The lieutenant governor of the Isle of Man (Manx: Fo-chiannoort Vannin or lhiass-chiannoort vannin) is the Lord of Mann's official personal representative in the Isle of Man. He has the power to grant royal assent and is styled "His Excellency".
In recent times[when?] the governor has been either a retired diplomat or a senior military officer. No Manx-born person has ever been appointed lieutenant governor, although Manx-born first deemsters (ex officio deputy governors) have taken on the role temporarily during an interregnum between governors, and during periods when the lieutenant governor is off-island.
In the past, the lieutenant governor wielded considerable judicial, fiscal and executive power on the island.[1] However, the office lost his prerogatives as Head of the Judiciary in 1921,[2] as Head of Government in 1961,[3] as president of the Legislative Council in 1980 and finally as president of Tynwald in 1990.[2] Today the role of lieutenant governor is essentially ceremonial, although certain powers under Isle of Man legislation do still fall to the governor or governor-in-council (a decision on the advice, and with the approval of, the Council of Ministers).
History
It was often asked[according to whom?] what was the proper title of the chief executive of the island, and whether there were any words in the commissions of the lieutenant governors which suspended their functions during the presence in the island of the lord of Mann or a governor of the Isle of Man.[4] Such a question was considered in 1877 by the eminent ManxadvocateJames Gell,[4] who referred to a search he undertook at the Rolls Office, the results of which are included in a list of 83 appointments of governors between 1595 and 1863. Not all appointments during that period are listed in this article as it was difficult to trace appointments prior to 1639; at about that time the practice began of keeping a distinct book for the enrolment of commissions. In addition, after that date certain commissions were also omitted to be enrolled. For instance no record of the appointment of John Murray, 4th Duke of Atholl as governor in 1793 could be traced.[4]
Historically the designations "governor", "lieutenant" (that is, the king's or queen's or lord of Mann's lieutenant) and "captain" were synonymous.[4] Only one reference to deputy lieutenant is made, that of Governor Horton's appointment in 1725.[4] In some commissions expressions designating the office, such as governor; captain general and commander-in-chief; chief governor and commander-in-chief; chief governor; and governor-in-chief and captain general; may well imply the conferring of powers, civil and military, though the designation given may possibly affect the rank of the person appointed, as between himself and others holding similar or analogous appointments.[4]
If the sovereign intended not to bestow the full powers of a governor on a specific person, then the limitations had to be expressed on the face of the commission. However no record of such an amendment exists, and although any legal power exercised could not be questioned as to its legality by any subject, a governor as between himself and the Crown, would be controlled as to the exercise of his powers by his instructions and would therefore be accountable for any injudicious use of them.[4]
A lieutenant governor or deputy governor having a commission with no express limitation to their powers, could perform all the functions of a governor while his powers were in force.[4]
Whilst Gell was appointed deputy governor on the first occasion, he was appointed acting governor in the second instance, an important distinction. The Dukes of Atholl were the last supreme governors of the Isle of Man, until the Isle of Man Purchase Act 1765, also known as the Act of Revestment. All governors since then had been lieutenant governors, but Gell's appointment as acting governor was on a par with the position of the Duke of Atholl, and he had the right to appoint a lieutenant governor had he so wished. So his office as acting governor carried with it greater authority than that of lieutenant governor; this fact Gell himself pointed out to the Home Office.[1]
The term "lieutenant governor" was not used before the Act of Revestment in 1765;[4] the term "deputy governor" was used instead.[4] The appointments of Peter Legh (1596), Ratcliffe Gerrard (1639), Roger Nowell (1660), William Sacheverell (1692), Thomas Huddlestone (1700) and Alexander Horne (1713) as deputy governors can therefore be seen as temporary appointments during a vacancy.[4]
Lieutenant governors and deputy governors could exercise the powers of a governor of the Isle of Man in one respect: they could appoint deputies.[4] In the cases of Charles Stanley (1702) and Bishop Isaac Barrow (1774) this prerogative was specifically granted; however over time it became common custom amongst successive lieutenant governors. This would allow governors to appoint deputies for specific periods or purposes, such as during the governor's absence on specified occasions, or during his illness when not absent; the list below illustrates this and shows the great number of appointments made by governors of deputies during their absence.[4] For instance the various appointments of Deemsters McYlrea and Taubman can be seen as examples of appointments for executing judicial functions.[4]
