Big Well Street, looking west, Douglas

Date(s): 1912

Scope & Content: On the back of this photograph Frowde writes, 'Big Well St. looking W. Myles Postlethwaite the grocer on L. There are many of the names known to me today. Note somewhere re the Jonie P. a painter's apprentice who was the ringleader at the time of the Copper Riot, when the 14 pence to the 1/- Manx, was reduced to the English scale 12 pence to the shilling. Jonie, who was only a lad, was fined £100 equivalent to about £500 or more today. This statement is made by James Cowen the 'Belvedere' in his recollections (1902 Mona's Herald) of his early days 50 years earlier and, provokingly, no mention is made as to how 'Jonie' found the money, or in the alternative, what happened to the precocious lad. Big Well Street in the early thirties of the last century was practically a suburb. At that time, Mr Archie Clarke (of Jurby, and a 'powerful' local preacher) had his grocer's shop in King St. He was father of Mr Archibald Clarke, Cashier of the IOM Bank when I was at Breareys (1885-90) + long organist of S. Matthew's old church. I well remember him. So 'Old Archie' was grandfather of the present (1933) Vicar of Marown. The vicar's brother Henry (or Harry) Shortridge Clarke was long my schoolfellow at the Grammar School. Keen on Natural History: for him, I caught scores of lizards up the Goose-neck during dinner hours for his vivarium. But it was only when I took up the study of the old folk of the old town, that I ascertained where he got his second name of 'Shortridge''.

Language: eng

Extent: overall: 11.4 cm x 15.4 cm

Physical description: black & white print

Item name: photograph

Collection: Photographic Archive

Level: ITEM

ID number: PG/8224/11/2

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