Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society

13/02/2025

𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙧 - 𝙎𝙖𝙩 𝟏𝟓 𝙁𝙚𝙗 𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚

We were sorry to learn yesterday (Wednesday) that Peter Geddes has been hospitalised and won’t be able to deliver his talk on Bradda Mines on Saturday. We have of course sent Pete our best wishes; and he and Sue will return to IoMNHAS at a future date for this talk.

IoMNHAS Committee has considered a number of a number of alternatives and is very delighted that Dr Marie Weale, one of the Society’s Research Coordinators, has stepped in to deliver 𝙁𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙈𝙖𝙣𝙭 𝙈𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨; 𝘼𝙣 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝘿𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙖𝙡 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙙 (𝘼𝘿𝟓𝟎𝟎 – 𝟏𝟓𝟎𝟎).

This will be a privileged opportunity to hear Marie present some of the early findings of the project and outline the methodology being used to assess the health of Manx mothers in the medieval period, in a project funded by Culture Vannin.

Marie has summarised her talk as:
‘Maternal health during pregnancy is known to have long-term effects on the health of the child throughout their life, this relationship is termed the maternal-infant dyad. Vitamin D deficiency has been a major health issue throughout history. However, diagnosing it is challenging due to factors like changes in bones, poor preservation in ancient remains, and variations in how the condition present. Many studies focus on how common the condition is, but not on the social, cultural, and environmental factors that may cause it. This makes it hard to fully understand vitamin D deficiency in historical contexts and leads to biases in research. New methods can now detect mineralisation issues in teeth, which are linked to childhood rickets and prenatal vitamin D deficiency. This development paves the way for further research and a better understanding of vitamin D deficiency throughout a person's life.
‘This research looks at four Manx sites dating from AD500 – 1500 for evidence of rickets on bone and within their teeth. The macroscopic portion of this work has assessed skeletal remains from Rushen Abbey, Cronk Keeilane and Balladoole so far and found evidence of nutritional rickets at all three sites. The histological analysis is currently underway and is assessing evidence of nutritional rickets passed from mothers to their infants during pregnancy.’

18/10/2024

Delighted to have a stand at UCM's Research Festival at the Nunnery today promoting IoMNHAS's support for research.

27/09/2024

The forecast looks good for the last excursion of the summer 2024 season on Saturday (28th September) afternoon, starting at 2.30 pm - 𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒂𝒎𝒔𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒂 led by Dave Martin.
A level two mile walk, mostly paved but with short section on riverbank path, to look at some of the rich variety of bridges in the Ramsey area – known and obscure; wide and narrow; wood, stone and metal.
This is a ‘one-way’ walk which finishes at Ramsey Harbour.
Meet on the Glen Auldyn road by Milntown SC 437 943
https://what3words.com/schedule.undetectable.brewery

04/08/2024

Weather forecast looks good for our next excursion on Tuesday evening (6 Aug) when Charles Guard and David Wertheim will explain the proposed Douglas Head proposed Conservation Area.
The walk starts at 7 p.m., all welcome.
Park on Head Road and meet at the Douglas Head turning circle (in front of Manx Radio) SC 389 747 https://what3words.com/digs.shared.fund

27/07/2024

Excellent day today at the Southern District Agricultural show in the Heritage Tent (at the top of the Show Field), where we were joined by the Isle of Man Public Record Office and Rushen Heritage Trust. We always say that these shows are a chance to catch up with old friends and make new friends, and this year is no exception. If you’re at the show on Sunday, please do call in for a chat and see how well you get on with ‘How well do you know your Island?’

24/07/2024

** 𝙀𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 **

The leaders of our excursion on Saturday (27th July) have advised that due to circumstances outside their control the walk will need to start a little earlier - it will start at 2 pm instead of the planned 2.30 pm. In compensation though, there will now be an opportunity to partake of cream tea afterwards!

We meet in the church at 2.00pm - please note not at 2.30pm as previously advertised. Marinda Fargher and Phil Craine will guide us around Maughold churchyard and Head to explore nautical connections, including notable graves, carved crosses, and the lighthouse (as seen in Peter Killey's photograph). Optional detour at the end to St Maughold's well, taking care with the steep gradient and occasional uneven ground. Return for cream tea from 3.30pm.

04/07/2024

IoMNHAS will once again have a stall at the Tynwald Fair – plot 116 on the plan below. We look forward to welcoming and chatting to members, catching up with old friends and making new ones as well. Please do pop in to our stall if you are at Tynwald.

29/02/2024

Manannan would surely approve that Adrian Corkill has been awarded the Reih Bleeaney Vanannan !

Adrian, an IoMNHAS member, is passionate about discovering and recording the wealth of information about shipwrecks around the Isle of Man, using high standards of thorough research, some of whose fruits can be seen at the recently-opened ‘All at Sea’ exhibition at the House of Manannan. Moreover he is committed to sharing the results of his work, and has recently donated decades-worth of data and dossiers on over 2,000 shipwrecks in Manx waters to Manx National Heritage which MNH have made freely available to all worldwide via MNH’s Historic Environment Register. Adrian hasn’t stopped there, as well as continuing to add to the Manx records, he is also working on the “Unpath’d Waters” project to connect the Manx data with other resources in the Irish Sea basin and around the British Isles.

Congratulations Adrian Corkill RBV.

CONGRATULATIONS,
Adrian Corkill RBV!

The Reih Bleeaney Vanannan cultural award for 2024 has been awarded to Adrian Corkill for over three decades’ work on the maritime history of the Isle of Man.

The Isle of Man knows it is a maritime nation, with all but one parish touching the coastline. Manx sailors and navigators have been prized for their skills for generations, and many ships and crews have been lost over the centuries with tragic consequences for the Island’s community. Although most of the shipwrecks documented no longer have a physical trace on the seabed, the lives of over 3,000 people known to have been lost around the Isle of Man are recorded and not forgotten thanks to the diligent research of Adrian Corkill.

