At a convocation of the clergy of this isle before the reverend father in God John, by divine permission lord bishop of Sodor and Man,251 in Kirk Michael church the twenty-sixth day of July in the year of our Lord God 1683 and in the first year of his consecration, it is ordered, ordained and decreed as followeth:

1. First, whereas general complaint is made by the whole clergy that most of their respective parishioners are very remiss and backward in attending divine service upon Sundays in the afternoon, as also upon holy days and such other days as are set apart for the service of God by the rubric of our church, which thing (if not seasonably reclaimed) may redound to the great decay of Christian piety amongst us, and to the end that such neglect may be redressed for the future and God the better glorified and honoured in his holy worship and religion the better propagated and established amongst us, it is therefore ordered, ordained and decreed that publication be made in the several parish churches throughout this isle, that all and singular the respective inhabitants and parishioners thereof (or one person out of each family at least) shall for the future repair to their parish churches to hear divine service every Sunday in the afternoon, as well as the forenoon, and upon all holy days and other days of prayer, duly and frequently under the penalty of forfeiting four pence from every person that shall neglect his duty in this nature, which the churchwardens are hereby ordered to levy and collect from time to time, as the same shall fall out to be distributed to some pious use, according to the ordinary's pleasure and appointment.

Bishop Shirley died just over three months after his consecration, and was replaced only days before the 1847 convocation by Bishop Eden.

Thursday 27 May 1847

The tithe account is all that survives.

Thursday 18 May 1848

Absent or late:

John Cannell, absent.

George Caesar Stephen, absent.

William Corrin, unwell.

John LaMothe Stowell, late.

William Drury, absent.

St Barnabas was vacant.

After morning prayers read by his lordship's chaplain the vicar of Michael, the reverend Edward Forbes B. A., chaplain of St George's, Douglas, preached a sermon from Acts vi. 4.

The names of the clergy were then called over, when his lordship then pronounced an eloquent and appropriate charge to the clergy, which they unanimously prayed his lordship to publish.

The venerable archdeacon then read a congratulatory address from the clergy of the diocese to his lordship, for which his lordship, in the most feeling manner, thanked the archdeacon and clergy.

His lordship afterwards consulted the clergy on the propriety of passing an act of Tynwald for making better provision for parochial schoolmasters and for making further regulations for the better government for the parochial and other schools in the Isle of Man.

His lordship also laid before the clergy Mr Harris the tithe accounts as before 1847, which year and the next to e[piscopal] registrar]… His lordship having by circular notice dated 22 April 1848 signified that he expected and required the several clergy of his diocese to exhibit at this convocation their respective letters of orders, institutions, induction and all other licences or faculties whatever pursuant to the 137th canon ecclesiastical, the same were exhibited [accordingly in the manner set down hereafter.]573

Andreas. The venerable Joseph Christian Moore, A. M. rector.

No convocation was held in 1828 (29 May) because the bishop had not yet arrived in the island.

Thursday 13 August 1829

Daniel Mylrea, archdeacon, absent from illness.

John Nelson, vicar-general.

Benjamin Philpot, vicar-general, absent in England.

Joseph Brown

Henry Maddrell

Hugh Stowell, absent in England.

James Gelling

Thomas Stephen

Joseph Qualtrough

John Edward Harrison

Thomas Howard

Edward Craine

Alexander Gelling

William Christian, suspended (absent).

Bowyer Harrison

William Corrin

William Duggan

Thomas Kewley

Robert Brown, absent.

George Stickler Parsons

Archibald Holmes

John Thomas Clarke

Samuel Gelling

William Gill, curate of Malew

James Crebbin, curate of St George's

John Cannell, curate of Bride

Lewis Geneste, curate of Ballaugh

Robert Money Chatfield, domestic chaplain to the bishop.

John Wright, absent.

Francis Broderick Hartwell.

A. Harford Locking, Somersetshire.

I. Ditcher Kingswood, Gloucestershire.

Thursday 3 June 1830

Thursday 26 May 1831

Thursday 14 June 1832

Thursday 30 May 1833

These are the statutory dates for convocation, though no records have survived.

Friday 17 October 1834

Thursday 11 June 1835

No record has survived of this convocation, if one was indeed held.

