[From Proc IoMNH&ASoc vol 3]

By J.E Leece

14th January, 1926
(Summary of Paper.)

I stand before you this afternoon as one who owes a deep debt of gratitude to the memory of Philip Christian, a famous Manxman who lived three centuries ago. I am one of those who have benefited by his educational bequests, and this essay takes the form of a eulogium — a very feeble and incomplete one — of the testator's fame, generosity, and worth. Philip Christian was a contemporary with Shakespeare, and it is highly probable that the former beheld the latter in human form,

Some thirty years ago, I made it my business to collect all the available particulars regarding the birth, life, and death, of Philip Christian, but the net result was very meagre. Sir Owen Roberts, the then clerk to the Clothworkers' Company, with great courtesy sent me copies of all the information in his possession; and was able to get a few — a very few — particulars in Peel. I got into touch with the late Mr. Wm. Quine, M.H.K., who wrote:

"The house in which Mr. Philip Christian was born is situated in the Cotch Quarter, Peel. At present it is unroofed, and is in possession of the Watterson family. The present Mr. Watterson's mother was the last of the Christians. She was the heiress to the estate, and on her death, a few years ago, she left the property, including the old house in which Christian was born, to her son, Mr. John Watterson."

I went to Peel on the first opportunity to investigate on the spot. The following is the result of my interview with the Watterson family, as recorded at the time in the Mona's Herald and Peel City Guardian. (See Mona's Heral' of March 10th, 1897, and Guardian of a later date.) I now quote from Mona's Herald :-

In a house in Tynwald Road, Peel, on Friday evening last, I found Mr. John Watterson and his widowed sister, Mrs. Kelly, together with another friend, comfortably seated around their cheerful fire. After stating the nature of my business, was very courteously received, and Mrs, Kelly, a very intelligent old lady, answered all my questions to the best of her ability. Mrs. Kelly's remarks may be summarised as follows: 'Yes, I believe we are directly connected with the family of Philip Christian, the clothworker, of London, who, about two-and-a-half centuries ago left a legacy for the advancement of education to his native town of Peel. My mother, whose maiden name was Eleanor Christian, was born in 1798, and died a few years ago at the advanced age of 92 years. In 1846. on the death of her cousin, Jane Christian, my mother came into possession of this property, together with the cottage in which Philip Christian was born in the year 1593. The last member of the Christian family who occupied the cottage was the afore-mentioned Jane Christian, a maiden lady and the daughter of Henry Christian, better known as Hal Christian, the horse-shoer. My grandfather, Charles Christian, was a younger brother of Hal, and both brothers carried on the business of blacksmiths, which was also the trade of my great grandfather, Henry Christian, who was the nephew of Philip Christian, the clothworker. You will thus see that Daniel Christian, the father of Philip Christian, was my great-great-creat grandfather. No, I cannot give you the dates beyond my grandfather. After the death of Cousin Jane, all the papers belonging to the Christian family were carried to this house, including a parchment bearing Philip Christian's signature. I have also a punch bowl which, it is believed, belonged to Philip Christian, and which was left to mother by her cousin. Regarding Philip himself, there is a tradition in the family that he learnt the art of weaving at the village of Mullen Doway, now known as Union Mills. About three centuries ago there were numerous small flax and woollen mills up and down the Island, one of which occupied the site of Union Mills. How he got to London cannot be ascertained, but most probably he sailed from the Island direct to the Thames. You know he mentions 'my cozen William Christian, the sea-faringe man' in his will.

Philip Christian married in London, but left no children. He died about 1654, aged 61 years.

My grandfather Charles Christian was born in the year 1735, and was 63 years of age when his youngest daughter Eleanor— my mother— was born. My grand uncle Hal, the horse-shoer, was drowned on the 18th of July, 1769. Hal was an expert workman in his own particular line, and to show the nature and extent of his business, I may say it has been said of him that he knew every horse in the Isle of Man. He was a very stout, heavy man, and his death was probably due to this circumstance. [Following the custom of his time, during the herring season of 1769, he took his cart to the beach to buy his winter stock of herrings. Being well known, he was asked by some fishermen to come out to their boat, which lay at anchor in the bay, to see the quality of herrings they had caught. For this purpose they embarked in the small- boat, and the fishermen, together with the big, burly black- smith, were too much for the frail craft, and she was upset. All hands were precipitated into the water, but were eventually saved, except Hal Christian. The parish register of German has this reference to my granduncle: '1769. Henry Christian. This man perished by water by the accidental over-setting of a small boat between the point of the Shore Horse (i.e., Horse Hill) and the new Quay, on Tuesday, 18th July. There were several in the boat, but he only perished.

