Kings & Lords Of Mann

The history of Mann, from the ninth century colonisation by the Norse, is a turbulent tale of Vikings, English and Scots striving for supremacy and ultimately Lordship of Mann. Occasionally peace broke out, but kings such as Olaf I, who reigned for half a century, were rarities - and even he was publicly murdered. Other notable kings included his father, Godred Crovan, who is traditionally credited with uniting Mann with the Scottish Isles.

By 1405, England had gained control of Mann and a grateful Henry IV granted kingship of the Island to Sir John Stanley after his intervention at the Battle of Bosworth. The Stanleys soon established themselves against Scottish and Spanish threats, thereby protecting the western seaboard of England. Later they supported the Royalists during the English Civil War, and despite the execution in 1651 of James Stanley for his Royalist sympathies, the family dynasty ruled until 1736.

Most Kings and Lords of Mann spent little time on the Island, leaving government, defence and justice to their officials and soldiers, who were based in the fortresses of Peel Castle and Castle Rushen. Peel Castle was extensively developed over five centuries to protect Peel's natural harbour from attack, and occupies the richest archaeological site on the Island.

Castle Rushen is situated at the centre of Castletown, the Island's former capital. It is one of Europe's most finely preserved medieval castles. Norse kings were the first to fortify the strategic site at the mouth of the Silverburn River, the central stone Keep dating from the thirteenth century. It was here that Magnus, the last Viking King of Mann, died in 1265.

The Scottish and English successors of Magnus were radically to develop the castle over the next three hundred years, its towering limestone walls becoming a brooding presence in the south of the Island and a constant reminder to the local populace of the dominance of the Kings and Lords of Mann.