The Harrison Collection - papers amassed by Vicar-General James Wilks and his descendents, including documents relating to Colonel Mark Wilks FRS, papers of Sir Mark Cubbon KCB and papers of Canon Mark Wilks Harrison MA

Date(s): 1628-1932

Creator(s): Various

Scope & Content: The content of the Harrison Collection is organised into folders, and each folder is numbered from one to forty-five. The following arrangement consists of:

1. Bishop Wilson (1663-1755), Bishop of Sodor and Man (1697-1755) - original letters.
2. Bishop Wilson - other documents.
3. Bishop Hildesley Hildesley (1698-1772), Bishop of Sodor and Man (1755-1772) - letters and documents.
4. Bishops of Sodor and Man - Murray (1784-1860), Crigan (c.1739-1813), Auckland (1799-1870) and Levinz (d.1693).
5. Revd Thomas Cubbon (1739-1828),Vicar-General - letters and documents.
6. Sundry correspondence to Bishop Hildesley etc.
7. Miscellaneous documents regarding Manx matters.
8. Miscellaneous documents regarding Manx matters.
9. Miscellaneous documents regarding Manx matters.
10. Genealogical information on the Wilks, Cubbon, Collet, Cosnahan and Harrison branches of the family.
11. Papers of Revd Stephen Nathaniel Harrison (1836-1925).
12. Correspondence of the Harrison family.
13. Correspondence and legal documents of Misses Cubbon.
14. Minutes, extracts, draft and constitution of Convocation and minutes of the Consistory Court.
15. Minutes, rules, applications for assistance and receipt books for the Royal Bounty and the Fund for the Widows & Orphans of the Clergy.
16. Material relating to fish tithe disputes.
17. Material relating to Impropriate tithes.
18. Material relating to Impropriate tithes.
19. Documents relating to various tithes around the Island.
20. Papers relating to the Academic School (Castletown) Fund.
21. Extracts from Libir Scacca and Libir Caus
22. Documentation on the mills in the north of the Island at Cornaa, Lewaigue and Ballure.
23. Maps and estate plans.
24. Papers of Colonel Mark Wilks (1759-1831).
25. Private correspondence of Sir Mark Cubbon (1785-1861).
26. Incoming correspondence to Sir Mark Cubbon.
27. Papers of Sir Mark Cubbon.
28. Official correspondence of Sir Mark Cubbon - Indian matters.
29. Papers of Sir Mark Cubbon.
30. Miscellaneous items related to India.
31. A family journal created by the Kermode family called Ny Irey Lhaa (‘The Rising Day’).
32. Miscellaneous items such as correspondence of Revd Mark W Harrison (1945), extract from a Maughold register, an account of Glebe of Maughold (mine), notes on Maughold and a farm, ecclesiastical items and the will of Edward Christian (1734).
33. A notebook on Isle of Man fossils
34. Proclamations and legal items such as proclamations for public thanksgivings, bounties and Acts on herring fishing, customs, smuggling and regulating trade and manufacture on the Island.
35. A book of the Spiritual Laws and Customs associated with the Isle of Man (1759).
36. Minutes of the Secret and Political Department, India (1821-1826).
37. Manuscript description of Iceland, written c.1810-1825. Possibly belonging to Revd Harrison.
38. Two volumes containing copies of despatches from Sir Thomas Munro (1761-1827) to Lord Amherst (1773-1857) and others, covering the First Burmese War. (1821-1825).
39. A receipt book belonging to William Cubbon for home-made medicines (1756).
40. A small diary of ‘Minnie’ (Mary Anne Emily née Kermode) Harrison.
41. A report of the Annual General Meeting for the Isle of Man Railway Company (1921).
42. A bill and cheque in payment of tithes.
43. An envelope from Miss Cubbon containing a lock of hair.
44. An envelope addressed to Lieutenant General Mark Cubbon containing a lock of hair.
45. Notebooks (possibly Canon Mark Wilks Harrison’s) containing notes on private matters, farming, Douglas Chapel, Manx history, place-names and Manx folklore.