Adrian’s work has effectively brought the stories of shipwrecks in Manx waters to the surface for everyone to discover. He learnt to SCUBA dive so that he could investigate the many sites around the Isle of Man, which led to the pioneering work of creating a database which includes information on ships that had been wrecked, and also those lost but without an identified wreck site.

Over 2,000 historic shipwrecks are recorded in the database, with references and bibliography for each vessel. His research has involved newspapers, port records, crew and shipping registers, insurance and court records, Admiralty archives and burial registers. The crew lists within the database are an invaluable source of information for family history researchers.

The shipwrecks documented date from a Viking longship fleet lost off Peel in AD 1228, ships involved in the slave trade in the 1700s and 1800s, and the ship thought responsible for introducing longtails to the Calf of Man in 1781. It extends to the herring fleet disaster off Douglas in 1787, and the loss of HMS Racehorse, which prompted the creation of the RNLI.

Adrian’s research has all been on a voluntary basis and in his spare time. He is generous in sharing his research with others, through his publications, and to answer questions from academics, family historians and anyone interested. In 2003, he published ‘Shipwrecks of the Isle of Man’ which looks at 85 wreck sites accessible to divers.

Most significantly, in 2022, Adrian offered to transfer his research freely to the national collections cared for by Manx National Heritage, to be incorporated into the Isle of Man Historic Environment Record (IOMHER) database meaning that Adrian’s research and dataset can now be accessed and searched by researchers worldwide.

In the words of a nomination, “His enthusiasm for both the subject itself, and for encouraging and enabling people to discover the incredible variety of this aspect of the Island’s heritage, is both inspiring and infectious.”

Adrian Corkill’s research into the maritime history is one that tells so much of the story of the Isle of Man, and he hopes that this award raises the profile of this important subject. It is most fitting that an award named after the sea god Manannan goes to someone who has spent so much time in the sea and working on the archives that it has inspired. The fact that one of the shipwrecks documented led to the founding of the RNLI adds deep resonance to the 200th anniversary celebrations of the charity.

Adrian commented:

“I’m very happy to be able to share my research through the IOMHER and MNH. I’d like to thank all those who have helped me in this research over the past thirty years, as well as the RBV Panel for appreciating the significance of maritime history to our Island. It’s always been important to me to make sure that the fullest accounts of shipwrecks are presented. Thousands of lives have been lost in the sea around our nation, and hopefully my Shipwrecks of the Isle of Man project can help at least some of those people be remembered.”

He stressed that the IOMHER is not a static body of research and will continue to benefit from further research, saying:

“I didn’t think when I started that there would be so much still to discover! It’s been a very rewarding journey so far, and my research continues. Even now, when I look at sources of information that weren’t accessible previously, I can find out new information about known shipwrecks, as well as losses previously unknown. I’ve found it important to look at as wide a variety of sources as possible and to continually reassess the data as new information comes to light.”

The Reih Bleeaney Vanannan or Manannan’s Choice of the Year is the Isle of Man’s highest cultural honour, awarded by Culture Vannin, and decided by a selection panel which is made up of representatives from Yn Cheshaght Ghailckagh, Yn Chruinnaght, Manx National Heritage, Isle of Man Arts Council and Culture Vannin itself.

More information about the award is available here: https://culturevannin.im/news/adrian-corkill-awarded-the-rbv-for-his-work-on-manx-shipwrecks-821983/

16/09/2023

Forty-two members and friends turned out for Kath and Allison's brilliant presentations on the significance of the Berrag Sword and its comparison with that and other finds found by Kath on Berrag and nearby premises.

This was followed by a wonderful tour of Berrag farm by Beverley and Denzil Williams - its covered well, beautifully maintained 1830s dated barns, partly converted to tourist accommodation, walled garden, dub (all shown on the 1840 tithe plan and which its then owner John Corlett had taken out a bond of nearly £100,000 to pay for (possibly not paid fully off until 1946!), woodland trail, apple trees ( a future cider tasting event may be on the cards) and lavender fields from which they are producing an oil.

A great final outing for the 2023 season and a huge thank you to Beverley and Denzil and all our other excursion leaders throughout the season. Also, a huge thank you from all of us who have benefited over the years from Pat Newton’s brilliant arranging of excursions and knowledge. Pat is stepping down as excursion co-ordinator and will be missed.

This was our last excursion of the 2023 summer season.

For more information on how to join, visit www.manxantiquarians.com

25/08/2023

James Franklin gave around 30 members and friends of the Society a thoroughly entertaining afternoon - from folk tunes - Hop Tu Naa - collected from the children of Lezayre and sung for us by David Fisher, to seers foretelling floods in Glen Auldyn, funeral paths and the destruction of the Lezayre cross, charms including gathering dust to cure the pig, the old school which everyone otherwise walked past without noticing, Glion Ny Keeiley a favourite haunt of the Lil'Fellas, G*t ny Muck and the Ghost Pig to Ballakillingan Buggane - were these the ancestors of the local cattle who joined us?

Thanks James for taking on this wonderful storytelling tour and thanks to Pat Newton for arranging such a brilliant excursion programme.

The last excursion of the season will be ‘The Berrag Sword’ on the 9th September, more details to follow.

30/07/2023

Excellent first day at the Southern Show yesterday - chatting with visitors about matters Manx, sparking curiosity with our 'How well do you know YOUR Island' activity, and sharing knowledge with some of our excess stock of back-issues of the 'Proceedings' free for visitors to take away.

The show is open again today (Sunday) from 10am-6pm