CABDIL XIII

SKEERAGHYN

TA’N Ellan Vannin rheynnit ayns shiaght skeeraghyn j eig.

Ta dagh skeerey rheynnit ayns Treenyn.

Ta dagh treen rheynnit ayns kierroo hallooinyn.

Va keeil ayns dagh treen.

Va bwaagagh, ny maynagh, cummal ayns y cheeill.

V’ad goanluckey yn sleih mygeayrt y cheeill, son dy beagh ad ny sniessey da’n vaynagh.

Va’n cheeill as y vaynagh smooinit dy ye casherick, ny freaylt er-lheh.

Va ny oaieghyn jeant jeh claghyn lhic, soit er oirr, as cha row ad agh trie ny jees fo halloo. Va dy kinjagh rheamys faagit eddyr ny claghyn, da’n spyrryd dy gholl magh as stiagh. Va’d dy mennick oanluckey yn chorp lesh yn eddin echey lesh y shiar, son dy row ad ooashleyderyn yn ghrian.

CHAPTER XIII

PARISHES

THE Isle of Man is divided into seventeen parishes.

Each parish is divided into Treens.

Each Treen is divided into quarterlands.

There was a church in each Treen.

A hermit, or monk, lived in the church.

They buried people about the church, so that they would be near the monk.

The church and the monk were thought to be holy, or kept apart.

The graves were made of flat stones, set on edge, and they were only a foot or two under the ground. There was always space left be-tween the stones, for the spirit to go out and in. They often buried the body with its face to the east, for they were worshippers of the sun.

Veagh yn twoaie er y laue hoshtal, as y jiass er y laue yesh, as beagh y sheear cheu chooylloo.

Tra va dooinney er yn cheu hwoaie, ny er y cheu chiare, ny laue hoshtal, v’eh ersooyl veih y cheu yesh, ta shen dy ghra y cheu cliwe. V’eh goaill kiarail jeh hene.

" Bee er dty hwoaie," ta shen, " Bee er dty arrey."

Tra v’eh er y cheu yesh, v’eh er y cheu stroshey, ny er y cheu fer oddagh goaill kiarail jeh, as va shen yn voayl smoo dy ooashley, yn laue yesh.

Cha row toiggal erbee oc jeh’n Rollage Twoaie, agh va fys oc c’raad va’n ghrian girree, as. c’raad hie ee dy lhie.

Va’d dy mennick oanluckey argid, cluigeenyn, ny cliwenyn, as teighyn, ayns yn oaie son ymmyd da ny spyrrydyn.

The north would be on the left hand, and the south on the right hand, and the west would be behind.

When a man was on the north side, or the left side or left hand, he was away from the right side, the sword side ; he was taking care of himself.

" Be on thy north," that is, " Be on thy guard."

When he was on the right side he was on the strong side, or on the side one could take care of him, and that was the place of more honour, the right hand.

They had no conception of the North Star, but they knew where the sun rose, and where it set.

They often buried money, beads, or swords, and hatchets, in the grave for the use of the spirits.

Va’n vaynagh, ny bwaagagh, dy mennick oalyssyn ny pishagyri echey, as lioroo oddagh eh freayll drogh spyrrydyn ersooyl, ny spyrrydyn neuglen ersooyl. Ren ad myrgeddin smooinaghtyn dy voddagh eh j annoo assee daue, my yinnagh ad red erbee nagh bliack lhieu eh adsyn dy yannoo.

Ta Manriin myrgeddin rheynnit ayns shey sheadinyn, ny rheynnyn lhuingys.

Ta three skeeraghyn ayns queig sheadinyn, as daa skeerey ayns un sheadin, ta shen Garff, Skeaylley Lonan as Skeeaylley Maghal.

Va ec dagh sheadin toshiagh jioarey, as va dooinney echey fo ta enmyssit guilley glesh.

Va ec dagh skeerey saggyrt, as thie er y hon dy chummal ayn.

Ta three pessonyn ayns Skeeaylley Vrishey, Skeeaylley Andreays, as Skeeaylley Ball-ny-Laaghey. .

Ta aspick reill harrish ny saggartyn, as t’eh cummal ec Court yn Aspick.

The monk, or hermit, often had spells or charms, and by them he could keep away evil spirits, or unclean ones.

They also thought that he could do harm to them, if they would do anything he did not like them to do.

The Isle of Man is also divided into six Sheadings, or divisions for vessels.

There are three parishes in five sheadings, and two parishes in one sheading’—that is Garff, the parishes of Lonan and Maughold.

Each sheading has a coroner, and he has a man under him called the lockman.

Each parish has a parson, and a house for him to live in.

