RUSHEN CHURCH. [ Photo. by V. L. Swales

Kirk Chri#t Ru#hen.(Paper read by the Rev. C. H. Leece.)

In accordance with a suggestion made atour meeting in January last, that I shouldread a “paper” on the history our ParishChurch, I have compiled the following“notes” which I hope you may findinteresting.

To begin with the same -

“KIRK CHRIST RUSHEN,”

“Rushen” is said to be a corruption of“Russien,” a disciple of St. Patrick;

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REV. C. H. LEECE, VICAR OF KIRK CHRIST RUSHEN.

[ Photo. By Warburton, Douglas.

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and I may remind you that the dedicationis to the Holy Trinity, but from early daysit has been known as “Kirk ChristRushen,” the name of the parish beingadded simply to distinguish it from “KirkChrist Lezayre,” which is also dedicatedto the Holy Trinity.

Why these and other churches – forexample, Christ Church, Dublin; ChristChurch, Oxford; Christ’s Church, Canter-bury – dedicated to the Holy Trinity,should be called “Christ Church,” I donot know. All I can say is, that such hasbeen the title by which these churcheshave been known for centuries.

In what I have to say with regard to thehistory of our own much-loved oldchurch of “Kirk Christ,” I would tocommence with acknowledge myindebtedness to Canon Quine, Vicar ofLonan, for much valuable informationwhich he kindly sent me. Canon Quine is- as you are no doubt aware – one of ourleading authorities on Manx History, andin a letter I had from him recently, hesays:

“The present site of Rushen Church isundoubtedly very old, of timeimmemorial antiquity: I should say therewas a small Christian church there asearly as the seventh century (600-700A.D.), or even earlier – that is to say,there were a number of such smallchurches in what is now the Parish ofRushen.”

We must, therefore, go back a long wayin order to get some idea of the originand early history of what has been for atleast 700 years the Parish Church ofRushen.

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INTERIOR OF KIRK CHRIST RUSHEN.

[ Photo. By Mr. E. B. Gawne.

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And in the first place, it is necessary toget as clear an understanding as we canof the early religious foundations in theIsland and the Periods when they wereestablished, or re-adjusted so as tocontinue with new organisation.

(A.) We have first, the Early CelticPeriod (A.D. 450-600) – the centuriesassociated with the names of St. Patrickand St. Bridget (5th and early 6thcenturies), and with the work of St.Columba (the famous Irish missionary ofIona) in the late 6th century, whose workwas continued by “the Family of Iona,”or successors of St. Columba, into the 7thcentury.

(B.) From Bede and other sources thereis, say Canon Quine, a strongpresumption that the “Angles” ofNorthumbria – who occupied the wholecoast region of the South of Scotland aswell as English Northumbria–did actuallyoccupy the Isle of Man.

There is at least one dedication in theIsland to St. Cuthbert (the AnglianBishop of the late 7th century), viz., atKirk Arbory. “Kirk Arbory” is acorruption of “Kirk Cairbre,” and KirkCairbre appears to be a corruption ofKirk Cuthbert (compare Kirkcudbright inScotland). In that parish there was achapel of St. Cuthbert as well as one ofSt. Columba, and sometimes the parishwas called after one of them, at othertimes the after the other; and while theParish Church is dedicated to St.Columba, the parish has long been called“Arbory,” after St. Cuthbert– the Anglianinfluences following in succession theColumbian as was the case in the

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Northern parts of England and LowlandScotland.

(C.) The Danish Period: It began withthe 9th century, their settlements beingfrom about the year 850, and theirinfluence lasting till the Scottish occupa-tion of the Island of Man, in 1266. Tomake these three periods quite clear toour minds, I summarise them thus -

1st: The Celtic Period, A.D. 450-600.2nd: The Anglian Period, A.D. 600-850.3rd: The Danish Period, A.D. 850-1266.

The Celts were divided into tribes orclans, the chief being supreme head oftheir tribal institutions. The Danes wereindependent freemen, as were also theAngles, ruled by a King, who wasnevertheless dependent on the loyalsupport of freemen, who were tenaciousof their rights.

