View of Douglas bay

Date(s): n.d.

Scope & Content: On the back of this photograph Frowde writes, 'Own copy - to retain. Fort - earliest enlargement. Mr Creer, Ballanard House, informed me (May'31) that there is a tombstone on Onchan Churchyard to the memory of …. of Mona Terrace near Douglas. *(Tynwald (I) built 1846. Two masts - three in picture SPCo souvenir. Three legged Mag for July 1923 (no 18) gives a good picture of her at the Coffee Palace berth, and she had only two masts then). *Error, see below. (Later) This may be doubtful. The Tynwald (I) had as figurehead - a full length - a Manx Scandinavian King in Armour. That in the picture appears to be a female figure. There is one alternative, the Mona's Queen I. The only other similar boat was King Orry I, but she was taken over by Napier in 1858 in part payment for Douglas I. This then is most probably the Mona's Queen, which, with three masts in 1854 appears in the foreground of the picture (of which I have a proof copy) Mona's Queen leaving for Liverpool. The figure head is similar to that in the photo, and as a small boy I remember her, when past work, berthed at the top of the Tongue, and I fancy, in the river 2.1.31 yes; and this is certainly the Mona's Queen I. I also clearly remember the Mona's Isle II (then a one funnel paddleboat, prior to her conversion to a screw steamer, and her name translated into its Manx equivalent Ellan Vannin) lying up by the tongue, but I think on the N side, in the Winter months. Baths at S end of Colonel's Road, were Wallace's. The Marina Hotel (J J Harwoods at rear). In 1880 kept, as Marina Lawn Hotel by Fred Braddock's father. Old Harwood used to do us Grammar School boys with grease paint, whiskers and what not, for plays we gave in the Masonic Hall, where Reece's Billiard saloon is now. The McGhie's house (the bath owner) is just above the letters LESQUE; and is today, with the Peveril Hotel built up against it. In what was Bath Place. The side windows, top two storeys, were obliterated by the Hotel, but dormers were made on the roof for the top storey as visible now. (i) The rampart of the old Fort of Douglas on the Pollock Rocks. Date of picture 1860 and the rampart was still there in 1860. Captain Holloway "demolished the Fort in 1816-18" according to the books, but only the tower evidently, and one local gentleman can remember 'playing on the grass inside' the rampart. Dimensions 90 ft diameter and height of wall 18 feet approx from measurements on Taggart's Plan 1834 and given diameter the height of walls in this photo, as stated, is pretty accurate. (ii) (Fort) Kewley, ex-painter, formerly of Allan St name in records but can't recall it. Mr Kewley bro[ther] of Mrs Creer 136 Buck's Rd and living with his married daughter next to Mr Harry Ward, Q[uarter]B[ridge] Road, told me he often played in and about it, and the entrance was on the W side, as I supposed. (iii) 16.12.33 Mr Corlett, 5 Dalton St told me that the tall Chimney S of the slip by the Maypole now, belonged to a flour mill. He spent his early days in the house on the corner across the slip from the Maypole. The S side and hoist of mill seen. May 19th /33 met the ex-painter (below) on Buck's Road and asked if he knew what the chimney on the shore just north of Woolworth's bulnose belonged to. He said he spent all his boyhood in that area, but had no idea what the chimney belonged to.(iv) Mr Corkill, M Rd later told me, '33, he remembered secreting some pennies in a cranny, of it as a boy. (Many years plumber for Todhunter's). 3.1934 by '68 Survey, it is the same distrance (by inches) from E. Pev[eril] Hotel to midway between Halliday? Bath Place corner, and the same thence on a line with S side of the 2 pillars of Arcade SW by the grid'.

Language: eng

Extent: 204mm x 158mm

Physical description: black & white print

Item name: photograph

Collection: Photographic Archive

Level: ITEM

ID number: PG/8224/18/3

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