Family History, Volume II The South 2-1 The South 2.1 Description Rushen Sheading in the south of the Island consists of the parishes of Rushen, Arbory and Malew. Mainly a farming and fishing area, in early times there was some mining, for example at Bradda Head, Port Erin. The main centre of habitation is Castletown with it’s well preserved medieval castle, Castle Rushen. Castletown was the capital of the South Side division and, after the Island became a single kingdom, the capital of the Island until 1869 when the capital was moved to Douglas. The fishing fleets were centred on Castletown, Port St. Mary and Port Erin. Castle Rushen served as the military headquarters of the Island being garrisoned by an English line regiment. By around 1816 the garrison had been reduced to about half a company and was removed completely in 1896. The castle served as the civil gaol of the Island. In 1886 it was condemned and finally replaced in 1891 by a purpose built facility outside Douglas. The Abbot of Rushen Abbey was a major landowner in the Island holding some 99 quarterlands or farms and 77 cottages. In connection with these holdings the Abbot had his own courts, the Barony Courts, and prison, located on Peel Island. The English Act of Dissolution did not apply to the Island. The first diversion of church lands to secular purposes occurred in 1537 when Furness Abbey was dissolved and it’s tithes in Maughold and Michael were leased for the king’s benefit. An arbitrary act by Henry VIII in 1540 vested the monastery of Rushen, the priory of Douglas and the friary of Bymaken in the Crown. On St. John the Baptist’s Day, 1540, the abbot and his six brethren “were removed” from the monastery and the prioress and her three sisters “departed from the priory of Douglas.” 2.2 Background 2.2.1 William Lawson (1268) seems to have been the first member of the family to move to the south of the Island. He was born on the 5th of March 1704-5 at Andreas. It is not known when he moved to the south of the Island but he was twenty-nine when he married Mary Kneen (1583) on the 1st of August, 1734, at Arbory. The wills of William and Mary would indicate that there were no issue of the marriage, though © Brian Lawson 1999, 2005 2-2 The South Family History, Volume II William’s will does mention John, the wife’s son. Mary died in September, 1740, and William in December of the same year. See 1.8.3 for further details. 2.2.2 Edward Lawson (1584) was the second member of the family to move south. He was born in 1726 at Andreas (baptized on the 8th of September). We don’t know when he moved to the south but he married Elinor Skelly on the 28th of July, 1750, at Rushen. See 1.9.1 for further details and 2.3 for his descendants. 2.2.2.1 Elinor Skelly (1588) was probably born in Rushen/Arbory circa 1725. She married Edward Lawson on the 28th of July, 1750, at Rushen. She was buried at Rushen on the 17th of September, 1805. See 2.3 for details of her descendants. Elinor’s parents have been identified as John Skealey (5875) and Joney Kinvig (5876). Although marriage and baptismal records have not been found, the identifi- cation has been made using the parent’s Wills. 2.2.3 John Lawson (1587), the youngest brother of Edward, was the third member of the family to move to the south. He was baptized on the 28th of September, 1735, at Andreas. John was only nine years old when his father, Edward, died in 1744. Again, as for his brother Edward, we do not know when John moved south, but he married Catherine Taggart on the 6th of July,1765, at Arbory,see Volume IV,24.2.3. He was buried on the 20th May, 1791, at Malew. See 2.31 for details of his descendants. 2.3 The Children of Edward Lawson & Elinor Skelly continued from 2.2.2 and 2.2.2.1 Number &NameType & Birthdate Place/Notes 1589 Catherine B15th Jul1749 Rushen.Died 1751. Illegitimate 1590 Isabella B 8th Apr1751 Rushen 1591 EleanorB17th dec 1752 Rushen 1592 Anne B27th Jul1755 Rushen 1593Mary B 2ndJan 1757Rushen 1594Anne B 30th mar 1760 Rushen 1595 Edward B14th Aug 1763 Rushen 1596 JohnB12th Oct 1766 Rushen 1597William B 30th Jul1769 Rushen 1598Anne B18th Jul1773 Rushen 2.3.1 Catherine Lawson (1589) was baptized on the 15th of July, 1749, the illegitimate daughter of Edward and Alice Kearney. She was buried on the 22nd of June, 1751, at Rushen, the victim of smallpox. 