[From 1906 Examiner Annual]
MR. John Thomas Faragher, J.P., Mayor of Douglas, though not a native of Douglas, has for so long been resident in the town that he may be regarded as a Douglas man. He was born at Foxdale, and after engaging in agriculture and mining, he came to Douglas about 30 years ago, and in course of time began business as a dealer in seeds and agricultural produce and implements. He also became an auctioneer, and in all these lines his probity and ability steadily brought him to the front. He was elected as a Town Commissioner in 1890, and he has either as a Commissioner, a Town Councillor, or Alderman, faithfully served Douglas ever since. He served the office of Deputy-Mayor in 1902, and in November, 1905, he was unanimously called upon to take the Mayoral chair. He is a Wesleyan Methodist, and for many years has been a local preacher. With the Friendly Society movement he is in great sympathy. he being both a Rechabite and an Oddfellow.
THE Sixth of September, 1905,will be memorable to many Douglas people as the date upon which the inauguration of the new reservoir at Injebreck was celebrated. In connection with the event a short history of the Douglas water supply was prepared at the instance of the Water Committee of the Douglas Corporation. It appears that the first step for providing an efficient water supply was made in 1833, when a public company was formed, authorised by Act of Tynwald, for the purpose. The company’s first reservoir was at Summer Hill, and in a short time a second was made at Ballacain, Onchan. The growth of the town presently led the company to construct the Clypse reservoir, and as an auxiliary a useful pumping station was established at Groudle.
SITE OF BALDWIN RESERVOIR BEFORE WORKS
COMMENCED.
In 1890, the whole of the water undertaking was purchased by the Town Commissioners, the price paid being £144,000. At this time there was a pressing necessity that still more storage accommodation should be provided, and the Commissioners decided upon building a reservoir at Kerrowdhoo, which was completed in 1893.
The next advance took definite shape in 1897, when the Town Council adopted the West Baldwin Reservoir Scheme. In 1899 the actual work began. to plans prepared by Messrs. G. H. Hill & Sons, and with Mr. F. Thorpe as manager.
SURFACE VIEW OF TRENCH.
A trench, 10 feet wide, was sunk across the valley on the centre line of the Embankment to an average depth of 50 feet below the surface. The trench was filled with clay puddle, and this was carried up to a level of five feet above the overflow of the Reservoir.
The new reservoir is situate about seven miles from Douglas. The line of 12-inch pipes connecting the water with the supply system of the town is five miles in length. The drainage area in connection with the reservoir is 1685 acres, and as practically all of the land is uncultivated moor and mountain, it follows that the purity of the supply coming from such a source is beyond all question. Very picturesque is the valley which has been dammed for the purpose of constructing the reservoir, and the beauty of the scene has been much enhanced by the provision of such a magnificent sheet of water.
THE RESERVOIR VIEWED FROM INJEBRECK END.
The landscape is now very reminiscent of the Lake District of England, and the reservoir, in addition to securing a never-failing supply of the indispensable fluid, has added considerably to the attractiveness of the Island from a tourist's point of view. Its capacity being about 300,000,000 gallons, it is considered that the reservoir will meet the needs of Douglas for all time. The cost has been about £90,000.
The height of the reservoir embankment is about 71 feet above the river, and the length about 300 yards.
THE EMBANKMENT, SHOWING THE VALVE SHAFT.
The Valve Shaft, built upon the line of the tunnel, contains the valves and arrangements for controlling the water taken from the Reservoir. The water can be withdrawn at three different levels, viz. : 15 feet below top water, 40 feet below the same point, and from the bottom. Ladders and stages are provided in the shaft to give access to the valves. -
MR. Andrew Caley is one of the best known gentlemen in Douglas His father for many years was a merchant in the town, and carried on a large and successful business in Lord-street. Mr Caley succeeded his father in the business, and after a few years of commercial life he disposed of the concern. Mr. Caley has for a long time past been actively connected with the municipal government of Douglas. He was first elected a Town Commissioner in 1887, and he almost continuously was a member of the Board up to the incorporation of the Borough in 1896. In that year he was, after a memorable contest. elected as one of the Councillors for No. 3 Ward — now Hill’s Ward. At the expiry of his term he was again elected, and on the whole Council vacating office in 1904, upon the occasion of the readjustment of the Wards, he had the honour of being returned unopposed, Hill’s Ward being singular in the fact that there was no contest. During his public service in connection with the Council, he has occupied the chair of important Committees, viz., the Sanitary, Stores, and the Water. He was chairman for two years during construction of the West Baldwin Reservoir, in which work he took great interest, and rendered good service. Mr. Caley holds the position of Inspector under the Fisheries Board of the Isle of Man. He is a prominent Wesleyan Methodist.
