King of Mann

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Arms of Sir John I Stanley of the Isle of Man KG (d. 1414), first Stanley King of Mann Sir John Stanley, Lord Lieut of Ireland, titular King of Man, KG.png
Arms of Sir John I Stanley of the Isle of Man KG (d. 1414), first Stanley King of Mann

The King of Mann (Manx : Ree Vannin) was the title taken between 1237[ citation needed ] and 1504 by the various rulers, both sovereign and suzerain, over the Kingdom of Mann – the Isle of Man which is located in the Irish Sea, at the centre of the British Isles. Since 1504, the head of state has been known as the Lord of Mann.

Contents

Celtic Kings of Ynys Manaw (before 836)

[1] [2]

Kingdom of Mann and the Isles (836–1237)

The Kingdom of the Isles about the year 1100. The Isle of Man is the southernmost island in red. Kingdom of Mann and the Isles-en.svg
The Kingdom of the Isles about the year 1100. The Isle of Man is the southernmost island in red.
See Kingdom of the Isles and List of rulers of the Kingdom of the Isles

Since the emergence of Somerled and his descendants in the 12th century, the Manx kings began to lose territory and power in the Hebrides. Before the reigns of the three sons of Olaf the Black, the Manx kings styled themselves "King of the Isles". By the time of the reigns of Olaf's sons, the kings had begun to style themselves "King of Mann and the Isles".

Suzerainty of Norway (1237–1265)

The Kings of Mann and the Isles were vassals of the Kings of Norway.

Scottish and English rule (1265–1333)

Between 1265 and 1333, Mann was ruled directly by the kings of Scotland (1265–1290, 1293–1296, 1313–1317, 1328–1333) or the kings of England (1290–1293, 1296–1313, [4] 1317–1328).

Independent kingdom (1333–1399)

Castle Rushen, Castletown, Isle of Man, the stronghold on the island of the Kings and Lords of Mann Castle Rushen.jpg
Castle Rushen, Castletown, Isle of Man, the stronghold on the island of the Kings and Lords of Mann

On 9 August 1333 Edward III renounced all royal claims over the Isle of Man, and recognised it as an independent kingdom under its then king, William Montacute, 1st Earl of Salisbury.

Totum jus et clamium quod habemus, habuimus vel aliquo modo habere poterimus, in Insula de Man cum suis pertinentiis quibuscumque; ita quod nec Nos, nec haeredes nostri, seu quivis alius nostro nomine, aliquid juris vel clamii in Insula praedicta de caetero exigere poterimus vel vindicare.

The whole right and claim that We have, We have had, or in any manner shall We be able to have in the future, in the island of Man with all its privileges, so that neither We, nor Our heirs, or any other in Our name, will not demand or avenge in the future the aforesaid right or claim to the island.

Renunciation of claim to Mann by Edward III, 1333 [5]

William le Scrope, Earl of Wiltshire was the last King of Mann in this line, claiming descent from the House of Godred Crovan, the earlier Norse Rulers.

William le Scrope was executed for treason for his support of Richard II in his struggle with Henry Bolingbroke, who defeated Richard and became Henry IV. Le Scrope's possessions, including the Isle of Man, passed to the Crown.

Kings of Mann in this period

English suzerainty (1399–1504)

As Henry's predecessor, Edward III, had recognised Mann as an independent kingdom, Henry IV did not directly claim the Manx throne, but instead proclaimed that he had acquired the island by right of conquest, which in international legal theory at that time erased any existing constitutional arrangements. He then on 19 October 1399 granted the Island, as a fiefdom under the English Crown, to Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland together with wide-ranging powers of government and associated regalities, together with the style of 'Lord of Man', in a position of feudality and thus without sovereignty. [6] Despite this, Percy styled himself as 'King of Mann'.

We have given and granted … to the said Earl of Northumberland the Island, Castle, Peel and Lordship of Man, and all the islands and lordships appertaining to the said Isle of Man, which belonged to Sir William le Scrope deceased, whom in his life We lately conquered, and so have decreed him conquered, and which by reason of that conquest, as having been conquered, We seized into Our hands; which decree and conquest as touching the person of the said William and all his lands and tenements, goods and chattels, as well within as without Our Kingdom, in Our Parliament by the assent of the Lords temporal … at the petition of the Commons of Our said Kingdom, are confirmed …

Letters-patent of 19 October 1399 [7]

Following Percy's treasonous rebellion, Henry IV granted the suzerainty of the Isle of Man, on similar terms but only for the term of his life, to Sir John Stanley in 1405. [8] In addition, but separate from the power of governance over the Island, John Stanley was also granted the patronage of the Diocese of Sodor and Man.

A second letters-patent were issued and re-granted to Sir John Stanley on 6 April 1406, the difference being that the grant was inheritable and had a different feudal fee, the service of which comprised rendering homage and a tribute of two falcons to all future kings of England on their coronations. [9]

Kings of Mann in this period

Lord of Mann (1504–present)

Edward Stanley, 3rd Earl of Derby, the son of Thomas Stanley, 2nd Earl of Derby, did not take the style "King", and he and his successors were generally known instead as Lord of Mann. [10] However, the Latin style Rex Manniae et Insularum (King of Mann and the Isles) continued to be occasionally used in official documents until at least the 17th century.