Now, having got these three pointsclearly before us, let us look at theancient divisions of the parish, called

TREENS,

each of which appears to have had asmall church of chapel belonging to it.

The Rushen Treens are (as written in theManorial Rent Book of 1511) eighteenin number, the same as they appear inthe Lord’s Rent Book today. RushenTreens:-

1. Fyshgarth (Fins-Garth) – Fistard, etc.2. Glensast – Glenchass, etc.3. Corvalley – Howe District and Port St.

Mary.4. Gleton – Ballacreggan, Ballahain.

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5. Cregneash (1¾ quarterlands).6. Edremony – Rowany, Ballakneale,

Ballaqueeney.7. Shenvalley – Balnahow, Droghad

Fayle, etc.8. Bradhawe – Bradda, Cronaback, etc.9. Saureby – Surby, Ballachrink, etc.10. Kentragh – Kentraugh, etc.11. Kyrk Suason – Ballachurry, Balla-

gawne, etc.12. Scaleby – Scolaby, Ballacorkish, etc.13. Orristal – Croit-e-Caley, etc.14. Kyrkepatryk – Ballakilpheric, Beale-

vaare, etc.15. Renwolyn–Renwillen (½ quarterland)16. Scardr – Scard (1 quarterland)17. Le Garre (½ quarterland) – Part of

Lingague18. Le Calfr – Calf of Man.

I have given the names of some of thequarterlands only, for the purpose ofshowing the position of the respectiveTreens.

Leaving out the Calf of Man, we havethus 17 treens containing 44 quarterlands.

It is probable that all these tracts ofland – which in Danish times becameestates or manors, held by a chief – hadin early Celtic times its own little church.

The remains, or indications of the siteof several are still to be found, and youwill find a number of them marked onOrdnance Map. The remains of thechurch on the treen of Kyrkepatryk(Ballakilpheric), for instance, were inexistence a generation since – and I havemet with men who remembered them

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well - and it is only of recent years thatthe foundations were removed; and Ihave it on the authority of one of thoseold inhabitants that the stone, of peculiarshape, now standing against the south-east corner of Ballakilpheric WeslayanChapel, is one of two such stones whichformerly stood outside the entrance tothe ancient Keeill of Kyrkepatryk; andI know of another stone, at present inthe highroad fence in the same neigh-bourhood, which, I have been assured bythe same authority, formed the sill, orthreshold of the doorway of the Churchof Patrick, which the Danes found there,and considered of sufficient importanceto be called a “kyrke” - one of the“kykes”of Danish times which did NOTbecome a parish church.

Now, let us look at some of theseTreen names: Fyshgarth (Fistard) isFins-Garth – the Garth of Fin, a Danishchief under Olaf I., King of Man, and awitness to Olaf’s Charter of the year1134, by which Rushen Abbey wasfounded and endowed. Like otherwitnesses to the Charter, Fin was a donorof land to the Abbey, viz., a part of hisManor or Garth at Port-le-Murra, whereSt. Mary’s Chapel stood on Chapel Bayon the sea side of the present BoardSchool; and when the road there wasbeing re-made some years ago, theworkmen came upon a number of ancientgraves, evidently part of the graveyard ofthe little Chapel of St. Mary. ThePromenade, Port St. Mary, from Ganseyand back almost to the Smelt-road, is stillAbbey Land, and includes the quarterlandof Ballavrara (Abbey Farm). The AbbeyLand boundary takes in part of theCronk and comes down to the seaagain between the Isle of Man and

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the Post Office, thence along a littlestream to the shore. This, I take it, wasFin’s gift to the Abbey.

There was another Rushen DanishChief in Olaf’s time, named Snetol, and,like Fin, a witness to the Abbey Charter,and also a donor of land to the Abbey.

Canon Quine thinks that Snetol wasthe owner of EdremonyTreen, and that hewas the donor of “the Abbey Lands” nearthe Parish Church, including a part ofBallakilley, or Ballakeilley (ChurchFarm) – possibly he also gave to RushenAbbey the Church then existing on thesite of the present Parish Church, andthat from him the Abbey received thepatronage or advowson.