Administration / Biographical History: Much of the of the Harrison Collection was amassed by Vicar-General Revd James Wilks (1719-1777), with many of the later papers relating to his descendants - Colonel Mark Wilks (1759-1831) British East India Company (EIC) army officer in the Madras province, scholar and administrator, Sir Mark Cubbon (1785-1861), EIC army officer and Governor of Mysore (India) and the Harrison family branch - Canon Mark Wilks Harrison (1877-1946).

Vicar-General Revd James Wilks
James Wilks, born in the parish of Santon, Isle of Man, was the son of John and Margaret Wilks. Records of his early life are few and far between; in 1742 he was ordained by the Bishop of Sodor and Man Thomas Wilson (1663-1755). After a period as curate in the parish of St German in 1745 he became the Vicar at St John’s. During his time at St John’s Bishop Wilson chose Wilks to go to Dublin and obtain arrears of interest on money left to the Academic Fund under Bishop Barrow’s (1613-1680) will and invested there.

In 1745 Wilks married Margaret Woods (1725-1755), daughter of the Revd John Woods (1695-1740), former Vicar-General. The couple had five children. In 1750 he was made Episcopal Registrar and by 1752 Wilks was given the living in Kirk Michael; the vicarage was close to Bishopscourt (the home of the Bishop), for the elderly Bishop had come to be dependent on Wilks. In 1755 (after the death of Bishop Wilson) Wilks was sent to London ‘on account and at the request of the Clergy of this Isle’, about a chancery suit against the Early of Derby for the recovery of tithes which, it was claimed, had been annexed by the Earl’s family. In London he dined with the 2nd Duke of Atholl and Lord of Man (1690-1764). Soon afterwards the Duke introduced him to the Revd Dr Mark Hildesley (1698-1772), whom he had appointed to succeed Wilson as Bishop of Sodor and Man. In 1755 Wilks’s wife died; the following year he remarried, this time to Elizabeth Christian (d.1799), daughter of William Christian (1885-c.1743), Vicar-General of Ballamooar, Jurby. The couple had five children.

From the 1760s to 1770s Wilks managed the clergy’s litigation with the Manx fishermen over tithes. By 1769 he was made Vicar-General and in 1771 he became the Rector of St Mary de Ballaugh. In June 1777 Vicar-General Wilks died at the age of 58.

Colonel Marks Wilks FRS
Mark Wilks, born at Kirk Michael Vicarage, was the son of Revd James Wilks and his second wife Elizabeth Christian. He was named after his godfather, Bishop Hildesley. Receiving a good education, Wilks obtained a cadetship in 1781 and by 1782 received a commission in the Madras army of the EIC. From the early seventeenth century onwards the EIC had a presence in India, gradually increasing influence over the ensuing centuries (EIC’s rule was officially recognised in 1764). As British control expanded, so too did Indian opposition. This led to a period of great political conflict and wars (such as the Anglo-Indian Wars) and many soldiers like Wilks were needed.

In 1788 Wilks was appointed fort adjutant at Fort St George, Madras (now Chennai) and gained the promotion of lieutenant the following year. From 1790 to 1792 he acted as brigade-major and aide-de-camp to Colonel James Stuart (d.1793) during the war against the Mysore ruler, Tipu Sultan (1750-1799). By 1793 Wilks was made assistant adjutant-general. In 1793 Wilks married Harriet Macleane (c.1773-1806) at Fort St George; the couple had two children, including Lady Laura Buchan (1797-1888).