There are three rectors, in Kirk Bride, Kirk Andreas, and Ballaugh.

There is a bishop ruling over the parsons, and he lives at Bishop’s Court.

Ta un ardyaghyn son slane Mannin.

Ta nane jeh ny shenn ayraghyn killagh gra cha jarg ardyaghyn ye dy bragh er ny hauail.

Va cleragh skeerey ayns dy chooilley skeerey, as va glebe veg echey.

Ayns Skeerey Vaghal va glebe vooar echey.

V’eh cooilleenit son yn chirveish echey ec feailiaghyn, poosaghyn, oanluckaghyn, as bashtaghyn, as ren eh geddyn groit hesheree, as ping yaagh.

There is an archdeacon for the whole of the Isle of Man.

One of the old fathers of the Church says that an archdeacon will never be saved.

There was a parish clerk in every parish, and he had a small glebe.

In the parish of Maughold he had a large glebe.

He was paid for his services at feasts, weddings, funerals, and baptisms, and he got the plough groat, and smoke penny.

Va symneyder ayns dy chooilley skeerey. Va’n churrym echey dy hendeil dy chooilley ghoonaght dy reayll moddee veih gentreil yn cheeill, as lurg da’n chirveish yn agglish ye harrish, v’eh dy yllagh ec giat yn rhullick as fockley magh pooar gioalyn noi sleih, dy chreck yn chooid oc.

V’eh myrgeddin dy gholl gys ooilley ny thieyn raad va baase, as gyn chymney ye jeant oc. V’eh dy ghoaill coontey jeh ooilley yn chooid oc, as creck ad, as rheynn yn leagh eddyr yn chynney sniessey, as geeck eh hene ass yn chied chione.

Va’n leagh elley echey, bunney sunderagh. Dooinney va freayll piyr dy chabbil v’eh dy chur shey lhuiridyn jeh’n arroo, wheesh as yinnagh eh kiangle, as eisht ayns cosoylaghey son ooilley feallagh elley.

Va Tom Collystrin, Purt le Moirrey, yn sunder s’j erree ayns Skeeyley Chreest Rushen.

There was a sumner in every parish. It was his duty to attend every Sunday to keep dogs from entering the church, and after the church service was over, he had to call at the church-yard gate, and publish executions against people to sell their goods.

He had also to go to all the houses where there was a death, and without a will made at (by) them. He had to take account of all their goods, and sell them, and divide the value between the nearest kin, and pay himself out of the first end (first of all).

He had another perquisite, the sumner’s sheaf. A man who kept a pair of horses had to give six lengths of corn, as much as he could tie, and then in comparison for all others.

Tom Callister, Port St. Mary, was the last sumner in Kirk Christ Rushen.

Ta boayl er lheh troggit er e hon ec yn cheym ec rhullick Keeill Cairbre, dasyn dy hassoo er tra veagh y sleih. goll magh ass y cheeill.

Bollagh yn symneyder goll magh cha tappee as oddagh eh dy ockley magh eh, roish harragh y sieih huggey ass yn cheeill

V’eh goaill nearey jeh.

Yiarragh eh dy meeley, " Cooid ——," as eisht goll ersooyl.

A place was specially built for him at the steps at Arbory Churchyard, for him to stand upon, when the people would be going out of church.

The sumner used to go out as quickly as he could to publish it, before the people would come to him out of the church.

He was taking shame (ashamed) of it. He would say softly, " The goods of —-----," and then go away.

Ta’n mayl thalloo yn theay goit dy eeck mayl chiarn ny skeeraghyn Vanninagh. T’eh geeck mayl chiarn keayrt ayns three bleeaney.

Yn vlein ta ny fir hreishtee geeck yn vayl chiarn, cha vel yn veoir troggal yn vayl chiarn, agh t’eh freayll yn oik echey gys yn vlein ergiyn, as eisht t’eh chaglym mayl chiarn yn skeerey.

Ta’n Whaiyll Abb freaylt daa cheayrt ‘sy vlein, as ta’n veoir eignit dy chur raaue da sleih ta er chionnaghey thalloo, ny er cheet stiagh eiraghtyn ny liorish chymney, dy gheddyn yn thalloo oc recortit ayns lioar yn chiarn ec Quaiyl Abb.

Ta’n veoir eignit dy chur raaue kiare keayrtyn da sleih, yn vlein ta ny fir hreishtee geeck yn vayl chiarn, as myrgeddin yn nah vlein.

The rent of the common land is taken to pay the lord’s rent of the Manx parishes. It pays the lord’s rent once in three years.