In 1765 the title was revested in the Crown of Great Britain; thus today the title, Lord of Mann, is used by King Charles III. [11] [12]

Claims to the throne

In 2007, an American businessman named David Drew Howe, after researching his genealogy, claimed to be rightful "King of Man". His attempts to claim the defunct title and gain the acceptance of his "subjects" are the focus of the 2015 TLC docudrama series Suddenly Royal. In 2017, Howe "abdicated the throne" and abandoned any claims to the title of 'King of Man'. [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Isle of Man</span> Historical development of the Isle of Man

The Isle of Man had become physically separated from Great Britain and Ireland by 6500 BC. It appears that colonisation took place by sea sometime during the Mesolithic era. The island has been visited by various raiders and trading peoples over the years. After being settled by people from Ireland in the first millennium AD, the Isle of Man was converted to Christianity and then suffered raids by Vikings from Norway. After becoming subject to Norwegian suzerainty as part of the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles, the Isle of Man later became a possession of the Scottish and then the English crowns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingdom of the Isles</span> 9th – 13th century kingdom in British Isles

The Kingdom of the Isles was a Norse-Gaelic kingdom comprising the Isle of Man, the Hebrides and the islands of the Clyde from the 9th to the 13th centuries AD. The islands were known to the Norsemen as the Suðreyjar[ˈsuðz̠ˌœyjɑz̠], or "Southern Isles" as distinct from the Norðreyjar[ˈnorðz̠ˌœyjɑz̠] or Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland. In Scottish Gaelic, the kingdom is known as Rìoghachd nan Eilean. The territory is sometimes called the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles, although only some of the later rulers claimed that title. The historical record is incomplete, and the kingdom was not a continuous entity throughout the entire period. At times the rulers were independent of external control, although for much of the period they had overlords in Norway, Ireland, England, Scotland or Orkney. At times there also appear to have been competing claims for all or parts of the territory. The islands have a total land area of over 8,300 square kilometres (3,205 sq mi) and extend for more than 500 kilometres (310 mi) from north to south.

Haraldr Óláfsson was a thirteenth-century King of Mann and the Isles, and a member of the Crovan dynasty. He was one of several sons of Óláfr Guðrøðarson, King of the Isles, although the identity of his mother is uncertain. When his father died in 1237, Haraldr succeeded to the kingship as a fourteen-year-old, and held the kingship for about a decade afterwards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sir John Stanley (died 1437)</span>

Sir John Stanley was Knight, Sheriff of Anglesey, Constable of Carnarvon, Justice of Chester, Steward of Macclesfield and titular King of Mann, the second of that name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Stanley (KG)</span> English knight and statesman

Sir John Stanley, KG of Lathom, near Ormskirk in Lancashire, was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and titular King of Mann, the first of that name. He married a wealthy heiress, Isabel Lathom, which, combined with his own great abilities, allowed him to rise above the usual status of a younger son.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Scrope, 1st Earl of Wiltshire</span> Earl of Wiltshire

William le Scrope, Earl of Wiltshire, King of Mann was a close supporter of King Richard II of England. He was a second son of Richard le Scrope, 1st Baron Scrope of Bolton.

The Manx are an ethnic group originating on the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea in northern Europe. Their native culture has significant Norse-Gaelic, Celtic, and English influences. The Manx language descends from Middle Irish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of the Isle of Man</span> National coat of arms of the Isle of Man

The Coat of Arms of the Isle of Man, blazoned Gules three legs in armour flexed at the knee and conjoined at the thigh, all proper, garnished and spurred or, dates from the late 13th century. The present version dates from 12 July 1996. As the Isle of Man is a Crown dependency and the present Lord of Man is King Charles III of the United Kingdom, the arms are more accurately described as the Arms of His Majesty in right of the Isle of Man. The origin of the triskeles is obscure, but it appears to stem from the Scottish takeover of the island in 1265. The heraldic supporters are birds associated with the island, whilst the motto first appears on record in the 17th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Castle Rushen</span> Building in Castletown, Isle of Man

Castle Rushen is a medieval castle located in the Isle of Man's historic capital, Castletown, in the south of the island. It towers over the Market Square to the south-east and the harbour to the north-east. The castle is amongst the best examples of medieval castles in Europe and is still in use as a museum and educational centre.

Magnús Óláfsson was a King of Mann and the Isles. He was a son of Óláfr Guðrøðarson, King of the Isles, and a member of the Crovan dynasty. Magnús' realm encompassed Mann and parts of the Hebrides. Some leading members of Magnús' family—such as his father—styled themselves "King of the Isles"; other members—such as Magnús and his brothers—styled themselves "King of Mann and the Isles". Although kings in their own right, leading members of the Crovan dynasty paid tribute to the Kings of Norway and generally recognised a nominal Norwegian overlordship of Mann and the Hebrides. Magnus was driven out by King Alexander III.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Skyhill</span> Battle at Ramsey, Isle of Man in 1079

The Battle of Scacafell or Skyhill took place about one mile (1.5 km) west of Ramsey, Isle of Man in 1079. This was during the third and final time that the Norse-Gael warrior Godred Crovan had invaded the island, finally taking it from the ruling king Fingal Godredson.