Between 1795 and 1799 Mark was granted a leave of absence due to bad health. Returning to the Isle of Man he joined the Royal Manx Fencibles in 1797 as a lieutenant. During his absence Wilks received his captaincy in India and returned to the country in 1798, serving as military secretary and private secretary to the Governor of Madras, Edward Clive (1754-1839). Wilks was next appointed town-major of Fort St. George and from 1803 to 1808 he was political Resident at the Court of Mysore. Attaining the rank of major in 1804, Wilks then obtained lieutenant-colonel in 1808 (received the title of colonel in 1814).

A further bout of ill-health saw Wilks on the Isle of Man from 1809 to 1811, during which he was elected a member of the House of Keys. 1812 saw his return to India however by 1813 he had resigned from his office and returned to the British Isles. 1813 also saw Wilks marry his second wife, Dorothy Taubman (b.1783) in Bath, Somerset. Dorothy was the daughter of John Taubman (1746-1822), Speaker of the House of Keys. The couple had no children. In the same year Wilks was offered the position of Governor by the EIC in St Helena. Agreeing to rule for a period of three years, his administration was very popular with improvements to agricultural conditions and alterations to the system of land tenure. Wilks was present on St Helena when Napoléon Bonaparte (1769-1821) was exiled in 1815. It was said the exiled emperor admired Wilks and thought he was an able Governor.

Wilks was a leading authority in his lifetime on Indian literature and history and wrote several works. For example in 1810 he published Historical Sketches of the South of India in an Attempt to Trace the History of Mysoor. A second and third volume was published in 1814. He also translated into English Akhlaq-i-Nasiri, (the work of the Persian poet Nasir-al-Din al-Tusi [1201-1274]).

In 1816 he returned to the Isle of Man and settled in his estate of Kirby, the same year saw him re-elected into the House of Keys and in 1818 he officially retired from the EIC’s service. In 1823 he was made Speaker of the House of Keys and in 1826 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). Wilks died in 1831 at Kelloe House, Berwickshire; the residence of his son-in-law Major-General Sir John Buchan (c.1783-1850).

Lieutenant-General Sir Mark Cubbon KCB
Mark Cubbon, born in Maughold, Isle of Man, was son of the Revd Thomas Cubbon (1739-1828), Vicar of Maughold and Margaret Wilks (1749-1829). The Cubbons are an old Manx family able to trace their ancestors back to the fifteenth century. Mark Cubbon was the nephew of Mark Wilks and through this connection, Cubbon successfully enrolled as a cadet for the Madras infantry in 1800. In 1801 he was a lieutenant in the 5th Madras Native Infantry; by 1816 he had been promoted to captain and afterwards became an assistant commissary-general. Serving in the Pindari War (1817-1818), Cubbon became deputy commissary-general for the Madras presidency in 1822, promoted to major in 1823 and then lieutenant-colonel in 1826.

In 1831 the inhabitants of the city of Mysore rose against the Hindu Rajah, who had been placed on the throne by Lord Wellesley (1760-1842) but ran a corrupted administrative system. The rising was suppressed but a commission was instigated to examine the causes. Cubbon was one of many called in to investigate; the end result saw Cubbon appointed British Commissioner of Mysore, a post he held for 27 years.

Cubbon was an extremely talented administrator and during his time Mysore became very prosperous. He simplified the revenue and judicial systems, encouraged new agricultural ventures (coffee planting) and maintained the Amrit Mahal (cattle) at Hunsur, which had been established by Sultan Haidar Ali (1721-1782) to improve the breed of cattle. In 1839 Cubbon was made colonel of the 5th Madras native infantry, promoted to major-general in 1846 and lieutenant-general in 1852. He was made a Companion of the Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath (CB) in 1856 and a Knight Commander of the Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath (KCB) in 1857.

Cubbon never married. Suffering from ill health, he retired from post in February 1861 and prepared to return to the British Isles after a 61 year absence. During the long journey home his health declined further and he died at Suez in April 1861; his body was interred in Maughold parish churchyard, Isle of Man. A commemorative equestrian statue of Cubbon can be found in Bangalore as well as Cubbon Road and Cubbon Park in the same city.

