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Rushen ( ; gv, Rosien), formally Kirk Christ Rushen, is one of the seventeen historic
parishes A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...
of the
Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...
. It is located in the south of the island (part of the traditional ''South Side'' division) in the sheading of the same name. Administratively, part of the historic parish of Rushen, and the majority of the population, is now covered by the
village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred t ...
district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
s of
Port Erin Port Erin ( gv, Purt Çhiarn, meaning ''lord's port'') is a seaside village in the south-west of the Isle of Man, in the historic parish of Rushen. It was previously a seaside resort before the decline of the tourist trade. Administratively it ...
and
Port St Mary Port St Mary ( gv, Purt le Moirrey or ''Purt-noo-Moirrey'') is a village district in the south-west of the Isle of Man. The village takes its name from the former Chapel of St Mary ( gv, Keeill Moirrey) which is thought to have overlooked Chap ...
. As a result, there is an
exclave An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...
of the parish district which includes the
Calf of Man Calf of Man ( gv, Yn Cholloo ) is a island, off the southwest coast of the Isle of Man. It is separated from the Isle of Man by a narrow stretch of water called the Calf Sound. Like the nearby rocky islets of Chicken Rock and Kitterland, it i ...
. Other settlements in the parish include
Cregneash Cregneash or Cregneish ( gv, Creneash) is a small village and tourist destination in the extreme south-west of the Isle of Man, about from Port Erin. Most of the village is now part of a living museum run by Manx National Heritage. There are ...
.


Local government

For the purposes of
local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loc ...
, the majority of the area of the historic parish formed a single parish
district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
, with
Commissioner A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something). In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to in ...
s, but this has now been amalgamated with
Arbory Arbory ( gv, Cairbre) is one of the seventeen historic parishes of the Isle of Man. It is located in the south of the island (part of the traditional ''South Side'' division) in the sheading of Rushen. Settlements in the parish include Ballabe ...
. (See Arbory and Rushen.) Since the 1880s, two areas of the historic parish of Rushen have been the two separate village districts of Port Erin and Port St Mary, each with its own village commissioners. The
Captain of the Parish The Captain of the Parish is an official in each parish in the Isle of Man—formerly the title was ''Captain of the Parish Militia'', but it is now only a titular honour. Historically the Captain of the Parish was authorised to raise his own mi ...
(since 1998) is Stanley Ditchfield Clucas.


Politics

Rushen parish is split between two
House of Keys constituencies These are the constituencies used in the elections to the House of Keys, the lower house of the parliament of the Isle of Man. Constituencies from 2016 Constituencies from 1986–2011 The constituencies used for the 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, ...
: Rushen, covering the majority of the parish including Port Erin and Port St Mary, and the
Arbory, Castletown & Malew Arbory, Castletown & Malew is a House of Keys constituency in the south of the Isle of Man. It was created for the 2016 general election and elects 2 MHKs; currently Jason Moorhouse and Graham Cregeen Graham Cregeen is a Manx politician who ser ...
constituency, which covers the eastern part of the historic parish. Each constituency elects two Members to the
House of Keys The House of Keys () is the directly elected lower house of Tynwald, the parliament of the Isle of Man, the other branch being the Legislative Council of the Isle of Man, Legislative Council. History The oldest known reference to the name ...
. Before 2016 the whole parish was in the Rushen constituency.


Geography

Rushen parish includes the south-western extremity of the island, together with the
Calf of Man Calf of Man ( gv, Yn Cholloo ) is a island, off the southwest coast of the Isle of Man. It is separated from the Isle of Man by a narrow stretch of water called the Calf Sound. Like the nearby rocky islets of Chicken Rock and Kitterland, it i ...
along with its rocky outcrops Kitterland and
Chicken Rock Chicken Rock ( gv, Carrick ny Kirkey), part of Rushen parish, is the southernmost island administered by the Isle of Man. It lies southwest of the Calf of Man, off Spanish Head on the Manx mainland. The most prominent feature of the rock is th ...
, and contains an area of about . It stretches round the coast from Strandhall (on the coast about halfway between Castletown and
Port St Mary Port St Mary ( gv, Purt le Moirrey or ''Purt-noo-Moirrey'') is a village district in the south-west of the Isle of Man. The village takes its name from the former Chapel of St Mary ( gv, Keeill Moirrey) which is thought to have overlooked Chap ...
) to the precipices west of Cronk ny Irrey Laa (Hill of the Day Watch, also spelled Arrey), known as the Stacks, or the Slogh, a distance of . The principal headlands are Kallow Point, Black Head, Spanish Head (), and Bradda Head (); and the chief inlets are Port St Mary Bay, Perwick Bay, Bay Stacka, Port Erin Bay, and Fleshwick Bay. The west of the parish is hilly, stretching southwards from Cronk ny Irrey Laa (, the highest point in the parish) along the western coast to Lhiattee ny Beinnee, Bradda Hill, Mull Hill, and the Sound, across which the ridge is continued on the Calf.
Port St Mary Port St Mary ( gv, Purt le Moirrey or ''Purt-noo-Moirrey'') is a village district in the south-west of the Isle of Man. The village takes its name from the former Chapel of St Mary ( gv, Keeill Moirrey) which is thought to have overlooked Chap ...
and
Port Erin Port Erin ( gv, Purt Çhiarn, meaning ''lord's port'') is a seaside village in the south-west of the Isle of Man, in the historic parish of Rushen. It was previously a seaside resort before the decline of the tourist trade. Administratively it ...
are the only significant settlements in the area, although they have now expanded to form a single continuous settlement.
Cregneash Cregneash or Cregneish ( gv, Creneash) is a small village and tourist destination in the extreme south-west of the Isle of Man, about from Port Erin. Most of the village is now part of a living museum run by Manx National Heritage. There are ...
is a small village and folk museum near
Mull Hill Mull Hill ( Manx: Cronk Meayll'' also called Meayll Hill or The Mull) is a small hill in the exclave of Rushen Parish at the southern end of the Isle of Man, just outside the village of Cregneash. It is the site of a chambered cairn called Mull C ...
.


Demographics

The Isle of Man census of 2016 returned a parish population of 1,537, a decrease of 6% from the figure of 1,629 in 2011. At the time of the 2011 census, 2.64% of the parish could speak Manx Gaelic.


Rushen Internment Camp in World War Two

Rushen was taken over as a detention camp for more than 3,500 women and children during World War Two. Deemed "enemy aliens" many of the internees were refugees who had already fled persecution in Europe. It was the only civilian camp on the island and many of the detained were billeted with local families as well as in requisitioned boarding houses. Rushen Camp opened on 30 May 1940 and closed in September 1945. (The male detainees were held in Douglas.)


References


External links


Manxnotebook - Rushen
with full description of the parish
Isle of Man Building Control Districts
showing parish boundaries
Great.Outdoors.com/ManxGlens Glenology - Manx Glens
An ongoing study of Manx glens, their locations and meanings.
Rushen Parish CommissionersGeoHive Census InformationConstituency maps and general election results
{{Isle of Man Parishes of the Isle of Man Constituencies of the Isle of Man