[From Vol 19 Chetham Soc, Manchester 1890]

Correspondence of the Third Earl of Derby, during the years 24 to 31 of Henry VIII.

Only those sections with some Manx connection have been included - a few more to be added

24 Hen VIII starts 22 April 1532

5.

[The Office of Dymster [Deemster] in the Isle of Man]

Edward Erle &c. Know ye me, the forsaid Erle, to have given and granted unto Thomas Jamesbury [sic Samesbury ?], on of my Soldiers wthin the Castell of Man, the rowme & office of on of the Dymysters ¹ wthin my said Isle, w^ch Thomas Norres ² lately had & occupied, To Have &c. during my plesu^r, will such wages, fees, proffitts, advantages and emolumentes as the sd Thos Norres lately had, to be had & yerly perceyued of the Issues, reuenus & Pfitts of my sd Ile duryng my plesur, at the tearms ther usuall. Wherefore I wyll & comand all my sd Offycers to be ayding, fauoring & assistg my sd Dymyster, as often as the Case shall requyre. And &c.

1 "The Deemsters, or Judges, are the first public Magistrates of the State. . . . They sit as judges in all Courts, either for Life or Property ; they have always been two, one for each Division of the Isle; they are stiled in the antient Court Rolls Justiciarii Domini Regis . . . By the Advice of the twenty-four keys they may in all new and uncommon cases declare what the Law is, in such cases wherein the Law is not fully exprest."-Hist. of House of Stanley, p. 223.

2 for the letter of the Earl to his widow see No. 37. In the pedigree (No. III.) of Norres of Speke, given in Ormerod's Miscellanea Palatina, occurs the name of a Thomas Norres, who might possibly be the one mentioned in the letter. He was of Blacon in the county of Chester, and might have been about thirty at the time of writing. His wife was Anne, daughter of William Brampton of Norfolk. Another possible Thomas Norres, of Orford, is mentioned p. 26.

7.

[Thomas Tyldesley]

Edward Erle &c. to my Lieutenant ¹ and other my Officers of the said Ile for the tyme being, gretyng. Know ye, that I, the Sd Erle, wyll & command you, that ye suffer my welbeloved S^rvant, Thomas Tyldesley,² Water Baylyff³ of the said Ile, to have wystemente for ij horses, somer & wynter, during my plesur, in such of my pastures wthin the said Ile as by you shalbee thought most convenyent ; to the intente that he may do me Srvice wth in the same in my necessary busynes within the sd Ile, as the case shall requyre. Wryten at my Manor of Lathom, the xix day of July, in the yere of or Lord God M.D.XXXIII. [1533]

1 Henry Stanley is given as the governor of the island in 1533 (Hist. of House of Stanley, p. 237),

2 Thomas Tyldesley, of Wardley, died in 1556 (see the inventory of his goods, Lanc. and Ches Wills, C.S. New Series 3 p13). His wife was Jane, daughter and heiress of Hugh Birkenhead, by whom he seems to have had many children (Wills and Invent., C.S. xxxiii. 47) The eldest son, Thurstan, like his father, was connected with the affairs of the Derby family (see No. 19) In 1540 Thomas Tyldesley seems to have been deputy-governor (Hist of House of Stanley p. 237)

3 "The Water-Bailiff is in the nature of the admiral of the Island, and sits Judge in all maritime affairs. He has the care of the customs, fisheries, wrecks etc" (Hist of House of Stanley p. 223)

8.

Thom's Tyldesley, Squier.

Edward Erle &c. to Thomas Tyldesley, squier, my Lieutenant, and to all other Lieutenants and other my offycers wth in the said Ile for the tyme now being, gretyng. Know ye, that I, the sd Erle, for and in comson of such service as

(No more in the M.S.)

12.

Advocaco eccl'ie Sainte Brigide ¹ in Isula Mannie concess. Will'o Syngleton ² Arm. Roco S. & Henrico Syngleton, ad usum Robti Syngleton Cl'ici

1 Kirk-Bride or Bridget is one of the seventeen parishes into which the Isle of Man was divided, which were distinguished by the names of the churches. At Douglas was a priory for nuns which was said to have been built by St. Bridget.

2 In his will, made 1545 (printed in Wills and Invent. of Archdeacony of Richmond, Surt. Soc., xxvi.58), John Singleton speaks of his sons William and Henry, and of his wife Margaret, daughter of James Barton.

Concessiones Anno xxix Henrici Octaui.

14.

Proctorship of ij Churches in ye Ile of Man:

Warrant pro Georgio Esthedd in Insulam Mannie formaliter factr.