2.3.2 Isabella Lawson (1590) was baptized on the 8th of April, 1751, at Rushen. No further details available. 2.3.3 Eleanor Lawson (1591) was baptized on the 17th of December, 1752, at Rushen. She was confirmed in 1770 at Arbory. Eleanor married Henry Steich on the 20th of February,1773, at Rushen. There were eight children of the marriage, of which four died in infancy and one son died at sea with his father in 1793. See 2.4 for details of her descendants. 2.3.3.1 Henry Steich (1599) was born circa 1750. He married Eleanor Lawson on the 20th of February, 1773, at Rushen. He died at sea on the 12th of August, 1793, see 2.3.11. See 2.4 for details of his descendants. 2.3.4 Anne Lawson (1592) was baptized on the 27th of July, 1755, at Rushen. She was buried on the 8th of March, 1756, at Rushen. © Brian Lawson, 1999, 2005 Family History, Volume II The South 2-3 2.3.5 Mary Lawson (1593) was baptized on the 2nd of January, 1757, at Rushen. She married John Taylor on the 7th of October, 1780, at Rushen (the marriage seems to have been recorded also at Santan). She was died on the 10th of April, 1813, at Rushen. See 2.5 for details of her descendants. 2.3.5.1 John Taylor (1600) was born circa 1755. He married Mary Lawson on the 7th of October, 1780, at Rushen. John was the sole survivor when two fishing boats collided in the dark on the 12th of August, 1793. Two of his brothers-in-law and a nephew died in the accident, see 2.3.11. See 2.5 for details of his descendants. 2.3.6 Anne Lawson (1594) was baptized on the 30th of March, 1760, at Rushen. She was buried on the 15th of April, 1765, at Rushen, the victim of smallpox. 2.3.7 Edward Lawson (1595) was baptized on the 14th of August, 1763, at Rushen. He married Eleanor Moore on the 9th of December, 1790, at Rushen. He died at sea on the 12th of August, 1793. See 2.8 for details of his descendants. 2.3.7.1 Eleanor Moore (1601) was born circa 1765 at Rushen, She married Edward Lawson on the 9th of December, 1790, at Rushen. See 2.8 for details of her descendants. 2.3.8 John Lawson (1596) was baptized on the 12th of October, 1766, at Rushen. He married Esther Fargher (see 14.2.2) on the 3rd of February, 1787, at Santan. By 1793 the family had moved to Douglas. He was buried on the 29th of April, 1808. See 2.9 for details of his descendants. 2.3.9 William Lawson (1597) was baptized on the 30th of July, 1769, at Rushen. He married Catherine Moore (see Volume I, 13.1.1) on the 30th of December, 1790, at Rushen. By 1795 the family had moved to Douglas. In 1796 William enlisted in The Manx Fencibles when he was described as having “fair complexion, grey eyes and fair hair”. See 2.15 for descendant details. A letter for Robert Cally to the family of John Creetch in December 1781 mentions that he, Robert, had served with William in the (fishing) smack owned by Mr. Tumman (? Taubman). 2.3.10 Anne Lawson (1598) was baptized on the 18th of July, 1773, at Rushen. She married Thomas Callow on the 9th of August, 1800, at Braddan,see Volume III, 13.1.1. See Volume III, 13.2 for details of her descendants. She died before the census of 1841. There is a possible burial a Braddan on the 12th of January, 1832. There is also a Will for that year. 2.3.11 On the night of 12th of August, 1793, two fishing boats collided in the dark. Of the fourteen men aboard, only one survived. A memorial in Rushen church names the 13 dead: Henry Watterson & Son; Henry Steich & Son; William Watterson; Edward Miller; William Watterson; Richard Christian; John Maddrell; John Keig; Edward Gell; Edward Lawson; William Gell. The sole survivor was John Taylor. © Brian Lawson 1999, 2005 2-4The South Family History, Volume II 2.4 The Children of Henry Steich and Eleanor Lawson continued from 2.3.3 and 2.3.3.1 Number &NameType & Birthdate Place/Notes 2730 AndrewB31stMay 1773 Rushen 2731 Thomas B 27th Aug 1775 Rushen, died 1775 2732 Margaret B27th Oct 1776 2733 Catherine B2ndApr1780 2734 Margaret B13th Dec 1781 2735 Thomas B 25th Feb 1764 2736 Ann B 1st Sep 1786 2737 Catherine B1st Sep 1786 2.4.1 Andrew Steich (2730) was baptized on the 31st of May, 1773. He married Margaret Crebbin on the 8th of December, 1798, at Rushen.