such corn as is sown, with the profit thereof, and shall be at liberty to reap the said corn and carry it away. And if either bishop, archdeacon, farmer, parson, or vicar having leases, do depart this life after twelve o'clock on Easter day, their executors or assigns, have ever been accustomed to have and enjoy all the profits of that year until Easter day next ensuing, and shall find and see the cure served and discharged *. Articles delivered 24th June 1594, at the Tynwald then holden, to the vicars-general, by the captain of this isle; which articles are to be inquired of at next consi story court. First. That they impannel in the several sheadings, jurors to inquire into all offences committed against the spiritual laws; and the same jurors to be chosen of such as be of best ability to discharge the same. they inquire and present all adulterers, fornicators, blasphemers, drunkards, and such like. That That they inquire and present all such as carry bells or banners before the dead; or pray upon the graves of the dead and all such as keep any market upon the Sabbath day, or otherwise profane the same. Also any person or persons that refuse to come to the church to hear divine service, or to receive the sacrament of the 'Lord's suppert. Every rector, vicar, and curate, shall first privately, and then publickly admonish such persons as he shall observe to be disorderly livers, that such as will not by this means be reclaimed, may be hindered from coming to the lord's table, and being presented, may be excommunicated; and if any minister knowingly admit such persons to the holy sacrament, whose lives are blemished with the vices of drunkenness, tipling, swearing, profaning the lord's day, quarrelling, fornication, or any other crime by which the Christian religion is dishonoured, before such persons have publickly acknow *Sp. cus. Laws, + 1591, ledged their faults, and solemnly promised amendment, the minister so offending shall be liable to severe ecclesiastical censure * Any rector or vicar who shall hereafter erect or build, or make any addition to, or repair any dwelling house or out house, upon any church glebe, to be fit, convenient, and durable for himself and successors, such rector, or vicar, or his executors, or administrators, shall be entitled to have and receive from his next immediate successor, or his executors or administrators, two third parts of whatever sums shall be really and truly expended by him on such buildings and improvements (necessary yearly reparations excepted,) provided he give a just and fair account of the money so disbursed by him, upon oath, to a jury of four sufficient men, to be appointed by process from the bishop, or archdeacon, and sworn on the premises for that purpose: and their return upon the same, with the bill of disbursements so given upon oath, to be registered for the satisfaction of all persons concerned and such successor, or his executor, so paying the two thirds of such disbursements, shall be entitled to receive a moiety thereof, viz. a third part of the whole disbursements from his next successor or his executors, or administrators, who shall also be obliged to pay the same within one year, to be accounted from Easter, after the death or removal of such predecessor. And the said sums shall be recoverable in the ecclesiastical courts, and a moiety of the rents and profits of the benefice to be laid under sequestration so as to be responsible for the same. And to prevent dilapidations, if any person shall afterwards suffer such buildings to go to decay for want of necessary repairs, he shall be accountable for the same to his successors, and liable to make satisfaction at the estimation of tour sworn men, to be appointed in manner aforesaid, and * A. T. 1704. the same to be laid out in the repairs of the said buildings. Every rector, vicar, and curate, or their executors or administrators, shall be accountable for such books as are, or shall be given to the several parishes, or the full value of the same. And every rector, vicar, or curate shall immediately after his induction or licence, make a new catalogue of all the books belonging to their respective churches, and shall deliver the same to the episcopal register, to the end that they may be accounted for as aforesaid *. Commons. No person shall hold any of the lord's wastes or commons of this land unrented, but that whosoever holdeth the same and it unrented, he shall pay the value thereof. It is ordered that no person go to the mountains or commons of this isle, after the hour of five o'clock in the afternoon, or before day in the morning, for the carrying of any turf or ling, for that complaint is made that some do carry away their neighbour's turf and ling at such unseasonable times. Wherein if any offend in future, they shall be severely fined and punished as by the court shall be thought fit. Confirmation. WHEN any rector, vicar, or curate, shall have any number of persons under twenty years of age in his pa rish fit to be confirmed, he shall give the bishop notice * A. T. 1734. thereof, and a list of their names, and shall suffer none to offer themselves to be confirmed, but such as he has before instructed to answer in the necessary part of the Christian knowledge. And no person shall be admitted to the sacrament till he has first been confirmed by the bishop, or in case of his lordship's indisposition, to bring a certificate from the archdeacon or vicar-general, that he is qualified to be confirmed *. Convocation. A convocation of the bishop and clergy of this diocese, shall be held yearly, at the bishop's chapel, on Thursday in Whitsun-week, if his lordship be in the island, or as soon as convenient after his return †. ་ Corbs. THERE ought to be corbs pertaining to a man, as if his father have a pan, the son to have it, or else his best jack and sallet †, bow, and arrows, sword and buckler, his best board and best stool, his coulter and rackentree, his best cup, if it be wood and bound with silver, and gilt, his best chest. For a woman, the best wheel and cards, rackentree, a sack, or else a Manks spade, the best bead of jet or amber, the best broach, the best cross, the best pot or pan. In case of forfeiture of goods for felony, the corbs * A. T. 1701. + Ibid. These are commuted by statute 1748, for the modern wea. pons of war. See Arms. which should pertain to the heir, the coroner is to have. In case any do bequeath a corb or heir loom for a lethe same shall not be given, but the value thereof at discretion *. gacy, No cotterels or artificers shall be liable to pay corbs; but they shall be all bequeathable as other goods †. Coroner. IN points of treason, felony, or for surety of the peace, with many other things that belong to his office, he ought to arrest, and do those by virtue of his office, without warrant ‡. At the next court after midsummer, the coroners to be appointed, and their names entered in the rolls of the court, with the sum that they take to serve §. And forasmuch as coroners, against the law, stand in office two or three years together, which puts them to great value, to the destruction of the commonality, it is ordained that the coroners stand in office but one year, and that they take no inquest but twice in the year, by the commandment of the lieutenant, in open court, by inquest sworn before the deemster, and there to be recorded, and that they arrest no man without a warrant, save for treason, felony, or breach of the peace. The coroner ought to have no customs of any man, but of him that beareth rent to the lord, and if it be a penny rent, he shall pay the coroner his duty, (the moar to be free of all manner of customs.) Fourpence shall be paid yearly out of every quarterland to the coroner, and whoever holds no quarterland, but only cottages and intacks, shall pay a penny if he hold but three * Ord. and Sp. Customs. +A. T. 1629. |