James Robinson Corrin
Epithet: Labour party member, preacher and political reformer, JP (1878-1972)
Record type: Biographies
Biography: From ‘New Manx Worthies’ (2006):
When J.R. Corrin died the Speaker of the House of Keys, (later Sir) Henry Charles Kerruish, paid him this tribute:
'... there is no doubt that J.R. Corrin was, along with the late Alfred [James] Teare, Richard Kneen and Samuel Norris, one of a select band of builders, visionaries, who faced with a great task of remoulding the political and social structure of this Island, worked prodigiously to gain a better life for the less privileged members of our community, and happily lived to see something of the fruits of his endeavours in the enormous expansion in the numbers who are given the opportunity to share in the larger and more varied life of modern times and which in his youth and earlier was reserved for the very few.'
James Robinson Corrin was the youngest of nine children of John Corrin and his wife Eleanor. The family lived at The Liagagh at Colby Level and 'JR' brought up his own children in the same house. His first wife, Anna Jane Woodworth from Kentraugh, died at 41, her new-born son with her. His second wife was Janet Watterson.
JR was a self-taught man, devouring the works of Bertrand Russell and other philosophers. He trained as a joiner, and at some time in his youth worked in Liverpool. The loss of some fingers meant that he could not be called into active service during World War I. Instead, he became the construction officer for the Knockaloe internment camp.
He grew up at a time when Island life was harsh. The year after his birth, an enquiry which had been instigated by Governor Henry Brougham Loch found 'a community of some 50,000, half urban, half rural, without a compulsory poor rate, so that the indigent and sick, many of them malnourished and alcoholic, had to depend on private charity for relief'. Growing up in such conditions, JR became interested in socialist ideas: a daughter referred to his reading Robert Blatchford's Clarion. A group of like-minded young people, such as Arthur Cormode, John Keggin and Thomas Taggart, used to meet at his house and eventually formed themselves into a Mutual Improvement Society. In the words of Cecil Cannell McFee:
'This young man of serious disposition [JR] ... became organiser, leader and coordinated activities into a Movement, which became known as The Mutual Improvement Society ... which ultimately formed ... into a political organisation which they called the Progressive Party ... its purpose to contest the next General Election.'
The Progressive Party aimed to achieve constitutional reform by introducing a fixed term of office for the Governor and, by reducing the power of the (unelected) Legislative Council, to give more power to the House of Keys.
The association also pressed for the reduction of duties on food and the introduction of direct taxation. According to Cecil McFee, there was a growing divergence of opinion among members of the Progressive Party. JR leaned toward the socialist movement and in fact he went so far as to shock the Primitive Methodist Circuit by suggesting that the socialist hymn book be introduced into Sunday Schools. The outbreak of World War I brought an end to this wave of political activity but the pressures of war led to renewed agitation. In 1917, an Isle of Man branch of the Workers' Union was created, with Alfred J. Teare as its secretary. JR took a prominent role in the activities of the Workers' Union and was among the founders of the Manx Labour Party in 1918.
In 1919 he was elected to the House of Keys, along with three other Labour Party candidates, Alfred J. Teare, Christopher Robert Shimmin and Thomas Gerald Bridson. Their manifesto was radical: the immediate introduction of old age pensions, a national health insurance scheme, a national sanatorium and hospital, abolition of the Poor Law, a national housing scheme, the setting up of industrial councils and the establishment of one education authority instead of many school boards. By the time J.R. Corrin's long life in politics came to an end in 1955, all of these objectives had been achieved. He spent nine years as an MHK. In 1928, to the surprise of many, he was Governor Sir Claude Hill's nominee for membership of the Legislative Council and remained a member for 27 years.
The payment of an old age pension was granted in 1920. In the same year JR was involved in the 'strike' carried out by the House of Keys, because its members considered that Governor Major-General Sir William Fry had infringed their rights by increasing police pay without consulting
them. The Home Secretary ruled in favour of the Keys, recognising 'the reasonableness of the wish of the Manx people to share in control of expenditure of the revenues raised in the Isle of Man'.
J.R. Corrin was the first chairman of the Development Board, and in 1937 introduced the Town and Country Planning Order. He was also associated with the Electricity Board for 28 years, first as a member and then as chairman. The Isle of Man Weekly Times of 5th May 1967 commented that 'he had done more to bring the boon of electricity to the Island's homes outside Douglas than any other single person. His work on the Electricity Board is the story of the revolution in light and power which has taken place in the rural areas ... Mr J.R. Corrin was the man who brought light to the countryside'.
After his retirement from the Electricity Board he was awarded the MBE.
One of JR's leisure interests was sailing. In 1941 he built an 18ft. dinghy called the Maid Marion, the first on the Island to be constructed to Uffa Fox's 'Ace' class design. Speaking in the House of Keys on JR's retirement, Sir Joseph Davidson Qualtrough, the Speaker, commented that '[JR] was a pioneer of yachting in the South of the Island ... thanks to him we owe the existence in the Manx [sic] Yacht Club of about a dozen boats of the Class One Fox design'. JR was also president of the Port St Mary branch of the RNLI and a founder member of the Society for the Preservation of the Manx Countryside.
The Methodist Church was always a vital part of his life. He joined the Primitive Methodists as a boy, and became a preacher in 1898. The Methodist Recorder referred to his being 'a local preacher for 70 years'. His final speech in Tynwald showed how his Christian belief was the foundation of his politics:
'Looking back one cannot help but feel that a revolution has taken place ... since 1919. Many of the things which were then only dreams and vision have become realities. We were a long time advocating that doctors should be brought into a medical national service, that there should be old age pensions, national insurance, workmen's compensation ... and they have all come since those days. Education has been revolutionised. My interest in public life, and whatever service I have given, has been due to my association with the Christian church. All my political views have been based on the ethics of Christianity.'
J.R. Corrin's contribution to the Isle of Man, both as an individual and as one of a remarkable group of early Labour Party MliKs is illustrated by this comment from Gerald Bridson, who joined him in the House of Keys in 1919, 'I think the Labour Party have done things out of all proportion to their numerical strength'.
JR died at home at Colby Level on 21st September 1972. His ashes lie in Rushen Churchyard with those of his wife Janet.
Biography written by Patricia Skillicorn.
(With thanks to Culture Vannin as publishers of the book: Kelly, Dollin (general editor), ‘New Manx Worthies’, Manx Heritage Foundation/Culture Vannin, 2006, pp.107-9.)
Culture Vannin
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Nationality: Manx
Gender: Male
Date of birth: 15 February 1878
Date of death: 21 Spetember 1972