THOUGH now a resident of Ramsey, Mr. Joseph Hall, J.P., had for many years his abode in Douglas, and during those years he rendered the people of Douglas signal service. He was elected a Town Commissioner about seventeen years ago, and served continuously up to 1896. In that year Douglas was incorporated, and Mr. Hall after being elected a Councillor for No. 6 Ward—now Athol Ward— was advanced to the position of Alderman, which he retained up to his retirement from the Council. From 1899 to 1900 he served the office of Deputy-Mayor, and in 1900-1 he was Mayor. He took a prominent part in the negotiations which resulted in the purchase of the water undertaking by the town, and in this connection the public have never yet fully realised that the hands of the Town Board were so forced by the Tynwald Court that the town was virtually compelled to pay a much larger price for the concern than the Board conceived to be fair. Mr. Hall also took a great interest in the scheme of Town Improvement, and in the Drainage Scheme, as well as in the West Baldwin Water Scheme. He also was one of the prime movers in the splendid extension of Douglas Promenade. Than Mr Hall no member of the Town Council was more respected or carried more weight. Before coming to live in Douglas he was in business in Bradford. (died 1909)
THE past season has been marked by the opening of steamer services from Heysham to the Isle of Man and to the North of Ireland. The owners of the vessels are the Midland Railway Co. The sea passage of 65 miles between Heysham and Douglas averaged under three hours. The " Manxman" has been under the command of Capt. W. Hill, formerly of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Co.’s service. The sailings are very convenient for people from the populous towns of Yorkshire, and have been well patronised, while it is thought that the future holds great things in store for the Isle of Man from this quarter. Heysham affords landing accommodation at all states of the tide, with a quay length of 3,000 feet, and the railway trains arrive at and depart from alongside the steamers. Messrs. Jas. Little & Co., of Barrow, who for very many years have been connected with the Barrow service to the Island (now also under the ownership of the Midland Railway), are the managers for the Midland Co.’s steamers, and have their local office in Parade Street.
NEW TURBINE STEAMER "MANXMAN.’
Mr Joseph Qualtrough is a native of Port St. Mary. He was returned to the House of Keys nearly nine years ago, and has continuously represented the Sheading of Rushen. His services to the House and to the Island have been recognised, he having served on most of the boards and committees for which members are eligible. He is the principal partner in the firm of Qualtrough & Co., timber merchants, Castletown. He resides in the town, and holds the positions of Town Commissioner, member of the School Board, and member of the Poor Law Guardians. Mr. Qualtrough is well known as an advocate of total abstinence, and as a local preacher of the Wesleyan Methodist Church.
[I can't see the Manx connection - no Tipper in 1881 census and no mention of any in story]
THE Veterinary Chemical business of Tippers, of Birmingham, has a world-wide reputation. Mr Lawrence Clarke Tipper is the present head of this noted firm. His past life, covering half-a-century, has been a strenuous one As a student at the Royal Veterinary College, London, he took a foremost position and honours ; subsequently being appointed Privy Council Inspector during the prevalence of the rinderpest in England. On joining the business in Birmingham, Mr Tipper interested himself in the leading agricultural associations of the country. A Conservative in politics, he has for many years held and ably advocated Fair Trade views. He is a County Councillor of Worcestershire, and Lord of the Manors of Kington and Dormstone, and patron of the churches in those two pretty Worcestershire villages.
