MARY ANN COWLEY als MYLREA & husband to Samuel Harris

Mortgage - 1895 (Douglas)

Know all men by these presents that I John Corkill Watterson Cowley of Stephen Terrace in the town of Douglas who (and his heirs, executors and administrators are hereinafter intended under the expression "the mortgagor") doth hereby own and acknowledge himself to be and stand justly and truly endebted unto Samuel Harris of the said town, esquire, Vicar General, surviving executor of the last will and testament of John Cannell late of the town of Douglas, coroner, deceased (who and his executors, administrators and assigns are hereinafter intended under the expression "the mortgagee") in the full and just sum of two hundred pounds sterling to the payment whereof with interest thereon at and after the rate of five pounds per centum per annum payable half yearly, reducible nevertheless and payable at and after the rate of four pounds per centum per annum if paid punctually half yearly as the same becomes due or within one month thereafter, and all costs and charges attending these presents or any assignments and assignment hereof well and truly to be made to the mortgagee, the mortgagor binds and obliges himself, firmly by these presents and for the further and better security of the mortgagee in the premises

Know further ye that the mortgagor and Mary Ann his wife do hereby give, grant, transfer, assign and pass over in security unto the mortgagee all and singular that part or parcel of ground, part of the Hills estate situate on the north side of Circular Road in the said town of Douglas and parish of Onchan and numbered twenty three on the plan of the said Circular Road of the said estate, with the dwelling house and premises therein, the same being bounded on the north by a lane, on the south by Circular Road, on the east and on the west by the property of the trustees of Frederick Callow, and being the whole of the premises purchased by the mortgagor by John Kerruish .... lockman of Onchan by deed bearing date the (blank) day of June instant

To have and to hold the same with all the right, title and interest, both legal and equitable, of the mortgagor and his said wife therein and thereto unto the mortgagee from the date hereof until repayment of the said principal sum of two hundred pounds sterling and all interest, costs and charges as aforesaid

And it is hereby decreed and declared that it shall be lawful for the mortgagee forthwith to insure or cause or to be insured from damage or loss by fire the whole or any portion of the buildings hereby given in security in such insurance office or offices as he or they from time to time select, in any sum or sums not exceeding the sum of two hundred pounds and to recover the annual premiums so paid by him or them in respect of such insurance, along with the interest to arise hereunder firmly from the mortgagor and such premiums whilst unpaid to the mortgagee shall be a lein or charge on the property given in security and a part of the costs and charges aforesaid

And it is hereby also agreed that the said principal money shall not be called in by the mortgagee or paid off by the mortgagor unless such party requiring to call in or pay off the same shall give to the other party six calendar months notice in writing of such his or their intention so to do and such notice when given by one party shall operate for the benefit of both and also that any notice to be served on this mortgage shall be a good notice if sent to the last known place of residence within this isle of the mortgagor or left at the said mortgaged premises

And for the true and faithful performance hereof the mortgagor binds and obliges himself, his heirs, executors, administrators and assigns firmly by these presents

In witness whereof the mortgagor and his said wife have hereunto

.......................................... ..............page missing ............................... .........................

Know all men by these presents that Samuel Harris of the town of Douglas esquire, Vicar General, surviving executor of the last will and testament of John Cannell late of the town of Douglas, coroner, deceased, doth hereby acknowledge to have received from Margaret Cowley of Circular Road in the town of Douglas, widow, the owner of the property hereafter mentioned the full amount of principal, interest, costs and charges now due and owing under a certain Deed of Bond and Security granted and passed by John Corkill Watterson Cowley then of Stephen Terrace in the said town, gentleman, and Mary Ann his wife to the said Samuel Harris, executor as aforesaid, for the principal sum of two hundred pounds sterling bearing date the 13th day of June 1895, and charging and encumbering all and singular a certain dwelling house and premises situate and numbered twenty three on a plan of Circular Road in the said town of Douglas and duly rendered. And the said Samuel Harris in his said capacity doth hereby order and direct the said Deed of Bond and Security to be and stand cancelled upon record. Witness his name this ninth day of September 1896. AMHarris, surviving executor of John Cannell

Witnessed by John L Harrison

At Douglas 9th September 1896 Samuel Harris esq, the executing party to the foregoing receipt who is known to me acknowledged the same to be his proper act and deed. Before me Frank I. Johnson, Dpty Registrar of Deeds

[REF: June 1895 #37 ONC]

NOTES

  1. Cronk Urleigh
  2. John Corkhill Watterson Cowley married Mary Ann Mylrea in 1891. He was theology student and later a school teacher
  3. Mary Ann was the daughter of John Mylrea and Margaret Barrie als Brew
  4. Cowley purchased 23 Circular Road at a public auction 30th June 1895 for the sum of £566/-/-
  5. He and Mary Ann immediately borrowed £200 (this mortgage contract), giving the Circular Road property as security
  6. Six months later, the property was sold for £600 to Margaret Cowley so the profit on this investment was virtually nil
  7. The purchaser might have been the Margaret Cowley who was living in Circular Road in 1891. She was indeed a widow by 1897, but of John Myes Cowley who died in 1895 Despite the common surname, John Corkill Watterson Cowley was not their son, nor any apparent relative. His parents were Hester and John Cowley
  8. There are a couple of oddities in this mortgage
    • Cowley's address in this contract was given as [17] Stephen Terrace in Douglas whereas only months previously, he was living in Bucks Road. He was at the time married to Mary Ann Mylrea and their home was Cronk Urleigh in Michael
    • Cowley styled himself as a gentleman in this contract but only months previously, he said he was a teacher. In later years he would say he was a farmer and on first encounter he was a theology student (all this in the space of a decade)
  9. In his will in 1900, John Corkill Watterson Cowley left a dwelling at #1 Park Road to his wife during her lifetime. He also mentions "the remainder of my property in Douglas" and presumably the property to which he refers was jointly held with his wife Mary Ann as a result of her father's will
  10. Other documents show Mary Ann's husband (in the decade they were married) had multiple land dealings in Douglas including this current one, as well as at least two in Michael. His purchases and mortgages amounted to about £1,000 and the sales considerably less

Associated Documents

Last updated: Nov 2024