The year the trustees pay the lord’s rent, the moar does not lift the lord’s rent, but he keeps his appointment until the next year, and then he gathers the lord’s rent of the parish.

The Baron Court is held twice a year, and the moar is obliged to give notice to people who have bought land, or come into inheritances or by will, to have their land entered in the lord’s book at the Baron Court.

The moar is obliged to give notice to people four times, the year the trustees pay the lord’s rent, and also the next year.

Ta’n veoir yn dooinney soit magh as looit liorish fer oik dy haglym keesh yn chiarn, as dy entreil enmyn sleih roish yn thalloo oc. Ta’n veoir eignit dy chur raaue da ooilley sleih dy chur lesh ny screeunyn kionnee gys ardghooinney yn ving hoie, kegeesh roish yn Whaiyl Abb. Cha vel yn veoir dy haglym mayl yn thalloo Abb, ny cliaghtaghyn. Ta fer oik er lheh dy haglym yn vayl thalloo Abb, as t’ad obbyrit er yn Un aght.

Bollagh ad ny-neesht ye eeckit hug yn ferreill-abban, agh nish t’ad eeckit stiagh hug reeriaght Hostyn.

Ta bunnys ooilley yn thalloo ayns Skeeylley Malew thalloo Abb, son dy row Abban ec yn Valahollagh.

Tra va ny Abbyn spooillit hie ny maillyn gys reeriaght Hostyn.

The moar is the man set out and sworn by an officer to gather the taxes of the lord, and to enter the names of the people before their properties. The moar is obliged to give notice to all people to bring their papers of purchase to the foreman of the Setting Quest, a fortnight before the Baron Court.

The moar is not to gather the rent of the Abbey Lands, or customs. There is a special officer to gather the rent of the Abbey Lands, and they are worked in the same way.

They both used to be paid to the Abbot, but now they are paid into the realm of England.

Almost all the land in Malew is Abbey Land, because the Abbey was at Ballasalla.

When the abbeys were plundered the rents went to the realm of England.

Ta’n veoir yn dhooinney ayris yn kerroo valley ta geeck yn chooid smoo dy vayl chiarn.

Ta’n veoir eignit dy eeck yn vayl chiarn Laa Houney.

Cha vel yn veoir eignit dy chur caghlaa, mannagh vel y chooiney yn reeriaght.

Ta paart dy leih as ta hoghtoo ayrn jeh ping orroo. Paart elley farleng. T’ad shen ooilley mennick dy eeck lheng, yn chooiney sloo jeh’n reeriaght. Paart elley three farleeyn orroo, dy eeck ping.

Va kiare pingyn jeig ayns yn skillin Van-ninagh, as lurg va’n feeagh yn leagh er ny chaghlaa veih argid Manninagh gys leagh Sostnagh, ta’n thummid yn leagh jeeaghyn dy ye ny smoo, son cha row agh daa phing yeig ayns yn skillin Hostnagh.

Foddee yn chorrallys ye ry-akin ny share ayns coontaghyn veggey.

Dy chur lesh argid Manninagh gys argid Sostnagh, shegin diu cur lesh yn argid gys pingyn, eisht bishaghey ad liorish shey, as rheynn ad liorish shiaght.

Ta shey-pingyn Manninagh giare yn chiaghtoq ayrn jeh’n shey-pingyn Sostnagh.

The moar is the man in the quarterland that pays the most lord’s rent.

The moar is obliged to pay the lord’s rent on Hollantide Day.

The moar is not obliged to give change, unless it is a coin of the realm.

There are some people and they have to pay the eighth part of a penny. Some others a farthing. These all usually pay a halfpenny, the smallest coin of the realm. Some others charged at three farthings have to pay a penny.

There were fourteen pence in the Manx shilling, and after the value of the money was changed from Manx money to English money, the amount seems to be greater, for there are only twelve pence in the English shilling.

The difference can be seen best in small amounts.

To bring Manx money to English money, you must bring the money to pence, then multiply them by six and divide them by seven.

The Manx sixpence is short the seventh part of the English sixpence.

Roish yn vlein hoght cheead yeig, tra nagh row Nerin fo reill Hostyn, va ny Yernee kiarail dy ghoaill Mannin daue herie, as va ny Manninee freayll arrey er " Cronk yn Arrey" yn Owe, as er " Cronk yn Arrey " ayns Bradda. V’ad feer agglagh ayns ny traaghyn shen. Va saase oc daue hene dy chur yn chaghteragh trooid ooilley Mannin. Va crosh losht oc, dy chur da fer as yn fer shen cur dys fer elley, as goll voish fer dy er, trooid ooilley Mannin, dy chur yn skeeal daue my harragh ny Yernee. Ren ad troggal lorg liauyr ayns yn laa, as foddey aile ayns yn oie er y cheu twoaie jeh Croak ny Irree Laa, ny er y cheu jiass jeh Cronk Arreyder, cordail rish cre’n cheu yinnagh ad fakin ny baatyn. Va’n chrosh losht mysh daa hrie ayns lhiurid, as va’n chione echey losht, son cowrey c’red jinnagh ny roosteyryn jannoo roo, ta shen dy loshtey ooilley yn chooid oc.

