In 1906 William Gell of Onchan had his third book published containing his lengthy poem, Mannin Veg Veen, which made a poetical tour of the Island. In honour of the Three Legs, William Gell decided to write his poem in rhyming triplets. However, before embarking on the tour, we look at a full-page photograph, the title page and William Gell's dedic…

One of the sensations of its day was a trial in Douglas of George Barker James Cooper, the scion of a Manchester business family, whose relationship with Edith Annie Cooper, his wife, was volatile, going from apparent harmony to drunken violence in an instant. In one such episode, Edith was killed in their room at the Regent Hotel in Douglas. The C…

Politics during the years following the death of Godred Crovan in 1097 were only too literally cut-throat, as various rivals fought savagely for the throne of the Kingdom of Man and the Isles. We follow the Chronicles of the Kings of Man and the Isles for 90 years from the death of Godred Crovan to the death of Godred Olafson on 10th November 1187.…

We hear from yn Greinneyder, Culture Vannin's Manx Language Development Officer, Ruth Keggin Gell, about the events which go to make up the Cooish Manx Language Festival, being held from Wednesday 6th to Sunday 10th November. Professor Van Helsing has left Mina Harker protected in a Holy circle whilst he goes alone to undertake the task of destroyi…

We find out something about a newspaper called the Manx Liberal, which was published from 1836 to 1851. We turn to an edition of October 1843 and hear of a tragedy in Union Mills. In our Manx translation of Bram Stoker's Dracula, Professor Van Helsing has protected Mina Harker within a circle sprinkled with pieces of communion wafer to keep away ev…

We finish the short story by P M C Kermode about John the Priest of Corna dale, set against events of the year 1210. It was intended as one of a series of unconnected short stories, perhaps more as a vehicle to give lots of historic colour. However, he was persuaded to continue to follow the life of his main character in subsequent episodes. Profes…

P M C Kermode sets his story about John the Priest of Corna dale against the historic events of 1210, which saw war galleys sent to the Island by King John of England, when unfortunately the strong Manx king Reginald (Ragnvaldr) was absent with his forces in the western isles of Scotland. In our Manx translation of Bram Stoker's Dracula, we first j…

We've followed Juan the Priest of Corna Dale into Thorkell's cabin on the slopes of Barrule, where he finds Thorkell's wife with her children and a sickly baby. The mother thinks it won't survive for long, but Juan has other ideas. A story written by P M C Kermode, with lots of historic detail. In our Manx translation of Dracula by Bram Stoker, we …

In the first edition of Sophia Morrison's magazine, 'Mannin', in May 1913, P M C Kermode contributed what was intended to be the first of a series of short stories to give an impression of day to day life in the Island's history. However, it became the story about John the Priest and starts 'In Corna Dale'. In our Manx translation of Bram Stoker's …

Christopher Shimmin's story, The Smuggler, continues with Juan Robin, skipper of the Mauthe Dhoo, arranging to go and bring in a consignment of smuggled rum, despite the presence of a revenue sloop, Hawk, under the command of his old Royal Navy shipmate, Bill Bartlett. Whilst the others rest, Mina Harker has gone through all the accounts of Count D…

In the early 20th century, Christopher Shimmin wrote plays for Peel Players. When Sophia Morrison launched the magazine Mannin for Yn Cheshaght Ghailckagh in 1913 his story The Smuggler appeared in the first edition. We hear the first part of that story in this edition of Claare ny Gael. Having reached the port of Galatz, the friends hear how the b…

We come to the end of the section of 'The Fairy-Faith in the Celtic Countries' in which American scholar W Y Evans Wentz recounts some of the stories he heard on his visit to the Island in 1909. He also collected in the other Celtic countries, and the result was an Oxford PhD thesis which he subsequently published in 1911. In our Manx translation o…

On Christmas Day of 1909, American scholar W Y Evans Wentz has been out to Glen Maye to collect stories, and has now walked back into Peel to the house of William Cashen, who tells him more for what became Evans Wentz's 1911 publication, 'The Fairy-Faith in the Celtic Countries'. After hearing from Mina Harker under hypnosis that Count Dracula is e…

