Letter from newly appointed Governor Edward Smith to Lord North (First Lord of the Treasury) requesting a portrait of King George III and furnishings for the chapel at Castle Rushen. Written just after the 1765 Revestment, this document illustrates post-Revestment administrative arrangements and the symbolic establishment of Crown authority on the island through religious and ceremonial institutions.
Letter from Edward Smith, newly appointed Governor of the Isle of Man, to Lord North (Prime Minister) requesting a royal portrait of George III and furnishings for the chapel at Castle Rushen. Written on arrival in England prior to taking up his post, the letter illustrates post-Revestment administrative arrangements and the symbolic importance of royal imagery in establishing British sovereignty over the Island.
Report from Lieutenant-Governor Dawson to Lord North (September 1783) concerning the deteriorating condition of military buildings at Castle Rushen, Isle of Man, including barracks, governor's house, ordnance storehouse, and guard house. Dawson requests funding for necessary repairs and replacement of barrack bedding and furniture before winter, following a refusal by the Board of Ordnance to authorize expenditure due to lack of Parliamentary appropriation.
Lieutenant-Governor Richard Dawson reports to Lord North on the poor state of repair of military buildings at Castle Rushen, Isle of Man, including barracks, governor's house, ordnance storehouse, and guard house. He requests Parliamentary funding for necessary repairs and replacement of defective barrack beds and bedding before winter. The report highlights post-war budget constraints affecting the island's military infrastructure.
Letter from P J Heywood (Lieutenant Governor's representative) to William Adam seeking intelligence on the status of a Tynwald Act concerning the Duke of Atholl's manorial rights. The bill, originated by the House of Keys in 1781 and submitted to the Secretary of State, has been stalled by the Duke's caveat and is now under review by the Attorney General. Heywood expresses concern that the bill would undermine ducal property rights and fears it could obstruct the Duke's intended operations.
Letter from Peter John Heywood (Isle of Man official) to William Adam reporting on the status of a Tynwald Act regulating the Duke of Atholl's manorial rights, initiated in 1781. Heywood expresses concern that the Keys' Bill will undermine ducal property rights and requests Adam's assistance in blocking or delaying its progress through Westminster until the Duke's arrival in London.
Letter from Lieutenant Governor R. Dawson to an unnamed superior (likely the Secretary of State or Lord Lieutenant) reporting an attempt by the Duke of Atholl's Seneschal to claim possession of the Court Room in Peel (Douglas). The letter details the legal basis for Crown possession following the 1765 Revestment Act, explains how the Douglas Court Room came to be held by Atholl's agent, and defends Dawson's refusal to surrender Crown property without proof of legal right.
Lieutenant Governor R. Dawson reports to his superior on a dispute over possession of the court room in Douglas. The Duke of Atholl's agent claims the room on behalf of the Duke, but Dawson argues it was surrendered to the Crown under the Vesting Act and should remain in royal possession until legal title is demonstrated. The letter details how the room fell into the Seneschal's hands through an informal arrangement with the Clerk of the Rolls.
Official report from Lieutenant Governor Richard Dawson to the Secretary of State (Lord Suffolk) certifying the establishment of a flax and hemp refining manufactory on the Isle of Man by the Baroness Aichelburg in December 1777. The report includes details of personnel, imported materials, and exports, reflecting post-Revestment economic development and industrial initiatives on the island.
Official report from Lieutenant Governor Richard Dawson to Secretary of State Lord Suffolk certifying the establishment and operation of a flax and hemp refinery on the Isle of Man in 1777-1778. The report documents the arrival of the Baroness Aichelburg with 25 workers, the acquisition of land and buildings, production statistics, and workforce attrition, providing evidence of early industrial development on the Island post-Revestment.
Report from Lieutenant Governor Richard Dawson to Secretary of State Lord Suffolk regarding three years of unpaid salaries for Isle of Man's civil establishment officers. Dawson explains the administrative and financial crisis caused by arrears, requests priority payment to civil officers over contingent expenses, and notes the damage to government dignity and officer morale. The letter reflects post-Revestment tensions regarding revenue collection, officer compensation, and governance sustainability.
A letter from Lieutenant Governor Richard Dawson to Secretary of State Lord Suffolk dated 31 October 1778, reporting on the critical arrears in payment to civil officers on the Isle of Man. Dawson details the cascading consequences of the unpaid salaries and requests priority payment of revenue officers' salaries to relieve the situation. This document illuminates post-Revestment governance challenges and fiscal management of the island.
A letter from Richard Dawson (Governor of the Isle of Man) to the Treasury dated September 1778, detailing the acute shortage of copper coinage on the island and requesting Crown authorization to mint 300 pounds worth of Manx pence and 150 pounds of halfpence. The letter explains the historical distinction between Manx and English copper currency, notes that no coinage has been issued since 1758, and references pre-Revestment practices when the Lord Proprietor would authorize such mintage. Relevant to understanding post-Revestment governance and economic administration of the Island.