Before the year eighteen hundred, when Ireland was not under the rule of England, the Irish intended to take the Isle of Man for themselves, and the Manx kept watch on the " Watch Hill " of The Howe, and the " Watch Hill " in Bradda. They were very frightened in those times. They had a method of their own to send a message through all the Isle of Man. They had a burnt cross, for one man to give to another, and go from man to man, through all the Isle of Man, to give the news to them if the Irish should come. They raised a long pole in the day, and lighted a fire in the night, on the north side of Cronk ny Irree Laa, or the south side of Cronk Arreyder (Watchman Hill) according to the side they would see the boats. The burnt cross was about two feet in length, and the end was burnt, for a sign what the (Irish) raiders would do to them, that is, burn all their goods.

Va ny keayrtyn cliwe jeant goll-rish crosh er ny dorryssyn, dy symney yn sleih dy chaggey. Va’n chrosh losht faagit ec yn eirinagh ye yn gharrey echey dy reayll arrey.

Va ny cluig mygeddin bwoailt, tra va’d ayns siyr dy skeayley yn skeeal.

Va ny braaraghyn maynagh Beemakem, ayns Skeeyll y Chairbre, ceau eaddagh glass as cha row oc boayl lhieu hene, agh geeck mayl,as v’ad shooyl ny thieyn son jeirk, son cha noddagh ad freayll thalloo adhene.

Va ny braaraghyn maynagh Abb Vallahollagh va’d abbanyn baney, as va’n thalloo lhieusyn, as cha row veg ec chiarn yn Ellan dy ghra roo.

Sometimes a sword was made like a cross on the doors, to summon the people to fight. The burnt cross was left at (with) the farmer whose turn it was to keep watch.

Bells were also rung, when they were in haste to spread the news.

The friars of Beemakem, in Kirk Arbory, wore grey clothing, and they had no place belonging to them, but they paid rent, and they walked the houses for alms, for they could not keep land themselves.

The monks of the Abbey, Ballasalla, were white monks,* and had their own lands, and the lord of the Island had nothing to say to them.

* Cistercians.

Ta’n chummal liorish yn straue.

Ta’n seneschal briw ayns yn Whaiyll Abb, as t’eh coonit lesh yn ving hole.

Ayns shenn hraaghyn, roish va veg dy screeunyn son barganeyn, tra va dooinney creek thalloo, ny yn chooid echey, gys fer elley, v’eh dy gholl hug yn Whaiyll Abb, as, kione fenish yn Whaiyll, ren yn chreckeder gymmyrkey yn’ chairys echey. ayns y thalloo hug yn chionneyder, liorish livrey straue huggey, kione fenish yn Whaiyll. Eisht ren yn Whaiyll cur ayns screeu yn choardail eddyr ad ny neesht, as ye cairys firrin,agh, as coardail, rish yn leigh, as ye freaylt ayns lioaryn y rheaym.

Tra ta’n toshiagh jioarey cheet dy gheddyn gioal veih dooinney ta lhiastyn da dooinney elley, t’eh laccal gioal. Foddee fer ta lhiastynys echey cur red erbee dasyn, te ec laue. Foddee eh ye straue, clagh, ny praase. Ta shen en-mysit " cur seose gioal," ny cur seose red erbee ta shiu goaill soylley jeh ta er ye lhieu hene.

There is the holding by the straw.

The seneschal is judge in the Baron Court, and he is helped by the setting quest.

In old times, before there was any writing for contracts, when a man was selling land, or his goods, to another person, he went to the Baron Court, and, in the presence of the Court, the seller gave his right in the land to the buyer, by delivering a straw to him, in the presence of the Court. Then the Court put in writing the agreement between them both, and it was a true right, and agreement, in law, and it was kept in the books of the realm.

When the coroner comes to get pawn from a man that is in debt to another man, he wants pawn. Perhaps the man who is the debtor gives something to him, which is at hand. It may be a straw, a stone, or a potato. That is called " giving up pawn," or giving up something you take possession of (possess) that had been your own.

Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor
HTML Transcription © F.Coakley , 1999