Monumenta De Insula Manniae; Or, a Collection of National Documents Relating to the Isle of Man. Translated and Edited, With

\i ^' o»' : c IHiinv JloctettK ESTABLISHED IN THE YEAR MDCCCLVIII. VOL. IV. DOUGLAS, ISLE OF MAN PRINTED FOR THE MANX SOCIETY. MDCCCLX. Printed by H. Ctjbphsy, Manx Sun Office, 13. King-streei, ^resfocnt, The Honourable Chaeles Hope. ITfce^rcsfoents. The Hon. and Right Rev. Hoeace, Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man. C. R. Ogdex, H.M.'s Attorney-General of the Isle of Man. The Hon. Maek H. Quatle, Clerk of the Rolls. The Hon. W. W. Cheistiax, Water-Bailiff aud Coroner-General. The Venerable Jos. C. Mooee, Archdeacon. The Worshipful T, A. Coelett, Vicar-General. Richaed Quiek, H.M.'s Receiver-General. Edw. M. Gawne, Speaker of the House of Keys. L. Adamso>~, H.M.'s Seneschal. '. C. Skeimshibe, Agent of H.M.'s Woods and Forests in the Isle of Man. £0tmril. Aleeed W. Adams, Advocate and Crown Solicitor. t L. W. Adamso> , Advocate, Douglas. Rev. Robeet Aieet, St. Luke's Baldwin. Rev. T. E. Beown, M.A., Vice-Priucipal of King Williani's College. James Buemax, Ballasalla, F.R.A.S. Wm. Callistee, Thornhill, H.K. Rev. James Cleland, of the Scotch Church, Douglas. Rev. R. Dixo>", D.D., Principal of King William's College. William Faeeant, H.K., Ballauioar, Jurby. Thomas Gaeeett, Douglas. James Gell, High Bailiff of Castletown. William Gell, Douglas. Wm. Haeeisox, Rockmount, H.K. John M. Jeefcott, Castletown, H.K. Rev. W. Keemode, Incumbent of St. Paul's, Ramsey. Rev. Wm. Mackenzie, Strathallan Park. Robeet J. Mooee, High Bailiff of Peel, H.K. Captain Henet Mueeat, R.A., Thornton, H.K. H. R. Oswald, F.S.A., Douglas, Rev. S. Simpso>-5 M.A., of St. Thomas's Douglas. H. B. Watts, Douglas. Senhouse Wilson, High Bailiff of Douglas. Qfrctumxzt». James Geo. Gelling, Douglas. Jos. Jeffeeson, Bemahague. pjcm. Secrctarfes. Paul Beidson, Donglas. J. R. Olivee, M.D., Douglas. The Couticil of tlie Maux Society beg to intiraate to the Menibers (in accordance with a resolution inserted in theiv Minute Book) that whilst exercis- ing due supervision over the Works delivered, they do not hold themselves responsible for any opinions put forth by the Editors. N.B.—Member3 at a distance are (as heretofore) requested to acknowledge their Copies to either of the Honorary Secretaries, Mr. Paul Beidsou, 29, Atholl Street, or B*r. Olivee, 24, Atholl Street, to whom also their Subscrip- tions may be remitted. lluttj?* Tncrovrct crw^regkfl^ww $ n twiy ab upfttn oft» ne fcn%- c^ r*# mttfnC ^jtffxn cpjtl)i >t orf dn^fofu&epk rntpnu $^ o <*vfo ahpmpfatanjt 1 gerftt/moTrû ^Wxrbt^fV)^ rîC &Vm**mm ftrardn <*e> ^ emfitemttov^ftp^dttlo$ niifit f ©nt 1 alomjpn^tmltt. t&wno** antn<vffn tjn;* &ioem tro£nV / nxnit ebârWxr acjatJjA frlr#W>nAm tnijdtpri^ ?)enri d t ma*iratmt acceptffecqitfun%areraret& vofreafjcota? re $hta% ^ £n?imfcWpw^^W^*cltto:r^ fit* Cniwfr^f^^vit^wm enrmam^<rmfnfcepft l^rocmirtii $c&oamo^ an^tpîêttv^ntttfoam fxtta <i>ewtpftt$eal)wworo^ $jmC'0%^Ke?%nvc? pvtyfrv ^bano;* bAwxmrc dbi&nf t)?ibera$ «« ycm#tx\ manftt $to^fe*4^tno oyw t?e>r jcmrtVtifjtotreftenfixx^&tpxrf&x&fy £j**&^%ytf&to ^ra, 6ettect otanttVê>#ofc^ Ixmo^x^tS' ol^^fr^&ecftilîrîC fr*o*rtf. ./^ ^ /w //"^ •/«/ •> w. .^ : MONUMENTA DE INSULA MANNLE OR A COLLECTION OF NATIONAL DOCUMENTS RELATIXG TO THE slt oi $jteit. TEANSLATED ASD EDITED, "WITH APPENDIX, BY J. R. OLIVER, ESQ., M.D VOL. i. DOUGLAS, ISLE OF MAN PEJNTED FOR THE MANX SOCIETY. MDCCCLX, PA 670 v. i 561360 PREFACE. NniiE following collection of documents relating to the Isle of -^ Man was undertaken at the request of the Manx Society, with the view of giving to the public such monuments as are extant of its early history. This little spot, for a long period, has played no insignificant part in the destinies of the United Kingdom ; and from its connection with foreign States, and the ehanges undergone, must always prove a source of attraction to the archaeologist, the historiau, and the statesman. Hitherto no effort has been made to form a series of muniments illustrative of its early state, and such few excerpts as we already possess have, in the majority of instances, been taken from defective and uncertain sources. In arranging the materials of the Monumenta, the author has endeavoured to follow the originals as closely as circumstances would allow_, both as respects their literary as well as historic order ; and in every case where these have not been aeeessible, recourse has been had to the most approved standard works, as Rymer's Fcedera, the publications of the Record Com- mission, the Patent and Parliamentary Rolls, and these, with the Harleian, Cottonian, and Additional Manitscrijrts in the British Museuui; form the basis of the present collection. ; Vlll