Estate of William Quayle (1849–1850)

This case file brings together five separate documents from the Isle of Man Ecclesiastical Court, filed as a single probate bundle. William Quayle died intestate (without a will) in Lezayre in 1849, and his creditor Edward Kenyon petitioned the court for someone to be appointed to administer the estate.

1. Petition for Administration — Edward Kenyon

Lezayre (docket/endorsement, written across the top margin, above the body of the petition)

To the Worshipful Thomas Arthur Corlett
Vicar General &c. &c. &c.

The humble petition of Edward
Kenyon of the Town of Ramsey

Sheweth

That William Quayle of the Glion Moar in
the parish of Lezayre lately departed this life
indebted unto your petitioner

That your petitioner upon enquiry
at the Episcopal Registry has been informed
that there has not been any person appointed
to [illegible word, struck through] Administer the Estate of the said William
Quayle —

Your petitioner therefore prays
a hearing of this petition and
that your Worship may be
pleased to grant Administration
of the Estate of the said William
Quayle unto the Sumner General
or some other proper person &
your petr. will pray &c

The image above is the outer docket — the endorsement written on the outside of the folded petition-and-bond bundle, reading "Edward Kenyon's Petition for Admin[istratio]n of the Estate of Wm Quayle." It was evidently photographed as the back cover of the whole bundle, which is why it is presented here alongside the petition it wraps rather than as a separate case document.

Notes: "Lezayre" at the top is in a different, lighter hand — likely a later docketing note. A word before "Administer" was struck through by the clerk and cannot be read with confidence. "Sumner General" is transcribed on the strength of it being a genuine Manx ecclesiastical-court office (the apparitor of the courts), rather than the alternative reading "Summer General," which is not a known office. "Glion Moar," William Quayle's residence, also appears elsewhere in this collection as "Lhen Moar."

2. Order and Decree of Administration

Order, 15 December 1849:

Ordered that this Petition do come on to be heard
before me at an Eccl. Court to be held in Ramsey
on Friday the 21st Inst. Whereof all proper persons
& witnesses to have due notice

Given this 15th Decr. 1849

T. A. Corlett.

Decree of Administration, 21 December 1849, at an Eccl. Court held in Ramsey:

Upon hearing this Petition in presence of the parties it appears
Wm. Quayle late of Lezayre some time ago departed this life Intestate
leaving issue Wm. Jas. Quayle Edwd. Quayle and Cathe. Anne Quayle
Who are therefore Decreed joint Admors of all and singular the Goods
rights Credits Chattels and Effects of the deceased and Ann
Quayle the widow of the id. decd. is sworn well and truly to
administer this id. Estate to pay all just debts and funeral
expenses of the deceased so far forth as the Goods will extend and
the law bind her and to return to the Epl. Registry of this Diocese
a full true and perfect Inventory of the id. Estate with an
accurate account of her acts and proceedings in the
Premises when thereunto lawfully required and to these ends
he has given pledges namely Thomas Kinrade and John
Cowley who have executed the usual Bond in presence of the
Court. –

Decretum est.
T. A. Corlett. –

Later addition, 1850: “25th February – Edward Kenyon – Claims – Sterling £20.0.0”

Notes: "id." and "decd." are the clerk's own contracted forms for "said" and "deceased," carried over from the companion petition. "Decretum est" is Latin for "it is decreed," a standard closing formula in these ecclesiastical-court records.

3. Administration Bond

A printed bond form with handwritten insertions; printed text is transcribed as printed, handwritten fill-ins as written, with unclear words bracketed.

WHEREAS the Ecclesiastical Court of this Diocese hath this day granted administration of
all and singular the Goods and Effects of Wm. Quayle late of
Lezayre — deceased, to Anne Quayle his widow in
trust for the Children of the decd. namely John Jas. Quayle
Edwd. Quayle & Cathe. Anne Quayle all of whom are minors —

AND WHEREAS Thos. Kinrade of [Killybragey]
in the Parish of Lezayre and John Cowley
of Ballakibberagh in the Parish of Lezayre. have agreed
to become pledges to the said Anne Quayle. — for the due administration
of the said Estate according to law.

Therefore know all men by these Presents, that we, the said Thos. Kinrade —
and John Cowley — hereby bind and oblige
ourselves and our Executors and Administrators, as pledges to the said Anne Quayle.
for the due and faithful administration of the goods
and effects of the said deceased according to law. And in her default we bind ourselves and our Executors
and Administrators to be answerable to all parties interested in the said Estate, or the Administration thereof.

