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Manks (or Manx) Version of the Scriptures

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Manley, Basil, D.D., L.l.d.

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Manks (or Manx) Version Of The Scriptures

This language is spoken to some extent on the Isle of' Man, the ancient Mona. It is characterized by the incorporation of many Scandinavian words, which were doubtless introduced during the continued sway of the Danes and of the Norwegians, who succeeded the Saxons in the government of the island. The present version of the Manks Bible was commenced in the jail of Castle Rushen by the excellent bishop Wilson, in concert with Dr. Walker, one of his vicars, in 1722. The gospel of Matthew was translated by Dr. Walker, and printed, under the direction and at the expense of the bishop, in London, in 1748. The other gospels and the Acts were left in a state of readiness for the press by this venerable bishop, who died in 1755. His successor, Dr. Mark Hildesley, entered with the utmost ardor and anxiety on the prosecution of the translation of the New Test., which was finally published ill London in 1767, by aid of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. About the time of the completion at press of the New Test., the bishop made arrangements for the translation of the Old Test., dividing it for this purpose among twenty- four different individuals. When the work was completed it was committed for final revision to Dr. Moore and Dr. Kelly. The latter was then only eighteen years of age, but very proficient in the knowledge of Manks, which was his native language. Dr. Kelly transcribed the whole version, from Genesis to Revelation, for the press, and, in conjunction with Dr. Moore, corrected and revised the proof-sheets. In 1772 the Old Test. was completed and published, and in 1775 the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge published the second edition of the Manks Scriptures; other editions have since been issued by the same society. In 1810 the British and Foreign Bible Society published a stereotyped edition of two thousand copies of the New Test., and in 1819 the entire Bible was published by the same society. Since then no further editions of the Manks Scriptures have appeared, as the Bible in English is now in general circulation on the island. See Bible of Every Land, page 166. (B.P.)