Editing History of the Isle of Man (section)

===1660 Restoration===
The restoration of Stanley government in 1660 therefore caused as little friction and alteration as its temporary cessation had. One of the first acts of the new Lord, [[Charles Stanley, 8th Earl of Derby]], was to order Christian to be tried. He was found guilty and executed. Of the other persons implicated in the rebellion only three were excepted from the general amnesty. But by [[Order in Council]], Charles II pardoned them, and the judges responsible for the sentence on Christian were punished.{{sfnp|Moore|1911|p=538}}

Charles Stanley's next act was to dispute the permanency of the tenants' holdings, which they had not at first regarded as being affected by the acceptance of leases, a proceeding which led to an almost open rebellion against his authority and to the neglect of agriculture, in lieu of which the people devoted themselves to the fisheries and to contraband trade.{{sfnp|Moore|1911|p=538}}

Charles Stanley, who died in 1672, was succeeded first by his son William Richard George Stanley, 9th Earl of Derby until his death in 1702.

The agrarian question subsided only in 1704, when [[James Stanley, 10th Earl of Derby]], William's brother and successor, largely through the influence of [[Thomas Wilson (bishop)|Bishop Wilson]], entered into a compact with his tenants, which became embodied in an Act, called the [[Act of Settlement 1704|Act of Settlement]]. Their compact secured the tenants in the possession of their estates in perpetuity subject only to a fixed rent, and a small fine on succession or [[Alienation (property law)|alienation]]. From the great importance of this act to the Manx people it has been called their ''[[Magna Carta]]''. As time went on, and the value of the estates increased, the rent payable to the Lord became so small in proportion as to be almost nominal,{{sfnp|Moore|1911|p=538}} being extinguished by purchase in 1916.