Captain William Dhone MacCrysten, Governor of the Isle of Man

Captain William Dhone MacCrysten, Governor of the Isle of Man

Male 1608 - 1663  (54 years)

Personal Information    |    Media    |    Notes    |    Sources    |    Event Map    |    All    |    PDF

  • Name William Dhone MacCrysten 
    Title Captain 
    Suffix Governor of the Isle of Man 
    Birth 14 Apr 1608  Milntown, Lezayre, Isle of Man Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2, 3
    • at Ronaldsway, Baldroma...
    Gender Male 
    Death 2 Jan 1663  Chancel, Kirk Malew, Isle of Man Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 3
    Burial Isle of Man Find all individuals with events at this location  [2
    • at Kirk Malew, Malew...
    Person ID I41753  The Hennessee Family
    Last Modified 17 Dec 2018 

    Father Ewan Christian,   b. 1579, Milntown, Lezayre, Isle of Man Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 20 Sep 1655, Ronaldsway, Derbyhaven, Isle of Man Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 76 years) 
    Mother Katherine Harrison,   b. 1586, Field, Lancashire, Englan Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1617, Ronaldsway, Derbyhaven, Isle of Man Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 31 years) 
    Marriage 1607  Ronaldsway, Derbyhaven, Isle of Man Find all individuals with events at this location  [3
    Family ID F19547  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Elizabeth Cockshutt,   b. Abt 1606, Great Harwood, Lancashire, England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 19 Nov 1665, Isle of Man Find all individuals with events at this location (Age ~ 59 years) 
    Marriage Y  [1, 2
    Children 
     1. Captain Thomas Christian, Sr., The Immigrant,   b. Bef 1636, Sledgby, Onchan Douglas, Isle of Man Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 21 Jun 1700, Saint Pauls Parish, Goochland County. Virginia Find all individuals with events at this location (Age ~ 64 years)
    Family ID F15114  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 30 Apr 2023 

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBirth - 14 Apr 1608 - Milntown, Lezayre, Isle of Man Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDeath - 2 Jan 1663 - Chancel, Kirk Malew, Isle of Man Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBurial - - Isle of Man Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Photos
    William Dhône Christian (1608-1663)
    William Dhône Christian (1608-1663)

  • Notes 
    • About William Dhone MacCrysten
      Links

      http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/fulltext/worthies/p064.htm
      --------------------

      William Christian was born on 14 April 1608 at Milntown, Lezayre, Isle of Man.2,3 He was the son of Deemster Ewan Christian and Katherine Harrison.1 He married Elizabeth Cockshutt, daughter of George Cockshutt, circa 1632.2 He died on 2 January 1662/63 at age 54 at Hango Hill, Isle of Man, executed.4 He was buried in January 1662/63 at the Chancel, Kirk Malew, Isle of Man.2

      William Christian also went by the nick-name of Illiam Dhãone (or in English, Brown-haired William).4 He was Steward of the Abbey lands in 1640.2 He gained the rank of Commande in the service of the Insular Militia.2 He held the office of Member of the House of Keys (M.H.K.) in 1643.2 In 1643 his father made over to him the estate of Ronaldsway.4 He held the office of Receiver-General of the Isle of Man in 1648.4 In 1651 he made terms with Colonel Duckenfield, who came to take possession of the Island after the defeat and execution of James, Earl of Derby.2

      He held the office of Governor of the Isle of Man between 1656 and 1659.2 In 1660 at London, England, he was arrested on an action for 20,000l, which he had embezzled while Receiver-General.4 On 12 December 1662 at Isle of Man he was again arrested for the same charges.4

      He has an extensive biographical entry in the Dictionary of National Biography.4 He was the greatest of Manx Patriots! After the Restoration, Charles, the 8th Earl of Derby, had Illiam Dhone arrested and tried as a traitor to the Derby family. He was condemned to death by a packed Court of Justice on 29 December 1662. The real reason for the execution was to wreak vengeance on Illiam Dhone for the leading part that he and his family had played in frustrating the Earl's persistent attempts to change the old feudal land tenure into a leasehold tenancy, a deep-laid scheme, which would have rendered all land in the Island the personal property of the Earl, and which the landed proprietors such as Illiam Dhone, Deemster Ewan Christian, Governor Edward Christian and some 800 others stubbornly resisted. This struggle had lasted long, and would certainly have been successful, but for the Christian's strong opposition. After the execution, Earl Charles confiscated Ronaldsway, but, on petition to King Charles II, he was ordered to restore it to the heir. However, the Earl then so persecuted the Christians that he succeeded in his endeavour to drive Illiam Dhone's branch of the powerful Milntown and Ronaldsway clan out of the Island. His sons then settled in Ireland.2

      Children of William Christian and Elizabeth Cockshutt

      1.Ewan Christian1 b. c 1633, d. 1633 2.George Christian+1 b. c Feb 1633/34, d. Mar 1692/93 3.William Christian2 b. c 1635 4.Ewan Christian+2 b. bt 1637 - 1640, d. 25 Apr 1671 5.James Christian2 b. 11 Apr 1637 6.John Christian2 b. 1640, d. 1671 7.Mary Christian2 b. 1641, d. 1725 8.Thomas Christian+4 b. bt 1641 - 1647, d. c Jun 1700 9.Patricius Christian+2 b. 1644, d. c 1687 10.Major Charles Christian2 b. 1648, d. 1699

      Citations 1.[S35] Volume 2, page 96. See link for full details for this source. Hereinafter cited as. [S35] 2.[S125]
      Richard Glanville-Brown, online , Richard Glanville-Brown (RR 2, Milton, Ontario, Canada), downloaded 17 August 2005. 3.[S64]
      Glynn Christian, Fragile Paradise: The discovery of Fletcher Christian, Bounty mutineer, 2nd ed. (U.S.A.: Bounty Books, 2005), page xiv-xv. Hereinafter cited as Fragile Paradise. 4.[S18] Matthew H.C.G., editor, Dictionary of National Biography on CD-ROM (Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press, 1995), reference "Christian, William, 1608-1663". Hereinafter cited as Dictionary of National Biography.

      -------------------- http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/fulltext/worthies/p064.htm [2]

  • Sources