Big Well Street (Douglas)

Description: Big Well Street, now demolished, was near the quay in Douglas on the east side of the Isle of Man (NGR 23793 47534). JJ Kneen's The Place Names of the Isle of Man of 1925 says, "The well, now filled up, was at the east end of the street, and a house there was known as Big Well House." The Isle of Man Family History Society Journal Vol. III from May 1989 says, "Altogether there were 34 houses in the street which varied in size from two to four floors. Nearly every house was divided and rented to three or four families...At No. 6 was a Grocers shop, in 1871 it was run by William Quilleash his wife and family....In No. 34 lived the Corkill family, William the head of the household came from Abbeylands in the late 1860's, he and his wife Mary kept 6 cows in the street. They were not unusual in this there were several cowkeepers in the street, even as late as 1894 Robert Christian is recorded as being a cowkeeper...The occupations of the tenants ranged from grocers, cowkeepers, house painters, carters, gardeners to boat builders and master mariners. The women employed as dressmakers, charwomen and bonnet makers. There was one large well in the street, buckets of water could be purchased and delivered further afield for a 1d. There were also some smaller wells in the back yards, belonging to the houses."

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