A New History of the Isle of Man Volume 5 the Modern Period 1830–1999
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A NEW HISTORY OFTHEISLEOFMAN Volume 5 The Modern Period 1830–1999 Forthcoming volumes: Vol 1 Evolution of the natural landscape Vol 2 Prehistory Vol 3 Medieval period, 1000–1405 Vol 4 Derby and Atholl periods, 1405–1830 Isle of Man, after R. Creighton, from Samuel Lewis, Topographical Dictionary of England, c. 1845 A New History of the Isle of Man Volume 5 The Modern Period 1830–1999 Edited by JOHN BELCHEM Liverpool University Press First published 2000 by LIVERPOOL UNIVERSITY PRESS Liverpool L69 7ZU # 2000 Liverpool University Press The right of John Belchem to be indentified as the editor of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988 All rights reserved No part of this volume may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior written permission of the publishers British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A British Library CIP record is available ISBN 0-85323-716-6 (hardback) ISBN 0-85323-726-3 (paperback) Design and production: Janet Allan Typeset in 11/12.5pt Monotype Sabon by Wilmaset Ltd, Birkenhead Printed by Henry Ling Ltd, Dorchester Contents List of Illustrations vii Acknowledgements ix Notes on Contributors xi Abbreviations xiii Introduction john belchem 1 The Onset of Modernity, 1830–80 john belchem 18 Constitutional Development and Public Policy, 1900–79 david kermode 94 Tynwald Transformed, 1980–96 alistair ramsay 185 Economic History, 1830–1996 derek winterbottom 207 Labour History robert fyson 279 Cultural History 311 Introduction john belchem 311 The Manx Language r.l. thomson 312 The Use of Englishes jennifer kewley draskau 316 Nineteenth-century Literature in English Relating to the Isle of Man ulla corkill 323 Literature in English since 1900 martin faragher 331 The Media robert kelly 337 Folklore stephen harrison and yvonne cresswell 343 Religion in the Nineteenth Century ann harrison 357 Architecture, Photography and Sculpture martin faragher 364 Painting susan moroney 376 Dramatic Entertainment martin faragher 378 Music fenella bazin 383 Associational Culture ann harrison 393 Local Events fenella bazin 406 Sport fenella bazin 409 Motor-Cycle Road Racing martin faragher 410 Statistical Appendix john beckerson 417 Index 437 List of Illustrations Isle of Man, c. 1845 ii A. W. Moore xiv The Laxey Strike, 1907 8 Celebrating the relief of Mafeking in Douglas 10 Celtic Congress, 1921 13 Col. John Ready 26 Tynwald Fair, 1857 39 Peel fisherman digging for Lugworm at Douglas 47 Address to Dr John Bowring, 1849 48 Sir Henry Loch and family 73 Tourists arriving at Douglas, early twentieth century 83 Close of poll, 1867 86 The Villa Marina 92 The House of Keys in session 96 Members of the Legislature, 1886 101 Port Skillion, Douglas, in 1893 105 Port Erin breakwater under construction 107 Advertising the Island 109 H.E. Sir Montagu Butler at the Tynwald Ceremony 139 The proclamation of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II 157 The Market Place, Douglas 209 Laxey Wheel and village 211 Snaefell mines 215 The Douglas Lifeboat 217 Facilities for German prisoners-of-war, Cunningham’s camp 238 ‘More jam please!’ 246 Mechanising agriculture 250 viii A New History of the Isle of Man: Volume 5 Shipping a car for the Gordon Bennett races 252 Andreas Church before the Second World War 257 HMS St George marching in Douglas, 1942 259 Carnival night at the ‘Palais de Danse’ 261 Exporting milk to Liverpool 263 Laxey Glen Flour Mills on fire 265 Splitting scallop shells, Peel, 1997 273 Political unrest – the fishermen’s protest 290 The first Labour representatives in the Keys 293 ‘Gold on Cushags’ 321 Hall Caine’s Eternal City at the Gaiety 328 T.E. Brown’s ‘Tom Baines’ 332 Epitaph to Sophia Morrison 335 A Manx wedding 350 Spreading rushes for Tynwald day 354 Interpreting the Island’s artistic past: clock and bowl by Archibald Knox 368 Interpreting the Island’s past: The Vikings by Amanda Barton 374 Filming The Bondsman, c.1928 381 The Peel Players 383 Recording the Island’s music 389 Mylecharaine ‘The Manx national song’ 391 The 1906 meeting of the Andreas Benevolent Society 397 A Sunday School Anniversary 408 Preparing for the Gordon Bennett races 411 Motor-cycle races, 1913 412 The start of the first cycle-races (‘The push-bike TT’), 1937 415 Acknowledgements There is not space to thank all those who have helped with the production of this collective enterprise. Special mention should be accorded to Roger Sims and his ever helpful staff at the Manx National Heritage Library; to Shirley O’Hea and Muriel McVaney for their keyboard and other skills; to a range of experts for their advice and encouragement, including Vivien Allen, Peter Clamp, Frank Cowin, Peter Edge, Peter Farrant, John Sharpe and Sir David Wilson. Thanks are due to many other people and organisations for their invaluable assistance in this Centre