Witness our subscriptions this 21st day of Decr. 1849. —

Witnessed by
[Chas Gill?]
Thos. Kinrade
John Cowley his × [— mark]

Notes: unlike the fully handwritten petition and order/decree, this is a preprinted bond form with blanks filled by hand. "[Killybragey]" is Thomas Kinrade's residence — a strong phonetic match to the real Lezayre farm-name "Killabraggah" (also "Killey briggey" 1761, "Killabricky" 1757) found in the 1925 Manx Place-Names gazetteer, transcribed here as written rather than silently modernised. "[Chas Gill?]" is the least certain reading in the document. John Cowley signed with a mark ("his ×"), indicating he could not, or did not, write his own name.

4. Inventory and Appraisement

Taken by a jury of four men convened by Daniel Cowin, Sumner of Lezayre, 26 November 1849 — three weeks before the petition itself was heard.

We whose names being a Jury of foure men
Convened and Sworn by Daniel Cowin Sumner of
Lezayre to Inventory and appraise the goods and effects
of William Quayle which are as follows

No.	Item	£	s.	d.
1	Stack of Barley	0	15	0
2	Do. — Do.	0	10	0
3	Do. — Oats	1	0	0
4	Do. — Do.	1	0	0
5	Do. — Do.	0	10	0
6	Do. — Do.	0	15	0
7	Small Stack of Rygrass	0	6	0
8	lot of turnips and shaw	0	1	0
9	to one mare	2	0	0
10	to one horse	2	0	0
11	to one pig	1	0	0
12	to one fole	0	5	0
13	to one cow	3	0	0
14	pair of harrows	0	7	0
15	to one turf stack	0	2	0
16	to one iron plough and swingletrees	0	15	0
17	to one cart	0	12	0
18	cart and plough gears	0	3	0
19	to a lot of turnips standing	0	1	0
20	to a lot of potatoes in buts	0	10	0
21	to six sheep	1	10	0
22	to twelve hens	0	4	0
23	two spades, two grapes [graips], and two iron bars	0	2	0
24	two small lots of manure	0	5	0
25	to clock	0	10	0
26	dresser and ware	0	5	0
27	table and form	0	3	0
28	two chists	0	5	0
29	small articles	0	1	6
30	to foure [illegible — struck through] sacks	0	1	4
—	running total at this point	19	8	10
31	to a lot of shoemakers' lasts	0	6	6

We do hereby certify that we have the undersigned
have appeared and proceeded according to the above
Requirement this the 26th of November 1849
The id. Jury delivered the above to me
as their Inventory and Appraisements
of the goods and effects of Wm. Quayle

Danl. Cowin, Sumner of Lezayre
[?]. Cowel — William Kewn — John Haile My — × — Wm. Cowley My — ×

Notes: "grapes" (item 23) is almost certainly the period spelling of "graips" (dung forks), transcribed as written. Item 30 has a word scored out between "foure" and "sacks" that cannot be recovered. The running total of £19.8.10 was written before lot 31 (shoemakers' lasts) was added in smaller writing beneath it — no revised grand total appears on the page, so both figures are given as written rather than combined. William Kewn's surname, though unusual-looking, is attested as a genuine 17th-century Manx spelling variant of Kewin/Kewley. John Haile and William Cowley both signed with a mark.

5. Conditions and Account of Sale

[Ballaeubbraugh?] Lezayre — Conditions of Sale of the goods and effects of Wm. Quayle late deceased. Sale on Wensday 2 of January 1850.

1. The Highest Bidder to be the purchaser, and if any dispute arises between two parties the article to be put up again and resold.
2. All lots to be at the risk of the purchaser when knocked down.
3. Goods to be paid for previous to the removal of the same.