It's Christmas Day 1909, but American scholar, W Y Evans Wentz, is still out visiting people in Glen Maye and Peel to hear stories which he retold in 'The Fairy-Faith in the Celtic Countries', which he published in 1911. In our Manx translation of Dracula by Bram Stoker, Mina Harker has understood something of the character of Count Dracula, from s…

We rejoin W Y Evans Wentz in Ballasalla where he hears more stories about what he calls 'fairies', though Sophia Morrison points out that the Manx people had lots of names for them, but that 'fairies' was not used. Evans Wentz visited the Island in 1909 to take evidence for his book, 'The Fairy-Faith in the Celtic Countries', which was published in…

American scholar W Y Evans Wentz visited the Island in 1909 when Sophia Morrison took him to meet people from whom he took evidence for his PhD thesis which he published in 1911 as 'The Fairy-Faith in the Celtic Countries'. We join him on his collecting trip. Our party of friends have been intent on boarding a ship as soon as it arrives in Varna on…

We come to the end of Sophia Morrison's Introduction to the section of W Y Evans Wentz's 1911 publication, 'The Fairy-Faith in the Celtic Countries', dealing specifically with the Isle of Man, and we hear what he wrote down of whom he met and what they told him when he visited the Island in 1909. Our band of friends are talking about what will need…

American scholar, W Y Evans Wentz, published 'The Fairy-Faith in the Celtic Countries' in 1911. Information from the Island was supplied by Sophia Morrison, and we find out what she sent to him, writing in September 1910. Mina Harker explains why she wants her husband, Jonathan, to be willing to swear to end her life and to go on to take the grueso…

We find out what happened in the harvest service at Ronague when Isaiah Cregeen was struggling in the pulpit to answer a question put by his brother, Martin - better known as Fairy. This is the penultimate of Dorothy Manley's short stories under the title, Fairy's Ground, and we also move on to the opening of the final story. In our episode from Br…

Dorothy Manley has introduced us to Isaiah Cregeen, one of the seven Cregeen siblings. Isaiah is a Methodist preacher, and his wife is very proud to take her place in chapel on a Sunday. However, she doesn't welcome the presence of the youngest of the brothers, Martin - known to all as Fairy, and who gives his name to the collection of short storie…

We finish the case involving the Trespass Jury in Dorothy Manley's short story, 'The Lawyer', involving Benjamin Cregeen and his brother, Jonah. The youngest brother, Fairy Cregeen, after whom Dorothy Manley names her collection, 'Fairy's Ground', is actually only mentioned completely incidentally. We then move on to the fourth story called 'The Pr…

We've been introduced to the Cregeen family in the first of Dorothy Manley's collection, 'Fairy's Ground : Homely Tales', told by her narrator, a young man training to be a teacher. The second tale concentrated on Joshua Cregeen, and in the third we become better acquainted with his brothers, Jonah and Benjamin. The figure of Matthew Cregeen, bette…

Dorothy Manley has made the narrator of her collection, 'Fairy's Ground : Homely Tales', a young man. In the first story, 'The Chimney-Sweep', he was a young lad. The second story, 'The Farmer', has taken us forward by seven years, and the narrator is training to be a teacher - which he has become by the time of the third story, 'The Lawyer'. Profe…

Dorothy Manley's collection, 'Fairy's Ground : Homely Tales', contains five stories involving a character called Fairy Cregeen. In the second tale, Joshua 'Joss' Cregeen is working for a farmer called Charley Willie, where Charlie's daughter, Alice, takes on a lot of the work. As we move on through Bram Stoker's story, 'Dracula', Professor Van Hels…

Dorothy Manley's story, 'The Chimney Sweep', is the first in her collection called 'Fairy's Ground : Homely Tales and Poems'. In the 'Homely Tales' she creates a male narrator who brings the first tale to an end and embarks on a second, entitled 'The Farmer'. Jonathan Harker's journal is describing how he is pleased that his wife, Mina, is sleeping…

