Isle of Man History from Medieval Ages to Modern Times
Anyone can guess the history of the Isle of Man just based on its position in the Irish Sea, dead center between England, Scotland, and Ireland. In the island’s long history, it has fallen under the rule of the Irish, the Vikings, Scottish, and English, and yet has always maintained a level of autonomy, and is today independent politically of all its former masters. With this history of rule by various foreign powers, even the name of the Island has no clear history and puzzles philologists to this day.
At present, the island is known locally as Ellan Vannin, or, in the Manx language as Ellan Vannin Veg Veen, "The Dear Little Isle of Man." It was named by Caesar in 54 BC as Mona. In AD 858 Nennius called it Eubonia, and later the Welsh Annals referred to it as Manaw in AD 1154. The Sagas of Scandinavia gave it the name Mon or Maon. It seems all of these titles can be traced back to root words describing hilly or mountainous land. The suggestion has also been put forth that the name of the Isle of Man derives from Mannanan, who was the Celtic equivalent of Neptune, although the opposite is probably closer to the truth.
Celtic rule
Legend has it that until the 500s AD the Isle was said to be the home of the necromancer, Mannanan-Beg-Mac-y-Leir, who used what is known today as Mannanan’s Mist to keep foreigners from landing on the island. Unwanted visitors who approached the Isle of Man would see an illusion of a force 100 times greater than the actual defenders because of the necromancer’s magic.
Missionaries arrived from Ireland in the fifth and sixth centuries and began the gradual conversion of the Isle of Man to Christianity. Although named in several places and several histories, many doubt that St Patrick ever actually visited Mann. It is said that St Patrick set up the Bishopric on Mann, and following his works on sister isles got rid of all toads and venomous snakes. The Manx Keills, or cells, do follow a similar design to the 600s and 700s AD Irish oratories.
The Nordic Vikings
The period of Celtic rule endured until the beginning of the ninth century. The Norse Vikings came next, at first plundering and raiding, but later settling the island and establishing it as a significant base that served as a hub between their other bases in Northwest England, Dublin, and the Western Isles. The most famous of the Viking leaders to rule Mann was King Orry, who was famous in the Scandinavian Sagas. The legend tells that when King Orry arrived on the Isle of Man it was a clear, starry night, and a native asked Orry, "Where is your country?" King Orry then pointed out the Milky Way in the sky and said, "That is the road to my country." To this day The Milky Way is referred to in Manx Celtic as "King Orry’s Road."
King Orry was actually Godred Crovan, the king who ruled the Isle of Man from the year 1079 to 1095. In the Gaelic tongue Godred was "Gorry," and the 'G' after the title of King was eventually lost, causing the now-familiar Orry. King Orry supposedly received the nickname "Crovan" because he always waged war while wearing white gauntlets.
The Nordic Vikings who laid claim to the kingdom in Mann and surrounding territories did owe fealty to the King of Norway, but in a practical sense they only paid lip service to this allegiance and little else.
Time of Troubles
Godred's Viking descendants held power in Mann and the Western Isles until the youngest son of Olaf II, Magnus, took power in 1252. King Alexander III of Scotland had made the decision to add the Western Isles to his kingdom, and after fruitlessly seeking to strike a bargain for control of the islands, attacked the Hebrides in 1263. Magnus, along with Manx ships, joined King Haakon of Norway off the coast of Scotland, and their large combined fleet attempted to fend off the Scottish attack. The Vikings were defeated, and in the resulting peace Magnus was forced to pay homage to Scotland's King Alexander in order to keep his kingdom of Mann. Magnus died in 1265, and one year later Scotland and Norway signed a treaty delivering the Isle of Man to rule by the Scots.
At this time began an era of trouble in the history of the Isle of Man, as the island became like a pawn in the ongoing conflicts between England and Scotland, with the two larger nations alternately holding and raiding the island, along with some Irish invasions thrown in for good measure.
Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland, landed his army at Ramsey in 1313, and, by way of Douglas, laid a siege before Castle Rushen, which eventually fell to the Scots.
Edward III of England gave the Isle of Man to William de Montacute, Earl of Salisbury, in 1334. De Montacute enlarged and further fortified Castle Rushen, one of the Island's most famous castles. Montacute's heir sold the Isle to Sir William le Scrope in 1392. Le Scrope was later the Earl of Wiltshire, and was eventually beheaded for treason.
The Stanley Line
In 1405, King Henry IV awarded the Island to his staunch supporter, Sir John Stanley, and his heirs in perpetuity, "with all the regalities, franchises and rights belonging thereto, with the patronage of the bishopric, under the title of King of Man." The only form of acknowledgement of the lordship of England over Man was that of a cast (pair) of Peregrine falcons be sent to the English King every coronation day.
The Stanley line held Mann for three and a half centuries, long after England's feudal state had declined, but few of the noble members of the House of Stanley actively ruled the island or even visited it. The island was most often administered by governors, who answered directly to the Stanleys.
Sir John Stanley II, who ruled from 1414 to 1432, had the old customs and laws written down, and granted more civil authority to the Isle of Man at the expense of ecclesiastical powers. His grandson, Sir Thomas Stanley, was named Earl of Derby in 1485. The family’s rise in prominence apparently caused the second Earl to worry that he might suffer jealousy from his overlord the English King. His solution was that in 1505 he dropped the title of King of Man, stating that he would "rather be a great Lord than a petty King."
A direct line of succession produced nine Earls of Derby, with the most notable being the great Earl, the seventh in the line, who ruled from 1627 to 1652. This Earl defended the cause of the Royals during the Civil War, and was beheaded for his troubles. The Countess of the seventh Earl of Derby, Charlotte de la Tremouille, attempted the Isle of Man's defense, but the surrender of Illiam Dhone, William Christian, who commanded the Manx militia, made her intentions impossible to achieve. The direct line of succession failed with the tenth Earl of Derby, and the Lordship of Man passed to James Murray, second Duke of Athol, in 1736. Murray was a descendant from the seventh Earl of Derby, who came from the line's female side.
Safe Haven for Smugglers and Debtors
During this time the Island’s popularity with the government of Britain was suffering badly since its location and near independence made it a haven for smugglers. The local authorities enabled the smuggling trade, and some estimates at the time said that up to 67% of the Manx population earned a living off of the profits of smuggling.
Additionally, the Island had become a safe haven for debtors, since a Manx law made it impossible to collect English or Irish debts in Manx territory. As a result, for almost a century the Isle acted as a sanctuary for debtors from neighboring nations who went there in large numbers. After considerable debate, the third Duke was commanded in 1765 to pay to the English Crown customs duties and regality of £70,000, along with a £2,000 annuity.
Crown Dependency
The fourth Duke was awarded the title of Governor General of the Island in 1793, an office he held for over thirty years. The Duke the Bishop of Sodor and Man, who was also his nephew, became very unpopular among the Manx population when they asserted specific claims to tithes and manorial rights. Additionally, the Duke asserted his predecessors accepted sub-par compensation, and that he was entitled to more.
The British Government purchased the Governor’s remaining privileges in 1829 with a payment of £417,114. This actually was a good financial move for the Crown, since they gained more than what they had given the Duke from the Island's surplus revenues prior to 1866. Since that purchase was made, the Crown appoints a Lieutenant Governor to administer the island.
In the 1900’s, the Isle of Man received a great deal of autonomy when its status was changed to a Crown dependency. The British Crown is responsible for guaranteeing the Island's good government and its foreign affairs, while the democratically elected local government of the Island has full control over its territorial waters and internal affairs.