Lot	Item	Buyer	£	s.	d.
1	to a Stack of Barley	Wm. Cowley	0	14	0
2	Do. — Do.	Thos. Haile	0	11	0
3	to a Stack of oats	Wm. Cowley	0	16	6
4	Do. — Do.	Thos. Kinrade	1	0	0
5	Do. — Do.	Margt. Key	0	11	0
6	Do. — Do.	Wm. Cowley	1	6	6
7	to Rygrass hay	Do.	0	9	6
8	to turnips	Thos. Key	0	1	6
9	to a brown mare	Wm. Cowley	3	3	0
10	to a black horse	Do.	2	6	0
11	to a pig	Mrs. Kelley	1	4	0
12	to a fole	Wm. Cowley	1	1	0
13	to a black cow	Thos. Key	3	15	0
14	to harrows	Wm. Cowley	0	7	3
15	to a turf stack	Thos. Key	0	2	3
16	to an iron plough	Do.	0	16	6
17	to a cart	Wm. Cowley	0	12	3
18	to cart and plough gears	Do.	0	3	3
19	to a lot of turnips standing	Do.	0	1	3
20	to potatoes in buts	Do.	0	10	3
21	to six sheep	Thos. Key	1	13	0
22	to twelve hens	Wm. Cowley	0	4	3
23	to two spades, two grapes and iron bars	John Haile	0	2	2
24	to a lot of manure	Thos. Key	0	5	3
25	to a clock	Wm. Cowley	0	11	3
26	to a dresser and ware	Thos. Kinrade	0	5	3
27	to a table and forum	John Cowley	0	3	3
28	to two chists	Wm. Cowley	0	5	4
29	to a lot of small articles	John Cowley	0	1	9
30	to foure sacks	Wm. Cowley	0	1	6
31	to shoemakers lasts	Robt. Boyde	0	6	6

No grand total is written on either page below lot 31. Returned to the Episcopal Registry the 10th day of April 1850 by Ann Quayle, Widow & Admtrx of William Quayle of Lezayre dec[ease]d — signed R. Brown, D.Er (Deputy Registrar).

Notes: the sale's heading place-name "[Ballaeubbraugh?]" does not match any entry found in the 1925 Manx place-names gazetteer for Lezayre — a possible match might be "Ballacuberagh," but this remains bracketed as uncertain. Wm. Cowley (the inventory juror) was the dominant buyer, winning 12 of 31 lots — consistent with a family member or close associate reclaiming much of the estate's property. John Cowley (the surety/pledge, a different man from Wm. Cowley) also bought two lots. Robert Boyde's purchase of the shoemakers' lasts (lot 31) links directly back to the same late addition in the Inventory.

A consolidated index drawn from all five transcribed documents in this case file: the Petition for Administration, the Order and Decree, the Administration Bond, the Inventory and Appraisement, and the Estate Sale Conditions and Account.

People

Name	Role	Appears in
William Quayle	The deceased; late of the Glion Moar, Lezayre	All documents
(Wm. Quayle)
Ann Quayle	Widow of William Quayle; sworn administrator (administratrix) of the estate	OD, AB,
Wm. Jas. Quayle	Son of William & Ann Quayle; minor; joint administrator	OD, AB,
(William James)
Edwd. Quayle	Son of William & Ann Quayle; minor; joint administrator	OD, AB,
(Edward)
Cathe. Ann Quayle	Daughter of William & Ann Quayle; minor; joint administrator	OD, AB,
(Catherine Ann)
Edward Kenyon	Petitioner, of Ramsey; a creditor of the estate; later formally claims £20.0.0 (25 Feb 1850)	PA, OD
Thomas Arthur Corlett	Vicar General; presided over the Ecclesiastical Court, issued the Order and Decree	PA, OD
(T. A. Corlett)
Thos. Kinrade	Pledge/surety on the Administration Bond, of Killybragey;	OD, AB, [ES — tentative]
	possibly the same "Thos. Kinrade" who buys lots 4 & 26 at the estate sale
John Cowley	Pledge/surety on the Administration Bond, of Ballakibberagh; signed with an X mark;	OD, AB, ES
	also buys lots 27 & 29 at the estate sale
[Chanlpitt?]	Witness to the Administration Bond; name highly uncertain, unverified	AB,
Danl. Cowin	Sumner of Lezayre; convened and swore in the appraisal jury	IA
[?]. Cowel[l]	Juror #1 on the Inventory; given-name initial illegible	IA
William Kewn	Juror #2 on the Inventory	IA
John Haile	Juror #3 on the Inventory, signed with an X mark;	IA, ES
	also buys lot 23 at the estate sale under the same name
Wm. Cowley	Juror #4 on the Inventory, signed with an X mark;	IA, ES
	also the dominant buyer at the estate sale (12 of 31 lots)
	— distinct person from pledge John Cowley despite shared surname
Thos. Haile	Buyer at the estate sale, lot 2	ES
Margt. Key (Margaret)	Buyer at the estate sale, lot 5	ES
Thos. Key (Thomas)	Buyer at the estate sale, lots 8, 13, 15, 21, 24	ES
Mrs. Kelley	Buyer at the estate sale, lot 11	ES
Robt. Boyde (Robert)	Buyer at the estate sale, lot 31 (shoemakers' lasts)	ES

