# Manx Primary Source Archive — Transcription

**Source image:** `20260219_144512.jpg`  
**Transcribed:** 2026-02-25 19:26  
**Method:** Automated (Claude Batch API — claude-opus-4-6)

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To his Excellency John Wood Esq^re Governor in chief
and Captain General of this Isle 1769-77

The Memorial of the Keys of Mann
Humbly Sheweth

That in the month of February 1769 your Memorialists
on behalf of themselves & the Inhabitants of this Isle desired & waited on
your Excelly with their most humble & dutifull petition to his most
Sacred Majesty setting forth the miserable & distressed State of this
unhappy Island shut out from all manner of Commerce foreign
& domestic and Subject to such peculiar hardships as no one part of
his Majestys dominions hath the Misfortune to labour under and
humbly beseeching that they might be allowed such Privileges and
Indulgences as the rest of their fellow Subjects in the like circum-
stances & Situation have the happiness to enjoy.

That your Mem^ts were soon after given to understand by
your Excellency that his Majesty vouchsafed to listen to their
Complaints & was graciously pleased to signify That your Mem^ts should
be granted such priviledges as were consistent with the Laws of
the Realm & preservation of the Revenue.

That your Mem^ts have ever since comforted themselves
and the Inhabitants with his Royal assurance in hopes that when
more important matters were adjusted the great Distresses of Twenty
five thousand Loyal Protestant Subjects might one Time or other
become an object of Consideration.

That yet so it is nothing has been done, insomuch that
the Inhabitants in a manner reduced to the Utmost Extremity of Despair
are daily removing themselves & Families & going to Foreign Kingdoms
to seek a Livelihood, the Houses and Buildings in the several Towns
uninhabited & going to decay their infant Manufactories declining for
want of Circulating Cash & every thing is in an apparent state of De-
solation.

That it would be endless to enumerate the many uncommon
Hardships imposed on the People and Inhabitants of this Isle by several

MS 09707/01948 AP X16-1