Chronicles of the Kings of Mann and the Isles
The first page of the Chronicles of Mann; from BL Cotton MS Julius A. VII, f. 31r
Created	ca. 1262
Location	British Library in London

TheChronicles of the Kings of Mann and the Isles^[1] (Latin:Chronica Regum Manniæ et Insularum) orManx Chronicle is amedievalLatin manuscript relating the early history of theIsle of Man.

The main part of the manuscript is believed to have been composed and written in 1261 or 1262 atRushen Abbey on the island, shortly after the time of theCistercian abbey's dedication in 1257, which is the final event retold by the original scribe. The manuscript is written in ink onvellum, with pages roughly 15 cm (6 in) by 20 cm (8 in).

TheChronicles are a look back, year-by-year from 1016, over the significant events inManx history of that time. Written in Latin, it records the island's role as the centre of theNorseKingdom of Mann and the Isles, and the influence of its kings and religious leaders, as well as the role ofRushen Abbey itself – which was founded at the invitation ofOlaf I Godredsson, one of the Norse kings. The original scribe also wrote a list of popes (ff. 3r-14r) which ends withPope Urban IV (1261–4). It is probable that theChronicles were written for the new abbey on its foundation.

Entries for the earlier years are notably shorter than those towards the end of the original section of the manuscript, no doubt due to later events having occurred within living memory of the time of writing, and thus more detail being available. Many of the dates of the earlier annals are put around 15 years earlier than the actual event, and none of these entries before 1047 are directly related to the Isle of Man, having been copied from a source shared with theChronicle of Melrose.

Several further notes were later added by the abbey'sCistercian monks, taking theChronicles up to 1316. The manuscript also contains a copy ofBonizo of Sutri'sCronica Romanorum pontificum (ff. 15r-30r) and a territorial survey (ff. 53r-54v). A record of the bishops of the Western Isles toJohn Donkan (Bishop of Man andthe Isles from 1374 to 1387) is appended to theChronicles.

After the abbey was dissolved in 1540, the manuscript is thought to have passed through a number of private hands until being presented byRoger Dodsworth (d. 1654) to SirRobert Cotton (d. 1631) in 1620/1.^[2] Cotton's collection of medieval and early modern manuscripts was one of the founding collections of theBritish Museum and is now cared for by theBritish Library in London.

There have been campaigns to move theChronicles permanently to theIsle of Man.

• 1016–1030: KingCanute's marriage toEmma, the birth of their sonHarthacanute, and Canute's journeys to Denmark and Norway.
• 1031–1066: Foundation ofBury St. Edmunds Abbey, and the death of Canute. Death of KingEdward the Confessor.
• 1066–1079:Battle of Stamford Bridge,William the Conqueror's victory at theBattle of Hastings. Conquest of the Isle of Man byGodred Crovan.
• 1079–1098: Foundation of the Cistercian order atCîteaux in France.
• 1102–1152: Commencement of reign of KingOlaf. Foundations ofSavigny Abbey,Furness Abbey,Rievaulx Abbey,Calder Abbey,Melrose Abbey, andHolme Cultram Abbey. Grant of land at Rushen to Furness Abbey by King Olaf.
• 1165–1187: Murder ofThomas Becket atCanterbury Cathedral. Capture ofJerusalem bySaladin. Visit by apapal legate to the Isle of Man. Marriage of KingGodred, conducted by the Abbot of Rievaulx.
• 1228–1237: Death of King Olaf onSt Patrick's Isle, and burial at Rushen Abbey.
• 1250–1256: Start of reign of KingMagnus
• 1256–1274: Completion of the Abbey Church of St Mary's at Rushen, and dedication by Richard,Bishop of Sodor and Man.
• List of Bishops: Alist of the Bishops of the Diocese of Sodor and Man untilSimon Orcadensis, who had died in 1248. The bishop at the time of the writing of the manuscript, Richard, was not included.

• Broderick, G. (ed. and tr.).The Chronicles of the Kings of Mann and the Isles. 2nd ed. Douglas, 1995.
• Munch, P.A. (ed.) and Rev.Alexander Goss (tr.).Chronica regnum Manniae et insularum. The Chronicle of Man and the Sudreys. 2 vols. Manx Society 22–3. Douglas, 1874.Available in html

Wikimedia Commons has media related toChronicles of Mann.

• Photographs of the manuscript are available on the British Library's website.
  • The Years 1016–1030
  • The Years 1031–1066
  • The Years 1066–1079
  • The Years 1079–1098
  • The Years 1102–1152
  • The Years 1165–1187
  • The Years 1228–1237
  • The Years 1250–1256
  • The Years 1256–1274
  • The Bishops of the Church of Sodor

• History of the Isle of Man
• Cotton Library
• Scottish chronicles
• 13th-century books in Latin

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