Document index

ID	Document
PA	Petition for Administration
OD	Order and Decree
AB	Administration Bond
IA	Inventory and Appraisement
ES	Estate Sale Conditions and Account

Places

Place	Notes
Lezayre	Parish, Isle of Man — where William Quayle lived and died, and where every document in the case is anchored
Ramsey	Town where Edward Kenyon resided and where the Ecclesiastical Court sat (15 & 21 Dec 1849)
Glion Moar	William Quayle's residence within Lezayre parish; likely the same as "Lhen Mooar"/"Lhion Mooar," a recorded Manx glen name
Killybragey	Thomas Kinrade's residence, Lezayre; matched to the historically-recorded farm name "Killabraggah"
(likely Killabraggah)	(also spelled "Killey briggey" 1761, "Killabricky" 1757)
Ballakibberagh	John Cowley's residence, Sulby, Lezayre; a plausible but not confirmed match to "Ballacuberagh," Sulby
(possibly Ballacuberagh)
Sulby	Locality within Lezayre parish, associated with John Cowley's residence
[Ballaenbbraugh?]	Uncertain place name heading the Estate Sale document, "…Lezayre"; no confirmed match found in Manx place-name gazetteers
Episcopal Registry / Ecclesiastical Court	The governing court and registry through which the petition, order, decree, and bond were processed
(Diocese of Sodor and Man)

Relationships

• Ann Quayle — widow of William Quayle; sworn in to administer his estate.
• Wm. Jas. Quayle, Edwd. Quayle, and Cathe. Ann Quayle — children of William and Ann Quayle, all minors, named jointly with their mother as administrators of the estate.
• Edward Kenyon — a creditor of William Quayle's estate; his petition for administration set the whole case in motion, and he later filed a formal £20.0.0 claim against the estate (Feb 1850).
• Thomas Arthur Corlett — the Vicar General who heard the petition and issued the Order and Decree of Administration.
• Thos. Kinrade and John Cowley — the two pledges (sureties) who bonded themselves to guarantee Ann Quayle's faithful administration of the estate.
• Danl. Cowin — the Sumner of Lezayre who convened and swore in the four-man jury that inventoried and appraised the estate.
• [?]. Cowel[l], William Kewn, John Haile, and Wm. Cowley — the four jurors who carried out the inventory and appraisal, each signing (the latter two with an X mark, indicating they could not write).
• Wm. Cowley (juror) is a distinct person from John Cowley (pledge/surety) — same surname, different given names and roles; both appear to be part of the same extended Cowley family active in this estate's affairs.
• John Haile (juror) is very likely the same person as the John Haile who buys lot 23 at the estate sale — confirmed via a direct letterform comparison of the capital "H." This also connects to Thos. Haile, who buys lot 2 at the sale — possibly a relative.
• Thos. Kinrade (pledge, of Killybragey), who buys lots 4 and 26 at the estate sale
• Wm. Cowley (juror) is almost certainly the same person as the Wm. Cowley who buys the majority of lots (12 of 31) at the estate sale — consistent with a family member or close associate reclaiming much of the estate's property at auction.
• Robt. Boyde buys lot 31 (shoemakers' lasts) at the sale — the same distinctive item that was added late to the Inventory and Appraisement, linking the two documents' lot 31 entries.
• Margt. Key, Thos. Key, and Mrs. Kelley are buyers who appear only in the Estate Sale document, with no clear connection established to the family or other named parties in the earlier documents.

Notes on uncertainty

• Several identifications across documents (Thos. Kinrade; the Haile family connections) rest on handwriting comparison and contextual plausibility rather than an explicit statement in the sources that these are the same people — treat them as reasonable working hypotheses, not settled fact.
• Two place names — Ballakibberagh and [Ballaenbbraugh?] — remain only tentatively or not at all matched to known historical Lezayre place-names despite gazetteer research.