[taken from Chapter 1 Manx Worthies, A.W.Moore, 1901]

JAMES WILKS (b. 1719, d. 1777).

Nothing is known of his early life till 1742, when he was ordained by Bishop Wilson, and appointed Curate of St. German's " with power to dispose of the Glebe and all other profits to the best advantage " As there was no school in that parish, he at once interested himself in the matter, and obtained a piece of ground near St. John's, where it was ultimately built. In 1745, he became vicar of the parish, and, in the same year, he was sent by the bishop to Dublin to obtain arrears of interest on some money left to the Academic Fund under Bishop Barrow's will, which had been invested in that city. His mission was successful, and his conduct of it received the bishop's approbation. In 1750, he was appointed episcopal registrar;. and, in 1752, Vicar of Michael. He was very intimately connected with Bishop Wilson, who, in his later years, greatly depended upon him. As surviving curator of his will, to which he had been a witness, he carried out the bishop's instructions respecting his funeral.

He went to London in 1755, and again in 1756, in connexion with the chancery suit against the Earl of Derby for the recovery of the impropriate tithe. His diary of these journeys, and the business transacted during them, is of considerable interest. On his first journey, he dined with the Duke of Atholl, who asked him many questions about the island and the bishopric, and, a few days after, introduced him to Dr. Hildesley, Vicar of Hitchin whom he had appointed to succeed Bishop Wilson. The bishop elect entered into a long conversation with him, and was much pleased with what he heard. In 1766, he undertook another journey to London, to assist in the defence of the clergy in the dispute between them and the fishermen concerning the fish tithe, the latter having appealed from the decision of the governor, which was against them, to the King in Council. The governor's decision was, however, confirmed. On this occasion, he had an interview with the Archbishop of York, to whom he represented the deplorable state of the island, where there had been a very bad harvest; and he laid before him various proposals with regard to trade, which, he contended, would benefit the people, and m no way prejudice the revenue. The archbishop and the Bishop of Durham promised to do what they could, but it was late in the session, and Parliament was embarrassed with North American affairs, so nothing was done at that time. However, in the next year, an Act was passed for the encouragement of Manx trade and manufactures.

At this period there were disturbances and riots in London caused by a constitutional struggle, in which John Wilkes was the most conspicuous character. JAMES WILKS was, consequently, often questioned as to his relationship to his namesake. Referring to this, he says " For my own part I would wish for the present, my name was any other than Wilks, for wherever I have occasion to tell my name I am stared at, and asked whether I am not a relative of the 'Great Wilkes,' as he is called." In 1769, he became one of the vicars general and in 1771 Rector of Ballaugh. On his appointment there, he and the Vicar of German perambulated a great part of the boundaries of their parishes. attended by a large number of parishioners, and fixed the limits in several doubtful places. He had taken part in the translation and revision of the Manx Bible, having translated Joshua and the Epistles, and he also translated part of the Liturgy.

In 1772, Bishop Hildesley died, and JAMES WILKS was left executor, together with the bishop's sister

JAMES WILKS died in June, 1777, and was buried in the old churchyard of Ballaugh. On his tombstone is the following epitaph :-

Sleeping in Jesus.
Translated hence the good man never dies,
But like the daystar only sets to rise.
REV. JAMES WILKS,
Rector of this Parish and Vicar General,
Aged 58 years.
Was buried June 21st, 1777.

Next to Philip Moore, JAMES WILKS could be considered the ablest Manx clergyman of his time. Like him, he was the devoted friend and assistant of both Bishop Wilson and Bishop Hildesley, and like him, he was possessed of some literary power.* (An abstract of the account by Rev. S. N. Harrison in the "Manx Note Book," vol. iii., pp. 67-72.)

* See his account of "The Inhabitants of the Isle of Man and their language" in the Manx Note Book, Vol. III, pp. 178-180

FPC:

Reference

'One of the most able Manx Clegymen of his time' J. Manx Museum IV #57 Dec 1938 pp71/2