m - Isle of Man Today

I L L E N N I U
B I S H O P
m
T H O M A S
n his ‘A History of the Manx Church 1698-1911’ Canon John Gelling says ‘On April 6, 1698
a small group of clergy and prominent laymen gathered at Derbyhaven (then a thriving port)
to welcome their new Bishop, Thomas Wilson, who had left England on April 2. They
accompanied him to the capital, Castletown, where he paid his respects to the Governor,
Colonel Nicholas Stanley and preached his first sermon in his new diocese on ‘the barren fig
tree.’ Four days later he set off on horseback (there were no carriage in the Island in those days)
with the Governor and other high officials and made his way on rough tracks over the
mountains to Peel, the Cathedral City. There he was, on April 11, installed as Bishop by
Samuel Wattleworth, Vicar of German and Vicar General (1694-1703) and later
Archdeacon who, being a Manx speaker and knowing only a little English, conducted the
service in Latin.’
I
Canon Gelling adds: ‘It was a momentous day in the history of the
diocese.’ Indeed it was. Bishop Wilson was to become the greatest
prelate in the history of the Diocese of Sodor and Man. The legacy
of what he did for the people and Church of the Island endures to
this day and his name remains in everyday currency.
He was 34, the son of a Cheshire farmer, when he began his remarkable
57 years in office. He studied medicine at Trinity College, Dublin, then
entered the ministry and became domestic chaplain to the Lord of Mann,
the 9th Earl of Derby, who nominated him for the long vacant Manx see.
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P O RT R A I T
anx
W I L S O N
June 1999
but by these measures he must have saved hundreds from dying of starvation or disease.’
Wilson quickly acknowledged that many of his Manx flock could not follow services in English
and he initiated the translation of the bible and the prayer book into Manx. He learned the
language himself, although he found it difficult and used it in carrying out baptisms and
confirmations. He was a bishop who reached out to his people and involved himself closely with
their everyday lives. They very likely had not seen his like before.
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They also had reason to be grateful to him for the Act of Settlement of 1703, sometimes called
the Manx Magna Carta, which gave Manx people right of land tenure.
But the most dramatic interlude in his term of office arose from his part in the struggle
between Church and State in imposing the rule of law. Wilson believed it was for the
Church courts to punish society’s offenders. This brought him into conflict with the
civil authority represented by the Governor. It was a grim struggle for supremacy
with no holds barred, particularly on the part of Governor Horne who, in 1722,
acting rather dubiously in the name of Tynwald Court, imprisoned Wilson in
Castle Rushen for non-payment of a fine for contempt of court.
Horne found he had a tiger by the tail. Wilson preached daily to large crowds
through his barred window. The Manx people resented Horne’s action as an
infringement of their liberties. They surrounded the castle and threatened
violence. Wilson dissuaded them. He optioned for a petition to the King
seeking release. It went to the Privy Council and Horne was instructed to set
Wilson free.
He found it in a sorry condition. Bishopscourt and St German’s Cathedral
were in a poor state of repair as were many churches and vicarages. The
Clergy were of indifferent quality, the Manx people ignorant and poor,
speaking an obscure language and largely engaged in the smuggling trade. It
was a backward third world country of its day.
A procession three miles long escorted Wilson on his ride from Castletown to
Bishopscourt. He had been in Castle Rushen from June 29 to August 29 and it
had been a rigorous ordeal. But Wilson was now forever secure in the hearts and
minds of the Manx people.
Wilson set about putting things to rights with an energy that was to remain
undiminished. First he reinstated Bishopscourt and its grounds, largely at his
own expense. But for him it might have been lost forever. He had less success
however with restoring St German’s Cathedral – as did one of his successors,
Bishop Benjamin Pollard, in the 1960’s.
But although his battle with the State was won, his war was lost. Church courts
fell into disuse in the last 20 years of his life.
Wilson remained thoroughly committed otherwise to the affairs of the diocese
although he made a concession to old age when he gave up his shaggy little Manx
pony in favour of travel by horse and carriage. He continued to devote 60 per cent
of his income to the improvement of church property and he made room for other
faiths. His services were attended by Catholics and Methodists and he allowed
Quakers freedom of worship.
Wilson also pushed the Clergy into improving their spiritual and academic
standards and the way they carried out their parish duties. He recognised that
low stipends were a root cause of the problem and set about improving the rate
for the job. At the same time he restored and re-built churches and also built
new ones, including St Matthew’s in Douglas.
K C M Y
m
A
Manx
National
Heritage
Wilson’s wife Mary died in 1705 after only seven years of marriage and he did
not re-marry. They had a son, Thomas and three other children died in
infancy.
To all this he contributed liberally from his comparatively modest income for a
bishop, £300-a-year. But he also seems to have found wealthy patrons on and
off the Island whose resources he tapped. He played a highly active
part in church activities, riding around the diocese until his 80th
year to take at least one service somewhere every Sunday.
In time his health began to fail and in March 1755 he died
peacefully at the age of 91 after taking a chill while walking in the
grounds of his beloved Bishopscourt, where today a statue of him
stands. It was erected by the present owner of Bishopscourt, Mr
Graham Ferguson Lacey. There are remarkably few public statues
in the Isle of Man. Wilson’s is one of them.
Education was another of his concerns. He saw that making the
clergy responsible for educating their young parishioners was
too great a burden and he allowed the appointment of lay people
as teachers and made churchwardens responsible for providing
schools. He was a prime mover in the Island’s first Education Act
in 1703.
As a farmer’s son he introduced modern agricultural methods into the Island
and made his farm at Bishopscourt a model for others to follow. In 1739-41 there
was a famine. Wilson fed people with Bishopscourt produce and gave them shoes
and clothing. Canon Gelling tells us that the doors of Bishopscourt were always open to
petitioners. At the same time Wilson’s medical training made him the only doctor in the Island.
If ever there was a hands-on bishop it was Wilson but Canon Gelling records that he ‘was worn
out with visiting and tending the sick who flocked to Bishopscourt from all quarters for healing,
His funeral was a day of mourning throughout the Island and he
was buried opposite the east window of Kirk Michael Church. He
left money to the poor of each of his parishes. Canon Gelling quotes Spencer
Walpole as saying: ‘As a bishop Wilson lived some centuries too late; as a statesman
he was a century before his time.’
Note: ‘A History of the Manx Church 1698-1911’ by Canon John Gelling is published by the
Manx Heritage Foundation.
