Early in the 13th century, when Reginald of Man did homage to King John, we hear for the first time of English intervention in the affairs of Man, but it was into the hands of Scotland that the islands were ultimately to fall. During the whole of the Scandinavian period the isles were nominally under the suzerainty of the kings of Norway. The first to assert this authority was Harold Haarfager about 885, then came Magnus Barfod about 1100, both of whom conquered the isles. From the middle of the 12th century till the suzerainty had been of a very shadowy character. But after that date it became a reality and Norway consequently came into collision with the growing power of Scot land. Finally, in 1261, Alexander III. of Scotland sent envoys to Norway to negotiate for the cession of the isles, but their efforts led to no result. He therefore initiated hostilities which terminated in the complete defeat of the Norwegian fleet at Largs in 1263. Magnus, king of Man and the Isles, was compelled to surrender all the islands over which he had ruled, except Man, for which he did homage. Two years later Magnus died and in 1266 the king of Norway ceded the islands, including Man, to Scotland. But Scotland's rule over Man was not firmly established till 1275, when the Manx were defeated at Ronaldsway, near Castletown. In 1290 we find Edward I. of England in possession of Man, and till 1346, when the battle of Neville's Cross decided the long struggle between England and Scotland in England's favour, there followed a confused period when Man was some times under English and sometimes under Scottish rule.
About 1333 it had been granted by King Edward III. to William de Montacute, 1st earl of Salisbury, as his absolute possession.
In 1392 his son sold the island "with the crowne" to Sir William Le Scroope. In 1399 Henry IV. caused Le Scroope, to be be headed. The island then came into the possession of the crown and was granted to Henry de Percy, earl of Northumberland, but, he having been attainted, Henry IV., in 1406, made a grant of it to Sir John Stanley, his heirs and assigns.
With the accession of the Stanleys to the throne there begins a better epoch in Manx history. Though the island's new rulers rarely visited its shores they placed it under responsible gov ernors, who seem to have treated it with justice. Of the thirteen members of the family who ruled in Man, the second Sir John Stanley James, the 7th earl (1627-1651), and the loth earl of the same name (1702-1736) had the most important influence on it. The first curbed the power of the spiritual barons, introduced trial by jury and ordered the laws to be written.
The second, known as the Great Stanley, and his wife. Char lotte de 1a Tremoille, are probably the most striking figures in Manx history. In 1643 Charles I. ordered him to go to Man, where the people threatened to revolt. But his arrival, with soldiers, soon put a stop to anything of this kind. He
conciliated the people by his affability, brought in Englishmen to teach various handicrafts and tried to help the farmers by im proving the breed of Manx horses, and, at the same time, he restricted the exactions of the Church. But the Manx people never had less liberty than under his rule. They were heavily taxed; troops were quartered upon them; and they had to accept short leases for holding their land. In 1649 Stanley received a summons from General Ireton to surrender the island, which he haughtily declined. In Aug. 1651 he went to England with 300 Manxmen among his troops, to join King Charles II., and took part in the decisive defeat of the Royalists at Worcester. He was captured, confined in Chester castle, tried by court martial and executed at Wigan.
Soon after his death the Manx Militia, under the command of William Christian, rose against the Countess and captured all the insular forts except Rushen and Peel. They were then joined by a parliamentary force under Colonel Duckenfield, to whom the Countess surrendered. Fairfax had been appointed "Lord of Man and the Isles" in September. The restoration of Stanley government (166o) caused as little friction and alteration as its temporary cessation had. William Christian was tried and exe cuted while of the other persons implicated in the rebellion three only were excepted from the general amnesty, but by Order in Council they were pardoned, and the judges responsible for the sentence on Christian were punished. Stanley disputed the per manency of the tenants' holdings, which they had not at first regarded as being affected by the acceptance of leases. Almost open rebellion and the neglect of agriculture followed. In lieu of it the people turned to the fisheries and to contraband trade.
The agrarian question was not settled till 1704, when James, Charles's brother and successor, largely through the influence of Bishop Wilson, entered into a compact with his tenants, which secured the tenants in the possession of their estates in perpetuity on condition principally of a fixed rent. This act has been called the Magna Carta of the Manx people. As time went on, and the value of the estates increased, the rent payable to the lord became so small in proportion as to be almost nominal. James died in 1736 and was succeeded by James Murray, 2nd duke of Atholl. In 1764 he was succeeded by Charlotte, Baroness Strange, and her husband, John Murray, who, in right of his wife, became Lord of Man. About 1720 the contraband trade greatly increased. In 1726 it was, for a time, somewhat checked by parliament, but during the last ten years of the Atholl regime (1756-1765) it assumed such proportions that it became neces sary to suppress it. The "Reverting Act," was passed in 1765, under which the sovereign and manorial rights and the customs revenues and certain other perquisites were purchased.