Manchester Memoirs, Vol. xlv. (1901), No. 8. 3 



Revesting Act) which brought about this result, only- 

 deprived the Dukes of Atholl of their political dominion 

 over the Island, and left them their manorial rights. 

 It has often been said that for many years this measure 

 did more harm than good to the people of the Island, 

 at all events there was much dissatisfaction. In 1793 

 this was to some degree alleviated, when the then Duke 

 was made Governor, for, in spite of several tiffs with the 

 House of Keys, he was very popular throughout the 

 Island. Much of the trouble arose through the question 

 of the Customs. The Royal Commission appointed to 

 enquire into the matter before the passing of the " Revesting 

 Act," reported that " vast quantities of foreign goods were 

 continually imported into the Isle of Man, and from 

 thence clandestinely brought into Great Britain." These 

 goods included brandy, wine, East India goods, cambrics 

 and lawns, tobacco, wool, rum, and coffee. It will be seen, 

 then, that the Island was a very real thorn in the side of 

 the Government, and its purchase was a necessity. Most 

 readers of Scott will recall Dirck Hatteraick, whose name 

 in real life was Captain Yaw^kins, and who was a typical 

 Manx smuggler, with his headquarters at Ramsey. It 

 goes without saying, that this curtailment of their privileges 

 of " fair-trading," as they called it, was a great grievance 

 to the Manx. Customs regulations, extending to the 

 Isle of Man, were passed shortly after the purchase of 

 the Island, and, after numerous experiments, a fairly 

 satisfactory arrangement was made. In 1792 a com- 

 mission was appointed to enquire into grievances alleged 

 by the Duke, and in 1825 the remaining property, and 

 the manorial and ecclesiastical rights of the Atholl family 

 in the Isle of Man, were sold to the Crown by the fourth 

 Duke for £41 2,144. 



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