Terry Cringle
A look back in time as we approach
the new millennium
Fo r t A n n e, S o u t h Q u ay,
D o u g l a s, I s l e o f M a n I M 1 5 P D
Te l e p h o n e 0 1 6 2 4 6 4 9 6 4 9
S H I P
M A N A G E M E N T
F O R
T H E
N E X T
M I L L E N A R Y
An Isle of Man Newspapers Publication
sponsored by The Midocean Group of Companies
manx millennium
2
manx millennium
Pe t e r Ke l l y w r i t e s
five.
I
am delighted to be welcoming you
to the issue of Manx Millennium
that brings us to the halfway point
in the series. And, as it is my first
introduction to this Midocean
sponsored supplement, I would like to
take this opportunity to introduce
myself to you.
I am one of a team of three people
who created Midocean nine years ago
and has witnessed its expansion into
one of the the leading ship
management companies in the Isle of
Man. My task now as Managing
Director is to steer Midocean towards
even greater success from our Fort
Anne headquarters on South Quay in
Douglas - headquarters which have a
most important link with the Island’s
rich maritime history.
Fort Anne was the home of the founder
of the Royal National Lifeboat
Institution, Sir William Hillary, and
later this year we intend to unveil a
statue of Sir William in the grounds.
In this way, we believe we can
maintain that vital link to the past
while striving to meet the new
challenges the next century will
present.
I hope that, like me you will continue
to enjoy in the Manx Millennium the
photographs and profiles of places and
people from our Island’s recent past. I
look forward to the next six issues that
will bring us right up to the dawning of
the new millennium.
Christos Ashiotis
Managing Director
This is what you had to tell me: on page
four the locomotive Douglas during the
second world war had as its driver
Tommy Cannan
and his son was
the fireman. His
brother Alfie was
the station master
at Ballaugh. The
train used to
come
out
of
Ramsey
each
morning bringing
the alien internees
to the country stations to work on the
farms.
The local lads nicknamed the loco ‘the
doodlebug’. At one time the staff kept a
pet eel in the
water tank which
they would feed
regularly. The fish
presumably got
into the tank
when water was
being taken on.
The straw structure
on page five was a
‘goosenest’ which
was made out of twigs tied together at the top
and then thatched. On page six the traction
engine was made by McLaren of Leeds (works
number 178 – new in April, 1883) initially
she belonged to
John Corlett of
Ramsey and then
Daniel Kelly and
Sons
of
Kirk
Michael
(later
known as Kelly
Brothers).
Two
suggestions have
been given for the
location
on
is
Moaney Moar at
Cronk-y-Voddy and
the other is the Village Green at Kirk Michael.
This site is now greatly covered by the Isle of
Man Bank, the police station and Kerrocruim.
The out building being behind number one,
Station Road which was run as a small farm.
One suggestion for the mill on page seven
and that was Milntown but I am not sure
about that one. On page eight, two
readers identified the cottage as
being at the bottom of the hill
Glen Maye with W E Quirk’s
house on the hillside. The out
b u i l d i n g s
apparently are no
longer there. For
the
agricultural
show on page nine
comes
the
suggestion that it is
at
Westhill,
Castletown
where
the
southern shows were held.
The photograph of the Point
of Ayre lighthouse
was pre-1898 for that is when the
new copper dome was put on.
During recent renovation work a
linseed oil bottle was found which
contained the names of all those
who worked on the 1898
alterations.
I was right with the
j a c k d a w
photograph
on
page 13. It was
Bradda East and the house in
the distance was Marrowee
which was built as a summer
residence for Mr Pilkington
the
glass
manufacturer in
1902. The birds on page 16 were
Manx bantams belonging to
Nelson Mandell’s father (who was
Nelson Mandell?) and won a
poultry show at
Crystal Palace.
The view inside
Ramsey Mart was
most probably the
Christmas Fatstock
show which was attended by
farmers and butchers. There is
a similar photograph in
circulation which I believe
bears the date 1909. The man
with beard and moustache
standing at the rear end of the bull is possibly
Dr Sugden. Now the boats on page 21,
against the Battery Pier I have had both
Snaefell (2) and King Orry (2) suggested; the
outter boat has general agreement as being
Mona (3). The ship in the foreground has been
identified as the ‘Sarah Blanche’ built in
1891. One caller says she was owned by
Joseph Sharpe,
the
Douglas
Coal Merchant
whilst another
says her owners
were Andrew
Knowles and
Sons Limited
c o l l i e r y
proprietors of
P e n d l e b u r y.
She sank at the
mouth of the Manchester ship canal in
February 1905 but was raised and repaired.
(perhaps this is when Joseph Sharpe brought
her). In 1923
she was sold to
the
Ramsey
Steamship
Company and
renamed ‘Ben
Blanche.’
In
December
1933 she was
wrecked on the
South
Wales
coast
at
Oxwich Point.
All seven of the crew were rescued by the
Mumbles lifeboat.
The harvest festival in Atholl Street Chapel,
Peel has the
same format of
decoration as
was carried out
for many years,
fishing nets on
the
balcony
front, ivy on the
columns and
autumn leaves
on the pulpit.
From edition number four, the suggestion has
come forward that the two girls on the bridge
on page three is at the end of the postman’s
path at Glen Maye. The cottages on page 22
are indeed opposite sandpit lane but on the
Peel to Poortown Road not the Douglas to
Peel Road. One cottage was occupied by Mrs
Crebbin and the other by Liza Boyde. Thank
you all once again for your help.
S o f a r, s o f a s c i n a t i n g
W
ith its fascinating glimpses of the
Island's past, this series of Manx
Millennium supplements is clearly
capturing the public's imagination as
librarian archivist at Manx National Heritage
Roger Sims is discovering.
Roger says: 'This series - now in its sixth issue
- has prompted a most encouraging response
from readers, both in the Island and further
afield. Without doubt the public, indeed
appreciate this opportunity to discover more
about our Island's past through the excellent
selection, chosen by architectural historian
Peter Kelly, of photographs from the Library's
archives.'
Peter Kelly is similarly heartened by the
reception of the Manx Millennium
supplements. He says: 'I am delighted with the
continuing response and encouraging
comments which these photographs have
prompted from readers.'
