[Fom Manx Soc vol 29]  

RUSHEN.

The parish church, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, is commonly called Kirk Christ, Rushen.

The living is in the gift of the Crown.

A former vicarage-house being in ruins, Bishop Wilson subscribed and collected enough to build a new one in 1715. There is now a good vicarage-house and garden, the foundation-stone was laid on the 18th March 1839 by the Rev. W. Corrin, and finished the same year at a cost of £469. On the 4th of November 1846, the late E. M. Gawne, Esq., conveyed to the Vicar of Rushen and his successors for ever, as a thankoffering to Almighty God, about fourteen acres of land, to be added to the then small glebe of the vicar.

The clerk's glebe contains about an acre and a half of land with a dwelling-house thereon. In 1855, certain parts of these lands were exchanged for more convenient land, part of Ballakilley.

The register commenced in 1670, but this appears to be lost.

The earliest baptismal register dates from A.D. 1713. „ burial register 1713. „ marriage register 1757.

Confirmation register 1821. There are two chalices of silver, bearing the following inscriptions :-

Ecclesiae Christi de Rushen sacrum Insula Man, 1703. Ecclesiae Christi de Rushen sacrum insula Mona, 1789.

There are sittings in the church for 450 people.

The church was repaired and heated in the year 1869 through the liberality of the Misses Gawne of Kentraugh. In the same year an addition of about an acre and a half was made to the burial-ground.

An apse has been erected at the east end of the church in 1872, in which is placed a memorial window to Edward Moore Gawne of Kentraugh, representing the Nativity, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection, in stained glass.

Over the west door a stone is placed, which has the following inscription :-

Dedicated to the Holy Trinity. Rushen Church, 1775.

Rev. NICHOLAS CHRISTIAN, Vicar. WILLIAM QUALTROUGH, Esquire, EDWARD GAWNE, Esquire, Wardens. Mr. WILLIAM CLUCAS,

Mr. HENRY GAWNE,

The sun-dial near the eastern entrance to the churchyard bears the motto

Horula dum quota sit
Quæritur, hora fugit.

There is a stone in the old churchyard which bears the following inscription:-

Here underlyeth the body of ROBERT JACKSON who died October the fourth 1657.

This is the oldest inscription in the churchyard.

A schoolhouse, used as a Chapel-of-Ease for the parish, is at Port St. Mary.

The foundation of a new church, dedicated to St. Catherine, was laid on the 12th December 1878, by the Lord Bishop, at Port Erin, in memory of Jane, wife of William Milner of Port Erin, who provided the funds for the same, the whole being intended to be perfectly free and open.

On Friday, the 13th December 1878, the bishop opened a new mission chapel, to be used also as a school, at Craigneish, on land given by John Carran, Esq. of Maughold, the funds being provided by voluntary subscription, the seats being perfectly free during divine worship.