Britain, or A chorographicall description of the most flourishing kingdomes, England, Scotland, and Ireland, and the ilands adjoyning, out of the depth of antiquitie beautified vvith mappes of the severall shires of England: vvritten first in Latine by William Camden Clarenceux K. of A. Translated newly into English by Philémon Holland Doctour in Physick: finally, revised, amended, and enlarged with sundry additions by the said author.

[ A]

Here I thinke good to write somewhat againe of Olave and Reginald, Brethren.

REginald gave unto his brother Olave the Ile called Lodhus, which is said to be lar∣ger than the rest of the Ilands, but slenderly inhabited, because it stands much upon mountaines, is stony besides, and almost all unfit for tillage. The inhabitants thereof live for the most part by hunting and fishing. Olave therfore went to possesse himselfe of this Iland, and dwelt in it, leading a poore life. And when he saw it would [ B] not suffice to maintaine himselfe and his army, he came boldly unto his brother Re∣ginald, who then made his abode in the Ilands, and spake unto him in this maner. Bro∣ther, saith hee, my Soveraigne Lord the King, thou knowest that the kingdome of the Ilands belonged unto me by inheritance; but since the Lord hath elected thee to sway the Scepter thereof, I envie thee not, nor take it grievously that thou art exalted to that royall dignity. Now thus much I heartily beseech thee, that thou wouldest provide me some portion of land in the Iles, wherein I may live honestly according to mine estate: for the Iland Lodhus which thou gavest unto me is not sufficient to sustaine me. Reginald his brother after he had given him the hearing, said he would take counsell upon the point: and the morrow after, when Olave was sent for, and came in place to parley of the matter, Reginald commandeth that hee should be ap∣prehended [ C] and brought unto William King of Scotland, that with him he might be kept in prison. And Olave lay prisoner in irons and chaines almost seven yeeres. In the seventh yeere died William King of Scotland, after whom succeeded his sonne Alexander. Now before his death he gave commandement that all prisoners should be set free. Olave therefore being enlarged and at liberty came to Man: and soone after, accompanied with no small traine of Noblemen, he went to S. James: and after he was thus returned Reginald his brother caused him to marry a Noble mans daugh∣ter of Kentyre, even his owne wives whole sister, named Lavon, and gave him Lod∣hus in possession to enjoy. Some few daies after Reginald Bishop of the Ilands having [ D] called a Synod, canonically divorced Olave the sonne of Godred, and Lavon his wife, as being the cousin german of his former wife. After this Olave wedded Scristine daughter of Ferkar Earle of Rosse.

For this cause Reginalds wife Queene of the Ilands was wroth, and directed her letters in the name of Reginald the King, into the Ile Sky, unto Godred her sonne that he should kill Olave. As Godred was devising meanes to worke this feat, and now en∣tring into Lodhus, Olave fled in a little cog-boat unto his father in law, the Earle of Rosse aforesaid. Then Godred wasteth and spoileth Lodhus. At the same time Pol the son of Boke Sheriffe of Sky, a man of great authority in all the Ilands, because he would not give his consent unto Godred, fled, and together with Olave lived in the [ E] Earle of Rosses house: and entring into a league with Olave they came both in one ship to Sky. At length having sent forth their spies and discoverers, they learned that Godred lay in a certain Iland called St. Columbs Ile, having very few men with him, misdoubting nothing. Gathering therefore about them all their friends and acquain∣tance, with such voluntaries as were ready to joine with them, at midnight with five shippes which they drew from the next sea-shore, distant from the Island aforesaid some two furlongs, they beset the Isle round about. Godred then, and they that were with him, rising by the dawning of the day, and seeing themselves environed on every side with enemies, were astonied: but putting themselves in warlike armes, as∣saied right manfully to make resistance, but all in vaine. For about nine a clocke of [ F] the day Olave and Pol the foresaid Sheriffe set foot in the Iland, with their whole ar∣my, & having slain all those whom they found without the enclosure of the Church, they tooke Godred, put out his eyes, and gelded him. Howbeit to this deed Olave did not yeeld his consent, neither could he withstand it, for Bokes sonne, the Sheriffe aforesaid. For this was done in the yeere 1223.

[ A] The Summer next following Olave, after he had taken hostages of all the Lords and potentates of the Isles, came with a fleet of 32. saile toward Man, and arrived at Rognolfwaht. At this very time Reginald and Olave divided the kingdome of the I∣lands between themselves, and Man was given to Reginald over and beside his owne portion, together with the title of King.