Roger Sims goes on: 'Naturally, we are grateful
for the archive material which has come to
light so far, but Manx National Heritage is still
keen to acquire yet more photographs and
cinefilm, manuscripts and documents. We
welcome the opportunity to make a
qualitative assessment of any material, all of
which will, of course, be treated with the
utmost care, and that which is deemed of
historical importance can be either deposited
with Manx National Heritage or copied then
returned to the owner. The material will be
added to our national image archive.'
Already, a surprising number of historically
important photographs and cinefilm has come
to the attention of the library, proffered by
readers of these supplements. Manx National
Heritage has also been encouraged by the
response to the appeal it made recently for old
photographs and cinefilm of Rushen Abbey,
which has unearthed some interesting footage.
Similarly it would be pleased to hear from
anyone with photographs - either of the
exterior or interior - of the old House of Keys
in Castletown.
Roger Sims says: 'Every photograph makes
some contribution to learning more about our
past, and even those which are not of prime
archive importance can still provide valuable
background information which helps us
T
his scene is a lot quieter than it was
earlier this month for this view shows
the approach to Ballaugh Bridge on
the TT course. It’s hard to imagine the life
of the people in these country districts
before the advent of the Northern Railway
which opened on 23rd September 1879. Prior
to that farmers with their carts and those
with ponies and traps could travel to
Ramsey and Peel but what about the poor
labourer? He could only walk to these places
but with Sunday his only day off when could
he do it? Up to a few years ago there were
still locals who had never been off the Island
but 150 years ago there must have been
country folk who had never been to Douglas.
How times have changed with people living in
the hills and ayres and yet travelling into
Douglas to work every day. (MNH/pic/3625)
acquire a greater historical perspective of life
and times in the Isle of Man over the last 140
years. And in this edition of the Manx
Millennium supplement, has been included a
selection of photographs which have been
handed in to Manx National Heritage in
recent months.
'These supplements, as well as providing a
wonderful insight into times past in the Isle of
Man, have also, by extension, alerted a wider
audience to the "treasure house" that is the
Manx Museum's library. More people than
ever are using the Reading Room to see more
of their village or chosen area. People who,
prior to this project might never have ventured
across our threshold.'
If anyone has material they would care
either to donate or lend to the Manx
National Heritage Library, they are
invited to contact librarian archivist
Roger Sims or Wendy Thirkettle at the
Manx National Heritage Library, the
Manx Museum, Douglas. Telephone
648000.
T
K C M Y
T
hank you to all those readers who
contacted me regarding the
photographs in edition number
23
his view should be recognised by all readers. It is of
course at Silverdale with the mill dam being used as a
boating lake. Through the open doors of the mill tables
with white table cloths can be seen. An early case of building
recycling or alternative use and what's more its still there and
in use to this day. The cafe which is now used was a purposebuilt extension of around 1910. The fascinating feature at
Silverdale has always been the roundabout, driven by the
waterwheel it was as much fun to operate the controlling lever as
to ride the fine carved hobby horses. Don’t forget, too, the swing
boats where pulling on opposite ropes took the wooden vessel
higher and higher. Countless thousands of children have enjoyed
themselves here over the years but of recent times we have become
too safety conscious and the swing boats have gone, the occasional
tree root has been covered by rubber matting and a cage has been
placed over the water wheel. Couldn’t wire netting have been placed
under the wooden surround for it would have served the same
purpose and looked a lot better? This view has been printed from a
glass negative recently given to the Museum Library.
(MNH/gift/679)
T
his is probably the most important view in
this edition because it records a one-off
event that took place in 1895 and this is the
only photograph that I know of it. The title on the
lantern slide ‘Skating at Pulrose’ although I
rather feel it is more likely to be the grounds of
Kirby. It was as a result of the Great Snow and
18 degrees of frost that followed that skating was
possible at Kirby for about half a mile as far as
Kirk Braddan. The ice was between four and five
inches thick. Mr George Drinkwater arranged to
have the surface flooded every night so as to
provide a clear surface of ice each morning. A
roadway was cut through the snow at
Quarterbridge to help people gain access instead of
having to wade through deep snow. Some of the
estate workers were engaged in sweeping the ice and
putting out seats and benches. Refreshments in the
form of hot drinks were served by Mrs George
Drinkwater who had sent out invitations to a large
company of ladies and gentleman who came to skate
each day. There were several good skaters including
Mr Drinkwater, Father Miller and Father Walsh
curate and parish priest of St Mary’s Douglas
respectively. What I find remarkable is the fact that
as this was a one-off event where did all the skates
come from? Did people have them just in case or did
somebody do a roaring trade. Can you imagine years
later a wife saying to her husband: “I don’t know why
you hang on to these skates, you haven’t used them
since 1895!” (MNH/pic/807)
manx millennium
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manx millennium
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H
ere we are in the
centre of the universe –
Onchan. Before us lies
Church Road or to give its
local name The Butt which is
believed to be on account of
the water butts that once
stood at the top of the hill. On
the left is Molly Carrooin’s
cottage, the home of the
village washerwoman. Across
the road is Faragher’s
blacksmithy but in this view it
is being used by Mr Kelly the
joiner. On the bushes washing
has been placed to dry in the
sunshine. Beneath the smithy
yard are two cottages built by
Leece Skillicorn and beyond
that the old parochial school
which was replaced in 1876 by
the present Onchan school. In
the background St Peter’s
church of 1833. It was in the
previous parish church that
Captain Bligh, then a young
lieutenant, married Elizabeth
Betham of The Hague Farm in
Onchan. (MNH/pic/3469)
H
T
he setting is King William’s College in front of the attractive half timbered
cricket pavilion. In the foreground a circle of scouts but unfortunately its
not possible to establish who the officials are on the terraced seating. The
scout troop at King William’s College was believed to have been founded
unofficially by pupil Elgie Jefferson of Ballahot around 1908 but in January 1910
the official 1st King William’s College troop was founded under the leadership of
scoutmaster L. T. Watkins. The numbers soon grew to 50 which although large
could not compare with the 80 in the 1st Douglas. Sir Robert Baden-Powell visited
the Island in April 1911; he inspected the troops at Government House on Saturday
afternoon then addressed them at the Gaiety Theatre in the evening. The following
day he attended morning service at King William’s College Chapel and afterwards he
addressed the scouts in the gymnasium. What a pity this lantern slide of Canon
Stenning’s wasn’t of B-P’s visit. King William’s is believed to be the first public school
scout troop to be formed in the world. B-P, in his chat with the boys, he appealed to the
older lads to come forward in the future as scoutmasters. The need then was as great
as it is now. It is interesting to note that the number of scouts, cubs and beavers has this
year increased and in several cases there are waiting lists but without leaders and
helpers the lads may lose their chance of gaining something of the experience that many
will look back on with pride. The late T. H. Colebourn attributed his success in business
to the principles of scouting and quoted Baden-Powell’s maxim “to leave our world a
little better than we found it”. (MNH/pic/1796)
ere is a lantern slide
that causes me to think
hard about the harsh
realities of life. Canon
Stenning
has
captured
students at King William’s
College
taking
part
in
bayonet practice probably on
the strip of land running
parallel to the road to
Derbyhaven.
