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Minute book of the Palace (Douglas, Isle of Man) Ltd

Date(s): September 1890 - December 1896

Creator(s): Palace (Douglas Isle of Man) Limited, The

Scope & Content: The deposit comprises of minutes of meetings of directors of the company and minutes of meetings of the advertising, amusement, opera house, finance, supervising and emergency committees.

Administration / Biographical History: In the nineteenth century the Isle of Man tourism industry was flourishing as people flocked to the Manx seaside for recreation and respite. Indoor amusements were deemed essential and enterprises such as the Derby Castle Company Limited were already underway in Douglas. In the late 1880s the Castle Mona estate (situated in the centre of Douglas bay) became available. It was offered to both Derby Castle and the Falcon Cliff (Hotel and Pavilion) however the £80,000 price tag was beyond the reach of both companies. On 24 October 1888 the estate was taken over by a newly formed company called the Manx Syndicate. It was headed by John A. Brown (c.1839-1925) who was editor and proprietor of the Isle of Man Weekly Times and Daily Times and nine other local businessmen. The syndicate initially offered the estate to the Isle of Man Government as a potential residence for the Governor and to the Douglas municipal authorities as a park or museum. Both parties declined resulting in the syndicate undertaking the development itself, by selling off the Castle Mona Hotel and some land for housing and constructing the Palace Pavilion. This 200 x 100 ft. ballroom opened in 1887 with an adjoining Opera House.

In 1890 a new company was formed (still headed under John Brown) to manage the Palace complex called the Palace (Douglas, Isle of Man) Limited and thus the Manx Syndicate disbanded. The 1890s saw stiff competition amongst the Island’s entertainment businesses, with numerous venues in Douglas such as the Palace complex, Derby Castle, the Marina Pavilion (later the Gaiety Theatre) and the Falcon Cliff. It was decided that a merger of the entertainment companies was necessary if the Island’s tourist industry wanted to survive. Therefore in 1898 and under the leadership of John Brown the Palace Company Limited dissolved and amalgamated with Derby Castle, the Marina Pavilion and the Falcon Cliff; becoming known as the Palace and Derby Castle Company Limited (see MS 09398 for more information).

Language: English

Extent: 1 volume

Item name: minutes

Collection: Manuscript Archive

Level: ITEM

ID number: MS 11218

Record class: Business

Access conditions: No regulations or restrictions are implemented on this material. Advance notification of a research visit is advisable by emailing library@mnh.gov.im

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