St Michael's Isle ( gv, Ellan Noo Mael or ), more commonly referred to as Fort Island, is an island in

Malew Malew ( ; gv, Malew) is one of the seventeen 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. Administratively, part of the historic parish o ...

parish in 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 ...

, noted for its attractive

ruins Ruins () are the remains of a civilization's architecture. The term refers to formerly intact structures that have fallen into a state of partial or total disrepair over time due to a variety of factors, such as lack of maintenance, deliberate ...

. It covers an area of , is about long from west to east, and is connected to the

Langness Peninsula Langness ( gv, Langlish) is a peninsula which protrudes two kilometres at the southern extremity of the Isle of Man. Signifying a cape or extended promontory, ''Langness'' literally means "long promontory" in Old Norse. Formerly an island, Lang ...

, near

Derbyhaven Derbyhaven ( gv, Camys y Ree) ("King's Harbour" or "King's Cove") is a hamlet near Castletown in the southern parish of Malew, Isle of Man. It is located on the isthmus connecting Langness Peninsula to the rest of the island, on the bay of the s ...

, by a narrow causeway. The island itself is made of rocky slate and the soil is very acidic. Nevertheless, it has important communities of maritime plants.

History

There is evidence for human activity on the island from the Mesolithic period onwards and there are two ancient buildings on the island. Both are in a state of ruin and closed to the public, though there are a number of walks which allow visitors to explore the surroundings. The island commands the entrance to what was the vital strategic port of Derbyhaven. This was something which necessitated the construction of a fort in order to safeguard the entrance to the bay and which gave rise to the name of Fort Island. Work was initially carried out by

Edward Stanley, 3rd Earl of Derby Edward Stanley, 3rd Earl of Derby KG (c. 10 May 1509 – 24 October 1572) was an English nobleman and politician. He reigned over the Isle of Mann until his death, and then was succeeded by his son. Early life At the age of thirteen, Edw ...

on the order of King Henry VIII with subsequent upgrading taking place in 1645 on the instructions of the 7th Earl. The original name of St Michael's Isle is recorded as early as 1250 when John McDougal, Lord of the Isles, whom the

King of Norway The Norwegian monarch is the head of state of Norway, which is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system. The Norwegian monarchy can trace its line back to the reign of Harald Fairhair and the previous petty kingd ...

had appointed

regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

of Man while succession to the throne was being decided, landed at Ronaldsway with his son-in-law, the future King Magnus. The reception to the landing was hostile and resulted in McDougal leading his men onto St Michael's Isle where he marshalled his men into troops as they prepared to engage in battle. The Manx in turn also drew up for battle facing their adversaries, whom they were unable to reach because the high tide had cut St Michael's Isle off from them and so the prospect of battle dissipated. In 1275 after Alexander III, King of Scotland, had obtained possession of the Isle of Man, rebellion broke out on behalf of Godred, son of King Magnus, whom Alexander had defeated in battle and who had subsequently ceded the Isle of Man.

John de Vesci John de Vesci, sometimes spelt Vescy, was a prominent 13th-century noble. He was the eldest son of William de Vesci and Agnes de Ferrers. He married firstly Agnes de Saluzzo and secondly Isabella de Beaumont. John died c. 1289. He succeeded to h ...

, a Galloway nobleman, and other officers of the Scottish King landed on St Michael's Isle and again peace was offered and refused. The following morning, prior to sunrise, battle was joined and the Manx were defeated. Kirk Michael (not to be confused with the Manx village of the same name) is mentioned in a description of the boundaries of

Rushen Abbey Rushen Abbey is a former abbey on the Isle of Man, located in Ballasalla. Originally home for monks of the Savignac order, it soon came under Cistercian control and remained so until its dissolution. The abbey is located from Castle Rushen, th ...

, which appears to have been compiled in or around the year 1376.Isle of Man Times, Saturday, June 24, 1939; Page: 9 St Michael's Chapel, a 12th-century

chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...

, is on the south side of the island. This Celtic- Norse chapel was built on the site of an older Celtic . The island is the site of two great battles for the control of the Isle of Man in 1250 and 1275, when England, Scotland and the Manx were fighting for control of the island. The Manx won the first battle, but 25 years later they lost control to Scotland.

Derby Fort

Derby Fort, a 17th-century

fort A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

, is at the eastern end of the island. It was built by James Stanley, the 7th Earl of Derby and

Lord of Mann The lord of Mann ( gv, Çhiarn Vannin) is the lord proprietor and head of state of the Isle of Man. The current lord proprietor and head of state is Charles III. Before 1504 the head of state was known as King of Mann. Relationship with t ...

in 1645, during the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...

, to protect the then busy port of

. The island is a

bird sanctuary An animal sanctuary is a facility where animals are brought to live and to be protected for the rest of their lives. Pattrice Jones, co-founder of VINE Sanctuary defines an animal sanctuary as "a safe-enough place or relationship within the cont ...

References

External links

www.isleofman.com
- Information about Fort Island
St Michael's Isle
* Jon Wornham's galleries include photographs of Fort Island at **http://www.island-images.co.uk/Year2001/0106070834.html - Derby Fort 7 Jun 2001 **http://www.island-images.co.uk/Year2003/0311060830.html - Chapel and Fort 6 Nov 2003 Islands of the Isle of Man {{IsleofMan-geo-stub