In
the
background is the College
sanatorium which would now
be on the airfield at Isle of
Man (Ronaldsway) Airport
(let’s use the proper title).
What strikes me about this
picture is the fact that here
the boys are charging a sack
hanging from a pole. A few
months later it was for real
with young German soldiers
as the target. When the Great
War broke out there were 104
cadets in the college OTC.
They had been in camp at
Aldershot in July of 1914 and
on the way back to the Island
two cadets ‘joined up’ at
Liverpool. During the war 45
former members of the corps
were killed and a further 45
wounded. Between them they
earned the following awards:
seven DSO’s, two DSC’s, 25
MC’s, two Croix de Guerre,
three MM’s and three DCM’s.
Look again at the photograph
of these young lads whose life
was not yet run and think what
they
gave
for
us.
(MNH/pic/1770)
T
his lantern slide
was given to the
Manx
Museum
library by L. V. Gill and
bears the title “Jane
Quill’s Cottage, Colby”.
Notice how the cottage
has been extended to
the left and to the right.
Both extensions are not
the full height of the
thatched cottage which
might have suffered a
little
from
down
draught for the right
hand chimney stack has
been raised in brick
work. Is that Jane Quill
at the door? The cottage
was located on the main
road and I wonder if it
was just before the
Colby Glen Hotel – do
you
know?
(MNH/pic/3477)
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manx millennium
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A
lso from the Canon Stenning collection
comes this view of the OTC presumably in
camp. Behind the boys and on the
extreme right can just be seen bell tents but
these did not belong to the TC. This view is
taken from what became the Howstrake
Holiday Camp. The land and the first
corrugated buildings were all part of
Lagbirragh Park or Howstrake Park which
opened on 1st July 1895 but only ran for two
seasons. Mr. Cunningham who claims to have
established his holiday camp business in 1887
took a lease of the land. Jill Drower his
granddaughter in her book ‘Good Clean Fun’ tells
us how he used to bring parties of Liverpool
youths to Laxey. Of recent times it has come to
light that he was renting land from Douglas
Corporation Water Works down in the Groudle
Valley close to the old mill. Moving onto the hill
had the advantages of buildings insitu, an
impressive entrance from King Edward Road and
being closer to the Electric Railway. The season
of 1903 saw one disastrous morning when the wind
tore to shreds no fewer than 65 tents. The
following year he opened up in Douglas at Little
Switzerland. (MNH/pic/1769)
T
his photograph is taken from a glass plate
negative which has been given to the Manx
Museum by a reader following the start of this
series of views from the vast collection held in the
library archive. It shows the washing floor at Laxey
which is now the Valley Gardens. On the skyline to
the left is the school which was replaced by the
present Laxey school in the mid 1920’s to the designs
of J. Mitchell Bottomley who designed other Manx
schools including Murray’s Road, St Ninian’s High
School and Four Roads School at Rushen. There does
not appear to be any electric railway to Ramsey in this
photograph. The washing floors just fell into disrepair
after the mines closed but in the post-war years a
scheme was prepared to improve the scar on the
landscape. Douglas Calder the architect/planning
officer of the LGB drew up a scheme of hard landscaping
using what was left of walls and features. In this
photograph a ladder leans against a tower of masonry
which was supporting a leat. Now it, and its twin on the
other side of the river, have concrete crowns. Other
areas have been paved, a compass set in stone, concrete
balls placed on divisions between the shoots and a war
memorial created. (MNH/gift/679)
B
H
ere we have a view taken from a magic lantern
slide which shows a boat being unloaded at Port St
Mary. The horses and carts are lined up but we
cannot see what they are about to have placed in them. It
looks too clean for coal yet that is what you would expect
in the large bucket. I have selected this view for a reason;
there was a print produced of a painting by J. Aitken
showing boats tied along the breakwater at Port St Mary.
They were not steam coasters like this but they have a man
with a bent back like the man in this picture. It is a while
since I have seen these prints but I seem to remember that he
always looked too tall for the painting. (MNH/pic/805)
ack to Peel for this view of Peel by G. B.
Cowen the Ramsey photographer. In the
foreground the road bridge connects with
the quay side leading to the castle; notice the
makeshift stone wall at the end of the railings
on the left. There is no roadway running on the
harbour side of the railway station at this time,
access was via Mill Road. The railway station
building was built in 1907-1908 to the designs of
Harry Cowle (son of James Cowle architect and
builder of Douglas). It was in an arts and crafts
style of rough cast walls with half timbering,
sandstone dressings and the distinctive feature
of a red rosemary tiled roof. This was replaced
with artificial slate during the time the station
became
the
Fisherman’s
Association
Headquarters. The tower to St Peter’s Church
stands above the collection of warehouses and
dwellings that go to make up the old part of the
town. This slide was a gift to the Manx Museum
Library in 1960 by D. Craine (MNH/pic/3604)
U
F
ollowing on from the
picture of the Royal
Navy
Reserve
in
edition number 5, here we
have another view of them on
Peel beach. In the background
the breakwater is being
extended by the use of Hercules
the giant crane that had
previously been used on the
extension of the Victoria Pier in
Douglas. It was taken to pieces
and shipped to Peel where it was
re-erected but I don’t know what
happened to it afterwards.
(MNH/pic/795)
p on the roof but which roof sat
behind a castellated parapet? This
view was taken by Eidran Paris and
the label says Bishop’s Court Tower. I have
to admit that I have never been on the roof
of the Tower nor any other part of the roof of
Bishop’s Court so I cannot confirm the title.