Edward Erle of Derby, Lord Stanley, &c., To my Lieutennt ⁴ and all other my Officers w^thin my Ile of Mann, and to all men to whom this my present Wryting shall come to see, rede or here, gretyng. Know ye me, the forsd Isle, in congon of such s^rvices as my welbeloved S^ruante Rychard Mader, otherwise Barber, heretofore hath done unto me, & well during his lyff he intendeth to do, To have geven, granted, & by this my &c., to the sayd Richard, the Rowme of Proctership of the Churches of Kyrke Myghell and Kyrke Maughell,' wthin the said Ile of Man, now in my hands and disposicon ; And also have demysed and set to ferme to the said Richard the sayd Churches, and eyther of theym, To have, hould, occupie and inioye the same, to the said Richard by hymselfe or his suffycient deputye during his life, wth all profits, advantages and comodyties belonging to the same; The sayd Rychard paying to me and my heirs such Rents and Revenues, as was accustomed to be Beven to the late Abbot of ffurnesse ² and his predecessors. Wherefor I will, that ye, my said Lieutennt and all other my Offycers, be unto the sd Rychd & his suffycient Deputye ayding and, in all things lefull concerning the same, favouring & assistyng, As ye and eüry of you tender my pleser, and will avoid the contrary at your Pill. Writton at my Manor of Knowseley, the xxviith daye of Maye, the xxixtll yere of the Reigne of or Souaigne Lord, King Henry the Eight.

1 Sir Thomas Stanley held the office in 1537.

2 Kirk-Michael and Kirk-Maughold are two of the seventeen parishes into which the island was divided. St. Maughold was one of the early bishops of the island ; said to have been bishop in 578 (Hirt. of House of Stanley, p. 231). The two churches here mentioned had been appropriated to the abbey of Furness in 1299 by the bishop of the island, at a time when the abbot of Furness was guardian of Man. The instrument of appropriation is printed Annal. Furn., p. 243. It may be noticed, that the connection between Furness and the Isle of Man dates from early times. In 1134 Olave, King of Man, gave land in the island to the then abbot, on which to build a monastery, and the daughter house of Rushen was built. The same King was induced to grant, that the future bishops of Man and the Isles should be elected out of Furness (Annal. Furn., p. 122), and the grant received confirmation by succeeding Kings (ib., pp. 138, 158). At furness, Reginald, King of Man, was buried (ib., p. 193). In the list of the monastery's possessions occur the following entries relating to the Isle of Man (ib., p. lxviii. ) :-

Temporaltyes

There ys a parcell of lande apperteynennge to the same late Monastary, called Rouat wathe, lyenge betweee the Monastary of Rusthyn and Casteltowne in the saide Yle of Manne of the yerely value of xij ^d.

Spiritualties

Also there ys apropryate to the said late Monastery the personages of Seynt Mahold and Seynt Mighell within the said Yle, whiche hen letten to fferme, and the curate ffounde, for the yerely rent of vi^li xiiij^s iiij^d.

37.

To the wiff of Thomas Norres.¹

Welbeloved, I grete you well. And wher it is soo, that Thomas Norres, yor late husbande and my trusty officer in those parties, is departed from this present lyff, whose soule godd pardon, by reason wherof ye be now at lybertye eftsoones to mary agayn ; Wherein, forasmoche as ye be my Wido, I dowt not but accordynge to your dutye ye will take myn advyse ; And for so moche as John Kyghley,² one of my Soldio^rs of the Pele³ in Man, is right desirous to mary wth you, for the good Love and favor that he berith to you ; vnto whom I do not only bere good will & favor, for the s^rvice whiche he hathe don and intendeth to do to me, but I am moche the better Lord unto hym, for the s^rvices that his Auncestors and the stoke, that he is comon of, hathe don to me and my Auncestors : Wherfore in my hertywise I desire you to be contented to accept and take the said John to your Husbande; in which doing ye shall not only des^rve my thankes, but also for yor soo doyng I will ye knowe, that ye and he together shalhaue and hold the tenement late in the tenure of your said husband, doinge to me your dutye therfor accustomed ; Whiche said tenemente ys now in my disposcon to order and dispose at my pleas^r. And in the accomplishment of this my said pleasrI will, that this my wrytinge shalbee a suffycient Warrant veto my Lieutennt and other my Offycers in those partyes for the admytting of him and you tennts to the same tenement. And thus fare ye well.

1 See No. 5.
2 See No. 19.
3 " Peel or Pele, anciently called Holm-town, hath a Fort erected in a small Isle, and defended with a strong Garrison, which secures the harbour. The Castle has a Platform round it, well secured with Cannon. . . . Within this Circuit is the Lord's House. "-House of Stanley, p. 219.

38.