Thursday 26 May 1836

Memorial of the bishop of Sodor and Man to his majesty's commissioners appointed to consider the state of the established church with reference to ecclesiastical duties and revenues, 1836

I feel myself called upon thus publicly to address your honourable board, as the only way open to me of recording my most solemn remonstrance and protest against that recommendation of your second report, by which provision is made for the future annexation of the present see of Sodor and Man to that of Carlisle. Since in my opinion this union of the two sees would be highly inconvenient to both, and most detrimental to the spiritual, as well as to the social interests of that people, over whom the providence of God has placed me, I should consider myself wanting to my duty, did I ever silently concede the point, or cease to press it upon the attention of the church, so long as my life offers an impediment to its accomplishment.

Although this proposition has now become prospectively the law of the land, there are two reasons, which induce me to bring it before the board at this present time.

Thursday 23 May 1839

Benjamin Philpot, archdeacon.

Francis Broderick Hartwell, vicar-general, absent in England.

Alfred Philips, prinicipal of King William's College.

Robert Dixon, vice-principal of King William's College.

John Nelson, absent.

Thomas Howard.

Henry Maddrell.

Thomas Stephen.

Edward Craine, absent.

John Edward Harrison.

Alexander Gelling.

Joseph Qualtrough.

Joseph Brown, episcopal registrar.

Bowyer Harrison.

William Corrin.

William Duggan, minister of Marown.

William Gill

Samuel Gelling

Bobert Brown, absent.

John Lamothe Stowell, absent.

George Stickler Parsons

Archibald Holmes

John Thomas Clarke

William Carpenter

John Cannell

Thomas Caine

John Gell

Henry Joseph Stevenson, Mariner's chapel, absent.

Daniel Nelson, archdeacon's official.

William Drury, curate of Andreas.

Edward Qualtrough, curate of German.

John Qualtrough, curate of Lezayre, not well.

Thomas Pump Drake, curate of St Barnabas

William Kermode.

The origins of Christianity in the Isle of Man are extremely obscure, though it appears that in earliest times the church there was closely linked to, and dependent on Ireland. In the eleventh century the island had bishops who were theoretically suffragans of York, though part of the Scottish hierarchy. But about 1134 the king of Norway created a new diocese, consisting of his possessions in the western isles of Scotland ('Sudre 0yar', the ‘southern isles'; anglicized as Sodor), and of the Isle of Man. The diocese was a suffragan see of Nidaros (Trondheim) from 1153, but after the isles passed to the kingdom of Scotland in 1266 this link became increasingly formal and was last mentioned in 1441. In 1387 Scottish support for the Avignon pope during the great schism (13 78-1417) led to the deprivation of the bishop of Sodor and Man, who supported Rome, but the latter retained the Isle of Man and was subsequently recognized as a suffragan of Canterbury. In 1541 the English parliament passed a statute (33 Henry VIII, c. 31) attaching the diocese of Sodor and Man (effectively only Man) to the province of York. N.B. Names in square brackets are of bishops who were appointed but either not consecrated or not installed in possession of the see.

I. The clergy's right to a fishing boat

1. First, that the bishops shall have their herring scout and their fishing boat, freely and frankly, without any tithes paying, wheresoever they land in this isle. In like manner had the abbot, the priors, the archdeacon.

2. Also, all parsons, vicars of the thirds or pension instituted, shall always choose their fishing boat at Easter time, and their scout at herring fishing time, whether their fishing be about this land or elsewhere.

II. Probate of wills and administration of the goods of those who have died intestate

3/2. Also, that everyone that dieth intestate, that the bishop or his vicars-general shall constitute, and ordain his children legitimately begotten, to be jointly executors, provided always those being unmarried, and those that are married, their dowry cutteth them off from having any further portion of goods.126

4/3. Also, if any make their testament and leave not six pence legacy unto their children unmarried (legitimately begotten) or the value thereof, that then the ordinary may lawfully make him or her executors with the rest.127

5/4. Also, if any die intestate, having no children legitimately begotten, but only base children, then the ordinary shall make and ordain his next of kindred, both of father's and mother's side, to be lawful executors, and the base begotten to be rewarded of charity, at the discretion of the ordinary.128

6/5. Also, that every man and wife which depart this life upon the south side of the isle do stand in one effect, that is to say, the man to have the one half and the wife the other half, provided always that the debts temporal be paid out of the whole, and the debts spiritual out of the dead his part.129

7/6. Also, upon the north side of the isle, in case a man or wife depart this life having no children or issue, the wife hath the one half and may bequeath it to whom she will; and in like manner it is upon the south side of this isle. But in case there be any issue or children, lawfully begotten, then if the man depart, the goods movable are divided into three parts, viz., one part to the executors, another part to the dead, and the third part to the wife.