It is interesting to see the chimney pots on
the chimney stacks which have been designed
to look like part of the castellation (rather like
the chimney on St Luke’s, Baldwin made into a
cross.) What a combination of roofs we have
here and look how there is an inner section of
castellation between the roofs. The original
Orry Tower was castellated then Bishop Crigan
took that military look away and turned the
tower into a Queen Anne style house. Bishop
Murray put the battlements back on the tower
and all around the rest of the building. A study
was made by the late Robert Curphey, a fine
historian with a detective stroke in his work and
published in the Manx Museum Journal of 1976
but there is room for this to be taken further.
(MNH/pic/3522)
20
manx millennium
manx millennium
5
T
he year is 1895 and we are looking at
another view of the Great Snow, this time in
Parliament Street, Ramsey. In the distance
the rear of the Saddle Hotel on the ground floor
shops were occupied for many years by W. H.
Looney. The trees behind the railings are in
front of the Ramsey courthouse while the tall
building opposite was the premises of the Isle
of Man Banking Company. Many years later
they pulled down the two shops alongside and
erected new premises. The old one was for
many years a showroom for the gas company
but of recent times it has been a wine
merchants. Notice how one shop is apparently
boarded up on the left hand of the street. On the
right a familiar group of shops. What is now
Anderson’s Chemist at number 17 was the first
office of Holme’s Bank of which Mr William
Callister was the Ramsey representative before
later becoming one of the prime movers and
first director of the Isle of Man Banking
Company Limited. This slide was donated to the
library in June 1953 by Mr Sam Bennett of
Queen’s Pier Road. (MNH/pic/3517)
T
wo well known figures in the foreground,
Major Stenning (better known as Canon
Stenning) and Archdeacon Kewley. The
question is whether the Archdeacon is wearing a
sprig of St John’s Wort as once worn by all MHK’s
around the brim of their hats or is he wearing
Mugwort (Bollan Bane) as has wrongly become
the habit of recent times. Behind them are
members of King William’s College OTC. Canon
Stenning was Second-Lieutenant when the corps
was founded in 1911. During the period 1915-1916 he
served as an instructor at Blandford and finally at
the end of the First World War he was demobilising
officer at Chelsea. During the war he held the rank
of Captain and became a Major in 1925. In 1931 he
was awarded the Territorial Decoration (TD) by His
Majesty the King. The College Corps was the only
armed force on the Island during peace times and
was therefore used for ceremonial duties such as
Tynwald Day which shows in this magic lantern
slide. (MNH/pic/1756)
F
lash, bang, wallop what a picture – an
air ship at King William’s College.
This lantern slide was produced by
Flatters and Garnet Ltd of Oxford Street,
Manchester and was part of the collection
of slides owned by the late Canon
Stenning. The King William’s College
centenary publication advises that during
the First World War the Officers’ Training
Corps supplied parties to assist at the
landing of Naval airships on the college
field. The same publication contains a view
of the College taken from the air out of a
naval ship in 1918. Whether this view is of
the 1918 visit or an earlier one I cannot tell.
I have been told that the SS Airship was 165
feet long, powered by a Rolls-Royce Hawk
engine with a maximum speed of 57.5mph a
cruising speed of 42.6mph an endurance of 30
hours and a crew of four. (MNH/pic/1742)
H
ere is a chance for you to get your
thinking cap on. This is a glass negative
which has recently been given to the
Manx Museum library. I could not place it
when I viewed it as a negative and I still don’t
know. The way the roof to the bay window had
been executed separate from the main roof is
the sort of thing that George Kay the architect
did and examples can be found in both Ramsey
and the south of the Island where he did a lot of
work. At first I thought it may be the rear of
Waterloo Road on the left of the picture but the
old house on the right didn’t fit in. Then I
looked at the stone on the left hand gable of the
house in the foreground and came to the
conclusion that it was square blocked limestone
which points towards Castletown or Port St
Mary. To the right there appears to be a post
and wire fence running parallel with the stone
wall suggesting a footpath. By now the land on
either side of the house may be built upon but
where is it? (MNH/gift/679)
manx millennium
6
manx millennium
19
A
nother example of why the summers were
so much hotter in great grandmother’s day.
Fully clothed in black they sat on the beach.
In the background the shops at the bottom of
Broadway offering haircuts, shaving and
photographs. Behind, the gable of the first house in
Clarence Terrace supports a huge advertisement
for Maxwell’s boarding house. The bunting and the
flags on the lampstandards makes me wonder if this
was at the time of the 1902 Coronation parade. Here
is a real chance to study the clothing, not to mention
the pram of the turn of the last century.
(MNH /pic/817)
R
A
move to Ramsey and
South Shore and that
corner known as “the
nigger beach” on account of the
blacked up minstrels. Another
pram of the cart variety in the
foreground between the two
girls. The most interesting
thing to me is the inclusion of a
harp between the banjos. Later
a small stage with cover was
provided for the minstrels.
(MNH/pic/818)
T
o change the time scale a
little I have selected this
view in 1951 and entered in
the Isle of Man Publicity Board
annual photograph competition
by E. Eivrys Jones of Old
Colwyn.
It
was
entitled
‘Whitewashed Farm’ and was
taken off the road from St John’s
to Glen Helen. Can you identify
the farm and how about the man?
(MNH/pic/3455)
amsey during the Great Snow of
1895 is a magic lantern slide given
to the Manx Museum in 1957 by Sam
Bennet of Ramsey. The snow is the
greatest the Island had known, within a 24
hour period as many inches of snow fell
and then during the night the wind got up
causing deep drifts which imprisoned
people in their houses across the
countryside. The view shows Waterloo
Road which was laid out following a report
recommending its construction which was
written in 1835. On the right is Waterloo
Road Chapel which was built for the
Wesleyan Methodists during 1845. The first
service was held on Tynwald Day in 1846
with
preachers
from
Londonderry,
Congleton and Dublin as well as from the
nearby Scotch Church which is now
Quayle’s Hall. On the left is ’The Britannia’
which was built in 1847 for Dr Clucas and
remained a doctor’s house until 1909 when it
was licensed in the name of John Nelson. It
was extended on the Peel Street side to
provide extra dining room accommodation.
(MNH/pic/3437)
A
nother view taken during the Great Snow
of 1895; this shows soldiers from the
barracks at Castletown engaged in
digging a clear route from Castletown to
Malew church. The glass slide was from the
collection of Canon Spicer and was given to the
Manx Museum library in 1952. A contemporary
account of the snow tells that the whole of the
Southern Railway line from Douglas to Port
Erin was closed as the cuttings were deep and
so full of snow that clearing them was an
impossibility.
