Hi Viv,
There is a very good article about marriage contracts in a back issue of IOMNHA Soc. Magazine, Vol X No. 2 pp3-16, by J. R. Roscow, called Manx Marriage Contracts: 1600-1736.
It is held at the Manx Museum library, and is well worth a look - you would enjoy it.

You are right, the contracts are included in the indexes to Northside and Southside Sales, and I think they are absolutely invaluable. They usually include the mother's name as well as the father's name, and you know how difficult it can be to find out who someone married, especially when she died before her husband. Pre-1700 wills were often under her maiden name, and if the marriage is missing because of a gap in the register (like Andreas 1686 - 1704 "no marriages writ") her name can be almost impossible to find.

Unfortunately the contracts are not available on LDS film, so I have been hoping that an enthusiast might one day summarise each one for the names, dates, places named, and other family members mentioned (who often co-signed the contract) because most other IoM records are widely available on film, and the marriage contracts are available only in the MM!

Sue