Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 15.djvu/477

Rh MAN 453 Religion and Education. Christianity is said to have been introduced into the island by St Patrick about the middle of the 5th century. The bishopric of Sodor (i.e., Sudreys, the southern Hebrides) was formerly united with that of Man ; and the union continued till the 14th century, the Manx bishops even now retain ing the joint title Sodor and Man. Some indeed affirm, but with small evidence to support the statement, that the title of Sodor was derived from the little island off Peel, said to have been at one time called Sodor, now known as St Patrick s Isle, and the seat of the cathedral of St German. The diocese is in the province of York ; its bishop has a seat but not a vote in the House of Lords. The bishop is assisted in ecclesiastical matters by an archdeacon, a vicar-general, a registrar, and a simmer-general. The ecclesiastical courts are the consistory, chapter, and the vicar-general s summary court. The livings of the clergy arise chiefly from tithes ; the patronage, from the bishopric downwards, with the exception of four in the gift of the diocesan, is vested in the crown. Besides King William s College, opened in 1833, providing an education equal to that obtainable at the highest class schools of England, and possessing a considerable number of exhibitions to the universities, there are in the island several other good secondary schools. The parochial schools are also well taught, and there are now board schools, under the insular Education Act, established throughout the island. Population. The following table shows the population of each parish and town from 1726 to 1881. Sheadings, Parishes, and Towns. .Population. 172i). 1757. 18-21. 1851. 1871. 1881. a ( Malew (P ) 800 785 661 813 376 7SO 810 370 499 510 475 745 547 529 460 1,309 612 967 483 806 643 1,460 913 1,785 1,007 507 1,121 1,814 434 658 925 805 954 869 759 882 1,481 629 1,057 4G7 773 826 2,649 2,036 1,455 2,568 800 1,754 6,0.54 1,457 1,201 1,849 1,909 2,031 1,846 1,514 1,523 2,209 1,001 2,229 1,108 1,467 1,427 3,232 2,501 1,593 3,262 714 2,407 9,653 3,478 1,363 2,168 2,329 2,923 2,605 1,764 2,660 2,455 1,053 2,165 983 1,392 1,416 2,466 2,318 1,350 3,665 628 2,215 13,846 1,620 1,121 1,762 3,496 2,888 3,741 1,433 3,861 1,620 880 1,757 788 1,077 1,231 2,595 2,274 1,272 3.509 588 2,071 15,725 1,500 983 1,6 J2 3,822 2,625 3,275 1,147 4,214 1,478 759 1,477 659 971 1,102 - J Castletown (T ) ~ ] Arbory (P ) 55 ( Rushen (P.) ( Santon, (P.) ^ ) Braddan (P ) g ~) Douglas, (T.) ^ ( Onchan, (P ) e ? Marown, (P.) ?&quot;) Peel, (T.) 5 ( Patrick, (P ) fcj ( Lonan, (P.) ? &amp;lt; Maughold, (P ) &amp;lt; ( Ramsey, (T.) j &amp;lt;J ( Lezayre, (P.) , 5&amp;gt; J. Bride, (P.) - &quot;&quot;? ( Andreas, (P.) 1 ( Jurby, (P.) 1 -( Ballaugh, (P.) g j Michael. (P.) ^ 1 v Total 14,070 20,134 40,087 52,116 53,763 53,738 In 1880 the death-rate was 21 9 per 1000, and the birth-rate 28-6. The principal towns of the island are Douglas, Castletown, Ramsey, and Peel. Douglas, the chief town and seat of government, is noticed in vol. vii. p. 376. Castletown, the ancient capital of the island, was until a recent period the residence of the governor. It possesses a good harbour, barracks, and a custom-house. Ramsey, on account of its fine sandy beach and beautiful situation, is a favourite watering-place, and it has also a large shipping trade. Peel, adjoining St Patrick s Islet, is the principal seat of the herring fishery. Language. The Manx language is a subdialect of the ancient Celtic, and a dialect of the Irish branch, to which the Scottish Gaelic also belongs. The differences in pronunciation of these languages are not so great as to prevent a native of either country conversing with one of the other, although the differences in ortho graphy perplex even the most learned linguists. The Manx is now spoken only in the north-western parishes and at a few localities along the western coast. The natives generally converse in the English language. Manx is not taught in any of the schools, and it is very probable that it will shortly become utterly extinct. See CELTIC LITERATURE, vol. v. p. 298. History and Antiquities. It admits of nearly absolute demon stration that Anglesey and not Man was the Mona of Cffisar. By ancient writers the island is called Eubonia. The English name Man is derived from the Manx Mannin. Many explanations have been given of the origin of the word, but none of them are better than conjectures. 1 It is inherently probable that the island was occupied by the Romans, and this is confirmed by the discovery of a Roman altar, which is still preserved in Castle Rushen, and of Roman coins in the same vicinity. A cist and urn found in 1852 near Tynwald Hill are supposed to belong to the aboriginal pagan i See &quot; Man, its Names and their Origin,&quot; by J. M. Jeffcott, in Manx Society Publications, 1878. period ; another memorial of this period is probably St Patrick s chair, consisting of five upright stones on a stone platform form in &quot; a seat. Two of the stones are marked by a cross, but this in all likelihood was done at a period long subsequent to their erection. According to tradition the island was for a considerable period one of the chief seats of the Druids. By the peasantry nearly all the old monuments arc attributed to the Druids, but the Runic crosses belong of course to a later period. One of the principal Druidical stone circles is that on the eminence called Mull, near the Calf Islet. The earliest personage mentioned by tradition and history is Mannanan-Beg-Mac-y-Lheirr, who is described in the statute-book of the island as a paynim, who &quot; kept the land -wider mist by his necromancy.