Garff
Sheading of the Isle of Man
title: "Garff" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["sheadings-of-the-isle-of-man", "constituencies-of-the-isle-of-man", "garff"] description: "Sheading of the Isle of Man" topic_path: "general/sheadings-of-the-isle-of-man" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garff" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Sheading of the Isle of Man ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Garff |
| native_name | Garff |
| native_name_lang | gv |
| settlement_type | Sheading |
| image_map | Sheadings-Garff.svg |
| map_caption | Sheading of Garff |
| coordinates | |
| area_total_km2 | 75.80 |
| area_footnotes | |
| area_rank | 5 |
| population_as_of | 2021 |
| population_footnotes | |
| population_total | 12,543 |
| population_density_km2 | auto |
| subdivision_type | Crown dependency |
| subdivision_name | |
| subdivision_type1 | Parishes |
| subdivision_name1 | Lonan, Maughold |
| subdivision_type2 | Town |
| subdivision_name2 | Ramsey |
| subdivision_type3 | Village |
| subdivision_name3 | Laxey |
| website | |
| :: |
| name = Garff
| native_name = Garff | native_name_lang = gv
| settlement_type = Sheading | image_skyline = | image_alt = | image_caption = | image_flag = | flag_alt = | image_seal = | seal_alt = | image_shield = | shield_alt = | etymology = | nickname = | image_map = Sheadings-Garff.svg | map_alt = | map_caption = Sheading of Garff | coordinates = | area_total_km2 = 75.80 | area_footnotes = | area_rank = 5 | population_as_of = 2021 | elevation_max_m = | elevation_max_point = | population_footnotes = | population_total = 12,543 | population_density_km2 = auto | subdivision_type = Crown dependency | subdivision_name = | subdivision_type1 = Parishes | subdivision_name1 = Lonan, Maughold | subdivision_type2 = Town | subdivision_name2 = Ramsey | subdivision_type3 = Village | subdivision_name3 = Laxey | website = Garff () is one of the six sheadings of the Isle of Man.
It is located on the east of the island (part of the traditional South Side division) and consists of the two historic parishes of Lonan and Maughold. Before 1796 it also included the parish of Onchan.
Administratively, since May 2016 the sheading of Garff has been covered by a single Garff local authority, a parish district, formed by merging the former village district of Laxey with the parish districts of Lonan and Maughold.
The town of Ramsey, which is administered separately, covers areas of two historic parishes (Maughold, and Lezayre in the sheading of Ayre). It is treated as part of Garff for some purposes, e.g. the coroner.
Other settlements in the sheading include Baldrine and Ballabeg (both in the parish of Lonan), and Ballure in the parish of Maughold.
Etymology
The origin of the name is uncertain. Kneen (1925) suggests that it derives from the Norse gröf (N.B. not grðf, which is a typo there), meaning a pit or ravine (cognate with "grave").
MHKs and elections
Garff is also a House of Keys constituency (excluding (most of) Onchan). It was originally a three-seat constituency, but this was reduced to two seats in 1893 and one seat in 1986. Until 2016 it was heavily under-represented by having only a single MHK. However in the 2016 general election it elected 2 MHKs (the new constituency also includes the (sparsely populated) parish of Onchan, i.e. excluding the village of Onchan). ::data[format=table]
| Year | Election | Turnout | Candidates | 1867 | 1875 | 1881 | 1886 | 1891 | 1896 | 1900 | 1903 | 1908 | 1908 | 1913 | 1919 | 1924 | 1929 | 1934 | 1946 | 1951 | 1956 | 1962 | 1966 | 1971 | 1976 | 1981 | 1985 | 1986 | 1990 | 1991 | 1995 | 1996 | 2001 | 2006 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No information available | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| John Allen Mylrea elected, no other information available | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Due to the resignation of J. A. Mylrea, no other information available | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By-election called following the resignation of John Killip | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No information available on unsuccessful candidates from 1908-1985 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No information available | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No information available | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By-election called following the elevation of Edgar Mann to the Legislative Council | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Garff loses the District of Onchan and becomes a single seat constituency | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By-election called following the election of Sir Charles Kerruish as | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| President of Tynwald and thus his elevation to the Legislative Council | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By-election called following the re-elevation of Edgar Mann to the Legislative Council | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Garff becomes a two-seat constituency | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| :: |
Election results since 2016
In 2014, Tynwald approved recommendations from the Boundary Review Commission which saw the reform of the Island's electoral boundaries.
| party = Independent politician | candidate = Daphne Hilary Penelope Caine | votes = 1122 | percentage = 23.4 | party = Independent politician | candidate = Andrew Joseph Smith | votes = 1112 | percentage = 23.2 | party = Manx Labour Party | candidate = Gareth Young | votes = 1021 | percentage = 21.3 | party = Independent politician | candidate = Martyn Jones Perkins | votes = 971 | percentage = 20.2 | party = Independent politician | candidate = Jamie Smith | votes = 576 | percentage = 12.0 | votes = | percentage = | votes = | percentage = | votes = | percentage = | votes = | percentage = | reg. electors =
| party = Independent politician | candidate = Martyn John Perkins | votes = | percentage = 36.4 | party = Independent politician | candidate = Daphne Hilary Penelope Caine | votes = | percentage = 26.1 | party = Independent politician | candidate = Andrew Joseph Smith | votes = | percentage = 25.7 | party = Independent politician | candidate = Andrew Barton | votes = | percentage = 7.1 | party = Independent politician | candidate = Nigel Anthony Dobson | votes = | percentage = 4.8 | votes = | percentage = | votes = | percentage = | votes = | percentage = | votes = | percentage = | reg. electors =
Notes
References
References
- "Garff (Sheading, Isle of Man)". City Population.
- "Census and Population". Government Isle of Man.
- . (1796). ["Common Law Courts Act 1796 (AN ACT for the better Regulation of the Court of Common Law.)"](http://www.legislation.gov.im/cms/images/LEGISLATION/PRINCIPAL/1796/1796-0001/CommonLawCourtsAct1796_1.pdf). *Isle of Man Government*.
- Broderick, George. (2000). "Placenames of the Isle of Man". Niemeyer.
- . ["Garff Commissioners"](https://www.garff.im/).
- . ["Coroners"](https://www.courts.im/court-information/coroners/).
- Kneen, J.J.. (1925). "The place-names of the Isle of Man with their origin and history". Yn Çheshaght Ghailckagh.
- "Notice of Results for the General Election to the House of Keys 2021 (Garff)".
- "Isle of Man Election Results 2016".
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