The Celtic-Latin Church
The name Santon is of Irish derivation and has changed in spelling throughout its long history. Like other Manx ancient parishes, the Parish takes its name from its Parish Church, which is dedicated to St. Sanctain, who was an Irish saint and Bishop, and a disciple of St. Patrick. Records show how the word 'Sanctain' has gone through different stages of spelling, to arrive today at the more frequently used one of 'Santon'. 'Sanctain' appears as 'Sanctan', 'Santain', 'Santan', and 'Santon'. The latter two spellings are today recognised widely, but that of 'Santon' seems to have taken over and is the one which is more generally used. St. Sanctain was Bishop of Cell da les (Church of two forts) in Ireland a place of importance in its day, but which, so far, has not, in modern times, been specifically identified. A very ancient Celtic manuscript states that the 'Hymn of Sanctain' is one of the oldest Irish manuscripts. In the Calendar of Aengus, the phrase 'Epscop Santain sochla' (the famous Bishop Sanctain) is used. There were several Irish Keeills which were also dedicated to St. Sanctain.
The last reference to the Saint in the Church Registers is in 1822' when in a period of further uncertainty, another Saint, namely St. Anne, was duly recorded as the one to whom the Church was dedicated. This lasted until the yeare 1891, when the restoration of the dedication to its original Saint, St. Sanctain, seems to have occurred. The parish Church of St. John's contains a stained glass window to St. Sanctain, spelt 'St. Sanctan'. The living of St. Sanctain's together with that of twelve other livings in the Isle of Man, is solely in the patronage of the Crown, in the person of Her Majesty the Queen, the Lord of Mann. Before the dissolution of the Monastries, it was in the hands of the Abbot of Rushen Abbey.
In the 17th century Vicars' stipends were so small that in some cases as with one Vicar of Santon, the Vicars kept an ale house to augment their incomes. Eventually this anomaly was rectified by raising their stipends to a more realistic amount, for that period. The records of the Spiritual Courts show that in the early part of the 17th century an irate Vicar of Santon pulled an offending parishioner by his beard. These courts also intervened in matrimonial difficulties, the Sumner having to be the equivalent of a modern Welfare Officer. In 1644 the Archdeacon and Vicar-General ordered that
"N.M. of Santon shall fit and furnish his wife from Tagart - with a suit from top to tow, accordinge to his and her - eynce and callinge and this without fayle to be done before tuseday the 12th of December and thereof -neighbours (whereof the Sumner is to be one) to see that she be well used in foode and other necessaries ".
The land upon which St. Sanctain's Church is built, has been a sacred Christian site for fifteen centuries and various Keeills, or Churches have been erected thereon. Records show that in the decade of 1720-1730, the Church was rebuilt. Around 1774 something very serious must have happened to it (possibly it was destroyed by fire), for in that yeare it was again rebuilt and has remained standing to the present day.
In a gift of ecclesiastical benefices, by Edward I, AD.1291, occurs a reference to the Church. There may be as yet unrevealed reference to St. Sanctain's Churchgoing back into earlier centuries. The earliest Vicar of whom there is a traceable, record was called Dofnold who died about 1291 (Rotuli Scotiae). He was succeeded by Odo.
The French Monarchs were styled 'Most Christian', the Spanish, 'Catholic' and from 1521 (Henry VIII) the English, 'Defender of the Faith'. In Santon Church the Arms on the face of the Gallery purport to be those of King William IV, who came to the throne in 1830. The letters, W.R., however, may have been put in consequent upon his succession. Thus they could be older, being the Arms of his father, George III or even George II. Extra from the accounts which follow mention Arms in 1801 and 1836. They could not be earlier than 1801 otherwise they would include the Arms of France. Incidentally in the Arms the Lion supporter should be painted gold and not tawny.
No history of Santon Church would be complete without reference to the Cosnahan family, which included four Vicars of Santon and also three Vicars of Braddan, making a total of seven clergymen, of whom six and their wives are buried under what is called " The' Greet Stone". This stone covers the Cosnahan family grave in the churchyard, near the south-west end of the Church. The Cosnahan family were descendants of a Scottish immigrant who appears to have arrived at Peel about 1530. He had three sons. The Santon branch was derived from his son, John, whose son, William, was Vicar of Santon from 1614-1618. Little is known of this Vicar, but his son Sir John (Santon's Vicar from 1618-1656), was a merry old roisterer, who kept an ale house; pulled the beard of one Nicholas Moore and erected, (or possibly his father did), the Great Stone, a massive piece of schist, believed to weigh 30 cwt. His brother William, a man of similar mould and vicar of German, went through the siege of Peel Castle, had a daughter, Margery, to whom he entrusted his ale-house, was fined for brawling and bloodshed, and also for using foul language! His wife was sentenced to 'wear the bridle' in Peel Churchyard, for slander!
EVERY Parish has stored in its Iron Chest materials for a History that would in many cases prove of more than merely local interest. The Registers as they were formerly kept are full of little pieces of information and notes by contemporaries which to any one who would know about the former times are simply invaluable. The Registers of Kirk Michael are not remarkably interesting, nor are they utterly barren. Curiously enough the Baptisms continue yearly "in the Parliament's time," though sadly fallen off in numbers; but 'the Burials Register is an entire blank from 1653 to 1663; the Marriages continue regularly from 1656, but as a sign of disturbed times we find against 1658 "none maryd " and only three couples in 1659, and those all between the 16th and 22nd of November.
The Surnames were much the same then as now, and some of the families can be traced for many years in the same farm; but the spelling is most erratic, there are thirteen variations of Kaighin, and sixteen of Corjeage. There are a few instances of the dropping of Mac before a name as in McBooy, which can be clearly traced to the present Boyd, and in other cases the Mac exists now as an initial M, Mcylrea is now Mylrea, Mcylecreest Mylchreest. English names were most puzzling to the Manx sometimes, and had to go through much mutilation in consequence, for instance a gentleman named Montgomery married and settled in Michael in 1668; two years later it is McGummery, and before twenty years the Mac falls out and the family name is handed down to posterity as Gummery. Some of the Christian names are curious, none of those monstrous inventions that were so common in England in Puritan times.
Disasters of another kind far more fatal than the fishing devastated the Parish at intervals; severe epidemics of smallpox are recorded in 1684, 1704, 1725, 1732, 1764, 1772; and in 1623, 1629, 1639 the deaths were very numerous, though no special note was made of the cause.
Other events are also recorded here: among the Burials in 1781 occurs a note that Convocation was held at Bishop's Court on 7th June, and the next yeare a similar note is found among the Baptisms. A considerable part of the interest of the Registers in fact centres round Bishop's Court; the first Bishop mentioned is "John Phillips Bishop of the Isle of Man bur jan 30, 1633. "(The date is given by Train 1635.) Bishop Wilson was consecrated in 1697 and three of his children were baptised at Michael: Thomas, Oct. 24, 1700 (who died 8 June,1701 at Warrington); Alice, baptised 4 March, 1701, who died 3 June 1703, and was buried in "ye Cathedral Church of Peel"; and Thomas, baptised 26th Aug ust 1703, afterwards Dr. Wilson, who gave a chalice to "Kirk Michael the place of his nativity," and rebuilt the Chancel of the Church.
The people called Ranters, or Primitive Methodists, have a good number of chapels in the island; and in several places they have pretty large congregations, comparatively numerous societies, and promising Sabbath schools. Their ministers appear to be pious, diligent, and useful men. There are two Roman Catholic chapels; two belonging to the Independents; and two in connexion with the church of Scotland.