Between
Ballasalla
and
Castletown the drifts were 14 feet high.
(MNH/pic/3454)
manx millennium
18
manx millennium
7
I
f you have not seen a similar
view to this before then you
may find it a little strange. It
is Laxey but look no harbour wall
and no boat park. In the centre of
the picture the old bridge and in
the foreground the area where
the Laxey fair used to be held.
Notice the writing on the roof of
the Shore Hotel advertising as to
the name of the hotel and the fact
it is on Laxey beach. The Laxey
River is guided between the two
stone walls as it enters into the
harbour. Many know that lead ore
was exported from here having
come out of the Laxey mines but
one automatically thinks of Laxey
as it is now with quay sides which
would be ideal as a platform from
which to load the ships. It’s worth a
trip to Laxey to see which of these
buildings
still
stand.
This
photograph was donated to the
Manx Museum library several
years
ago
by
L.
V.
Gill.
(MNH/pic/3485)
T
wo females on a bridge and it
just has to be a G. B. Cowen
photograph. The title to this
magic lantern slide is ‘Teasing’
presumably because one girl
would not let the other cross the
makeshift bridge over the mill
race. The slide also has the words
‘Glenfaba’ written on it. Can any
reader pinpoint the exact spot
where the photograph was taken?
(MNH/pic/3578)
F
rom the 1951
Publicity
B o a r d
p h o t o g r a p h
competition comes
this lantern slide
view taken in Peel.
The narrow street is
lined with traditional
cottages and a small
shop is in the centre
of the picture. Are
you the baby or the
young girl or do you
know who they are?
(MNH/pic/3462)
D
A
nother magic lantern slide given by
L. V. Gill which shows the market
place in Ramsey from the quay side.
Unusually there are no fish spread out on
the ground for sale. On the ship there are
trees cut out into poles but has the ship just
arrived or is it about to sail? St Paul’s
Church stands at the top of the square
which was once a natural harbour. On the
right is the Saddle Hotel, designed by J.T.
Boyde the Ramsey architect who many years
previously had worked in partnership with
his brother as joiners. St Paul’s Church is
easily recognisable even without the entrance
porch of the 1920’s the church was originally a
simple rectangular building but growing
congregations necessitated enlargement. The
north and south trancepts which cross the
main building at right angles were added in
1844. The Royal Oak on the left was originally a
public house until the 1850s and then became
dining rooms with their famous shilling
dinners. (MNH/pic/3481)
ouglas Head Railway
it says on the head
board on the car of the
inclined railway. It was a
case of one car up and one
car down, the second car
appears just on the right
hand edge of the picture. The
railway was the idea of
Richard Maltby Broadbent
who
in
1893
was
the
entrepreneur of Groudle Glen
and later the miniature
railway through the glen. In
1899 he promoted the idea of
his short railway to take some
of the thousands of visitors to
Douglas Head after they had
crossed the harbour on the
steam ferry and then ascended
to the various amusement
stalls. Mr Broadbent lost out in
the Dumbell’s bank crash of
1900, he had to part with his
Baillie Scott designed house,
Ivydene, at Little Switzerland,
but he managed to hang on to
the Douglas Head Railway.
(MNH/pic/843)
8
manx millennium
manx millennium
17
W
ould you know where this is?
The note on the side of the
lantern slide says “St Patrick’s
Well”. If it is, then you will find it on
Peel
Hill.
‘The
Illustrated
Encyclopedia of the Isle of Man’ states
“also known as the Silver Well, it is on
the western slope of the hill, North
West of Corrin’s Tower. Tradition says
that when St Patrick landed on a silver
shod horse one of its shoes was caught
and wrenched off in the rock and a
spring of water gushed out to form a
well”. The young girl holds a bunch of
reeds in one hand but is she dropping
something into the well with the other?
(MNH/pic/3568)
W
A
nother glass negative given
to the Manx Museum
library following the start
of
this
series
shows
an
agricultural show at The Nunnery.
Above the trees can be seen the
boarding houses in Belmont Terrace
and to the left of this are the various
huts on the allotments where
Hillside Avenue was later to be built.
(MNH/gift/679)
G
.
B.
Cowen
was
the
photographer
of
this
photograph entitled ‘Glory
Quayle’. She was a character in Hall
Caine’s novel “The Manxman” and I
rather think that there is an image
of her in the Archibald Knox
designed headstone of Hall Caine in
Maughold churchyard. Who was
Cowen’s model and how did he achieve
the cloud effect in this very artistic
view? (MNH/pic/809)
hy on earth did J. W. Birch of
Bristol photograph the Peel
Brickworks in the early 1950s?
The reason doesn’t matter but the
important thing is that he did for now
we have a record of something that is
no longer there. The brick kilns are set
within a steel framed shelter with
corrugated asbestos sheeting. I rather
think that the plans were drawn up by T.
H. Kennaugh the architect as he did
work for Peel and Glenfaba brickworks
and of Gellings Foundry in Douglas as
they were all in the same ownership. In
the background are the herring houses
and the small chimney on the skyline
belongs to the gasworks. It was linked to
the plant in the valley below by a
stoneclad pipe set at ground level on the
steep embankment between them. In the
foreground the Douglas to Peel railway
line. (MNH/pic/3423)
manx millennium
16
manx millennium
A
t first glance a ship
launch, chimneys in
the background it
must be Ramsey but look
again. On the skyline
there are terraces of
houses for this is Peel.
Sections of wooden railing
have been removed and
large sections of timber
laid to create a launching
slipway down into the
River
Neb.
The
tall
chimney on the right
belongs to the brickworks
which was founded in 1885
to coincide with the erection
of new guest houses and
hotels in the Marine Parade.
Ironically in order to build
the brickyard bricks had to
be imported and arrived on
the ‘Importer’ under Captain
Nelson in June 1885 having
sailed from Dalbeatie. The
chimney was 91 feet high and
I wonder if it had the same
outcry as the MEA chimney
just over 100 years later. This
view is one of a group of
glass negatives given to the
Museum of recent and are
classified as being dated 19111912, does this help identify
which ship is being launched?
(MNH/gift/679)
O
ne of the most
recent views to be
used in this series
is a view of Peel power
station taken by J. W.
Birch of Bristol around
1952. Peel Hill is in the
background
with
the
power station workers’
bungalows
overlooking
the River Neb and set
between the power station
and the oil tanks in this
view. The power station
became redundant when
the new building was
erected,
in
fact
a
condition of the planning
approval for the new
power station was that the
old one should be pulled
down when redundant.