A letter from Richard Dawson (Governor of the Isle of Man) to a senior government official (addressed as 'My Lord') requesting permission to issue copper coinage to alleviate a shortage of small change affecting trade, particularly the herring fishery. The letter outlines the historical distinction between Manx and English copper currency, the 1758 date of the last coinage, and proposes a three-hundred-pound issue of pence and one-hundred-fifty-pound issue of half-pence bearing the King's head and the Island's arms.
A detailed calendar/finding aid listing 200+ documents from State Papers 42/2 covering the post-Revestment period 1777–1783. Documents cover defence, revenue administration, civil list arrears, Fencibles recruitment, the Tynwald Acts of 1777, disputes with the Duke of Atholl over manorial records and rights, currency issues, and correspondence between the Isle of Man governors (Smith, Dawson) and the Home Office (Suffolk, Stormont, North). This is a critical research tool for understanding the immediate aftermath of the 1765 purchase and early constitutional development.
A comprehensive calendar/finding aid listing the contents of State Papers 42/2, covering administrative and official correspondence between the Home Office (Secretary of State for the Northern District) and Isle of Man's Lieutenant Governor and Governor (1777–1783). Documents cover governance, defence, revenue, manorial records, constitutional disputes with the Duke of Atholl, fencibles enlistment, currency, civil officer appointments, and the status of the Island post-Revestment. Essential primary source guide for the immediate aftermath of the 1765 purchase.
A detailed calendar index of State Papers relating to Isle of Man governance, 1775–1777, covering correspondence between the Home Office (Lord Suffolk), successive Governors (Wood, Hope, Dawson), and other officials. Documents address gubernatorial transitions, local legislation, impressment warrants, appeals procedures, and administrative matters post-Revestment.
A calendar index of official correspondence from the State Papers (SP 42/2) covering 1775–1777, tracking administrative and political developments on the Isle of Man during the post-Revestment period. Documents detail the succession of governors (Hope, Wood, Smith), appointment of Lieutenant Governors, local legislative matters, impressment of seamen, and interaction with the Home Office under Lord Suffolk.
A table of contents page from the Manx Notebook website indexing Treasury Papers covering the critical period 1764-1771, which encompasses the lead-up to and execution of the 1765 Isle of Man Revestment. This is a finding aid and navigation page for a collection of transcribed primary documents.
A web-based index/table of contents page for a collection of Treasury Papers spanning 1764-1771, hosted on the Manx Notebook website. This is a finding aid and navigation page for historical Treasury documents relevant to the period immediately before and during the 1765 Revestment. The page notes it was designed for frames-enabled browsers and references non-frame alternatives.
A detailed academic chapter on Manx trade and industry following the 1765 Revestment, covering commercial restrictions, the licence system, manufacturing (linen, cotton, flax, woollen goods), shipbuilding, and the gradual liberalisation of trade. Examines how the connexion with Great Britain both restricted and occasionally benefited Manx commerce, and documents the rise of industries including printing newspapers and the impact of steam communication.
A scholarly essay examining smuggling networks, quarantine violations, and maritime crime in 18th-century Ireland, with particular emphasis on the Isle of Man's role as a smuggling entrepôt before its acquisition by the British government in 1765. The text traces specific smuggling operations, merchant networks (including the Black family based in Bordeaux), and coastal lawlessness, providing detailed case studies relevant to understanding the commercial and strategic context of the Revestment.
An extensive contemporary analysis of smuggling operations from the Isle of Man, extracted from Malachy Postlethwayt's Dictionary of Trade and Commerce. It details the scale of illicit trade (estimated at £700,000 annual loss), the routes, cargoes, vessels, and operational methods, while arguing for either purchasing the island from the Duke of Atholl or implementing effective enforcement measures. Includes a merchant petition from Whitehaven.
Official record of House of Commons proceedings from February 1766, covering Parliamentary bills, petitions, and resolutions on road improvements, land enclosure, duties, and colonial matters. Contains debate records and committee reports relevant to parliamentary procedure and fiscal policy during the period of the Revestment crisis.
Excerpt from the House of Commons Journal (Vol. XXX) covering proceedings from March–April 1766, primarily recording committee appointments, bill readings, and petitions on diverse matters including revenue collection, road repairs, canal navigation, local improvements, and comparative trade regulations from Tuscany and the Grand Duchy. Includes parliamentary debates on duties, excise management, and a curious appendix with Italian wool and silk trade restrictions (1745–1749), possibly included for comparative revenue/regulatory analysis.
