Isle of Man Purchase Act 1765 facts for kids
| Act of Parliament | |
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| Long title | An Act for carrying into Execution a Contract, made pursuant to the Act of Parliament of the 12th of his late Majesty King George 1st, between the Commissioners of his Majesty’s Treasury and the Duke and Duchess of Atholl, the proprietors of the Isle of Man, and their Trustees, for the purchase of the said Island and its dependencies, under certain exceptions therein particularly mentioned. |
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| Citation | 5 Geo. 3. c. 26 |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 10 May 1765 |
| Commencement | 10 May 1765 |
| Repealed | 27 May 1976 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repealed by | Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1976 |
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Status: Repealed
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The Isle of Man Purchase Act 1765, also known as the Act of Revestment, was an important law in British history. It allowed the British Crown (the government) to buy back certain rights over the Isle of Man. These rights had belonged to the Dukes of Atholl, who were known as the Lords of Man.
This law meant that the British Crown took back control of many powers on the island. It was a big step in how the Isle of Man was governed.
Contents
Why the Act Was Needed
Back in 1609, another law called the Assurance of the Isle of Man Act 1609 had given the Atholl family special rights over the island. These were like landlord rights, allowing them to govern and collect taxes.
Because of that older law, a new law was needed to end those rights. The government had to pass the Isle of Man Purchase Act to legally take them back.
The Purchase Agreement
The Act put into action an agreement between Charlotte, Duchess of Atholl, and the government of Kingdom of Great Britain. The government was represented by HM Treasury.
The Atholl family agreed to sell their special rights over the Isle of Man to the Crown. The price for this was £70,000. This was a very large sum of money at the time.
The idea to buy these rights had actually started much earlier. An Act of Parliament from 1726 had given the government the power to make such a deal.
When the Act Started
The Isle of Man Purchase Act became law on 10 May 1765. This was the day it received royal assent, which means the King officially approved it.
The payment of £70,000 to the Duchess of Atholl was supposed to be made soon after, by 1 June 1765.
Resistance to Changes
The original plan for the Isle of Man was even bigger. Some people wanted to make the island part of the English county of Cumberland. This would have meant the Isle of Man would lose its unique status.
However, the people living on the Isle of Man strongly opposed this idea. Their leader was Sir George Moore, who was the Speaker of the House of Keys (the island's parliament). Their resistance helped prevent the island from becoming part of an English county.
The Act's End
After the Act had done its job and the purchase was complete, it was no longer actively used. Laws that have served their purpose are sometimes called "spent".
The Isle of Man Purchase Act 1765 was officially cancelled much later, on 27 May 1976. This happened as part of the Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1976, which removed many old and no longer needed laws.
Subsequent Rights Sold
| Duke of Atholl's Rights, Isle of Man Act 1825 | |
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| Act of Parliament | |
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| Long title | An act to empower the Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury to purchase a certain Annuity in respect of Duties of Customs levied in the Isle of Man, and reserved Sovereign Rights in the said Island, belonging to John Duke of Atholl. |
| Citation | 6 Geo. 4. c. 34 |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 10 June 1825 |
Even after the 1765 Act, the Atholl family still kept some of their rights on the Isle of Man. These included rights over their manor (their land and estates). They also kept the right to choose the bishop for the island.
These remaining rights were sold later, in 1828. The government paid a large sum of £417,144 for them. This amount would be worth over £20,000,000 today!
This second sale was also made possible by another law. It was called "An Act to empower the Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury to purchase a certain Annuity in respect of Duties and Customs levied in the Isle of Man, and any reserved sovereign rights in the said Island belonging to John Duke of Atholl" (6 Geo. 4. c. 34).
See also
