In 1888, four Christians served simultaneously as judges in Virginia: Joseph Christian on the Supreme Court of Appeals, George L. Christian on the Husting Court of Richmond, J.H. Christian on the County Court of Charles City County, and Thomas Christian on the County Courts of Middlesex and Matthews Counties. Whether the instinct to adjudicate came from a Manx Deemster’s bench or from somewhere else entirely, the pattern is striking. The Christian family had served as Deemsters on the Isle of Man since 1408.