that Governor Greenehalgh was buried as the Corps & people or company were att or aboute the cross short of the Church style as they came from Castletown, that he & Jo. Ceaser came to Receiver Christian & spake of takinge the Castle that tyme & that that was the tyme or never & that Mr Recr Christian frowned upon them and sd Pissh Pissh, and looked frowningly about him & bad them be quiett, the sd Sir Ro. acknowledged that they had a purpose to take the Castle that day, and after upon ye great Court day; And further the sd Sr Ro. said that they gave it out that there were Barques att the back of Langnesse to cause the Troope to goe downe there that they might take the Castle then.

(4.) The sd Sr Robt. that tyme that ye new mores were made that yeare said that W` Cubon was made in the wane of the Moone, And after the reducement of the Isle the sd Sr Ro. asked me did not I say to W` Cubon that he was made More in the wane of the Moone when the country was to rise, & the Mankese half Crownes to be putt down.

(5.) The sd Sr Robt. (before the rising a great while) oft times spake very darkly touching the rising of the country as thus; first was highly comendinge of Crumble ⁵ & then was sayinge what if it would come to passe, that this Isle would rise for Crumble and severall expressions to that purpose all wcpt I did tell to Mr. Archdeacon Rutter ⁶ (our late Ordinary) who sd of him that he was a mad foole.

(6.) The sd Sr Robt. some few days after the riseinge came home to his owne house gave bad language & threatned some neighbours & me (because we were not to his mind), threatened Jo. Quillinge that he would shute him, bid his son shute him, suite him, & sd that he would sute Jo. Quillinge's horns of his head, Jo. Quillinge can tell the reasons of the sd threateninges and will tell yf cald to it.

(7.) The sayd Sr Robt. on the great Court day in the morninge betymes (before the risinge) went to Castletowne, & his son behinde him, and tooke leave of his wife att doore & bid her not looke for him home that night and bid her not to be afraid, & soe that night was he att Ronaldsway (as it was the comon report and as it hath appeared since, and acknowledged by himselfe) swearing the people.

What I can further recollect or call to minde, I shall declare as heare as I can in truth with God's grace & assistance when further called unto it. The prmises is a truth as witnes the subscription to the testimony of

THO. PARRE.

1 Mr. Rutter was then made Bishop of Sodor and Man.

2 Mr. Thos. Norris was Deemster from about 1665-91.

3 Governor Greenhalgh was buried at Malew on the 19th of September 1651.

4 Sir Philip Musgrave, Knight and Bart., was sworn Governor on the 19th Sept. 1651. He was of Eden Hall in Westmoreland, a Royalist, Col., and Governor of Carlisle ; distinguished by services at Marston Moor, Rowton Heath, and Worcester, and by raising several successive regiments in reward of which services he had a warrant granted him to take out the title of " Baron Musgrave of Hartley." (See Collins and Hutton's Baronetcies.)

5 Oliver Cromwell.

6 Afterwards Bishop of Sodor and Man.