for Manx Studies project. Particular thanks should be extended to the Isle of Man Government for generous financial help including funding for replacement teaching during 1997– 98, which enabled the editor to concentrate on research and writing this volume. Manx National Heritage and the Manx Heritage Foundation also gave significant financial support, and Manx Airlines and the Sefton Hotel, Douglas, helped by reducing travel and accommodation costs. Finally, two of the contributors deserve special thanks: Ann Harrison, the first (and definitive) point of reference on many issues, and Fenella Bazin, the illustrations editor and main point of contact with the Centre for Manx Studies. Notes on Contributors Dr Fenella Bazin has published widely on music of the Isle of Man. A classically trained musician from a Manx family with a long tradition of music-making, her current research interests include West Gallery anthems, popular social music and the continuing Manx enthusiasm for hymn-writing. John Beckerson, an economic and social historian with research interests in the history of government-sponsored tourist promotion, is currently compiling an oral and documentary history of the Manx boarding-house trade. Professor John Belchem is Head of the School of History at the University of Liverpool. He has published extensively on popular politics and radicalism; research interests now focus on Liverpool, Celtic identities and the Irish Sea region. Ulla Corkill graduated from Stockholm University and has lived on the Isle of Man since 1972. Her specialised interest in nineteenth-century Manx literature developed out of extensive research on Hall Caine, the ‘Manx novelist’. Yvonne Cresswell has been Curator of Social History at Manx National Heritage since 1987, and is currently researching for a thesis on Manx folklore. Martin Faragher trained as a primary school teacher and eventually became a lecturer in Education Studies. During a long absence from his native Isle of Man he developed an active interest in its history and culture, and continues it on his return there. Robert Fyson, former Senior Lecturer in History at Staffordshire University, now researches, writes and occasionally lectures on Manx and Staffordshire history. Ann Harrison was formerly the Archivist in charge of Manx National Archives and subsequently the first Public Records Officer for her native Isle of Man. Stephen Harrison is the Director of Manx National Heritage, the award-winning multi-disciplinary statutory agency responsible for xii A New History of the Isle of Man: Volume 5 heritage preservation and interpretation in the Isle of Man. He is an Honorary Fellow of the University of Liverpool, and a Fellow of the Museums Association of Great Britain, and of the Society of Antiquaries of London and Scotland. Robert Kelly was a journalist for 36 years, during which time he was editor of the Isle of Man Examiner, Isle of Man Times, Manx Star and numerous other Manx publications. He now writes on diverse aspects of Manx history and heritage. Professor David Kermode is Professor Emeritus in Political Studies in the School of Social Science, Liverpool John Moores University. He is currently working on a book on Manx constitutional and political development in the twentieth century. Dr Jennifer Kewley Draskau is ‘ethnic Manx’ and is currently researching Manx English. Having taught for twenty years at the Universities of Copenhagen and Aarhus, she is an Honorary Senior Research Fellow in the Department of English Language and Literature, University of Liverpool. Susan Moroney, a former secretary and RAF officer, is now undertaking postgraduate research at the University of Liverpool on twentieth-century Manx art. Alistair Ramsay worked as a political and business journalist for Manx newspapers from 1980 to 1997. Robert Thomson retired to the Isle of Man from the post of Reader in Celtic at the University of Leeds. A student of the Manx language for the best part of sixty years, he has lectured and written about it whenever opportunity has arisen. Derek Winterbottom was Head of History at Clifton College before moving to the Isle of Man in 1994. His specialist works include a biography of the Manx poet T.E. Brown and a study of the Island’s Governors since 1765. Abbreviations CCD Chief Constable’s Diaries Examiner Isle of Man Examiner HO Home Office JMM Journal of the Manx Museum MNHL Manx National Heritage Library PP Parliamentary Proceedings PRO Public Record Office Proceedings Proceedings of the Isle of Man Natural History and Archaeological Society SRO Scottish Record Office WU Record Workers’ Union Record A.W. Moore (1853–1898) Arthur Moore was descended from two long- established and eminent Manx families, the Moores of Cronkbourne and the Christians of Milntown. After Rugby and Trinity College, Cambridge, he returned to the Island to work in the family linen factory, combining this with his passion for Manx history.