MEMORANDU that wher yt hath pleased my Lord of his bountefull goodness to dyrect his Lres to the late wyffe of Thomas Norres, one of the Dymsters of Man, decessed, exortyng her to mary me, John Kyghley, for whiche doinge my saide Lord hath promysed, that she and I together shalbee his Lordships tennts of the tenemt, that was lately in the tenure of her saide husbonde, ffor whiche tenemente his Lordshipp myght haue a large ffyn Wherfor I, the sayd John, am agreed and grant, if I mary the said wyff of the said Thomas, and that I haue and hold the said tenement, that then I shall after myn habylytie and substance pay vnto my said Lord, for the fyn or gressum of the same tenement, suche a some of money, and at suche days, as by his Lordship and his Counsaill shalbe lymyted and appoynted. In witnesse wherof to this Remembraunce the said John, &c.

48.

A L^re to the Officers of Man.

Trusty and Welbeloved, I grete you well. And whey it is evydently knowen, that opon Warres is now vsed betwixt the Realities of England and Skotland, aswell by Sea as by Lande; by reason wherof it is thought by me and my Counsaill, that I oughte to have the more respecte and regarde for the sure defence of my Ile of Man, which considered can nother soo honovrably nor soo surly be defended & kepte by your Deputies, as by your personall presens, and specially in suche tyme and case, as is now present and lyke to ensue: Wherfor I will and desire you, that ye in convenyent least, when God shall send convenable wynde and wether, personally resort into the said Ile before the feaste of Palmesonday next at the formast, and ther to make your abydyng duryng all this next Somer season, and longer as nede shall require, onles ye shall haue Lycence or comandemente from me otherwyse to do. And yf in case ye haue suche busynes, yt ye can not, or will not, thus do, Then I comande you to sende me word and knolage therof, to the intent that I may provyde of suche on, as soo shall do ; for I will not be content, that yor Office & Rome ther be occupied by any Deputy, specially in such tyme of warr ; &c.

Lre miss. anno Viccsinio quinto regni R. Henrici octave.

49.

A L^re to the Abbot of Whalley ¹ concrning the preparacõn of certeyn men &,c.

[L & P., 1533, No 610 : Hist. MSS Com. Report, vi. 444.]

Reverend ffather in God, in my hertyst maner I Recomend me to you. And wher it is soo, that I am cretably informed by my officers in the Ile of Man, that the lord of the Ovt Iles, wth the ayde of sume Skotts, intendith, if he can and may be able to brynge his malicious purpose to effect, to enterprise to entre my land and Ile of Man, and to execute sume displeasure ther; whiche, God willyng, I trust svik his grace to d:fend and withstande, and with suche provysion, as ys alretly forscyn ther and shalbe more largely provided for yett suche ayd as I shall send theder, it shall not lye in his power too accomplishe his malyce. Wherfor I hertly desir you, that ye by your policy will cause the nomber of xx^ti tall men and good Archers of yor tennts to be taken in such places, as ye thynke convenycnte, to be put in a redynes as fote men, well harnysed after the maner of the centre in whyt Jacketts, vette my Badge of the Legges of Man of red clothe, befor on the brest, or behynd on their backes, and in all hast possible to passe into my said Ile, for the defense beforsaid, in cmpany vets xx other psons, that I haue verhon to Roger Shirburn to ppare and in lyke wyse to make rely, of the tennts of my, S^rvante, Thomas Sherborn,² and of my tennts wthin his rule. And for the time the sayd tilen shall do the svice ther, they, shall haue such resonable reward for ther s^rvice, lyke as my Auncesters haue vsed to gyff at suche lyke tymes, and then resonable costs born ; So as I trust, of reason they shall hold theym content. And at my cümyng into the Cuntre I shall recompense you for the said Whyte Jaketts. And forsomoche as I haue counted wth you, not to make and, [any person] my Deputy Stward of your Lands wthoute your consent, by reason wherof I am now unprovyded of a Deputy ; therfor I must now put you to the more payn in this behalfe, desiring you eftsones to haue the same my request in your remembrance, and to accomplyshe the same. And you thus doyng shall delve my herty thankes, and thus hartely fare ye well.

At my Manor of Colham, the ix day of June.

1 This was John Paslew, the last abbot who was elected in 1506, and executed March 12, 1537 (see ante, P. 35, note 1

2 Thomas Sherburne of Stonyhurst married Jane, daughter of Sir John Townley, and died 1536.

50.

Another Lre of the same tenor, to Roger Sherborn, for the pparacõn of xx men to be sent in lyke maner to Man, for the defense of the same, they beyng of my Lords tennts, wthin the rule of his servant, Thonas Sherborn, and of the said Thomas tennts, and which bare date and was sent wth the forsaid l^re.