&quot; In 517 Maelgwyn, king of North Wales, &quot;and nephew of King Arthur, expelled the Scots, and annexed the island to his Welsh dominions. He was succeeded by his son Rhun-ap- Maelgwyn in 560, from whom in 581 the island was reconquered by Aydun M Gabhran, king of Scotland, who appointed his sister s son Brennus &quot;thane of Man.&quot; The Welsh king appears to have recovered it from the Scots about 611, and to have retained posses sion of it until 630, when it was conquered by Edwin, king of North- umbria. Shortly afterwards it again fell under the dominion of the A 7 elsh, till towards the close of the 9th century it was subdued by Harold Haarfager of Norway. The jarls of Harold for some time threw off his rule, and held independent sway. Of these Jarl Orry succeeded in establishing his rule over Man. His descendants continued to rule till 1077, when Godred Crovan, son of Harold the Black of Iceland, routed the islanders and slew their king, Fingal II. On the death of Godred in 1093, Magnus Barefoot succeeded in obtaining possession of Man, over which he placed the Norwe gian jarl Octtar as goVernor. The inhabitants of the southern district, becoming displeased with Octtar, elected Macmanus in his place ; a battle in consequence ensued at Santwart (or Sainthill), in the parish of Jurby, and victory was inclining to the party of Macmanus, when the women of the north, rushing to the scene of action, totally changed the issue of the fight, although not till both leaders were slain. On the death of Magnus, the right of Godred Crovan s line to the kingdom of the Isles was recognized, and Lagman, the son of that conqueror, succeeded to the government. He at length abdicated, and undertook a pilgrimage to Palestine, whence he never returned. Olave II., surnamed the Dwarf, the only surviving son of Godred Crovan, being then a minor, a regent was appointed, who was expelled from the kingdom in the third year of his government. Olave ascended the throne in 1114. He entered into alliance with the kings of England, Ireland, and Scotland, but his reign was disturbed by the pretensions of three natural sons of his brother Harold, by one of whom he was treacherously slain in 1154. On this Godred the Black, Olave s only legitimate son, was recalled from Norway, and the sons of Harold were delivered to condign punishment. During his reign Somerled, thane of Argyll, obtained possession of the island, and Godred had to take refuge in Norway, where he remained till the death of the usurper, on which he regained possession of his throne. His death took place in 1187. Olave III., his only legitimate son, being then a minor, Reginald, another son, was appointed to the government during his minority. The latter endeavoured to secure to himself the throne by doing homage to John of England, and afterwards by acknowledging the supremacy of the pope ; a series of struggles was the consequence, till at length Reginald was slain in 1226. In 1237 Olave died in Peel Castle, leaving three sous, Harold, Reginald, and Magnus ; he was suc ceeded by his son Harold II., who was drowned, with his queen and a numerous retinue of nobility, in 1248, on their return from Norway, where they had been celebrating his marriage with Cecilia, daughter of Haco. His brother Reginald II. assumed the govern ment, but was afterwards slain by Ivar, brother of Reginald the usurper, in 1249. On the death of Reginald II. his brother Magnus was chosen king. John of the Isles landed with an army at Ronaldsway to dispute his claims, but was driven from the island. From this time the power of the Norwegian kings began to de cline, and that of the Scottish sovereigns to revive. Magnus did homage to Alexander III. of Scotland, and held the island from the crown of Scotland. He died in 1205, without issue. In the meantime Magnus VI. of Norway, as the legitimate sovereign of Man, ceded in 1266 to Alexander III. all his claims and interest in the sovereignty and episcopacy of Man for the sum of 4000 marks, and an annual pension of 100 marks. The widow of Magnus (the late king of Man) succeeded, however, in getting Ivar, the assassin of her brother-in-law Reginald, placed on the vacant throne; and Alexander in 1270 sent an army to reduce the island to obedience. After a decisive battle at Ronaldsway, in which Ivar was slain, the kingdom was annexed to the dominions of Alexander. This monarch, in token of his conquest, substituted the quaint device of &quot;the three legs,&quot; which still constitutes the national emblem, for the ancient armorial ensign of the is and a ship in full sail, with the motto, &quot; Rex Manniee ct Insular urn.&quot; 1