The Story of the Isle of Man is a 1901 book on the history of the Isle of Man by A.W. Moore. It was written as an introduction to Manx history, specifically for children.
The book was written at a time of a growing sense of Manx national identity, greatly due to the work of A. W. Moore himself.[1] For want of any existing rigorous and sustained history of the Isle of Man, he wrote A History of the Isle of Man, which was published in 1900 in two volumes (reaching 989 pages). This book has remained the primary text for the history of Isle of Man since that time. The Story of the Isle of Man was published the following year, with the specific aim of offering an accessible shorter history of the island, suitable for use by children and teachers within Manx schools.[2]
The book betrays the constitutional interests of Moore, then the Speaker of the House of Keys. The emphasis on the constitutional and legal aspects of Manx politics as drivers for history, rather than key influential individuals, is distinctive of Moore's approach to the history of the Isle of Man.
The structure of the book sets the landscape of Manx history as Moore saw it:[3]
This function of The Story of the Isle of Man leads to a specifically pedagogical element to the book, which comes out in the tone, structure and the content of the work. Notable examples of this include the overtly moralistic tone and positivity about recent history, which Moore sees as marked by "reform and progress";[4] the listing of a number of "Manx Worthies" as good Manx citizens worthy of emulation; and, perhaps most clearly, in the seven duties of individuals towards the state that Moore concludes at the end of the book:[5]
To maintain, and, if possible, to improve its Constitution.
To obey its laws.
To take care of public property.
To vote in elections.
To pay taxes.
To help to defend the State, when it is necessary.
If you have sufficient ability and leisure, it will be your duty to take office, whether it be as a member of a School Board, of a Parish or a Town Council, or of the House of Keys.
Although Moore's paramount importance as a historian of the Isle of Man remains unquestioned, as does the rigorousness of his work, contemporary historians of the island would question some of what appears in the book. Points at issue include the following:
The choice of people involved in British colonial expansion as the "worthies" Moore holds up as exemplars for his readers to follow. These include William Kermode, one of the founders of the Colony of Tasmania, and Mark Cubbon, Commissioner of Mysore (1834-1861) during “the terrible mutiny.”[6]
The regular quotations from Wordsworth's Manx poems, generally considered to be of very low quality against his other work, and reverential references to Sir Walter Scott'sPeveril of the Peak, while T. E. Brown is the only Manx writer mentioned, and even then merely as "the author of charming poems in which he describes [the Manx people’s] manners and customs".[7]
Notes
↑ "Speaking from the Shadows: Sophia Morrison and the Manx Cultural Revival", Breesha Maddrell, Folklore, Vol. 113, No. 2 (Oct., 2002), pp. 215-236
↑ ‘Preface’ by John Quine in A. W. Moore Nessy Heywood, Douglas, Brown & Sons Ltd, 1913
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.
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".
Douglas is the capital city and largest settlement of the Isle of Man, with a population of 26,677 (2021) and an area of 10.5 km2. It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, and on a sweeping bay of two miles. The River Douglas forms part of the city's harbour and main commercial port.
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.
The pound is the currency of the Isle of Man, at parity with sterling. The Manx pound is divided into 100 pence. Notes and coins, denominated in pounds and pence, are issued by the Isle of Man Government.
Illiam Dhone or Illiam Dhône, 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".
Sophia Morrison was a Manx cultural activist, folklore collector and author. Through her own work and role in encouraging and enthusing others, she is considered to be one of the key figures of the Manx cultural revival. She is best remembered today for writing Manx Fairy Tales, published in 1911, although her greatest influence was as an activist for the revitalisation of Manx culture, particularly through her work with the Manx Language Society and its journal, Mannin, which she edited from 1913 until her death.
Arthur William Moore, CVO, SHK, JP, MA was a Manx antiquarian, historian, linguist, folklorist, and former Speaker of the House of Keys in the Isle of Man. He published under the sobriquet A. W. Moore.
Fenodyree in the folklore of the Isle of Man, is a hairy supernatural creature, a sort of sprite or fairy, often carrying out chores to help humans, like the brownies of the larger areas of Scotland and England.
T. Fisher Unwin was the London publishing house founded by Thomas Fisher Unwin, husband of British Liberal politician Jane Cobden in 1882.
John Joseph Kneen was a Manx linguist and scholar renowned for his seminal works on Manx grammar and on the place names and personal names of the Isle of Man. He is also a significant Manx dialect playwright and translator of Manx poetry. He is commonly best known for his translation of the Manx National Anthem into Manx.
John Kelly LL.D. was a Manx scholar, translator and clergyman.
The Master of Man: The Story of a Sin was a best-selling 1921 novel by Hall Caine. The fictional story is set on the Isle of Man and is concerned with Victor Stowell, the Deemster's son, who commits a romantic indiscretion and then gives up on all of his principles in order to keep it a secret. However, in the face of the mounting consequences, Victor confesses publicly to his crime and is punished, but redemption comes through a woman's love. The penultimate of Caine's novels, it is romantic and moralistic, returning to his regular themes of sin, justice and atonement, whilst also addressing "the woman question." It was adapted for a film entitled Name the Man in 1924 by Victor Sjöström.
Josephine Kermode (1852–1937) was a Manx poet and playwright better known by the pen name "Cushag".
Esther Nelson (1810–1843) was a Manx poet best remembered for her book, Island Minstrelsy.
Mannin: Journal of Matters Past and Present relating to Mann was an academic journal for the promotion of Manx culture, published biannually between 1913 and 1917 by the Manx Society, Yn Cheshaght Ghailckagh. It was edited by Sophia Morrison, with the assistance of William Cubbon.
William Walter Gill (1876–1963) was a Manx scholar, folklorist and poet. He is best remembered for his three volumes of A Manx Scrapbook.
The Bondman is an 1890 best-selling novel by Hall Caine set in the Isle of Man and Iceland. It was the first novel to be released by the newly established Heinemann publishing company. It was a phenomenal success and was later adapted into a successful play and two silent films.
Stephen Herbert Wynn Hughes-Games (1862–1923) was an English chaplain, theologian and poet with strong ties to the Isle of Man.
The Manx Rebellion of 1651 was an uprising against the ruler of the Isle of Man during the English Civil War. It was led by William Christian, better known by the epithet Illiam Dhone, due to his dark hair. The Rebellion was mainly in response to agrarian and land ownership reforms enacted by Lord of Mann James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby, and the increased burden on the Manx people during the English Civil War. It was a bloodless coup with English Parliamentary forces taking control of the island. The Rebellion temporarily ended control of the Isle of Man by the Stanley family until the Restoration when King Charles II returned from exile in Europe.
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