<i>Chronicles of Mann</i>

The Chronicles of the Kings of Mann and the Isles or Manx Chronicle is a medieval Latin manuscript relating the early history of the Isle of Man.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lord of Mann</span> Head of state of the Isle of Man

The lord of Mann is the lord proprietor and head of state of the Isle of Man. The current lord proprietor and head of state is Charles III. Before 1504 the head of state was known as the king of Mann.

The Battle of Epiphany was a naval battle fought on 5–6 January or 12 January 1156, between the Norse Godred Olafsson, King of the Isles and the Norse-Gaelic Somhairle MacGillebride (Somerled), King of Cinn Tìre (Kintyre), Argyll and Lorne, off the coast of Islay, Scotland.

Þórkell Þórmóðarson is a character from the mediaeval Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar, a kings' saga composed in the last half of the 13th century. The saga relates that in about the year 1230, a Norwegian-Hebridean fleet sailed down through the Hebrides, where it attacked certain islands there, and proceeded on to the Isle of Man. As the fleet made its way southward through the Hebrides, several members fought a battle with Þórkell at Vestrajǫrðr, near Skye. The exact location of Vestrajǫrðr is unknown, although Loch Bracadale, Loch Dunvegan, and Loch Snizort, all located on the western coast of Skye, have been proposed as possible locations. According to the saga, Þórkell and two of his sons were slain in the encounter, however a third son, named Þórmóðr, managed to escape with his life. Early the next year, the fleet headed northwards through the Hebrides back home. When it approached the Isle of Lewis, a man named Þórmóðr Þórkelson fled for his life, leaving behind his wife and possessions to be taken by the marauding fleet.

Haraldr Guðrøðarson was a mid thirteenth-century King of the Isles. He was the son of Guðrøðr Rǫgnvaldsson, King of the Isles, son of Rǫgnvaldr Guðrøðarson, King of the Isles. Haraldr Guðrøðarson and his predecessors were members of the Crovan dynasty, and ruled an island-kingdom that encompassed the Mann and portions of the Hebrides, variously known as the Kingdom of the Isles or the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles.

Rǫgnvaldr Óláfsson was a mid-thirteenth-century King of Mann and the Isles who was assassinated after a reign of less than a month. As a son of Óláfr Guðrøðarson, King of Mann and the Isles, Rǫgnvaldr Óláfsson was a member of the Crovan dynasty. When his father died in 1237, the kingship was assumed by Haraldr Óláfsson. The latter was lost at sea late in 1248, and the following year Rǫgnvaldr Óláfsson succeeded him as king.

Aufrica de Connoght, also known as Affrica de Counnought, Affreca de Counnoght, Auffricia de Connaught, and Aufrica de Cunnoght, was a fourteenth-century woman who claimed to be an heiress of Magnús Óláfsson, King of Mann and the Isles, and who had some sort of connection with Simon de Montagu.

Nicholas was a twelfth-century Bishop-elect of the Isles. There is no evidence that he was ever consecrated.

References

  1. "Kingdoms of Caledonia & Ireland - Ynys Manau / Isle of Man". Historyfiles.co.uk.
  2. "Welcome :: isleofman.com". Isleofman.com. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  3. Edwards, Thomas (2014). Wales and the Britons, 350-1064 (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 468. ISBN   978-0198704911.
  4. "pp139/140- Manx Soc vol 7 'Monumenta de Insula Manniae - Vol 2' - Resumption of Island by Edward I 1307". Isle-of-man.com. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  5. "pp183/184 - Manx Soc vol 7 'Monumenta de Insula Manniae - Vol 2'". Isle-of-man.com. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  6. "pp215/219 Manx Soc vol 7 'Monumenta de Insula Manniae - Vol 2 - Concession of the Isle of Man by Service of the Lancaster Sword, 1399". Isle-of-man.com. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  7. "An Abstract of the Laws, Customs and Ordinances of the Isle of Man", James Gell, Manx Society: Douglas, 10/23
  8. "Monumenta de Insula Manniae - Vol 2 - Respecting the Grant of the Isle of Mann, 1405". Manx Society. 7: 232/4.
  9. History of the Isle of Man, Hannah Bullock (Longman) p. 29
  10. "Castle Rushen – Kings and Lords of Mann – Castletown Website". Castletown.org.im. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  11. "Lord of Mann receives congratulations for time in service". Three.fm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  12. "IOM Post Office commemorates Queen's reign". Manxradio.com. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  13. "Self-proclaimed King of Mann Drew Howe abdicates his throne | iomtoday.co.im". Isle of Man. 13 March 2017. Retrieved 16 July 2022.