It is doubtful if parishes wereorganised in this Island in A.D. 1134,when Rushen Abbey was founded; butthey were organised during the next 50 or60 years. Our evidence of this is that theearliest Parish Church, of which we havea record in Man, is in the year 1214 inthe case of Marown, or Kyrke-Marown,of which a minister named Brice wasthen “Rector.” In that year the thenBishop, Nicholas, stipulated when thegrant of St. Trinian’s was made to thePriory of Whithorn (1214) that it shouldnot take effect so as to injure the rights ofRector Brice during his term of theRectory, nor the rights of the Bishop.

This establishes the fact that by A.D.1214 parishes had been formed in Man.

We do not know the exact dates, butthey were organised in the intervalbetween 1134 and 1214 – Canon Quinethinks probably in the reign of Godred II.about A.D. 1170 – for Godred provided

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that a Glebe of not less than a certainarea should be around each Church,exactly as it still is around Lonan OldChurch.

Thus we learn that in Danish times (say850 to 1150) the Church system was thateach treen had its little church, and therewere no Parish Churches, but, “we mayboldly assert,” says Canon Quine, “thatthe organisation of parishes and ParishChurches took place sometime in the 12 th

Century – during the reigns of Olaf I.(1114-1154), Godred II. (1154-1187), andcompleted, no doubt, during the reign ofReginald I. (1187-1226).

To summarise what I have said -

1. Our Parish Church was originallythe church of a Celtic Mission.

2. Later, the church of a Danish manoror treen – one of several within thepresent geographical parish.

3. In the 12th century, say about theyear 1180, made the Parish Church of the newly-organised Parish of HolyTrinity, when the parochial system wasfirst introduced into the Isle of Man.

Our church appears to have been on theTreen of Edremony, which Mr A. W.Moore explains thus (“Place Names,”page 249; 2nd edition, 1903: 178) -“Edremony, a corruption of Eddyr-daa-Moainee, ‘Between two turbaries ormarshes,’ which exactly described itssituation formerly.”

In the 13th century, it is stated in the“Chronicon Manniæ” (Chronicle ofMan), kept by the Monks of RushenAbbey, and now in the British Museum,

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under date 3rd June, 1249: “ReginaldusII. Occisus est ab Yvaro Milite et a suis,in prato quodam, prope ecclesiam SanctæTrinitatis in Russin, ad australem partemejuisdem ecclesiæ.” “Reginald II. Waskilled by Ivar the Knight and his men, ina certain meadow near the Church ofHoly Trinity in Rushen, to the southernside of the said church.” That is, as I understand it, somewhere

about Ballakilley Flat or on Ballaqueeney– and NOT at Cronk Moar (Fairy Hill), ashas been stated by some writers.

This Ivar was the first cousin ofReginald, and Canon Quine connects himwith Orristal (Ballacregeen), and says hisdescendants possessed Kentraugh Treenand were afterwards connected with thefamily (afterwards Qualtrough) thatpossessed it for centuries down to thetime of its becoming the property of theGawnes.

But I have not time or space to enterinto the history of local names andfamilies, interesting as the subject is tome.

In the Rent Roll Book of 1511, we findthis parish called “Parochia SanctæTrinitatis” in Rushen. It is elsewherecalled “Holy Trinity inter prata” (“HolyTrinity between the meadows,” viz., the“moainees” or turbaries).

Thus we have the two titles identifyingthe one site -

“Edremony” -

Eddyr-daa-Moainee

inter prata.

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I take it that it was originally theDanish (district) Church of “Edremony,”and that it continued to have thisdistinctive old name persistently attachedto it – through finding it called HolyTrinity “between the meadows” (“interprata”), or Holy Trinity of Edremony.

When or how did it become the propertyof Rushen Abbey ? Canon Quinethinks in the year 1134, by the gift of theDanish Chief Snetol, who was a party toOlaf’s Charter founding the Abbey, andlike all parties and witnesses to thatCharter, a donor of lands.

