Newsletter
Conversations with Hampton Creer, about memories of the Cooil in the forties and fifties, and about his research into Manx witchcraft (including Joney Lowney).
In his conversation with Katie Newton, Hampton Creer tells of his childhood growing up at Ballabunt Farm at the Cooil in the forties and fifties, how his grandfather made a fortune in the American mines, returned after thirty years to the Isle of Man but lost it after investing it in gas lighting when electricity came in, he then took on farming Ballabunt which had been in the Hampton family for four hundred years. Hampton talks about buildings and characters at the Cooil, the chapel, his family history including Joney Lowney, mill days, the annual Cooil Sports, his mother from Ballelby, Dalby, who spoke almost fluent Manx. Also stories from his uncle, James Hampton, of life at the end of the nineteenth century.
In his interview with David Callister, Hampton Creer speaks about some of the things that he has discovered through his research into witchcraft in the Isle of Man. Prominent in this is Joney Lowney, who he believes is the origin for 'Jinny the Witch' of the song well-known at Hop tu Naa.
Interviews
When you click play on one of the interviews below there will be a slight delay as the audio file is downloaded. Large files or slow internet connections will increase the length of this delay.
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Hampton Creer interviewed by Katie Newton (16 January 2018)
An interview with Hampton Creer about his life around the Cooil.
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Hampton Creer interviewed by David Callister
An interview with Hampton Creer about his research into Manx witchcraft (including Joney Lowney).
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Hampton Creer on Jinny the Witch
Farmer and local historian Hampton Creer talks to David Callister about the origins of Jinny the Witch. (This is an extract from the full interview also available here).