Before the Act of Revestment, deputies were expressly appointed to act during absence, except in one case: that of Bishop Isaac Barrow in 1664.[4] In this case, the deputy governor, Roger Nowell, acted whilst Governor Barrow was on the island, sometimes along with him and sometimes solely. This was an exceptional case; it was probably not intended that the Bishop have more to do with temporal affairs than was absolutely necessary.[4]
After revestment, the appointments of lieutenant governors Henry Hope (1773), Richard Dawson (1775 and 1777), Alexander Shaw (1790), Henry Murray (1804) and Cornelius Smelt (1805) were also expressly held during the absence of the governors.[4] The appointments of Lieutenant Governors John Ready (1832), Charles Hope (1845) and Francis Pigott Stainsby Conant (1860), say nothing as to the presence of a governor-in-chief, and these three persons were therefore appointed to be "merely" lieutenant governors. It may be the case with the appointment of Colonel Ready that it was not intended for him to take the office of governor-in-chief, and therefore no allusion was made in the commissions of the lieutenant governors to their office. However, it appears that without any words expressly suspending the functions of a lieutenant governor, they would as a matter of course be suspended.[4]
Appointment
Before 2010 the lieutenant governor was appointed by the Crown on the advice of a panel led by the government of the United Kingdom. In July 2010 the government of the Isle of Man announced[5] that the next lieutenant governor would be appointed on the advice of an entirely local panel, comprising the chief minister, the president of Tynwald and the first deemster. The new procedure was used for the first time a few months later to choose Paul Haddacks's successor.
To hold and exercise the said Office by himself, or by Henry Nowell, his deputy or some other sufficient person who he should think fit [This was looked upon as an exceptional appointment, for the Deputy Nowell acted sometimes alone, and sometimes along with the governor - Mills Statute p.137].[4]
To take on him the whole government, during pleasure [probably governorship vacant].[4]
10 Oct 1692
Richard Stevenson (Water Bailiff)
John Rowe (Clerk of the Rolls)
Deputy Governor Sacheverell
The appointment is stated on the face of it to be made by order of the Right Honourable the Lord of this Isle [This is quite remarkable. Deputies appointed by a deputy, but apparently made by special authority].[4]
To act during the absence of Deputy Governor Mawdesley, on the departure of Deputy Governor Parr, who had been called by the Lord of England on weighty business.[4]
Confirmation of Mawdesley's previous appointment as deputy governor by Governor Stanley. [This confirmation seems to have amounted to an appointment as governor, which he styled himself afterwards].[4]
17 Jul 1712
Deemster John Parr
Governor Mawdesley
To act during the governor's absence in England.[4]
20 May 1713
Deemster John Parr
To act during governor's absence from the Isle of Man.[4]
The commission states that the governor, by his present indisposition, is disabled from attending the Courts on the next Circuit (that is, of the Sheading or Common Law Courts). The deputies to act during the governor's illness. (This is a case where deputies were appointed whilst the governor was on the island.)[4]
14 Jul 1749
Deemster John Taubman
Deemster Daniel McYlrea
The commission states that the governor by his present indisposition in unable to execute his post and office. The deputies to act during his illness. (Similar to the case preceding, deputies were appointed whilst governor was on the island).[4]
The commission states that the governor by his present indisposition is rendered incapable of presiding at the Sheading Courts which are to be held at Peel.[4]
The commission states: "Whereas the Honourable Alexander Shaw, last Lieutenant Governor of this Isle, hath resigned the said office of Lieutenant Governor, and no other person hath yet been appointed by His Majesty to fill the same: And whereas I find it necessary to remove forthwith from the said Isle to attend public business in Great Britain." The lieutenant governor is appointed to act during the absence of the governor-in-chief or until His Majesty's pleasure be known. [This is the only appointment of a lieutenant governor made by a governor of the Isle of Man since the Revestment].[4]
To act as such during the indisposition of Lieutenant Governor Henniker. Appointed deputy governor in the first place.
Oct 1902
Acting governor
Following the death of Lieutenant Governor Henniker. (Office therefore as acting governor carried with it greater authority than that of lieutenant governor.)