Olave the second time, having furnished himselfe with victuals from the people of Man, returned with his company to his portion of the Iland. The yeere following, Reginald taking with him Alane Lord of Galway, went with his souldiers of Man to the Iland parts, that hee might disseize his brother Olave of that portion of land [ B] which hee had given unto him, and bring it under his owne dominion. But because the Manksmen were not willing to fight against Olave and the Ilanders, for the love they had to them, Reginald and Alan Lord of Galway returned home without at∣chieving their purpose. After a little while, Reginald under pretence of going to the Court of his Soveraigne the Lord King of England, tooke up of the people of Man an hundred Markes, but went in very deed to the Court of Alan Lord of Galway. At the same time he affianced his daughter unto the son of Alan in marriage. Which the Manksmen hearing, tooke such snuffe and indignation thereat, that they sent for Olave, and made him their King.

MCCXXVI. Olave recovered his inheritance, to wit, the kingdome of Man and of [ C] the Ilands, which his brother Reginald had governed 38. yeeres, and reigned quietly two yeeres.

MCCXXVIII. Olave accompanied with all the Nobles of Man, and a band of the strongest men of the country, sailed over into the Ilands. A little after Alan Lord of Galway, and Thomas Earle of Athol, and King Reginald, came unto Man with a pu∣issant army: all the South part of Man they wasted, spoiled the Churches, and slew all the men they could lay hold of, so that the South part of Man was laid in manner all desolate. After this returned Alan with his army into his owne country, and left his bailiffes in Man, to gather up for him the tributes of the country. But King Olave came upon them at unwares, put them to flight and recovered his owne kingdome. [ D] Then the people of Man, which before time had been dispersed every way, began to gather themselves together, and to dwell with confidence and security.

In the same yeere came King Reginald out of Galway unlooked for, at the dead time of night in winter, with five ships, and burnt all the shipping of his brother O∣lave, and of the Lords of Man at Saint Patrickes Iland: and suing to his brother for peace, stayed forty daies at the haven of Ragnoll-wath. Meane while he won and drew unto him all the Ilanders in the South part of Man, who sware they would venture their lives in his quarrell, untill hee were invested in the one halfe of the kingdome. On the contrarie part, Olave had the Northren men of the Isle to side with him: and upon the 14. day of February, at a place called Tingualla, there was a battell strucke [ E] betweene the two brethren, wherein Olave had the victorie: and King Reginald was by some killed there without his brothers knowledge. And certaine rovers comming to the South part of Man wasted and harried it. The Monks of Russin tran∣slated the body of King Reginald unto the Abbey of S. Mary de Fournes, and there enterred it was in a place which himselfe had chosen for that purpose. After this went Olave to the King of Norway; but before that hee was come thither, Haco King of Norway ordained a certaine Noble man named Hu••bac, the sonne of Ow∣mund for to bee King of the Sodorian Ilands, and called his name Haco. Now the same Haco, together with Olave, and Godred Don Reginalds son, and many Norwe∣gians came unto the Ilands: and at the winning of a fort in the Iland Both, Haco chan∣ced [ F] to be smit with a stone, whereof he died, and lieth buried in Iona.

MCCXXX. Olave came with Godred Don and the Norwegians to Man: and they divided the kingdome among themselves: Olave held Man, and Godred being gone unto the Ilands, was slaine in the Isle Lodhus. So obtained Olave the kindgome of the Isles.

MCCXXXVII. On the twelfth Calends of June died Olave the sonne of Godred

King of Man, in S. Patricks Iland, and was buried in the Abbey of Russin. He reigned [ A] eleven yeeres, two by his brothers life, and nine after his death.

Harold his sonne succeeded him being 14. yeeres of age, and reigned 12. yeeres. In the first yeere of his reigne he made a journey to the Ilands, and appointed Loglen his cousin, Custos of Man. In the Autumne following Harald sent three sonnes of Nell, namely, Dufgald, Thorquill Mormore, and his friend Ioseph to Man, for to con∣sult about affaires. On the 25. day therefore they meet at Tingull: and by occasion of a certaine envious quarrell that arose between the sonnes of Nell and Loglen, there was a sore fight on both sides, wherein were slaine Dufgald, Mormore, and the fore∣said Joseph. In the spring ensuing King Harald came to the Isle of Man, and Loglen, [ B] as he fled toward Wales, perished by Shipwracke, with Godred Olaves sonne his fo∣ster child and pupill, with 40. others.