What happened? It wasn’t
pulled down but instead a
planning application was
made to reclad it –
whatever did we do before
there was such a thing as
a
planning
process?
(MNH/pic/3422)
9
P
ort Skillion below Douglas Head
lighthouse is the location of this close
up view whereas most views of the
baths are taken from a distance to show the
general lie of the land. The baths were the
promotion of Mr Archer who had walls built
across the little creek which trapped the tide
when it came in. The next high tide cleared
out the pool and left a fresh supply of sea
water for bathers. To start with the baths
were a male only affair and the lads got
changed behind the rocks. Later dressing
cubicles were built and then these were made
two storey when the baths had become used by
mixed sexes. Notice the railings to the right to
keep users away from the rock edge and notice
also the markers to tell the depth of the pool in
various places. Open air baths like his cropped
up around the Island; Peel, Port Erin, Ramsey,
Perwick Bay and one was proposed for Fort
Island. (MNH/pic/816)
P
resumably there is a tale to this
photograph – why does the old lady
appear to be crying? Has the young
lad cut his knee? The location is Peel and
ironically the stone wall was taken down and
replaced by the railings. Of more recent
years a stone wall has been built to replace
the railings and keep the sand and tide at
bay. The photograph was taken by Mr
Henderson, Photographer Royal, and it
shows his grandson William Gray and his
mother Mrs T. I. Gray beside him. The older
lady is her mother, Mrs A. L. Henderson, wife
of the photographer. (MNH/pic/831)
I
s the young lady shy of the camera as she
looks away yet still holding on to the young
lad? Notice the rear legs of the bench
stepping down behind the raised concrete
plinth on which it stands – not much use for
anywhere else. Across the road there are two
steps up from the road to the pavement. In the
background the guest houses are no more than
25 years old. Some of the house names are still
with us, others have been changed or lost due to
amalgamation. The plots were sold subject to
covenants, firstly the plans had to be approved by
Christopher Obree Ellison the architectural
engineer of Liverpool whose scheme was finally
selected in the construction of Loch Parade. The
window sills and heads, together with the string
courses had to run in line and the properties had to
be stone coloured. Stone comes in many colours
and for several years the Villiers Hotel was painted
in terracotta (sandstone?). (MNH/pic/829)
10
T
his magic lantern slide was once in the
possession of Canon Spicer of Malew who died
in 1919. The slide was one of many given to the
Manx Museum by Mrs Riggall in 1951. The title on
the slide is Hango Hill Farm although the property
in the foreground was more commonly known as
Mother Schofield’s Cottage and was demolished in
1911. Note the thatched cottage behind it. Next
comes a stackyard and then another complex of
thatched buildings and a tall building, Ballagilley
but known as the Big Cellar on account of the cellar
under the building. The properties belonged to King
William’s College (The Big Cellar since 1933) and
between Mother Schofield’s at Hango Hill they
erected their indoor rifle range in a corrugated iron
building. (MNH/pic/3429)
O
ne could be tempted to say it hasn’t changed
but it has. This lantern slide is one of those
given years ago by Mrs Riggall and came
from Canon Spicer’s collection. On the left is the
George Hotel with planters outside the front door.
There is also planting on the balcony and at the top
of the flat roofs to the bay windows. Between the Isle
of Man Bank and the Barracks is a yard into which
the Lloyds TSB building was erected within the past
quarter of a century. Notice the tree planting on
either side of the square in the roadway rather than
in the footpath. On the right is the building which is
now Barclays Bank but was built as an assembly room
on the first floor with an open butcher’s market (or
shambles) on the ground floor with all the arches
extending to the ground level as a series of arcading.
In the centre of the picture the building that
successfully links Malew Street and Arbory Street.
Many will recall this as Collister’s grocers and tea
stores. Note the traditional form of concrete pavements
and macadam streets – no paving blocks and imitation
cobble stones, and no bollards! (MNH/pic/3433).
manx millennium
manx millennium
15
T
his view has been taken from a
glass negative which has
recently been given to the
Manx Museum library to add to its
vast treasurehouse of images of the
Island since photography began.
The inscription scratched onto the
negative not only tells us the year
but also the fact that the hulk of a
ship berthed alongside the North
Quay was a convict ship. She didn’t
hold convicts here in Douglas but she
had been used as a prison ship in
Melbourne Harbour in 1853. She was
called ‘Success’ and she was fitted out
as an exhibition of her use with figures
in irons and exhibition pieces such as
the cat-o-nine -tails, sample cells, etc.
She arrived at Douglas in 1911 and was
set up with large advertising boards
saying that she was the “World’s most
remarkable vessel” . . . “visited by
royalty”. From 1922 she toured America
but was eventually destroyed by fire in
1946 – 106 years old. (MNH/gift/679)
A
nother G. B. Cowen view and another
recent gift. This time it is a magic lantern
slide and it bears the title “Two girls on the
Claddagh Road”. It is a view I have seen before and
shows Cronk Sumark in the background. A pair of
thatched cottages nearer to the camera were
occupied by Jim Corlett on the left and Billy Pie on
the right I rather think there was a fire in Jim’s
house but perhaps there is a reader who can tell
exactly what happened. (MNH/gift/679)
A
nother
recent
gift
of
a
photographic negative and again
taken in 1912 showing the end of
the Victoria Pier. I have included this
view because of what was on the end of
the pier. A step ladder lies against a
navigational light. I wonder if the metal
lattice work alongside was some form of
signalling to tell captains of approaching
ships which side of the pier they were to
head for berthing? The piece of equipment
that tricked me is between the stepladder
and the sign by the railings – a megaphone
on a stand . . . “Come in Ben-my-Chree your
time is up!” (MNH/gift/679)
manx millennium
14
manx millennium
11
T
his view was taken in 1948 and given to the Manx
Museum library in 1960 by D. Craine. It has been
catalogued as ‘The Mansion, back lane, Ramsey’.
