Royal Manx Fencibles
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The Royal Manx Fencibles was a fencible regiment of the
British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
which was raised on the
Isle of Man The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Govern ...
. Its duties included home defence, but it performed various tasks away from the
Isle of Man The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Govern ...
, and was in
Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
at the time of the 1798 Rebellion.''Isle of Man Times''. Saturday, 3 October 1936. p. 11.


Origins

The Manx Fencibles had two stages of existence, one beginning in 1779, and lasting, with intervals, for approximately 20 years. In 1779 the church played its part in the raising of the regiment, with the
Bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
ordering that a proclamation be read from the pulpit calling for the raising of three corps of Fencibles for the defence of the island.''Isle of Man Examiner''. Friday, 4 December 1936. p. 9. The second stage began in 1795, when John Murray, 4th Duke of Atholl, received authority from the Secretary for War to raise "by beat of drum or otherwise" a body to be called the 2nd Royal Manx Fencibles. The word "Fencible" is not peculiar to the Isle of Man; the Royal Manx Fencibles formed part of locally raised "volunteer regiments raised for local defence during a special crisis", and the Duke of Atholl would have been well accustomed to the raising of such regiments in Scotland. Appointed
Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
of the regiment, the Duke was at the forefront of the recruiting process: he appeared throughout the island, notably at Douglas market place. He had the authority to raise ten companies. Each company had three
sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...
s, three
corporal Corporal is a military rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The rank is usually the lowest ranking non-commissioned officer. In some militaries, the rank of corporal nominally corr ...
s, three drummers, and sixty privates, with two fifers for the
Grenadier A grenadier ( , ; derived from the word ''grenade'') was historically an assault-specialist soldier who threw hand grenades in siege operation battles. The distinct combat function of the grenadier was established in the mid-17th century, when ...
company, besides a
sergeant major Sergeant major is a senior Non-commissioned officer, non-commissioned Military rank, rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. History In 16th century Spain, the ("sergeant major") was a general officer. He commanded an army's ...
and
quartermaster sergeant Quartermaster sergeant (QMS) is a class of rank or appointment in some armed forces, especially those of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, and formerly also in the United States. Ireland Quartermaster sergeant () a ...
, which would give an overall strength of about 700 personnel. In two months 225 men had enlisted, besides 40 from each of the five companies of the earlier regiment, which had been raised for service in the Isle of Man only. To complete the number, an officer and sergeant were sent to recruit in Wigtonshire. The majority of the fencibles enrolled were despatched to
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
and
Warrington Warrington () is an industrial town in the Borough of Warrington, borough of the same name in Cheshire, England. The town sits on the banks of the River Mersey and was Historic counties of England, historically part of Lancashire. It is east o ...
and subsequently to
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. The remainder stayed behind in Douglas whilst they awaited instructions. One recruit, a young Scotsman named Robert M'Kerlie, was present at the promulgation ceremony held at Tynwald Hill, which he described as: M'Kerlie received orders to report at
Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to: People * Scarborough (surname) * Earl of Scarbrough Places Australia * Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth * Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong * Scarborough, Queensland, sub ...
and left for Liverpool by the packet ''Duke of Athole''. She entered the
Mersey The River Mersey () is a major river in North West England. Its name derives from Old English and means "boundary river", possibly referring to its having been a border between the ancient kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria. For centuries it ...
after spending one night at anchor. He proceeded by coach to Scarborough Castle, which was the regimental headquarters, and thence to
Whitby Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It is on the Yorkshire Coast at the mouth of the River Esk, North Yorkshire, River Esk and has a maritime, mineral and tourist economy. From the Middle Ages, Whitby ...
, where he placed himself under the command of
Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...
Peachy, who had charge of three of the companies. By this time the colonelcy had been transferred to the Duke's brother, Lord Henry Murray, and the lieutenant colonel was Charles Small. In August, two months after M'Kerlie's arrival in Scarborough, the regiment marched to Liverpool from where they sailed to
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
. Just before the sailing they lined up for inspection at Mount Pleasant – referred to at the time as "an elevated and much frequented place overlooking the town". The upkeep of uniform was highly important, with M'Kerlie observing: A list of the men's "necessaries" compiled by Captain Moore includes reference to a "queue" or "platt", and there is also quoted the following entry: The shirts too were frilled at the breast; the ruffles, M'Kerlie says, were changed twice in the week. The
battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...
officers' uniform in this period would typically consist of: long coats and cocked hats, white feathers topped with black, white breeches and long boots, with steel mounted half basket swords, facings in dark blue (royal), with gold lace and gold epaulets. While in Ireland the long coat was replaced by the Austrian fashioned jacket with short broad skirts. White breeches and black gaiters were laid aside for winter, in favour of long grey trousers with scarlet seams. In addition cocked hats gave way to helmets with bearskins bearing in front the motto: "''Toujours pres''" (Ever ready). Imposing as this dress was, it was far outshone by that decreed for the Light Company, which was under the command of the brother of The Hon. Andrew Forbes. The social life of the officers was what one would imagine from writers of the period. The practice of heavy drinking was commonplace and encouraged amongst brother officers. As for the rank and file, the free use of whisky led many to be flogged. The Manx officers in the regiment were from the most respected families of the time; notable amongst them were William Bacon, Captain John Christian and Captain (later Major) Cesar Tobin, brother-in-law of Sir William Hillary.