I think it probable that it might be alittle later, possibly at the time whenparishes were first organised: but, how-ever that may be, we know that early inthe history of the Abbey the patronage ofKirk Christ, Rushen, was in the hands ofthe Abbot, and continued to be so untilthe dissolution of the Abbey by theCommissioners of Henry VIII. in A.D.1540, when the property of the Abbeywas appropriated, or to put it morecorrectly, it became – in technical phrase- “impropriate,” that is, it passed into layhands, and was appropriated to other thanecclesiastical uses, and the advowson orpatronage of Kirk Christ Rushen passedto the “Lord of the Isle” (the Earl ofDerby), in whose hands it remained untilthe completion of the purchase of theLord’s Rights by the British Governmentat the beginning of last century – whenRushen became, as it is now, “a Crownliving.”

The Vicar of Rushen had no “tithe,” asin some of the other parishes, but thepatron paid him a stipend or pension of

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£6 per annum. After the dissolution ofthe Abbey, this “pension” was still paidout of the Abbey revenues. In the year1647 the then Vicar, John Keig,petitioned the Earl of Derby for anincrease, and the stipend was fixed at £8(Manks) - £6 17s 2d British- andallowing for the purchasing value ofmoney being very much greater in 1647than at present, unless the Vicar ofRushen had some other source of income,it would seem as if he would perforcehave to lead the “simple life.”As a practical link between those old

days and the present, it may interest youto learn that the Vicar of Rushen stillreceives, every Easter, £6 17s 2d underthe head of “Crown Stipend,” out of themoney received by the British Govern-ment from the sale of the Abbey Tithe ofRushen.

Thus we have our old Parish Church,springing from and standing on the siteof a small Mission Church of Celtictimes, and made the church of the parishsome 700 years ago.

We have traced its history from itsinfancy down to comparatively moderntimes, and I will only add a few notes inconclusion regarding some events in itslater history.

In the year 1775 it was re-roofed, and Ithink the chancel was then enlarged andthe walls partly rebuilt.

At a vestry meeting held on the 26 th

October, 1831, it was agreed that thechurchyard was too small for theinhabitants of the parish, and additional

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ground was provided by the purchase of aportion of “Ballahowe meadow adjoiningthe churchyard on the north side,” andafter being properly fenced and broughtto the level of the old churchyard withearth brought from “The Barracks,” itwas consecrated by Bishop Ward on the7th June, 1833. And I think I am right insaying that the “little gate” and flight ofsteps on the east of the church wereadded at this time.

In the year 1833, with the sanction ofthe Bishop and the Archdeacon, theClerk’s Glebe, near the church gate, wasexchanged for the present Clerk’s Glebe– Mr John Clucas, of Ballakilley,agreeing to give in exchange for the oldglebe an equal quantity of land, and alsoto build a house thereon as a residencefor the parish clerk. This arrangementdoes not appear to have been formallybrought before a vestry meeting untilApril, 1852, when it was approved of as“being advantageous,” and the exchangewas subsequently confirmed by Act ofTynwald.

A new vicarage house was built in 1839at a cost of £470. During the incum-bency of the Rev. F. F. Tracy (1881),another storey was added to it and it wasotherwise enlarged to its present size.

In 1839, by resolution passed at theEaster vestry meeting, the north door ofthe church was built up, new windowswere put in, and other repairs carried out,at a total cost of £115.

In 1860 the new Parochial Boys’ Schoolwas opened, and the old school-house atthe church gate (known as the “Clerk’s

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School”), which had been the ParochialSchool for generations was closed. In thefollowing year it was pulled down, andthe ground on which it stood was addedto the churchyard.

In 1864 the first organ was placed inthe church, at a total cost of £78.

Four years later (1868), the MissesIsalen and Katherine Gawne, ofKentraugh, offered to provide £200 forrepairing the heating arrangements andbeautifying and improving the church.At a meeting of the parishioners on 27 th

November in that year, this generousoffer was gratefully accepted, and anumber of improvements were shortlyafterwards carried out; and the pulpit wasremoved from the body of the church towhere it now stands.

Four years later (1872) a very greatimprovement to the appearance andconvenience of the chancel was made, bythe erection of the “Apse,” with itsbeautifully coloured windows, by MrsGawne, in memory of her husband – thelate E. M. Gawne, of Kentraugh, Captainof the Parish, and for many years Speakerof the House of Keys. The centralwindow was erected by the parishionersto his memory.

