Manx National Heritage Library

Public Information Sheet No. 1 January 2002

1. General

Researching your family history can be an exciting hobby and most of the sources for the study of Manx genealogy are available at the Manx National Heritage Library. Many of these records are held on microfilm or microfiche and are available on a ‘self help’ basis in the Reading Room. Please note that visitors wishing to consult microfilm or microfiche material need not book a reading machine in advance.

Help is at hand at every stage of your research and if you need assistance the staff will be only too happy to help.

Anyone considering research on their family history is strongly recommended to consult ‘The Manx Family Tree: a guide to records in the Isle of Man’, by Janet Narasimham (3rd Edition 2000) ISBN 0 9523 9630 0. This booklet gives guidance on how to set about research and the types of records which can be searched and is available from the Manx Museum shop, at most Island bookshops, or from the Isle of Man Family History Society.

You are also advised to join this Society details of which are available in the Reading Room desk, or by request.

2. Sources

Civil Registration of Births, Marriages and Deaths.
Records of the compulsory registration of births and deaths began in 1878 and for marriages in 1884. Certificates can be obtained, for a fee, from the:
General Registry
Address:
Deemsters Walk
Buck’s Road
Douglas
IM1 3AR
Telephone: 01624 687039
Email Address: civil@registry.gov.im
Web Site http://www.gov.im/infocentre
The Library cannot supply certificates but has a microfiche copy of the indexes of births, marriages and deaths, covering the period 1878 to 1993.
Non compulsory marriage certificates were issued from 1849 for dissenters who chose not to have their union solemnised in a parish church.
Manx Parish Registers
Some years ago all the then available church registers were called in by the General Registry and copies were made. These copies were subsequently microfilmed and cover from the early 1600s to 1883 and are available on microfilm in the library.
These are indexed by parish for baptism and marriage entries as a result of being collected for the I.G.I. (see below).
The Isle of Man Family History Society has produced detailed transcripts of burial registers in an ongoing project, which are available in the Reading Room.
Non Conformist Churches
The library holds some registers and other records for local nonconformist churches and chapels. Roman Catholic registers are normally held by the respective parish priests. These are not name indexed and are incomplete.
It is worth noting that by law nonconformists were required to marry in parish churches until 1849. After this they could marry in their own churches in the presence of the Deputy Registrar in whose records these marriages were entered.
Hence before 1849 most if not all nonconformist marriages should appear in the parish registers and after 1883 in the records of compulsory civil registration.
International Genealogical Index
This has been compiled by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (The Mormon Church) and is an alphabetical listing by surname of entries compiled from church registers relating to Baptisms and Marriages. It is a useful way of finding which of the Island’s parishes to check for your ancestors. This index is regularly updated and is available world wide on line at www.familysearch.org and in the church’s family history centres, as well as at the library.
Census Returns
Microfilm copies of the Isle of Man census returns for 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871 and 1881 and microfiche of the 1891 and 1901 enumerations are available at the library. These returns record each person in a ‘household’, the relationship of every person to the ‘head of household’, ages, occupations and places of birth. The 1901 census is also available online at www.census.pro.gov.uk for a small fee.
The IOM Family History Society has published transcripts of all of the 1851 and 1881 censuses and these are either in alphabetical order or have alphabetical indexes. The Society has also produced an index by surname to the 1891 census. Indexes to the 1841, 51, 61, 71 & 91 Censuses in printed form are also available in the library. The Mormons have name indexed the 1881 census on microfiche. All of these are available in the library.
In addition some parishes and the town of Ramsey have been indexed for the intervening decades by private researchers. Please ask for details at the desk.
Wills
A sizeable proportion of people in the Isle of Man left wills and these are always a good potential source of family relationships and the assets and liabilities of the deceased as shown in an inventory of goods which sometimes accompanies a will.
The library holds wills for the period c.1600 to 1910 and microfilm copies from the earliest dates to 1916. Later wills can be consulted at the General Registry. The majority of the wills have been indexed though there are still gaps in the 17th century.
Directories
The Island never had an equivalent of the ‘Kelly’s’ series, but is included in a number of early British Directories.
Some examples held are:
- Holden 1811
- Pigot 1824, 1837, 1843
- Slater’s 1846, 1852, 1857
- Bent’s 1902, 1907
Other local directories include:
- Thwaites 1863
- Brown’s 1882, 1894
- Porter’s 1889
All Library Ref. L10
In addition there is an early list of Inhabitants of Castletown c.1751 listing nearly 900 people.
Archive Ref 1770c
Newspapers
Manx papers date from the late eighteenth century, (with some additional coverage in the Cumberland Pacquet from 1793-1803) and are useful for biographical notes on individuals and obituary notices. The latter can inform you of the churchyard or cemetery in which a relative is interred.
Manx papers do not seem to include a lot of obituaries but they are still worth checking.
All papers are partially indexed by name and subject from 1793-c.1850 and from 1957 -1994. In addition the Manx Sun family announcements of births, deaths and marriages have been indexed from 1850-c.1860 in an ongoing project.
Land and Property Records
The system used to record ownership of land is somewhat complicated but incomplete series of records exist mainly after 1511. The Setting books (Libri Assedationis) are arranged by parish giving the names of the landowners and the lord’s rent paid. Changes of ownership through sale, inheritance, bankruptcy etc. are recorded in the Wast books (Libri Vastarum).
Both these series are microfilmed and available for consultation but it is advisable to familiarise yourself with the land holding system before jumping into the original records. Bear in mind also that barony and abbey lands have their own specific series of records.
There is also a substantial collection of deeds from the late 17th century to 1910, (later ones are at the General Registry), and these are indexed by parish and then by name of the grantor (i.e seller). Grantee (i.e. purchaser) indexes exist at the General Registry from 1911.
Monumental Inscriptions
The Family History Society has a programme of transcribing the inscriptions from graveyards and publishing them in book form. The Library has a full set of those already done and coverage is nearly complete for the Island. They are often a vital clue to family relationships.
Ecclesiastical Court Records
Presentments: If you only find a mother’s name in the register of baptism there is a chance of finding details of the father in these records. Early years of these are on microfilm and a name index of Church Court Orders from the 1790s to 1918 is in preparation.
Other Records
There are a variety of additional sources in both manuscript and printed form. It is necessary to refer to the indexes held by the library to access these and more details are available in the booklet ‘The Manx Family Tree’ referred to above.
Genealogical Research Service
The National Library can provide on request a list of Genealogists any one of whom will, for a fee, undertake genealogical research on behalf of private clients.

General Registry

Address:	Deemsters Walk Buck’s Road Douglas IM1 3AR
Telephone:	01624 687039
Email Address:	civil@registry.gov.im
Web Site	http://www.gov.im/infocentre

The Manx National Heritage Library holds a wealth of various and extensive source material. Staff at the library and throughout Manx National Heritage, are always pleased to hear from anyone with an interest in Manx history.

RS rev. ed. 01.02