Deployment in Ireland

When the regiment arrived in Dublin, three days after setting out from Liverpool, they felt that they were not welcome. Ireland at that time was smouldering with disaffection, and not long after came the unsuccessful landing by a
French army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...
, the '' Expédition d'Irlande'', under the command of General Hoche to assist the
United Irishmen The Society of United Irishmen was a sworn association, formed in the wake of the French Revolution, to secure Representative democracy, representative government in Ireland. Despairing of constitutional reform, and in defiance both of British ...
. Almost immediately after landing in Ireland the Manx Fencibles marched to
Omagh Omagh (; from , meaning 'the virgin plain') is the county town of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is situated where the rivers River Drumragh, Drumragh and Camowen River, Camowen meet to form the River Strule, Strule. Northern Ireland's c ...
and on to
Strabane Strabane (; ) is a town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Strabane had a population of 13,507 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census. This article contains quotations from this source, which is available under th Open Government Li ...
and finally
Derry Derry, officially Londonderry, is the second-largest City status in the United Kingdom, city in Northern Ireland, and the fifth-largest on the island of Ireland. Located in County Londonderry, the city now covers both banks of the River Fo ...
where they stayed for some time. Later the regiment was stationed in
Lifford Lifford (, historically anglicised as ''Liffer'') is the county town of County Donegal, Ireland, the administrative centre of the county and the seat of Donegal County Council, although the town of Letterkenny is often mistaken as holding this ...
,
County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county of the Republic of Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is the northernmost county of Ireland. The county mostly borders Northern Ireland, sharing only a small b ...
and at
Coleraine Coleraine ( ; from , 'nook of the ferns'Flanaghan, Deirdre & Laurence; ''Irish Place Names'', page 194. Gill & Macmillan, 2002. ) is a town and Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish near the mouth of the River Bann in County Londonderry, No ...
when the
Irish Rebellion of 1798 The Irish Rebellion of 1798 (; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ''The Turn out'', ''The Hurries'', 1798 Rebellion) was a popular insurrection against the British Crown in what was then the separate, but subordinate, Kingdom of Ireland. The m ...
broke out.