With the coming of Bishop Thomas Vowler Short to the Isle of Man, the convocation took on a new life. The bishop preached an annual charge, which he had printed and distributed well beyond the confines of the diocese. The commencement of the Tithe commutation act, 1839 also meant that receiving the tithe account became an annual feature of the meeting. For this edition, the preconization lists are abridged, giving only the names of the absentees and of the unbeneficed clergy (the others will be found in the clergy lists at the end of the volume). The tithe accounts have also been consolidated and presented in a separate table (see the end of the second volume).

Thursday 19 May 1842

Absent or late:

Henry Maddrell, archdeacon's registrar, absent, unwell.

Edward Craine, late on account of a funeral.

Alexander Gelling, absent.

William Duggan, late.

George Stickler Parsons, absent with permission.

William Carpenter, off the island.

John Gell, sent apology on account of old age.

George Caesar Stephen, absent, unwell.

Unbeneficed clergy:

Francis Broderick Hartwell, vicar-general.

Robert Dixon, principal of King William's College.

Joseph George Cumming, vice-principal of King William's College.

Thomas Francis Reed, Mariners’ church.

William Christian, curate of Lonan and Maughold.

William Kermode, curate of Lezayre.

William Bell Christian, curate of St John's.

Gilbert Hervey, curate of Malew.

Andrew Williamson, curate of St Barnabas.

John Howard, curate of St Mary, Castletown, absent.

William Tait, curate of St George's.

Daniel Nelson, archdeacon's official, supernumerary for the north part of the diocese.

Edward Qualtrough, supernumerary for the south part of the diocese; absent. N.B. The vicarage of Patrick not noticed above, the late vicar the reverend Thomas Stephen having died 29 April.

The service began at eleven o'clock. Mr Brown of Kirk Michael, episcopal registrar, read prayers. Reverend Thomas Howard, rector of Ballaugh, preached. The bishop delivered the following charge, sitting at the altar in the chapel (see below). The bishop then took off his robes and sat on a chair with a table in the chapel, in his gown and cassock.

Ancient parishes

Most of the parishes are crown livings, which means that until 1765 they were in the gift of the lords of Man and from 1765 to 1825 of the dukes ofAtholl. Parishes where the bishop is patron are marked with an asterisk (*).

Wednesday 23 August 1704

Thanks sent to Dr Thomas Bray

At a convocation of the clergy at Douglas, August 23, 1704. We the archdeacon, vicars-general and clergy of the diocese of Man, having had repeated instances of the great charity and pious industry of the very reverend Dr Thomas Bray,276 who by his interest and proper bounty had laid the foundation of parochial libraries in all the churches of this land, and does still continue to augment them,

In a just sense of this great mercy, we do most heartily thank Almighty God for raising us up such friends, and do desire that our humble thanks may be rendered to, and accepted by the said Dr Bray, entreating him likewise that he would be pleased to signify our sense of this labour to all those good men whom he has engaged in our interest, assuring them that as we do daily feel the advantage of this uncommon benefit, so we shall be sure to transmit a grateful remembrance of it to posterity, not only by this solemn act of ours, but by a more acceptable service, hoping by the blessing of God to breed up the growing age in Christian knowledge and good manners in some measure answerable to these great advantages.

4 September 1704. Examined per me John Woods, registrarium episcopi.

Thursday 16 May 1706277

Captain John Wattleworth of Ramsey278 was sentenced to three Sundays’ penance in penitential habit for fornication, twice at Kirk Maughold and once at Lezaire, the other offender being the first to undergo the same.

Bishop Wilson proposed his form of receiving penitents, ‘to be duly and devoutly observed in all churches and chapels within the diocese of Man.'

A form of receiving penitents

A form of receiving penitents to be duly and devoutly observed in all churches and chapels within the diocese of Man.

The Isle of Man and its church1

A teardrop-shaped landmass of 572 square kilometres, the Isle of Man is the only place in the British Isles from which it is possible to see England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales all at the same time. Its history is not unnaturally bound up with that of these neighbours, but what is surprising about it is the extent to which it has escaped falling under the overwhelming influence of any one of them. For the Isle of Man is sui generis, not a part of the United Kingdom which surrounds it, but retaining laws and forms of government unknown or else long forgotten elsewhere in these islands.

Its recorded history begins in the high middle ages, when it was an Irishspeaking Christian island under Norse rule. Archaeological evidence, and the names of the parish churches, suggest that Christianity reached Man from Ireland, though when, or in what circumstances, no-one can now say for certain. The first Manx bishops of whom we have any knowledge were suffragans of York, appointed in the eleventh century, though this link may owe as much to Viking influence in both places as to anything else. Certainly York's medieval relationship with the Isle of Man was ephemeral, and no more was heard of it after about 1100.