MCCXXXVIII. Gospatricke and Gillescrist the sonne of Mac-Kerthac came from the King of Norway into Man, who by force kept Harald out of Man, and tooke tri∣butes to the Kings behoofe of Norway, because he refused to come unto the King of Norwaies Court.

MCCXL. Gospatric died, and is buried in the Abbey of Russin.

MCCXXXIX. Harald went unto the King of Norway, who after two yeeres confir∣med unto him, his heires and successours under his seale, all the Ilands which his pre∣decessours had possessed. [ C]

MCCXLII. Harald returned out of Norway to Man, and being by the inhabitants honourably received, had peace with the Kings of England and of Scotland. Harald, like as his father before him, was by the King of England dubbed Knight, and after he had been rewarded with many gifts returned home. The same yeere he was sent for by the King of Norway, and married his daughter.

And in the yeere 1249. as he returned homeward with his wife, and Laurence King elect of Man, and many other Nobles and Gentlemen, he was drowned in a tempest neere unto the coasts of Radland.

MCCXLIX. Reginald the sonne of Olave and brother to Harald, began his reigne the day before the Nones of May, and on the thirtieth day thereof was slaine by one [ D] Yvar a Knight and his company, in a medow neere unto the Holy Trinity Church, on the South side, and lieth buried in the Church of Saint Mary of Russin.

At that time Alexander King of Scots rigged and brought together many ships, meaning to subdue the Iland: and in the Ile Kerwaray he died of an ague.

Harald the sonne of Godred Don usurped the name of King in the Ilands: all the Nobles of Harald King Olaves sonne hee banished, and placed in their stead all the Princes and Peeres that were fled from the said Harald.

MCCL. Harald the sonne of Godred Don, being by missives sent for, went unto the King of Norway, who kept him in prison, because he had unjustly intruded him∣selfe into the kingdome. [ E]

The same yeere there arrived at Roghalwaght Magnus the son of Olave, and John the sonne of Dugald, who named himselfe King: but the people of Man taking it to the heart that Magnus was not nominated, would not suffer them to land there: many of them therefore were cast away and perished by shipwracke.

MCCLII. Magnus the sonne of Olave came to Man, and was made King: The next yeere he went to the King of Norway, and stayed there a yeere.

MCCLIV. Haco King of Norway ordained Magnus, Olaves sonne, King of the Isles, and confirmed the same unto him and his heires, and by name unto his brother Harald.

MCCLVI. Magnus King of Man went into England, and was knighted by the King [ F] of England.

"MCCLVII. The church of S. Maries of Russin was dedicated by Richard of Sodore.

MCCLX. Haco King of Norway came unto the parts of Scotland, and without any exploit done turned to the Orkneys: where at Kirwas he ended his daies, and ly∣eth enterred at Bergh.

[ A] MCCLXV. Magnus, Olaves sonne King of Man and of the Ilands, departed this life at the Castle of Russin, and was buried in the Church of S. Mary de Russin.

MCCLXVI. The kingdome of the Ilands was translated, by reason of Alexander King of Scots.

That which followeth was written in another hand,

and of a later character.

MCCLXX. The seventh day of October, a navy set out by Alexander King of Scots, ar∣rived [ B] at Roghalwath: and the next morrow before sun rising a battaile was fought be∣tween the people of Man and the Scots, in which were slain of the Manksmen 537. where∣upon a certaine versifier played thus upon the number.

L. decies, X. ter, & penta duo cecidere, Mannica gens de te, damna futura cave. L. Ten times told, X. thrice, with five beside and twaine, Ware future harmes, I reed, of thy folke Man were slaine.

MCCCXIII. Robert King of Scots besieged the Castle of Russin, which Dingawy [ C] Dowyll held against him: but in the end the King won the castle:

MCCCXVI. On the Ascension day, Richard le Mandevile and his brethren with other Potentates of Ireland, arrived at Ramaldwath, requesting to be furnished with victuals and silver, for that they had been robbed by the enemies warring upon them continually. Now when the commonality of the country had made answer, that they would not give them any: they advanced forward against those of Man with two troops or squadrons, untill they were come as far as to the side of Warthfell hill, in a field wherein John Mandevile remained, and there in a fought battell the Irish vanquished the Manksmen, spoiled the Iland, and rifled the Abbey of Russin: and after they had continued in the Iland one whole moneth, they returned home with their ships fraught with pillage.

[ D]

Thus endeth the Chronicle of the K.K. of Man.