MR J. H. Kelly was born in the parish of German on the 21st April, 1843. He comes of old Manx yeoman stock, his family being the Kellys of Ballacurry. In 1850 Mr. Kelly went to reside in Laxey, where he received the elements of a sound English education. After spending two years as a pupil teacher, Mr Kelly entered the service of the Great Laxey Mining Company, and held an appointment in the office at the mines. In 1877 he came to Douglas, where he secured a situation in connection with the Douglas Gas Light Company, which he still retains. Mr Kelly is one of the best known Oddfellows in the Island. In 1866 he joined the North Star Lodge in Laxey, and still retains his membership. After serving all the elective offices in the lodge, he was in 1876 appointed Provincial Deputy Grand Master of the Island, and in the following year he became Provincial Grand Master. For ten years he has been one of the Manx delegates to the A.M.C. An ardent bibliophile, Mr. Kelly possesses a very fine library which includes many rare and old editions.
THESE well-equipped schools, built in 1889, have places for 830 children. The girls’ department is under the charge of Mrs. Rogers, while Miss A. M. Goldsmith is principal of the infants’ department.
MR. Jno. Hall, Headmaster of Hanover Street Boys’ School, has been in the service of the Douglas School Board over 16 years. Previous to coming to Douglas Mr. Hall was an assistant under the Fleetwood Board, and in the Queen Street School, Bolton, in which School his apprenticeship was served.
THESE schools have a history, they having been opened in the year 1810, and for over eighty years they were associated with St. George’s Church. They were taken over by the School Board in June, 1895. Miss M. Cannell is chief of the girls’ department.
Mr F. P.Bunting is a native of Plymouth. He has done good service under the Douglas School Board since June, 1895, while he has occupied the post of headmaster of the Boys’ School, Athol Street (then S. George’s School) from February, 1892.
M R. Albert Edward Lamothe, of Peel, is the great-grandson of Dominique Lamothe, who was surgeon aboard the French man-of-war the "St. Lawrence," in 1760, and seventh son of F. I. D. Lamothe, Advocate, of Ramsey (see personal note in " Examiner " of December 16th, 1905). Mr. Lamothe is one of the oldest practitioners at the Manx Bar, of which he became a member in 1871. He holds several official positions:
He is clerk of the Peel Magistrates’ Court, and Revising Advocate and ‘Returning Officer for House of Keys elections in the Peel district.— He gained prizes for poems at King William’s College on the " Marriage of the Prince of Wales " (now King Edward VII.) and the union between England and Denmark, and his "Coronation Ode" possessed considerable merit. He has lately brought out "Manx Yarns " which has been well received. Mr. Lamothe is a good raconteur of funny stories and titbits of folk-lore which are so dear to all who love the Isle of Man.
THE parish of Lonan occupies 9,423 acres, including the mountains of Slieu Lhean, Mullaghouyr, and Honus. The population at the last census was 2,514, showing a decrease of 456 in a decade. Fifty years ago the population was 2,607. The rateable value of Lonan in 1905 is given as £9,275 exclusive of Laxey Village District, which is returned at £5,013
LONAN PARISH CHURCH
The parish church is of the Early English style of architecture, and as built in 1834, during the incumbency of the Rev. Joseph Qualtrough. The Contractor was Mr. John James Moore, proprietor of the estate of Baljean, in this parish. The church will seat 500. The living is in the gift of the Crown, and is at present held by the Rev. John Quine, M.A., the talented author of " The Captain of the Parish."
Not far from the church, the Lonan Old Chapel is situate—a building in which John Wesley is said to have preached. It is, however, in a dilapidated state, and a new place of worship is about to be opened by Wesleyan Methodists to take its place.
THESE schools were erected in 1894 for the education of the children of the Roman Catholic denomination They have accommodation for 500, and are managed in connection with the Convent, Finch-road. The head teachers are Miss M. Walmsley (mixed school) and Miss Lavety (infants).
THE Very Rev. Dean Crookall came to Douglas in 1902.
He is recognised as a faithful preacher and worker in his position as principal priest of St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, Buck’s-road It may be mentioned that the Dean is a strong advocate of total abstinence.
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