Isle of Man Genealogy

Topics

Archives Libraries Biography Cemeteries Census Church Directories Church History Church Records Civil Registration Court Records Directories Emigration Immigration Gazetteers Genealogy Gravestones Historical Geography History Land and Property Languages Maps Merchant Marine Military Records Newspapers Nobility Occupations Periodicals Personal Names Place Names Poor Law Unions Probate Records Schools Societies Taxation

The Isle of Man (Manx: Ellan Vannin), or simply Mann (Manx: Mannin), is a self-governing Crown dependency, located in the Irish Sea between Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales.

Map of the Isle of Man and surrounding countries

The official languages of the Isle of Man are Manx Gaelic and English although, by the middle of the twentieth century only a few elderly native Manx speakers remained.

The capital, seat of government and the main commercial and financial centre is Douglas (Manx: Doolish) on the east coast.

National flag of the Isle of Man

The population of the Isle of Man is about 80,000. The main towns on the island are:

English Name	Manx Name
Douglas	Doolish
Ramsey	Rhumsaa
Peel	Purt ny h-Inshey
Laxey	Laksaa
Port Erin	Purt Çhiarn
Casteltown	Balley Chashtal

History

The island was inhabited as far back as the Mesolithic Period and came under Celtic influence during the Iron Age. It had a turbulent history and came under the rule of the Norse in 1079 but in 1266, Norway's King Magnus VI ceded the island to Scotland. The Isle of Man came under English control in the fourteenth century.

The head of state of the Isle of Man is the head of state of the United Kingdom, who holds the title of Lord of Mann and is represented on the island by a Lieutenant Governor. The country's government, Tynwald, thought to have been founded in 979, is one of the oldest established governments in Europe.

Getting started with Isle of Man research

• Browse by Topic: Pages for the Isle of Man

Jurisdictions (Parishes)

1. Andreas
2. Arbory
3. Ballaugh
4. Braddan (includes Douglas)
5. Bride
6. German (includes Peel)
7. Jurby
8. Lezayre
9. Lonan (includes Laxey)
10. Malew (includes Castletown)
11. Marown
12. Maughold (includes Ramsey)
13. Michael
14. Onchan
15. Patrick
16. Rushen
17. Santon

Research Tools

• Isle of Man Births and Baptisms (FamilySearch Historical Records)
• Isle of Man Miscellaneous Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
• Isle of Man Deaths and Burials (FamilySearch Historical Records)
• Isle of Man Marriages (FamilySearch Historical Records)
  
• Isle of Man, Parish Registers (FamilySearch Historical Records)
• Isle of Man Names Personal
• Isle of Man Resources and help pages on RootsChat Isle of Man Resources and help pages. (Free).
• Isle of Man FHS
• Isle of Man genealogy links 
• ManxBMD
• Manx National Heritage
• Stirnet Limited: Families Database: Index (unfettered access requires fee or significant data contribution; manually search index for surnames of interest)
• Looking 4 Kin Genealogy Family History Network - Isle of Man

more websites ...

Did you know?

• Since 1417, Tynwald Day, July 5th, has been the National Day on the Isle of Man. Only on this day does the Isle's legislature meet in St. Johns rather than its usual meeting place in the capital Douglas.

Help Wanted

To add your knowledge and help expand the wiki see Help wanted on the Isle of Man pages

Gallery

The Isle of Man

Colourful hotels on the seafront at Douglas. Fishermen's cottages at Castletown. Fishing boats in Ramsey harbour. The castle at Peel. A typical thatched cottage at Cregneash. The wheel used to pump water from the Laxey mines. A shaft into one of the mines at Laxey. The Snaefell Mountain Railway. The view from Snaefell, the island's highest peak (620m).