Thanks to Constance Radcliffe’s book “Shining by the
Sea”, I realise that this should be Bark Lane which was
previously known as Edward Street and then Corran’s
Lane. It ran from Church Street to Strand Street in an
area that was swept away to provide a site for Queens
Court, Kings Court and the other promenade
developments. Unfortunately, whoever wrote the label on
the slide was mistaken for this wasn’t ‘The Mansion’, this
was the ‘Tannery’ house at one time occupied by the
Corran family and later the Nelsons. It is architectually
rather strange with those semi-circular drip mouldings on
the Georgian facade. The corbels either side of the large
window and front door probably supported a shop sign. The
two nearest to the camera appear to be either side of a
blocked up doorway. (MNH/pic/3589)
T
he first plane to arrive
in the Island came by
boat, in fact there
were two of them and the
year was 1911. As part of
the Coronation celebrations
it was agreed to bring
Claude Graham-White and
George Barnes to the
Island for them to race with
the Ben-My-Chree in a
round the Island race. The
airfield used was Noble’s
Park which was also used
by Gustave Hamel the
following year. Both visits
were promoted by the Daily
Mail newspaper. In July 1914
it was part of the carnival
celebrations in Douglas that
saw the arrival of two planes,
Mr Salmet’s Bleriot and an
Avro float plane. The Bleriot
paid a visit to King William’s
College where Mr Salmet was
able to converse with the
French language masters.
This could be the occasion of
this view having been taken
by Canon Stenning on the
playing
fields
at
King
William’s
College.
The
school OTC stand on guard.
(MNH/pic/1746)
C
anon Stenning was an
assistant master at
King William’s College
from 1909 to 1944 when he
became vice-principal, an
office he held until 1953. He
obtained a MA degree at
Downing
College
at
Cambridge and at King
William’s College was a
Lieutenant with the OTC
(Officers Training Corps)
later rising to Major. The
OTC was established at
KWC in 1911 with two
platoons. There were 98
cadets, the Sergeant-Major
being student Hon N. F.
Somerset, the son of the
Lieutenant-Governor Lord
Raglan. This view from
Canon Stenning’s collection
shows a group of lads in the
OTC on the Manx train but
can any reader say at what
station? (MNH/pic1750)
‘
Come to the cookhouse door boys’. This view
taken on the undeveloped land at The Mooragh,
Ramsey shows men from the 5th Lancashire
Artillery Volunteers who regularly camped here
from around 1890 onwards. Usual views of camps are
of virtual villages of canvas at Milntown and along
the Lezayre Road. The development of Mooragh
Park was commissioned in 1886, the same year that
the Queen’s Pier opened, and the official opening of
the Promenade took place in August 1887. Plots
were sold and hotels were designed by George Kay
the architect for many of the purchasers. A swing
bridge was to be provided to link this new part of the
town with the route to the pier and landing stage.
There were many problems with the construction of
the bridge and this greatly affected the sale of the
plots and indeed the viability of those premises which
were completed. (MNH/pic/819)
W
e move north for this lantern slide view taken by
George Cowen the Ramsey photographer. The
location is the Curragh and I am told the two
slate gate pillars are still standing on the road that
goes past the back of the Wildlife Park. Perhaps there
is a reader who can identify the exact spot?
(MNH/pic/3527)
manx millennium
12
T
he Douglas Head
ferry but not one
of those broad flat
boats
(The
Rose,
Thistle,
Shamrock)
which
we
tend
to
associate with the ferry
that travelled from the
Victoria Pier to the
Battery
Pier.
The
Lancashire Lass had
started life as a steam
tug but was altered to
become a ferry boat.
The
empty
boat
alongside
the
breakwater is either the
Jingo or Sambo which
were owned by the Knox
family of engineers (yes,
Archie Knox’s father and
brothers). The Knox’s
were
very
clever
engineers who had their
own designs for many
things to do with fishing
boats and the likes. They
also designed and made a
change
sorting
and
counting machine for use
with the takings from the
ferry. (MNH/pic/820)
manx millennium
A
nother G. B. Cowen
photograph which,
according to the
label on the side of the
lantern slide, is taken at
Ballaugh.
The
Cowen
trademark of two girls on a
bridge but not the usual
fair Manx maids in their
teens or twenties that he
posed so often in his
pictures. A collection of
conical haystacks in the
field by the gate but
whereabouts in Ballaugh is
it? (MNH/pic/3535)
T
he road to Peel with Greeba Castle and
Greeba Towers in the trees. The folktale is
that the owner of Greeba Castle lost the
property in a game of cards but built Greeba
Towers in front of his former property to block the
view of the new owner. There is truth in the fact that
the owner of the castle did build the Towers and he
did have money troubles as the coroner had
arrested some of his property but the game of cards
could be a case of folktale according to coach
drivers. Greeba Castle was at one time used as a
school but it is most famous for being the home of Hall
Caine the Victorian author. He had at one time been in
the office of an architect/builder in Liverpool and he
redesigned the internal layout of the property as well
as replacing the front door with a bay window, adding
an Italian style piazza and turning a whole room into
an entrance hall complete with bog oak beams and
fittings. (MNH/pic/835)
A
nother lantern slide given
to the library (which was
once dedicated to that
great Manx historian, A. W.
Moore) by Mr Craine in 1960. It
has the title ‘Saltworks Pump
House’. The location is the
Point of Ayre and the small
lighthouse which stands on the
beach is just visible on the
right hand edge. The Manx Salt
and Alkali Company Ltd was
formed in 1902 with a saltworks
in Ramsey and a pipeline which
brought the brine from an
underground lake near the Point
of Ayre. The saltworks were on
the site of the shipyard at
Ramsey. The buildings were
taken over by the Harbour
Board in 1956 and the two tall
chimneys which were a feature
of Ramsey for over 50 years
were demolished in 1957. Despite
the derelict state of this building
it is interesting to note smoke
coming out of the chimney.
(MNH/pic/3602)
13
A
case of early recycling for this view of the twin
cars of the inclined railing of Port Soderick
shows us what used to be the means of access to
the Falcon Cliff Hotel and the adjoining pavilion. The
complex was bought by the newly formed Palace and
Derby Castle company but was closed down to
concentrate business in those other two ventures. The
pavilion was taken down (sorry I don’t know what
happened to it) and the inclined railing which ran down
from the eastern corner of the hotel to a castellated
entrance between the hotels of Palace Terrace made its
way to Port Soderick. Here it provided a link between the
Southern Electric Railway and the refreshment rooms,
hotel and amusements at the promenade level. The white
painted wall on the left of the picture is still there today
and it helps to identify the location of the railway. The
advertisements are for the Victoria Cafe on the Victoria
Pier; McCutcheons the grocers of Strand Street and for
Clinch’s Ales. (MNH/pic/836)