Island of Sodor

The **Island of Sodor** (Sudric: **Inys Sudrey**; archaically **Sodorshire**) is a county and the largest island of England. It is located in the Irish Sea, between the Isle of Man and the Furness Peninsula, separated from the former by the Sudrian Sea and the latter by the Walney Channel, which is spanned by the Vicarstown Rolling Bridge and the Jubilee Road Bridge. As of the 2021 Census, the population stood at 1,019,592.

Once an independent kingdom, the Island has been part of England since 1405, historically being attached to the Duchy of Lancashire as a Liberty. Since 1665, it has been recognised as a county in its own right. The Monarch is represented by the Governor, while the Sodor Island Council, led by the Mayor of Sodor, administers the Island. Since the introduction of railways in the mid-19th century, the Island has developed considerably, both as a industrial centre and as a tourist destination.

## Etymology

Sodor is derived from the Old Norse word Suðreyjar, meaning 'Southern Islands'. The term was used to refer to all islands between Sodor and Lewis in the Hebrides - and as Sodor was the southernmost isle in the chain it became known as Suðrey.

## History

### Medieval history

Saint Luoc, a disciple of Saint Patrick, was the first Christian missionary to arrive on the Island of Sodor. It is said that in 444, he and some companions set out for the Isle of Man in coracles, but Luoc fell asleep and was blown off course. When he awoke, he saw land on the horizon and pointed his staff towards it, and was brought miraculously to shore in Suddery Bay. Seeing him to be quite unarmed and fearless, the natives treated him kindly. They helped him build a Keeill, and he preached to them with considerable acceptance. He died in 507, and a group of his followers kept his keeill preserved until a proper Church was built on the site in the late 10th century.

It wasn't until the late 6th century that a full attempt at Christianisation was made, when men from Iona Abbey began landing on the Island with the goal of converting its inhabitants.

## Transport

### Air

There are three aerodromes on the island; the largest is the Sodor Airport, located near Maron which is owned by the Island Council, and operated by Sodor Airways. It runs both domestic flights to other airports in the UK and international flights to major airports across the world. The other airport is Walney Airport, located north of Vicarstown. It is owned by BAE Systems and is used for private domestic flights. There is also a Coast Guard airfield located at Dryaw.

## Politics

### Local

The top tier local government authority is the Sodor Island Council, which is a non-metropolitan county council. The Island is further divided into twenty non-metropolitan districts, run by district councils. Since reaching a devolution settlement with the British Government in 2000, the Island Council has been led by a directly elected mayor, replacing the previous chairman, and has held significantly more power, which has increased further with more recent devolution legislation.

### National

From annexation in 1405 until the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, Sodor was a two member county constituency; with the Act of 1885, it was divided into two single member constituencies - Sodor East and Sodor West. No more charges would be made until 2010, when a third constituency of Sodor Central was created. Sodor is noted for having high voter turnout, averaging 70%. Two Sudrian peers sit in the House of Lords: The Earl of Sodor, as an exempted hereditary peer, and the Baron Smith of Rolf's Castle.

On the national level, Sudrian politics tend to be more partisan than on the local level. From 1885 to 1931, the two constituencies were considered safe seats for the Liberal Party. Form 1931 to 1959, the seats were held by the National Liberal Party, though from 1945 were considered marginals. In 1959, Sodor East was won by the Labour Party, who held it until 1992, while the MP for the more urban Sodor West defected to the Conservatives, who have held it ever since. Since 1992, Sodor East has been held by the independent Rebecca Brown; the Labour Party would not gain a parliamentary representative from Sodor until the creation of Sodor Central in 2010, which would be lost to independent David Marown in 2019.