1798 Irish Rebellion

The regiment erected defensive lines in
Coleraine Coleraine ( ; from , 'nook of the ferns'Flanaghan, Deirdre & Laurence; ''Irish Place Names'', page 194. Gill & Macmillan, 2002. ) is a town and Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish near the mouth of the River Bann in County Londonderry, No ...
, the streets leading to the Town House being cut off by entrenchments to prevent the building being taken by surprise. For some time the regiment awaited an assault, until it was resolved to march out and attack the rebel army. The regiment marched to
Ballymena Ballymena ( ; from , meaning 'the middle townland') is a town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 31,205 people at the 2021 United Kingdom census, making it the List of localities in Northern Ireland by population, seven ...
, and, although they found that the rebels had abandoned it, they still proceeded to set the town on fire. On Sunday, July 8, 1798, following the Battle of Antrim the regiment marched out of
Coleraine Coleraine ( ; from , 'nook of the ferns'Flanaghan, Deirdre & Laurence; ''Irish Place Names'', page 194. Gill & Macmillan, 2002. ) is a town and Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish near the mouth of the River Bann in County Londonderry, No ...
into the surrounding countryside, where they burnt houses and farmland in a dreadful scene. Livestock was seized and unresisting people were driven from their homes following which they were plundered and set on fire. The defeat of the
United Irishmen The Society of United Irishmen was a sworn association, formed in the wake of the French Revolution, to secure Representative democracy, representative government in Ireland. Despairing of constitutional reform, and in defiance both of British ...
was followed by their punishment. A permanent
Court Martial A court-martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the mili ...
was set up at
Coleraine Coleraine ( ; from , 'nook of the ferns'Flanaghan, Deirdre & Laurence; ''Irish Place Names'', page 194. Gill & Macmillan, 2002. ) is a town and Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish near the mouth of the River Bann in County Londonderry, No ...
at which M'Kerlie, a deeply religious man, was a member and recording his thoughts as: Following the rebellion M'Kerlie transferred to the
Dumfriesshire Dumfriesshire or the County of Dumfries or Shire of Dumfries () is a Counties of Scotland, historic county and registration county in southern Scotland. The Dumfries lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area covers a similar area to the hi ...
Regiment.


Disbandment

According to some records the Manx Fencibles were disbanded in 1802, shortly after the signing of the
Peace of Amiens The Treaty of Amiens (, ) temporarily ended hostilities between France, the Spanish Empire, and the United Kingdom at the end of the War of the Second Coalition. It marked the end of the French Revolutionary Wars; after a short peace it set t ...
; however a manuscript book shows that an establishment of them existed in the years 1810 and 1811. The establishment was by that time reduced to four companies, mustering 280 privates, 40 NCOs and 12 officers (4
Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
s, 4
Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
s and 4
Ensign Ensign most often refers to: * Ensign (flag), a flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality * Ensign (rank), a navy (and former army) officer rank Ensign or The Ensign may also refer to: Places * Ensign, Alberta, Alberta, Canada * Ensign, Ka ...
s). Headquarters were at Castletown, where there were stationed 130 privates, 7
corporal Corporal is a military rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The rank is usually the lowest ranking non-commissioned officer. In some militaries, the rank of corporal nominally corr ...
s, 6
sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...
s and the regiment's three drummers. Douglas had 60 privates and 10 NCOs; Ramsey 50 privates and 8 NCOs and
Peel Peel or Peeling may refer to: Places Australia * Peel (Western Australia) * Peel, New South Wales * Peel River (New South Wales) Canada * Peel Parish, New Brunswick * Peel, New Brunswick, an unincorporated community in Peel Parish * Pee ...
40 privates and 6 NCOs. The Peel detachment provided a guard at Kirk Michael. The officers mainly hailed from the Isle of Man, but some hailed from Scotland and England, having been enrolled when the regiment was on service in England and Ireland. The Lieutenant Colonel at the beginning of this period was Robert Steuart, the
Receiver General of the Isle of Man {{Politics of the Isle of Man The receiver-general of the Isle of Man was an appointment made by the Lieutenant Governor (Isle of Man), lieutenant governor. Until 1919, the receiver-general had a seat in the Legislative Council of the Isle of Ma ...
, who built the Villa Marina; he was succeeded by
James Murray, 1st Baron Glenlyon Lieutenant-General James Murray, 1st Baron Glenlyon (29 May 1782 – 12 October 1837), styled as Lord James Murray until 1821, was a Scottish-born British Army officer, Member of Parliament and peer. Life Murray was born in 1782 at Dunkeld, ...
. The paymaster was William Scott and the surgeon John Nelson Scott – both of whom were relatives of the novelist
Sir Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...
. The Fencibles were permitted to assist with the
harvest Harvesting is the process of collecting plants, animals, or fish (as well as fungi) as food, especially the process of gathering mature crops, and "the harvest" also refers to the collected crops. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulses fo ...
. An order dated August 24, 1810, provides that such men will be exempt from duty and parades, except on Sundays. The number was limited so that three reliefs remained on guard duties, and every man had to return at night. On September 29, the men employed in the harvest were directed to attend all parades and bring up their guards they had missed during their absence. The Manx Fencibles were finally disbanded in 1811.


See also

* List of British fencible regiments


References

{{Regiments of Foot Military units and formations on the Isle of Man Fencible regiments of the British Army Military units and formations established in 1779 Military of the Isle of Man