Tracing Your Manx Ancestors
Family History Records for the Isle of Man
The Isle of Man is a crown dependency with its own 1,000-year-old parliament. Family history research here is different to the UK.
The Isle of Man, located in the Irish Sea, midway between England and Ireland, is not actually part of the British Isles and British laws don’t necessarily apply here. This affects the type and format of records available to the family history researcher and the way in which research can be carried out.
Organization of the Isle of Man
The island is divided into six sheadings, each containing a number of parishes. Historically, each parish was responsible for keeping birth, marriage and death records for the established church and for passing these to the bishop at yearly intervals. The six sheadings are: Ayre, Garff, Glenfaba, Michael, Middle and Rushen.
Compulsory registration of births, marriages and deaths arrived later in the Isle of Man than it did in Britain. Births and deaths were officially registered from 1878 and marriages from 1884. An event which occurred before these dates may be recorded in parish registers. Surviving registers run from the 1600s to 1878 and most are now located at the Manx National Heritage Library.
Isle of Man Censuses
Isle of Man censuses are similar to those which exist in the UK. Census returns are available for every ten years from 1841-1901. Mirofilms of these can be viewed at either the General Registry or the Manx Library. Each census is divided into 17 parishes, plus the island’s largest towns; Peel, Ramsey, Castletown and Douglas.
An island census was taken five times between 1726 and 1831, but these only recorded population numbers. However, there are also lists of the householders of three towns; Douglas, Castletown and Andreas from 1757. These feature the names of the male head of house and his wife, together with the number of children and servants in the residence.
Court Records for the Isle of Man
Three types of records exist for courts in the Isle of Man; Summary Court, Chapter Court and Consistory Court. The Consistory Court was the highest and dealt with cases that the other two courts had failed to settle. These cases often included situations where the accused had left the island to avoid justice.
The Summary Court met in summer and winter each year. Cases heard included matters such as wills, debts and property disputes. The Chapter Court also sat twice a year and dealt with all widows and executors of anyone who had died within the previous few months.
Family History Resources for the Isle of Man
The Manx museum offers a range of histories of the island, accounts of prominent families as well as periodicals, directories and newspapers. The Manx newspaper collection is indexed from 1793 to the present.
For anyone unable to visit the island to carry out research, the Manx National Heritage Library can supply a list of professional genealogists who can be hired to carry out research on behalf of an individual.
The Isle of Man Family History Society was founded in 1979 and produces a quarterly journal, as well as hosting exhibitions and open days. The society’s journal contains a ‘member’s interests’ section to help people researching the same name to make contact with each other.
The website of the Manx National Heritage Library features a number of periodically updated information sheets designed for anyone researching their Manx family history. Topics include Manx Manorial records and maps and plans of the Isle of Man.
Factfile
The Manx Museum and National Heritage Library, Crellins Hill, Douglas IM1 3LY; tel 01624 675522. Open Mon – Sat 10am – 5pm
Isle of Man General Registry, Deemsters Walk, Douglas IM1 2SB; tel 01624 687039. Open Mon – Fri 9am – 1pm and Sat 2pm – 5pm
