Rumours abounded that one of the main actors in the collapse of Dumbell's bank was an illegitimate son of G.W. obviously His will also left a parcel of the Common Stock of the bank into a secret trust, and this remained in place after the family had disposed of all their other shares. I think the trust was still in being when the Bank collapsed, but as the stock was only 40% paid, the trustees would have to find cash to meet the call which the Liquidators made of £3 on every £5 share. I do not have my notes to hand but the holding may have been 750 shares. For those interested, the house which GWD built for himself is currently on the market, and a search on a well-known search engine under Belmont, for sale, and and Douglas IOM would probably turn uo the illustrated brochure.

Researchers into the illegitimate descendants of public figures in the IOM have the benefit of being able to read the novels of Sir Hall Caine, many of which seem to centre on the fraught relationships between upwardly mobile young Manxmen and their mistresses. Babies did not usually appear.