Letter from J S Manning, 15 Regent Street, St James's, London to High Bailiff Kelly, Castletown

Date(s): 8 March 1853

Scope & Content: Manning acknowledges receipt of Kelly's letter dated 19 January and confirms that the clergyman who resided at Ramsey some thirty years ago was indeed his father. On leaving the Island his father moved to Portland, Dorsetshire where he died from a fever on 28 February 1826 contracted from attending a Channel pilot who had taken a ship from the West Indies to the Downs and returned very ill. Many other fine quarrymen, seamen, women and children also succumbed to the fever.

Manning explains about the outcome of an expensive lawsuit of his father (from the time when he moved ot the Isle of Man) which resulted in the writer and his brother having an admirable property now on the opposite side of the Thames to the Tower of London. His brother resides in Portland Castle, being Queen's Lieutenant of the Island and Deputy Lieutenant of the County and resident Magistrate of Portland. Developments and anchorage at Portland are described.

Of himself Manning writes, 'When I left the Isle of Man in January 1814 I got an Ensigncy in a Regt commanded by the elder Brother of the present Col Sibthorp, and after serving two years in it, I got a Cornetcy in the 1st Dragoon Guards, and as senior Captain I went out in command of that fine Regiment when the Rebellion broke out in Canada in 1838. I served in that country until the rebellion was put down, and in consequence of the death of Relations, I returned to England in 1841, when I retired from the Army. After travelling over France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, and Russia as far as Moscow, I returned to England, and in 1848, I took the Steamer fromx xxx, to the Shetland Islands, and on my return, I landed at Wick, and went on the Caledonian Canal to Oban, in the West of Scotland, where I had the pleasure of meeting the Revd Wm Kermode, and Wm Callister of Ramsey, and with these gentlemen I had a most agreeable conversation about that part of the Island in which I spent the happiest years of my life, and for which I shall always have the kindest feeling - Last Summer I had the pleasure of seeing two kind friends from Ramsey, the Daughters of that most excellent old friend, the late Vicar General Cubbon, last summer - Hoping that you got a tolerable subscription from this country for the unfortunate Widows and Children of the poor fellows who were blown up'.

Language: English

Extent: 4 pages (1 sheet)

Item name: letter

Collection: Manuscript Archive

Level: ITEM

ID number: MS 02112/4

Retrieval number: MS 02112/4 B

Record class: Private

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