Hello Bob - We have a legend in our family that one of our forebears was Custodian of Peel Castle in the time of the visit to the Isle of Man in 1903 of King Edward VII. The King visited the Castle and had an open air luncheon there. I have doubts about our family connection in this and suspect that maybe there is confusion with another relative, probably named Boyde, who was Custodian of Castle Rushen in the Island.

Our William Boyde was born in 1839 and died in 1927, aged 88. Your William Cashen’s dates are 1838 – 1912 and he would have been about 74 when he died. The two birth dates are similar. Do you know if your William Cashen was at Peel Castle in 1903?

I ask because I have a coloured picture postcard of the custodian of Peel Castle, no name given, but reckoned to be from about 1905. I remember seeing a booklet, reprinted from a Manx newspaper report of the King’s visit in 1903, with a photograph of William Cashin, Custodian of the castle during the visit.

Would you be good enough to contact me directly by e-mail at john-caine@iofman.com and we could delve deeper.

John Caine