Hal was a grandnephew of Philip, and my brother John ts a grandnephew of Hal, and that is the shortest way we can trace our connection.

Next morning, I again presented myself at Mr. Watterson's home. Mrs. Kelly showed me the punch bowl about which she spoke the previous evening. It was made of china ware, and was evidently very old. Mrs. Kelly has had several tempting offers for this relic, but she has refused them all. Unfortunately, she had mislaid the document bearing Mr. Philip Christian's signature.

We then went into the field behind the house. Lying to the east of the dwelling-house she pointed out the ruins of the old smithy where generations of Christians plied their trade. 'This,' said she, 'is the field where Philip Christian played when a boy." This field lies between Mr. Watterson's house and the ruins of Christian's birthplace. The latter building abuts on the lane running parallel to Tynwald Road. This lane at one time was part of the main road between Peel and Douglas. Being on an eminence, overlooking the town and bay, the view from Christian's field is charming. The cottage measured 26 feet 6 inches by 12 feet. It was a one-storied thatched building.* *This ruin is now in charge of the Museum and Ancient Monuments Trustees.— Ed,

This is all the information I could get about Christian in the place of his birth.

In my opinion, Philip Christian was barely fourteen years of age when he landed in London. According to the records in the Clothworkers' Hall, Mincing 'Lane, London, E.C.3, ' Philip Christian was born about the year 1593. He was the son of Daniel Christian, of 'Hollm Towne,' in the Isle of Man. He was apprenticed to one John Garrett, in 1607, and took up his Freedom of the Clothworkers' Company in 1616, and was admitted to the livery in 1639. On the 10th August, 1683, he was elected Renter Warden, and attended meetings of the Court held on 7th September, 1653; 11th October, 1653; 1st November, 1653; 6th December, 1653; 18th January,1653-4.'

Apparently he died soon after this latter date, as a new Renter Warden was elected on the 18th April, 1654, 'in the room of Mr. Philip Christian, deceased.' A painted portrait of Philip Christian hangs in the Clothworkers' Hall. A copy of this portrait may be seen in the twenty-first Annual Report of The Manx Museum and Ancient Monuments Trustees.

Philip Christian's Will was proved at Westminster, on the 13th March, 1655. It opens with the following clause :-

'First above all things I bequeath my sole to God that gave it who gave his sonne Jesus Christ to redeeme it and wash it in his Owne blood that he may present it to his Father without spott or wrincle— this is his owne worke to him alone be the glory. I bequeath my body to the dust from whence it did come, believing it shall rise againe and be made like His glorious body. And as I am a steward and ought to dispose of my Master's Talent according to His will I desire His assistance to direct me.' Then follow certain charitable gifts to the poor of the parish of St. Mildred in the Poultry, and a series of small pecuniary legacies, including one of ten pounds 'to my cozen William Christian, the sea~ faringe man.

The Will proceeds:

' Item— I will that five pounds of that money of mine which is in Captain Christian's hands shall be disposed of by twenty shillings a yeare for five years next after my decease for buy- inge of small bookes, penn, incke, and paper, or what shall be thought most fitt by the Minister and Schoolmaster of the Towne of Peele, in the Isle of Mann, for the tyme being for the use of ye poorest mens sonns and daughters of the said Towne of Peele inhabiting there and not otherwise.'

The next legacy is to Christ's Hospital, and afterwards the gift which is the origin of Christian's Schools, in the following terms:

Item— I give and devise my two houses situate lieinge and beinge in Lovell's. Lane in Paternoster Row in the Parish of St. Ffaith's under Paul's Church in London after ye departure of my said lovinge wife Rebecca out of this present world to the Mr Wardens and Conalty of ye art or misterie of Cloth-workers of ye City of London above menconed and to their heires and successors for ever. To this intent and purpose That they and their successors. shall pay out of ye rents and profitts thereof yearely arising or to them accrueinge unto Two poore youths or boyes every yeare, for and after one year that ye said two houses shall come into their possessions, the sume of Tenn pounds apiece the said youths or boyes to be natives of the Isle of Mann. And if they bee of my kindred or of my name my will is that they shall be preferred betore any other. And the nearest of kinn to be first preferred, And they that shall in that behalfe bee preferred shall bringe a certificate in writinge from some credible men or man of that Isleand that his Parents are poore and not able to preferr him which certificate is to be approved to bee true by some of that nation residinge in London to the Mr Wardens and Assistants of the said Company of Clothworkers. And for want of such of that Island or nation to come from thence if there be any here at London that their parents were borne there if they are poore and not able to putt his or their child or children apprentice my will and minde is that they may be capable of this my gift of Ten Pounds apiece to putt them out to be apprentices. And if it happen that there bee not a free schoole mainteyned for ye teaching of children in ye towne of Peele in ye Isle of Mann aforesaid then my will is that ye Twenty Poundes a yeare by mee formerly given for ye putting out of two boyes to be apprentices shall cease. And the said sumes to be paid by ye said Company of Clothworkers towards ye main- tenance of ye said schoole of which same my will is that the schoole Mr for the time being shall have Eightteene Pounds a year for his paines. And the other fforty shillings to be paid and employed in buyinge and providinge bookes, penn, incke, and paper for poore schollars there.' The Clothworkers' Company were also to pay, out of the rents and profits of the said two houses, seven pounds a year to seven poor men or women free of the Company, and to the Master and Wardens ten shillings apiece for their cave and pains, and to the Clerk six shillings and eightpence a year, and to the Beadle three shillings and fourpence.