The Vikings arrived in Man sometime in the ninth century and after a fairly slow conquest, they managed to establish a kingdom there which was ultimately dependent on Norway. By 1100 the kings of Man were recognized as rulers of the Scottish Hebrides, and occasionally of the Mull of Kintyre also. These Scottish possessions were known to the Norsemen as the sudre oyar (southern islands) - 'southern’ in relation to Orkney and Shetland that is - and it is from this that the name Sodor is derived. In 1134 King Olaf I (1103-53) established a bishopric in his kingdom which in 1153 became part of the ecclesiastical province of Nidaros (Trondheim) in Norway.2

This seems to have been the final stage in a governmental organization which encompassed every aspect of Manx life. The Norsemen divided the Isle of Man into a north and a south side, apparently because of perceived ethnic distinctions between them. The north side was where the Viking settlements mainly were, whereas the south side seems to have remained more purely Gaelic.

In capella sive ecclesia Sanctae Mariae apud Douglas decimo septimo die mensis Augusti anno Domini 1685.

Convocatio habita eodem die et loco presbyterorum et curatorum coram reverendo in Christo patre Domino Baptista providentia divina episcopo Sodorensi et Monensi.253 Ita decretum est:

• 1. That every minister in his particular church do every Sunday catechize the children and youth of his parish in the church according to the catechism provided for that purpose in the service book or Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England, and this to be done in the afternoon service. Provided that some parts of the parish be catechized one day and some another according to the appointment of the minister, till the whole be sufficiently instructed, and then to begin again in the same method. And hereby parents are required to send their children, masters and housekeepers their servants, to the minister to be catechized, in which duty if any shall fail, the minister is to give in the name or names of such offenders to the bishop or in his absence to one of the vicars-general, that they may be punished according to their demerit.

• 2. That all parsons and vicars licensed do at least once every month preach to their congregations in their several churches, unless they shall be hindered by sickness or other impediment by us to be approved of; that on other Sundays in the morning according as appointed by the canons of the church, read to the people distinctly and with an audible voice one of the homilies licensed by authority.

Thursday 19 May 1785

[41] Clergy present:

[42] At this convocation the Reverend Daniel Gelling, Thomas Quayle and John Crellin, episcopal registrar are appointed a committee to inspect, examine and report the state of the accounts of the Reverend John Moore, vicar-general relative to Mrs Catharine Halsall's charity and to give his lordship satisfaction as to the receipts and disbursements.

Whereas several of the wardens of this diocese represent it as a grievance that they are obliged to present on common fame, as also such persons as do not attend divine service on holy days, the reverend Messrs John Crellin, episcopal registrar, Daniel Gelling and Henry Corlett are appointed a committee to represent this to the legislature, as soon as other matters of a similar nature are ready to be laid before them, for their consideration and amendment.

Thursday 8 June 1786

[44]562 At a convocation at St Peter's church in Peeltown on Thursday [8 June] 1786.

Clergy present:

Thursday 30 May 1787

[45] At a convocation holden at Peeltown on the thirtieth day of May, 1787. Clergy present:

An address to the dowager duchess ofAtholl

At the said convocation the following address was agreed on:

To her grace the duchess dowager of Atholl, etc., etc., etc., May it please your grace, We the archdeacon and clergy of the diocese of Sodor and Man beg leave to approach your grace, [46] and to allude to the intimation conveyed by your grace to the reverend Mr archdeacon in the year 1784 respecting your appointment of the right reverend father in God Claudius, lord bishop to this then vacant diocese.

The sanction of your grace's signature has ever justly influenced our opinions in favour of the prelate recommended and appointed to govern the church of Man, and now, in addition to this, that the experience of three years has enabled us to form a complete judgment of his lordship's character, we are happy in having it in our power to notify to your grace from our annual synod that his lordship's learning and abilities, his activity and zeal in the pastoral duties, his exemplary piety as a prelate, his tempered vigilance and moderation as a ruler over this church, reflect honour on your grace's appointment and deservedly engage him a place as well in the affections of his clergy as in the catalogue of his venerable predecessors.

To the ministers and churchwardens of each church and chapel within the isle.

