LIST OF SHEDYNGS, A. D. 1511 - 1515

Canon Quine argued that the Parish system was introduced under Scots control c.1275 being introduced to Scotland from England - the Bishopric having been established in 1154 and in Flanders. The Island is split into 17 parishes. Originally it was likely that there were 16 parishes, Santan and Marown being one. The division between Marown and Santan cuts through a treen rather than one. Most parish divisions follow some feature of the land. Lonan is the basin of the Laxey River, Onchan that of the basin of the Groudle and Malew that of the Silverburn. Three parishes to each of the newly formed southern sheadings in the 14th Century as the parochial system was exotic and alien upon arriving; but as it had been introduced from England into Scotland, so from Scotland most probably it was introduced and this epoch was not that of Saint Ninian or St. Patrick, or St. Colomba. Rushen Abbey came into existence in 1134. The Nunnery at Douglas had lands and a chapel. The Priory of Whithorn had a barony of land under Greeba mountain, and built St. Trinian’s (or Ninian’s) Church. The Irish Abbeys of Bangor and Sabal had, from very early times, the land between Glen Meay and Dalby, with a chapel, the traditional site of which is in the chapel field at Ballelby. The Priory of St. Bees’ had lands in Maughold and at Groudle. The ruins of the Barony Chapel still remain. In 1154, at Ramsey, the nephews of Olaf I. demand a share of the Isles. Reginald, one of these nephews, is described as " loquens cum quodam viro de principibus terræ," viz., in conversation with a certain man of the chiefs of the land. The Treenholder came in person accompanied by three yeomen. There is generally a principal quarterland farm on each Treen and in some cases with the Treen chapel upon it. It is in connection with some of these Treen chapels that most of the Manx Runic crosses have been found. A keeil is an early Christian chapel dating from before the introduction of the parochial system in the 12th century. In the sixth century there emerged a class of clergy, independent of the monasteries, who lived a solitary and austere life. These recluses known as Culdee's (from Cele De servant of God) from the 8th Century would build his own cell or oratory ('Keeill') and act as spiritual father to the local families. Earliest keeils were probably mud and wattle (long disappeared) whilst those that remain as ruins generally have earth walls lined inside with stone. These probably date from 8th to 12th century and typically measure 5m by 3m. The Isle of Man is for administrative purposes divided into six sheddings, each of three parishes. The Celtization of Man is always associated with the conquest of West-Scotland and the Hebrides by the North-Irish tribe Dál Riada in the 5th and 6th centuries. The dedication of a keeill only gives a terminus ante quem nom. Relating to saints of a relatively recent age, such as Machutus who died in the yeare 565, Brandan -† 578, Columba - † 597, Comgall -† 600, Cuthhert - † 687 and Adamnan -†703. No keeill can be shown to have been dedicated to any saint later than Adamnan who died three generations before the coming of the Norwegians to the island. No notice is taken of the Church of Olav (sill Amhlaoibh) on Euastad, mentioned in King Gilded Svarte's charter of 1154, which cannot have been a keeill in the usual conception of the word, but a chapel of considerable dimensions. From two early Ogham inscriptions of Ballaqueeney meant Bivaidu of the tribe of Connal, now the tribe-name, corresponding to the eponym Cunovalos, would in Ogham be Curzovalinion, concurring in all respects with Irish Conailne, Conaille, the name of the famous tribe in Louth, South Ulster, also named Conaille Muirthemne and emanating, as tradition goes, from Conall Cernach, the hero of the Red Branch, who is presumed to have lived at the beginning of our era and is mentioned in the Annals of Tigernach for the yeare 254. The Imchad mac Rochado mentioned in the Ogham inscription of knock y Doonee, Andreas, must also in some way be connected with the two brothers Imchad and Rochaid, the sons of Colla Da Crich and nephews of Colla Huais, Monarch of Ireland A.D. 327 to A.D. 331, the progenitor of the Clann Cholla from whom sprang the Lords of the Isles. Conaille Muirthemne belonged, with Antrim, Down, and parts of Meath, to the Pictish domain in Ireland. In the Chronicle of the Picts and Scots all the Conailli of Ireland are said to descend from the Picts of Dál Riada. As in the Orkneys practically all urisland-chapels have been built over a brooch or other prehistoric monument, so in the Isle of Man no less than 24 keeills. In 18 keeills and parochial churches Norwegian ornamental cross-slabs and runic inscriptions have been discovered. But many keeills are considerably older, as is proved by a long series of primitive crosses and cross-fragments of the 6th — possibly even the 5th — cent. from 42 keeills or parochial churches. In many cases old finds go to prove that these large chapels must have been Christian places of worship centuries before the Viking Age, this holding good e. g. for the parochial church of Maughold and St. Trinian's. Of the neighboring parochial churches, four parishes of the four keeills of Maughold, Conchan, Braddan, and Marown, that later grew into parochial churches. The finds of the 5th to the 7th cent. preferably group themselves around the keeills which in the 13th cent. appear as parochial churches while all parishes (except Marown) stretch down to the sea. The sixteen Manx representatives at this Althing of Man and the Isles were chosen from the proceres, principes, or optimates, to men of trust administering certain districts under the king of Man and the Isles. And these administrative districts cannot have differed from those which in the 13th cent. emerge as parishes. As in the Orkneys, the parishes in the Isle of Man were also represented at the thing by one deputy each, like the goðorðs on Iceland. The majority of the latter being, like many of the large keeills, places of Christian worship long before the Viking Age, being found by the Celts. At the time when the old treen was divided, the keeill had played its part, being overshadowed by the large keeill or the parochial church developing therefrom, the new treen having no use for a keeill. A division of an older been, bear Norwegian names: Gresby, Begode, Raby, Colby, Dalby, Gnebe, Sulby, Leodest, Coma, Smeall, Crosby, Cranstall, Baldall. The number of old treens having no keeills, had reduced from 83 to 57. Of the 159 keeills known in the Isle of Man, 124 are dispersed over 96 treens, while 35 are situated on Church or Abbey land.

 

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LIST OF PARISHES, A.D. (Southern.)