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.
The government of the Isle of Man is a parliamentary representative democracy. The Monarch of the United Kingdom is also the head of state of the Isle of Man, and generally referred to as "The King, Lord of Mann". Legislation of the Isle of Man defines "the Crown in right of the Isle of Man" as separate from the "Crown in right of the United Kingdom". His representative on the island is the Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man, but his role is mostly ceremonial, though he does have the power to grant Royal Assent.
Tynwald, or more formally, the High Court of Tynwald or Tynwald Court, is the legislature of the Isle of Man. It consists of two chambers, known as the branches of Tynwald: the directly elected House of Keys and the indirectly chosen Legislative Council. When the two chambers sit together, they become "Tynwald Court".
The Legislative Council is the upper chamber of Tynwald, the legislature of the Isle of Man. The abbreviation "LegCo" is often used.
Tynwald Day is the National Day of the Isle of Man, usually observed on 5 July.
The Diocese of Sodor and Man is a diocese of the Church of England. Originally much larger, today it covers just the Isle of Man and its adjacent islets. Today, the bishop's office is in Douglas and the cathedral is in Peel. The diocese is not generally called either "Sodor diocese" or "Man diocese".
Illiam Dhone or Illiam Dhôan, also known as William Christian, was a Manx politician and depending on viewpoint, patriot, rebel or traitor. He was a son of Ewan Christian, a deemster. In Manx, Illiam Dhone literally translates to Brown William—an epithet he received due to his dark hair—and in English he was called Brown-haired William. Dhone was a significant figure in the Isle of Man during the English Civil War and the Manx Rebellion of 1651. He was executed for high treason in 1663. In the centuries after his death he has become a "martyr and folk-hero, a symbol of the Island's cherished freedoms and traditional rights".
An Act of Tynwald is a statute passed by Tynwald, the parliament of the Isle of Man.
The following state officials are some of the most important in the Isle of Man. They take place in the annual Tynwald Day procession and have precedence or importance at other occasions.
A Deemster is a judge in the Isle of Man. The High Court of Justice of the Isle of Man is presided over by a deemster or, in the case of the appeal division of that court, a deemster and the Judge of Appeal. The deemsters also promulgate the Laws on Tynwald Day by reading out brief summaries of them in English and Manx.
The Council of Ministers is the principal executive organ of the Isle of Man Government. Its role is similar to, though not identical with, that of the Cabinet in the United Kingdom. Until 1990, its title was the Executive Council.
The Isle of Man Government is the government of the Isle of Man. The formal head of the Isle of Man Government is the Lieutenant Governor, the personal representative of Charles III. The executive head is the Chief Minister.
The lowest courts in the Isle of Man are the summary courts, Coroner of Inquests, Licensing Court, Land Court, etc. These courts are presided over by magistrates. There are two stipendiary magistrates, the High Bailiff and the Deputy High Bailiff, along with lay justices of the peace.
The Isle of Man is not part of the United Kingdom, but to a large extent its relations with other countries are handled by the United Kingdom.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to 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.
Cornelius Smelt was an administrator who served as Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man from 1805 until his death in 1832, the longest governorship in the history of the Island. An officer in the British Army, he served first with the 14th Regiment of Foot and then the 35th Regiment of Foot, acting as Deputy Governor of Southsea Castle in the late 18th century. His governorship of the Isle of Man is remembered as one in which he displayed great moral courage in difficult circumstances. His wisdom and fortitude in the long period when the House of Keys and the Duke of Atholl fought their historic political battles were also evident. Upon his death, a memorial was erected in Castletown in the Isle of Man.
Culture Vannin is the trading name for the Manx Heritage Foundation, established in 1982 by the Isle of Man Government to promote Manx culture, heritage and language. It was rebranded in February 2014, having previously been known as the "Manx Heritage Foundation", since the former title "held connotations more towards the cultural history of the island" which were not felt to be accurate to the organisation's progressive approach to invigorating Manx culture. Culture Vannin's motto is "Taking our culture forward".
Sir James Gell was a Manx lawyer, who was the First Deemster and Clerk of the Rolls in the Isle of Man. He was also the first Manxman to become Attorney General of the Isle of Man.
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