Canon Mark Wilks Harrison MA
The Revd Cannon Mark Wilks Harrison, born in Maughold, Isle of Man, came from a distinguished family who had over a two hundred year connection to the Manx clergy. He was the son of Canon Stephen Nathaniel Harrison (1836-1925), Chaplain of Christ Church, Dhoon, and Mary Anne Emily Kermode (b.1848). His paternal grandfather was Revd Bowyer Harrison (1792-1871), Vicar of Maughold from 1818-1871 and his maternal grandfather was Revd William Kermode (1814-1890), Vicar of Maughold from 1871-1877. William Kermode was also the father of the Manx poet Josephine 'Cushag' Kermode (1852-1937) and Philip Moore Callow Kermode (1855-1932), archaeologist and founder (and first Director) of the Manx Museum.

Further distinguished ancestors include his great grandfathers Revd David Harrison (d.1824) the first Chaplain of St Marks and afterwards Vicar of Malew and Revd Thomas Cubbon (1739-1828), Vicar of Maughold, 1769-1814. Through Thomas Cubbon, Harrison was a great nephew of Sir Mark Cubbon. His great-great grandfather was Revd Thomas W.J. Woods (c.1722-1785), Vicar of Maughold, 1754-1769. His third great grandfather was Vicar-General James Wilks and thus his great-great uncle was Colonel Mark Wilks.

Attending Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge, Harrison obtained his Bachelor of Arts (BA) in 1899 and Master of Arts (MA) in 1902. He was House Master at the Imperial Service College, Windsor, from 1902-1905. After receiving the calling to serve God, Harrison was ordained in 1905 by Francis Paget (1851-1911), Bishop of Oxford (1901-1911), becoming a priest the following year. From 1906 to 1909 he was the curate at Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire. In 1907 Harrison married Lily Pasifull (1876-1954) in Norfolk. The couple had one child, Mona Emily Pasifull Harrison (1909-1947).

Shortly after the birth of their daughter, the Harrison family moved back to the Isle of Man, Harrison having accepted the position of curate at St George’s, Douglas under Revd R.D. Kermode (1868-1948). 1911 saw Harrison become the Vicar at St Paul’s, Ramsey, a position he held for thirty-five years. Completely devoted to his parish Harrison ran many welfare activities such as the Church Institute, Mothers’ Union, Church Guild, Soup Kitchen and the Church Workers’ Association. Other community responsibilities included membership of the School Board in 1911 and the Higher Education Board in 1912. In 1913 he was appointed a Probation Officer and in 1928 he was elected to the Town Board. By 1940 he had become the Canon of St German, Peel.

In 1912 Harrison became secretary of the Mysore Trust. This Trust had charge of a row of cottages in Waterloo Road, Ramsey, built in 1862 and by his great aunt Elizabeth Cubbon (1788-1869) in memory of her brother Sir Mark Cubbon. Harrison was a member of the Freemasons, being a Worshipful Master of the St Maughold Lodge from 1917 and the Provincial Grand Chaplain. He also belonged to the Foresters’ Society and was Chief Ranger in 1915.

Harrison was a keen supporter for the Ramsey branch of the Lifeboat Institution, joining the committee in 1911 and obtaining the chairmanship in 1927. Other activities, roles and responsibilities included the chairmanship of the Ramsey Nursing Association in 1934 and the presidency of the Ramsey Swimming Club in 1933. He was also a Trustee for the Manx Museum with a specific interest in ecclesiastical and antiquarian subjects. Canon Harrison died in 1946 aged 69 and is buried in the Maughold Churchyard.

Language: English

Extent: 6 boxes

Item name: Manuscript

Collection: Manuscript Archive

Level: FONDS

ID number: MS 06568

Retrieval number: MD 436

Record class: Private

Access conditions: No regulations or restrictions are implemented on this material. Advance notification of a research visit is advisable by emailing library@mnh.gov.im.

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