Carlisle Patriot, 19 Nov 1825 - Isle of Man Riots (1)

[petra.mi...@doctors.org.uk]

Saturday 19 Nov 1825   (p. 3, col. 1-2)

 

ISLE OF MAN.

 

The following account of the late riots in the Isle of Man, is extracted from the Manx Rising Sun of the 5th instant:—

 

On the 28th ult. a proctor or sub-proctor, with servants, horses, and carts, of the Duke of Atholl, and of the Lord Bishop, went into the parish of Kirk Christ Rushen, to collect the tithe of potatoes; they had succeeded in taking away, during the day, and without obstruction, a quantity of potatoes. Near the close of the day a number of men of the labouring classes assembled, and having overturned the carts, committed acts of personal violence on the persons engaged in collecting the said tithes, and also broke the windows of a house to which the proctors, &c. had for safety retired. They also violently assaulted two individuals who had attempted to interpose, and threatened the persons and properties of others. Previous to the overturning of the carts, &c. it has been asserted that irritating words, uttered by the collectors, hastened, if not occasioned, the violence which ensued.

 

On Saturday morning, the High Bailiff of Castletown, by direction, as is understood, of his Honour the Lieut. Governor, repaired to the parish, and having taken examinations on oath, issued warrants, and took into custody, with the assistance of the civil officers, two of the persons concerned in the violence done to the persons and properties of individuals, and committed them to jail in Castle Rushen.—On Monday, constables were sent to execute warrants against the offenders, but the constables were driven out of the parish.

 

The Lieutenant-Governor having, as is understood, expressed his determination to carry into effect the warrants issued by the High Bailiff, E. GAWNE, Esq. captain of the parish, supposed that his authority and influence in the parish, aided by the High Bailiff, would enable them to secure the offenders. The exertions, however, of these gentlemen, proved unsuccessful; they apprehended two men, one of whom was only committed to jail, the other being rescued. During this period no act of violence was offered towards the captain of the parish nor to the High Bailiff, nor to the persons or properties of any other individuals, saving some not very gentle squeezes by a few of the fair sex on Monday to some of the constables, and also excepting some acts of violence which occurred on the Wednesday, under the following circumstances:—

 

Mr. M'CRONE dispatched some horses, carts, &c. under the command of a person of the name of COBB, to persist in collecting the potatoes, and requesting the High Bailiff to order constables to accompany the party on this embassy, who, good-naturedly, perhaps incautiously, was prevailed on to allow some of the constables to go. The people, in great bodies, assembled to guard the potatoes, saying if they were to die, they might as well be killed outright as be starved to death for want of their food, the means by which they lived, the potatoes: an altercation took place between the parties, and COBB produced a pistol, and pointing to some of the party, snapped it; on which the pistol was wrested out of his hand, and the poor man was cobbed in good earnest.

 

The High Bailiff having reported to his Honour the Lieutenant-Governor the difficulty of executing the warrants without military aid, his Honour promptly ordered the troops under the command of Captain BISSETT in Douglas to repair to Castletown, and join the detachment under the command of Lieutenant BURNS in that quarter, who at an early hour on Thursday morning, accompanied by the High Bailiff and several constables, proceeded to the parish of Rushen to executed the warrants so issued by the High Bailiff, and to apprehend the offenders and lodge them in gaol. After a diligent search, and without obstruction offered by the parishioners, the party were not successful in finding the offenders, and they returned quietly without any serious disturbance having taken place, the parishioners remaining still, in considerable bodies assembled.

 

On this day it happened that the Council was assembled for the purpose of granting Banking-Licenses, and it having been understood that the Lord Bishop, who was of course in attendance as a member of the Council, would not be adverse to giving due consideration to such representations as the parishioners might be inclined to make. The parishioners did make a communication in writing to his Lordship, but he had left Castletown before the paper reached, and it was forwarded to him in Douglas. The substance of which was an entreaty to forbear the exaction of the potatoe tithe, and offering to repair the injuries sustained by individuals in consequence of the unjustifiable conduct of some of the enraged practitioners.

 

The people, anxious to ascertain the result of their communication, not having received an answer on Thursday, as they expected, still remaining assembled in large bodies, on Friday came to Castletown about 11 o'clock to meet his Lordship, and occupied a considerable part of the parade.

 

From the numbers so assembled, his honour the Lieutenant-Governor gave such directions and commands to the peace officers and military as might best guard against any annoyance to the peaceable inhabitants, and to disperse the assembled crowd, if necessary. In this position of affairs, his Honour the Lieutenant-Governor approached the people, and after a strong remonstrance and caution, demanded to know the cause of their assembling. The reply was, they wanted an answer from the Bishop. The result was a deputation from the people of six individuals from among them, which was received by the Lord Bishop in the Chancery Court Room in Castle Rushen, when his Lordship delivered a paper expressive of his sentiments to the deputation, which was afterwards read by the captain of the parish on the Parade; the substance of which was, (as could be collected from a hasty hearing of it read, and not having seen the document,) that his Lordship considering the representations by them made, would not for the present insist on the payment of their potatoe tithes.

 

The people then gave three hearty cheers for his Majesty, the Lieutenant-Governor, and the Lord Bishop; and on his Lordship taking his chaise to leave the town, the people expressed their thanks and saluted him with three cheers.

 

 

[to be continued]