We looked at the poetry from the booklet, 'FAIRY'S GROUND : Homely Tales and Poems : by Dorothy Manley', and now we turn to the first of the 'Homely Tales' which is called 'The Chimney Sweep'. In our extract from the translation into Manx of Bram Stoker's 'Dracula', after the escape of Count Dracula from his house in Piccadilly, the five friends re…

Dorothy Manley was brought up in Ramsey and from a young age became well-known for her recitation, winning awards for her dramatic interpretations, and widely praised for her acting ability. We hear her poetry from a booklet, 'Fairy's Ground : Homely Tales and Poems'. In our translation into Manx of Bram Stoker's Dracula, the five friends are gathe…

Having looked recently at a 1965 book of poetry by Barbara Cowley of Peel, 'More Poems of Man', there are some earlier poems which appeared in the pages of the Peel City Guardian from January to July 1963, and probably formed the basis of an earlier collection of Barbara Cowley, probably called 'Poems of Man'. In our translation into Manx of Bram S…

On 5th May 1830 Thomas Edward Brown was born in New Bond Street, Douglas. Dollin Kelly's one-man tour de force performance of T E Brown's poem, 'Betsy Lee', which he took to the Edinburgh Festival, was recorded by Charles Guard for the Manx Heritage Foundation in 1992. That is now available on the Culture Vannin website. We hear Dollin Kelly and th…

From the 1965 collection, 'More Poems of Man', we have pieces by Margery Robinson and David Marno, and even find one we missed by main author, Barbara Cowley, the sister of Margery and mother of David. The friends are about to leave Mina Harker as they go to Carfax, the adjacent house owned by Count Dracula, to make his daytime lairs of Transylvani…

We again dip into the 1965 collection of 'More Poems of Man', in which we finish off the poems written by Barbara Cowley of Peel and hear one written by her son, David Marno. Professor Van Helsing has been saying that he himself, together with Dr John Seward and Jonathan Harker, will stay at Count Dracula's house in Picadilly whilst Lord Godalming …

We're dipping into a booklet published in 1965 and called 'More Poems of Man', a collection of poems by Barbara Cowley of Peel, with other poems by her son and her sister. There must have been an earlier 'Poems of Man', but whilst that's not to hand, there are other poems which appear in the Peel City Guardian, so it's likely that they made up the …

We hear of Dorothy Wordsworth's final week in the Island before she leaves at 11.50pm on 19th July 1828 to sail back overnight to Whitehaven. She seems to have been fortunate with the weather during her walking tour, but these last few days bring quite a lot of rain. However, she does prevail upon Joanna Hutchinson to see a doctor. An attendant in …

Dorothy Wordsworth returns from Ramsey to Douglas on a carrier's cart. En route she enters a clean but poor cottage in Laxey and is not impressed with the superficial sanctity of a fellow passenger, a young Methodist preacher. Back in Douglas she meets up with Henry Hutchinson and Willy Wordsworth again, and some friends, Mr and Mrs Putnam. Mina Ha…

After spending the night in an attractive cottage at Ballure, Dorothy Wordsworth enjoys the pleasant setting once more before setting out with Henry Hutchinson and Willy Wordsworth for Maughold. There she leaves them to make their way back to Douglas whilst she returns to Ramsey. Dr John Seward has explained all that happened to Jonathan Harker, wh…

Dorothy Wordsworth's walking tour of the Island in July 1828 has brought her to a cottage at the foot of Ballure Glen, where the hosts are Mrs Brew and Miss Trivett. After a walk out to Maughold, she returns to Ramsey. Professor Van Helsing and his friends have broken into the room ofJonathan and Mina Harker - only to find Mina in the fierce clutch…

We left Dorothy Wordsworth, Henry Hutchinson and Willy Wordsworth walking under the trees planted by Bishop Thomas Wilson at Bishopscourt after visiting the good bishop's grave at Kirk Michael. It's onwards north again now as they make a walking tour in July 1828. In our translation into the Manx Gaelic of Bram Stoker's Dracula, Dr John Seward's pa…

