Ward & Lock's descriptive and pictorial guide to the Isle of Man ...

—92 Gitide to the Isle of Man.About half a mile from Castletown, on the road to Ballasalla,isHango Hill,less familiarly known as Mount Strange (fi'om one of thetitles of the Derby family), long used as the place of publicexecution. (It may be necessary to remind some over-subtlo(peculators that the name Hango is of Scandinavian origin,nnd has no reference to any mode of inflicting capital punishment.)The hill is historically memorable as the place whereWilliam Christian (Illiam Dhoan, in Manx) was shot, on the2nd of January, 1662, for alleged treason against the Countessof Derby, by heading an insurrection in 1651, and deliveringnp the island to the Parliamentary troops. Christian hadbeen left in command of the island by tlie Earl of Derby,and was trusted to protect the Countess and her children.The energetic and stern Countess never forgave Christian,and, her feelings against him, perhaps intensified by thetreacherous murder of her husband, seized the first opportunityafforded by her reinstatement on the island to bringhim to trial before the Tyuwald Court, which found himguilty, and ordered him to be shot on Hango Hill. Whetheror not Christian deserved the punishment, whether, indeed,he had not acted patriotically, is one of the vexed questionsof history which, in a guide-book, we need not attempt tor.nswcr. It is certain that his countrymen generally regardedhis conviction as unjust, and at his execution, Ave are told," the place was covered with white blankets, that his bloodmight not fall on the ground," a precauti(*i which proved tobe unnecessary, for the musket wounds bleeding internally,there was no outward effusion of blood. The register ofKirk ]\Ialew Church contains this entry :" Malew Burials,AD. 1662. Mr. William Christian, of Ronaldswing, late receiver,was shot to death at Hango Hill, the 2nd of January.He died most penitently and courageously, made a goodend, prayed earnestly, made an excellent speech, and thenext day was buried in the chancel of Kirk Malew." Hisestates were sequestrated, but subsequently restored to hisfamily. Seekers after more detailed information on thesubject may refer to the "Appendix to the Introduction"to Scott's novel, in which also is given a translation of alament for "fair-haired William," in the Manx language.The original, we may hope, was more mstrical and musicalthan the translation which came into Scott's hand, of whichone verse (the first of eicrhteen) may suffice :—