That they shall not suffer or permit any minister of the isle, or stranger, to officiate within their several churches or chapels without the leave and express permission of such ministers first had and obtained under their hands in writing, neither shall they permit any person or persons whatsoever, not being in holy orders, to exercise or use preaching or any part of God's worship or service within the said churches or chapels upon any account or colour whatsoever;

And for better execution of this order the coroner,232 lockman233 and all substantial people of each parish are hereby required to be aiding and assisting when the minister or churchwardens shall call upon them in this behalf;

And it is further ordered and enjoined that no person or persons whatsoever shall be permitted to receive the Lord's Supper in any parish but that wherein they live without a certificate under the hand of the minister and churchwardens of such a parish, that such person or persons stands not presented for, nor lies not under any contumacy or disobedience for any scandalous sinful crime by them committed.

And lastly it is hereby ordered and enjoined that this act be fairly entered in the church register of every parish, and the same to be published openly in the congregation in every church and chapel upon receipt thereof, and also upon the first Sunday in Lent every year successively, the contrary hereof at your perils.

I. The clergy's right to a fishing boat

1. First, that the bishops shall have their herring scout and their fishing boat, freely and frankly, without any tithes paying, wheresoever they land in this isle. In like manner had the abbot, the priors, the archdeacon.

2. Also, all parsons, vicars of the thirds or pension instituted, shall always choose their fishing boat at Easter time, and their scout at herring fishing time, whether their fishing be about this land or elsewhere.

II. Probate of wills and administration of the goods of those who have died intestate

3/2. Also, that everyone that dieth intestate, that the bishop or his vicars-general shall constitute, and ordain his children legitimately begotten, to be jointly executors, provided always those being unmarried, and those that are married, their dowry cutteth them off from having any further portion of goods.126

4/3. Also, if any make their testament and leave not six pence legacy unto their children unmarried (legitimately begotten) or the value thereof, that then the ordinary may lawfully make him or her executors with the rest.127

5/4. Also, if any die intestate, having no children legitimately begotten, but only base children, then the ordinary shall make and ordain his next of kindred, both of father's and mother's side, to be lawful executors, and the base begotten to be rewarded of charity, at the discretion of the ordinary.128

6/5. Also, that every man and wife which depart this life upon the south side of the isle do stand in one effect, that is to say, the man to have the one half and the wife the other half, provided always that the debts temporal be paid out of the whole, and the debts spiritual out of the dead his part.

7/6. Also, upon the north side of the isle, in case a man or wife depart this life having no children or issue, the wife hath the one half and may bequeath it to whom she will; and in like manner it is upon the south side of this isle. But in case there be any issue or children, lawfully begotten, then if the man depart, the goods movable are divided into three parts, viz., one part to the executors, another part to the dead, and the third part to the wife.

Letter from Mr Stephen Hales to Bishop Hildesley concerning the clergy widows' fund, 12 May 1755

[36] Dukes Court, St Martin's Lane. May 12, 1755.

My lord, Since I saw you, Dr Wilson told me he would send you copies of the papers relating to the £400 in the stocks for the use of the widows of the clergy in your diocese which are all enrolled in your office. As I think only £100 of it stands in my name, in what sum I forget, so if you think it proper, I may empower some proper person, by letters of attorney, to transfer it to you and whom else you shall think proper, that you may accept it before you leave London.

If I knew what fund it was in I would sign a letter of attorney empowering one Mr Willoughby an Exchange Alley broker, who is often at Teddington, to transfer it to you and whom else you shall name. As I remember, I signed a paper acknowledging the purport of this trust. I am, my lord, your lordship's obliged humble servant, Stephen Hales.

Pray respects to my lord of Durham. I go to Teddington this day at eleven and return only Saturday next hither. You may direct to me at Teddington, near Hampton Court.

[Note of Bishop Hildesley:] This I received whilst I was at the bishop of Durham's but do not remember whether I answered it or not, nor whether Dr Wilson at the sundry times I have seen him since ever made any mention or any proposal about transfer of the stock to M[ark] Sodor and Man.

Letter from the clergy to Dr Thomas Wilson, 20 August 1755

[81] To the Reverend Dr Thomas Wilson, prebendary of Westminster and rector of St Stephen's, Walbrook, London.

Reverend sir, We the clergy of this diocese being this day assembled do beg leave to acknowledge the perusal of a paragraph of your letter of the 25 June last to our worthy vicars-general, therein requesting our opinion and advice how the legacy of £100 left entirely to be disposed of to such pious uses for the benefit of this isle by our late right reverend diocesan (your worthy and pious father) as you would think must beneficial to the common good of your country and its church had best be applied.