Tuesday 8th July 1828 had been a tiring day's walk for Dorothy Wordsworth from Castletown to Port St Mary, over the Meayll to Port Erin, then up over Cronk ny Arrey Laa and down through Dalby to Peel. However, she's now up and ready for the next day. Professor Van Helsing is waiting for the right time to do a trepanning operation on the skull of th…

We're joining Dorothy Wordsworth in July 1828 as she makes a walking tour which has taken her to Castletown, then on the next day to Port St Mary and Port Erin. Now she's about to climb up and over to Peel, through Dalby and Glen Maye. In an episode from Bram Stoker's Dracula in a translation into the Manx Gaelic, an attendant in the asylum run by …

Dorothy Wordsworth is out walking again during her visit to the Island of 1828, and we hear her description of the gardens around the Duke of Atholl's Castle Mona before she undertakes a walk from Douglas to Castletown and then to Port St Mary and Port Erin. In our translation into the Manx Gaelic of Bram Stoker's Dracula, Dr John Seward forms the …

Dorothy Wordsworth continues describing what she sees on her walks in and around the Douglas area and the people she meets as she stays with Joanna and Henry Hutchinson on the South Quay in Douglas. Her nephew, poet William Wordsworth's youngest son, Willy, is also staying there this summer of 1828. Dr John Seward's asylum patient, Renfield, is cau…

After seeing Rev Robert Brown conducting a service at St Matthew's, Dorothy Wordsworth now goes to call on him and his family. As well as her account of their home, we also hear from a famous son of the family, Hugh Stowell Brown, as he recalls the house in New Bond Street in Douglas. In our translation into the Manx Gaelic of Dracula, Jonathan Har…

Dorothy Wordsworth has come to the Island in 1828 and is staying on the South Quay. She goes to church services on Sunday morning and enjoys walks and socialising, including going to visit the family of the Rev Robert Brown. Robert Brown had sent a volume of his poetry to Dorothy's brother, the poet William Wordsworth. Jonathan Harker is on the tra…

Dorothy Wordsworth, sister of the poet, William, kept a diary of her visit to the Island in 1828, when she stayed with Henry and Joanna Hutchinson on the South Quay in Douglas. They were brother and sister to William Wordsworth's wife, Mary. The Wordsworths also had friends in the Island, including Rev Robert Brown, father of Manx poet, T E Brown. …

J J Kneen's chapter on nicknames in his 1937 'Personal Names of the Isle of Man' reprinted almost verbatim what A W Moore had written in his 1890 'Surnames and Place-Names of the Isle of Man', but with some additions and alternatives. We look at those additions and alternatives. We hear that Mina Harker had a disturbed time whilst the search party …

Having started with J B Keig's nicknames in Ballaugh, we've moved on to A W Moore's thoughts on nicknames throughout the Island. As we find out, that work from 1890 was the framework for what J J Kneen had to say about nicknames in his book from 1937. In our translation of Bram Stoker's Dracula into the Manx Gaelic, Professor Van Helsing has been g…

A W Moore is perhaps getting a bit enthusiastic in researching the parish registers for nicknames, as he seems to want to include descriptions that have been added to give a little extra information about people mentioned. However, we do come on to ways of naming people as well at a time when surnames and forenames were quite often similar. In our …

We've started looking at A W Moore's 1890 publication, 'The Surnames and Place-Names of the Isle of Man' for its section on nicknames, taking up where we left off with our survey of the nicknames used in Ballaugh collected by J B Keig. In our episode from the translation into the Manx Gaelic of Bram Stoker's Dracula, we're hearing from Jonathan Har…

After looking at a collection of nicknames used in the parish of Ballaugh from about 1860 to 1900, collected by Mr J B Keig in 1933, we go back to the work of A W Moore, printed in 1890, and first dealing generally with the theme of nicknames, but then coming on to examples from the Island. In our translation of Dracula into the Manx Gaelic, the pa…

We come to the end of the booklet by Mr J B Keig with his collection of nicknames used in Ballaugh parish in the period 1860 to 1900. It concludes with a postscript by Mr Keig, giving us a fascinating glimpse of the personalities of some of the people he mentions. In our translation into the Manx Gaelic of Bram Stoker's Dracula, Dr John Seward's pa…