Kirk Arbory, Isle of Man

Historical Description

Kirk Arbory, a parish in the S of the Isle of Man, 3 miles NW by N of Castletown. It contains the villages of Colby and Ballabeg, and its post town is Castletown. Acreage, 4477; population of the civil parish, 1000; of the ecclesiastical, 1185. A large proportion of the land is under tillage. There are several barrows and remains of many ancient chapels, including one which belonged to the Grey Friars. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Sodor and Man; gross value, £156 with residence. Patron, the Crown. The church, which was built in 1757, contains an interesting pre-Refor-mation inscription carved on an oak beam over the gallery. Bishop Wilson personally served the church for a year during a vacancy, and he built the parsonage.