MARY ANN COWLEY als MYLREA & husband to Margaret Cowley

Sale - 1896 (Douglas)

Know all men by these presents that Johh Corkill Watterson Cowley of Cronk Urleigh in the parish of Michael and Mary Ann Cowley his wife for and in consideration of the sum of six hundred pounds, whereof the sum of two hndred pounds is the principal money of a certain Deed of Bond and Security granted and passed on the thirteenth day of June 1895 by the said John Corkill Watterson Cowley and his wife to Samuel Harris, surviving executor of the will of John Cannell, deceased and secured upon the property hereby conveyed and the balance of sum of four hundred pounds is to the said John Corkill Watterson Cowley paid by Margaret Cowley of Circular Road in the town of Douglas, widow, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged

Do hereby give, grant, bargain and forever absolutely sell and convey unto the said Margaret Cowley all and singular a certain plot or parcel of land part of the Hills Estate on the north side of Circular Road in the town of Douglas and parish of Onchan and numbered twenty three on plan of the said Circular Road portion of the said estate with the dwelling house and premises thereon, the same being bounded on the north by a lane, the rear thereof on the south by CIrcular Road aforesaid, and on the east and west by property now or lately belonging to the trustees of the estate of Frederick Callow and to which said plot of land, the dwelling house and premises the grantors became entitled by Deed of Sale from John Kerruish, lockman of Onchan, bearing date the thirteenth day of June 1895. Also all ways waters, watercourses, easements, rights, incumbrances, priveleges and appurtenances to the same belonging or in anywyse appertaining

To have and to hold the same unto the said Margaret Cowley, her heirs and assigns from this date absolutely and forever, she and they yielding and paying the Lord's rent or Chief rent and all customary burdens, rates and taxes chargeable thereon, but subject nevertheless to the said Deed of Bond and Security. And the said Margaret Cowley hereby covenants for herself and her heirs, executors and administrators to and with the said John Corkill Watterson Cowley, his executors and administrators that she, the said Margaret Cowley and her heirs and assigns, shall and will well truly pay the interest, costs and charges to accrue due upon and in respect of the said Deed of Bond and Security hereinbefore mentioned as and when the same becomes due and payable, and shall and will whenever required by the holder of the said Deed of Bond and Security pay off and discharge the principal money thereby secured, and also shall and will indemnify and save harmless the said John Corkill Watterson Cowley, his heirs, executors, administrators and assigns from and against all suits, actions, proceedings, costs, claims and demands in respect thereof

And the said John Corkill Watterson Cowley hereby covenants himself and his heirs, executors and administrators with the said Margaret Cowley and her heirs and assigns that he and his said wife have good right, full power and lawful authority to grant and convey the said premises in manner aforesaid, and that he shall and will warrant, maintain, uphold and defend the same unto the said Margaret Cowley, her heirs and assigns from and against the claim, challenge and demand of all and every person and persons whomsoever

In witness whereof the said John Corkill Watterson Cowley and his said wife and the said Margaret Cowley have hereunto subscribed their names this thirty first day of January 1896. JCW Cowley, Mary Ann Cowley

Signed and delivered by the said John Corkill Watterson Cowley and wif in the presence of R.W Killey

[REF: Mar 1896 #33 ONC]

NOTES

  1. Cronk Urleigh
  2. Mary Ann was the daughter of John Mylrea and Margaret Barrie als Brew
  3. She married John Corkhill Watterson Cowley in 1891. He was a school teacher although on their marriage record, he was a theology student
  4. This document is the last of three transactions undertaken by Mary Ann's husband - purchase of CIRCULAR ROAD, mortgage of CIRCULAR ROAD, sale of CIRCULAR ROAD, all in the space of 7 months
  5. One wonders whether the purchase was frivolous and Mary Ann had to step in to mortgage the property, which was then sold
  6. Cowley had, in 1894, bought himself a property in PARK ROAD in Douglas for £322
  7. Two months after the CIRCULAR ROAD property was sold, JCW Cowley purchased 12 acress of land adjacent to the Mylrea's Cronk Urleigh holding for £650, and that too had to be mortgaged by Mary Ann for £250, a debt that was finally paid off in 1913
  8. Without more qualitative information, it is impossible to say whether Cowley was a thoughtful investor or a frivolous purchaser, a feckless husband and father, a selfish and unstable character who took advantage of his wife's wealth and circumstances. There were certainly a couple of oddities about Cowley
    • his address in one contract (1894) was given as Bucks Road in Douglas whereas only months, he said he was living in Stephen Terrace. He was at the time married to Mary Ann Mylrea and their home was Cronk Urleigh in Michael
    • he styled himself as a farmer in this contract but only months previously, he said he was a gentleman. In other contracts, he claimed he was teacher and on first encounter, he was a theology student (all this in the space of a decade)
    • he maintained the fiction he was born in 1859 rather than 1857, his actual year of baptism
  9. Also of interest is where Cowley acquired his funds to purchase these properties in his own right

Associated Documents

Last updated: Nov 2024