PREJ The difficulti/ surmounted in works of this sort will be readily anderstood, when it i> mentioned that the materials out ofwhich they are formed lie Bcattered throughout thc numerous reeord offices of the kmgdomj frequently unarranged, and oftcn without indices. Thc consequence is, they are necessarily incom- pletej require rnore tlian the labour of a lifetirne to perfect, and exceed the capabilities of any individual effort to aceomplish, however well directed. Recently steps have been taken by the Britisb Government to remedy the evils arising out of the exis- tence of so many disjointed repositories, and bythe eentralization of the whole of the archives of the kingdom uuder one roof, afford to the public, a ready means of access to the records of the nation. The loss sustained by their neglect niay be seen in the report of the Record Comniission, issued a few years since. Many valuable documents were found to have wholly disappeared, others fco be entirely destroyed,and the majority were more or less injured. The oldest doeument extant was the Rotuli Annales or Great Pi$e ~ ? qf Revenue, of the reign of Henry I. Of the Assay Rolls qf the Mint, bnt one rernained, of uncertain date, of the time of Edward I. The most ancient Statute Roll was the statute of Gloucester, passed in the sixth year of the reign of the same monarch. Of the Rolte the Curia Regis, 1 I. qf Rich. ; Charter Rolls, 1 John Rolte qf the Bo.nk or Common Pleas, 1 John; Charta Antiqua or nscripts qf Charters, before John's time; Liberate and Norman Rolte, 2 John; Patent Itotte, 3 John Close andFine Rolte, John Pl I resta or Perambulations and Proceedings relating to rests, 10 John f ; Memoranda et Originalia qfthe Court qf Exche- quer, 1 Henry IJL ; Escheat Bundles,\ Henrylll. ; Inquisitiones PREFACE. IX post mortentj 1 Henry III. ; and the Rolls or Registers of Writs, about the niiddle of his reign ; Placita Corona, 15 Henry III.; Plea RoUs of the Cov.rt of Exchequer, 1 Edward I. ; Placita de IFarranto, Edward I. The Registry of the Great Seal of Scotland was in a still more deplorable condition. " The imperfect state of which," says the report, " is a fact well known, though the extent of the defieiency is not.-" Froin the inventories and indentures relative to the public muniruents and records of Scotland, preserved in the Chapter House of "Westminster Abbey, it is evident that the Registers were of great extent and importance, comprehending probably a record of grants under the Great Seal, from the time of the Eirst to the death of the Third Alexander. Of these not a vestige now remains. From the accession of Robert Bruce, in 1306, to the return of James L, in 1121, a part of the Record of Royal Charters, or as it is technically called the Reglster qf tlie Great Seal, has been preserved. Of fifteen rolls, containing nearly seven hundred charters of Robert L, which were extant at the beginning of the seventeenth century, and of which official calendars are preserved, there is now only one roll to be found, containing ninety-four charters, or less than one-seventh part of what were probably lost in the removal of the public records to England in 1651. During the reign of David II., of twenty-eight rolls of various magnitudes, containing nearly six himdred charters of that monarch, not one ha.s heen saved. In the reigns of Robert II. and III., and the regency of the Dukes of Albany there is also great loss; as likewise in the reigns of the first three James. It is onlv at the commence- \ PEEl .• i . menl of the Bixteenth century thal the series of Registcrs of the (iiv.it SeaJ begins to be tolerably complete. In tho Isle of Man similar Loss has been sustained by the abstraction of its ancient archives towards the close of the thirteenth century. The oldest documcnt now extant in Castle Rnshen goes no farther back than thc year 1417, so that any indenture, charter, or muniment anterior to this date must be sought for elsewhere. Of those to be found in England the greater part are in the Record Office, Fetter Lane, British Museum, and the Office of the Duchy of Lancaster. Those enrolments which \vc find to have been most in use as respects this Island, are the Patent and Close Rolls, Chartai , and Jlonastic Records. The first of these comprises documents of a very interesting and diversified nature relating principally to the royal prerogative, revenue judicature, truces, letters of protection, safe conduct, and credenee. The earlier series of these chancery records, denominated Littera Patentes or Patent Rolls, extend from the year 1200 to 1483. They are written upon open sheets of parchment with the seal of the sovereign by whom they were issued pendant at the bottom.

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