In the year 1869, additional burialground was provided, when nearly anacre was added to the churchyard. Andin A.D. 1900 a further addition of an acreand a half was made.

At the Easter vestry meeting in 1905, itwas resolved to apply to the Governor

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to have the old churchyard closed forburials. A public inquiry was subse-quently held by order of his Excellency,and in November, 1905, an order wasmade, closing the old churchyard as aplace of burial.

In the year 1885 the church wasre-seated, and the old high-backed pewswere replaced by the present pews madeof pitchpine.

The next notable event was a “neworgan,” which was “opened” by ourpresent efficient organist, Mr ArthurCregeen, A.I.S.C., at a service ofdedication held on 24 th March, 1904, thecost, including hydraulic engine andblower, being £350. The money wasprovided by a bazaar held in KentraughGrounds (by kind permission of Mr E. B.Gawne) and by voluntary contributions -£28 coming from South Africa, per thelate Mr L. Collister, who forwarded thishandsome contribution on behalf of anumber of former parishioners, in tokenof affection for their old Parish Church.

Before closing, I might just brieflyrefer to church extension in the parish.In the year 1878 the Church at Cregneishwas built and dedicated to St. Peter. Inthe following year (1879), through thebenefaction of the late Mr Milner, St.Catherine’s Church, Port Erin, was built.And five years later (1884), St. Mary’sChurch, Port St. Mary, was completed,and consecrated by Bishop Hill.

Thus we arrive at our own times; and asI look at our old church, I am

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moved with feelings of deep affectionand reverence for this ancient House ofGod, which through so many generationshas stood a witness to the Christian Faith.

How venerable it is ! How it seems tocall to us from the distant past, as wethink of the Early Christian missionariespreaching to the ancient Celtic clans; andof their successors teaching the Danishchiefs, with their warlike followerstelling about Gold and Christ, Truth andJustice, and planting in rough natures areverence for holy things, whichprompted them to give of theirpossessions for the support of God’sHouse and God’s work.

What changes has this ancientfoundation seen !

Kings and Bishops, Governors andAbbots, Priests and People passing alongon the rolling tide of years. Here itstands – here it has stood for some 1300years.

GOD’S HOUSE

The Mother Church of the district – theParish Church of Rushen for 700 years.Through all the years speaking for God;witnessing to Christ, baptising thechildren, caring for the poor, ministeringby her offices to the sick and the dying,the weak and the sinful; amidst all thechanges of this mortal life, ever pointingto One Who changes not, the sameyesterday, to-day, and for ever.

Here it stands ! The church of ourfathers calling forth feelings of reverenceand affection, no less to-day than in

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former days. I am thankful that after itslong and honourable history it is still byGod’s grace a living power in our midst;and I welcome as a fresh evidence of thecontinued love for and interest in herwork this recently formed Branch of theC.E.M.S., which, I trust, is destined torender much useful service to the churchand people of Kirk Christ Rushen.

We have a goodly heritage, may we beworthy inheritors.

The following is a list of Vicars for thepast 337 years. I have not been able tofind authentic records previous to 1574:-

VICARS OF RUSHEN. A.D.1. James Smyth .......................... 1574

2. Alexander Stevenson ............ 1582

3. William Watterson ................. 1603

4. John Corkill ........................... 1606

5. John Keig ............................... 1638

6. John Thompson ..................... 1660

7. Richard Thompson ................ 1689

8. John Parr ................................ 1691

9. Matthew Curghey .................. 1703

10. Thomas Christian .................. 1713

11. John Quaile ............................ 1729

12. Nicholas Christian ................. 1734

13. John Clague ........................... 1782

14. Joseph Qualtrough ................ 1816

15. William Corrin ....................... 1824

16. Hugh Stowell Gill ................. 1859

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17. Edward William Kissack ...... 1872

18. Arthur Allwork ...................... 1879

19. Frederick F. Tracy ................. 1881

20. Charles A. Dawes .................. 1885

21. Blundell Browne ................... 1887

22. Thomas Redfern Kneale ....... 1893

23. Charles Henry Leece ............. 1897

PORT ST. MARY

S K Broadbent & Co. Ltd., Printers.

1911.

The Church of EnglandMen’# Society

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