There was no residuary gift of real estate or any part of it.

The residuary personal estate was given to the testator's widow. It appears from the Company's records, that the rents of the property devised, as they stood at the date of the testator's will, were exhausted by the above gifts.

The objects of the testator's bounty, whether under the apprenticeship gift or under the substitutional gift for the school, were poor children of Manxmen. The preference to those of his kindred or name applied only to the apprenticeship gift The school would be free to all alike. It must be remembered that 'free school' in the seventeenth century did not necessarily mean that no fees were to be paid by the scholars. It meant generally that the school was to be free from the jurisdiction of the ordinary.

In 1684, the town of Peel had apparently discreetly qualified for the receipt of the income of the trust by, allowing the Mastership to become vacant and the free school to cease to 'bee.' Shortly after Christian's death, the Clothworkers' Company assumed possession of the property. Unfortunately, in the year 1666, the whole of the Company's property under this bequest was destroyed in the 'Great Fire.' Notwithstanding the loss of the property, the Clothworkers' Company at that time had the same beneficent views and the same charitable objects as they have to-day. They rebuilt the property and then handed over a sum of £100, which would equal £800 or more at the present time, for the purpose of building a school in the town of Peel. That school was built in 1687. Some of the oldest inhabitants of Peel can remember this building, which was situated a little below the market-place, and went by the name of Quine's school-house. From that time down to 1840 the school was maintained and the money was regularly paid. In 1840, the Company generously increased the endowment to £48 per annum. In 1860, a new school was built — the building at present occupied by the infants. The New Boys' School was finished in 1878, at a cost of over £4,000 to the Company.

The writer was born in Peel, in the year 1861, and in the same year Christian's Endowed National School was built in Christian Street, in the same town. This school is shaped as the letter L. The north or principal wing of the building is 72.5 feet long; the secondary wing, running at right angles from the west end of the former is 40 feet; the width 18 feet, giving an area of 2,025 square feet. On the then space measurement per child, there was room for 254 scholars.

In due time I attended this school, under the late Mr. William Cowley, headmaster. One of the first things that arrested attention in the schoolroom was a large tablet on the west wall, mounted with the Arms of the Clothworkers' Company, in heraldic colours, with the following inscription : —

CHRISTIAN'S ENDOWED NATIONAL SCHOOL.

1653

Phillip Christian, Clothworker and Citizen of London, a native of this Island, devised property in London to the Clothworkers ' Company there, charging the same with an annual payment of £20 for the maintenance of a Free School in this town for the education of the children of the poor.

1687.

A School House was erected in the town, in connection with this charity, towards which the Clothworkers' Company contributed £100.

1840

The Clothworkers' Company generously increased the endowment to £48 per annum.

1842.

An arrangement was made to establish a National School upon the foundation of Christian's Trust, and in this year the School House, adjoining the present building (by means of a contribution from the Clothworkers' Company, a grant from the Committee of the Council of Education, and the proceeds of the sale of the old premises, in addition to the liberal present of a site from Edward Moore Gawne, of Kentraugh, Esqre., and the co-operation of other friends in the town and vicinity), was erected by the name of Christian's Endowed National Schools.

1850.

The endowment was again liberally augmented by the Clothworkers' Company, to £66 10s. per annum.

1860.

The School erected in 1842 being found to be contracted, and an Infant School being much needed, the Trustees were enabled by means of the proceeds of a bazaar held in Peel Castle in 1848, a further sum from the Committee of Council on Education, and other sources, to undertake the erection of the present building, the adjoining schoolroom being converted into an Infant School.

About 1878, another school, now used by the senior scholars, was built by the Company on a new site. Generous schemes of further extension and endowment made by them unfortunately fell through, owing to divergent opinions in the Manx Legislature, and the Company's direct interest in the town is now at an end.