[From IoM Examiner Annual 1926]
The Douglas Town Council in September last elected Mr John Joseph Corlett to be an alderman of the borough, in succession to the late Mr David Gray. This was an appropriate recognition of 16 years' useful and unpretentious service. Mr Corlett had been chairman of the Library, Stables and Stores, Tramways, and Finance committees-every committee, indeed, of which he had been a member-and he filled the office of Deputy-Mayor in 1923-24. Alderman Corlett was born near Lonan Old Wesleyan Chapel, and came to Douglas on his thirteenth birthday to be apprenticed to the bakery trade. When in his twenty-second year he set up in business as a grocer, taking premises at the foot of Wesley-terrace. Later on he became also the occupier of the more commodious and conspicuous shop in Prospect-terrace, formerly the premises of the late Mr J. D. Kellett, and he has since extended, and built up a successful business. He is a staunch teetotaler, and has at various periods been actively identified with the cause of Good Templary. His father was for many years superintendent of the Sunday-school connected with the Lonan Wesleyan Chapel, and he himself became a pewholder in the Victoria-street Church practically as soon as he came into Douglas. He has held all the offices in the Wesleyan connexion which are open to laymen, and only recently completed term as circuit steward.
Mr William James Clarke is this year's Provincial Grand Master of the Isle of Man Distrikt of the Independent Order of Oddfellows (Manchester Unity). Mr Clarke is a native of Foxdale, but his parents came to Peel when he was an infant. He is a printer by trade, and after a number of years' experience across the water, he returned and set up business in Peel. He is the local honorary agent of the Shipwrecked Mariners' Society.
The phenomenal success of the "Cruinnaght " of competitions in Manx songs and recitations. Manx drawings and paintings, original essays in Mans literature and music, and so forth, which has taken place on two successive Hollantide Days, is due in no small measure to the principal organiser of the function, Mr J. E. Callister, secretary of the World Manx Association. Mr Callister is the son of Mr Edward Callister, M.L.C., and a native of Marown. He entered the service of the Isle of Man Banking Co. at its Douglas branch. and subsequently went to London to take an appointment with the great firm of Barclay's. In four years he returned as assistant manager in the newly-opened Douglas branch of the latter firm. While in London he had manifested his patriotism by immediately enrolling himself with the London Manx Society, of which organisation he became secretary, and later on, as already intimated, he became secretary of what may in some respects be considered the mother society. Previously he had given proofs of his organising capacity in social and religious activities in his native parish---notably the Marown Ploughing match and Sheep dog Trials. He is District Juvenile Secretary in the Independent Order of Rechabites.
Mr T. W. Cain, advocate, who for the past six years has served on the Douglas School Board, and subsequently on the Isle of Man education Authority, and who was re-elected to the latter body on November 23rd last, has added to his public activities by seeking and obtaining membership of the Douglas Town Council. Mr Cain is 50 years old, and is a son of the late Mr James Cain, builder, of Woodville-terrace, Douglas. He received his education under Mr George Green, of Douglas, and afterwards at King William's College. He was articled to the late Mr F. B. Fleming, and admitted to the Bar in 1899. He is an active Oddfellow, holding the rank of P. Prov. Grand Master, and he was for many years a most active worker, with his feet as well as with his tongue, in the Gymnasium Football Club. Latterly he has obtained some little prominence as an active member of the Douglas and Onchan Property Owners' Association. He is president (and a former captain) of the Sandsiders Rifle Club, and vice-president of the Douglas Allotments Association. He was a candidate for Douglas at the House of Keys election of 1924, and missed his goal by only 26 votes.
Mr Reginald Douglas Farrant, who was made Deemster in April last, had for many years been one of the leading members of the Manx Bar, and had been High-Bailiff of Douglas and Castletown since 1919. He is the youngest son of the late Mr William Farrant, of Ballamoar, Jurby, one of the most eloquent and lucid speakers who ever graced the Manx Legislature. Mr Farrant has always identified himself actively with numerous local philanthropic activities, notably the management of the House of Industry, of which institution he is chairman of committee, and the War Pensions Committee. His Honour has already taken some small part in legislative and administrative work, and is chairman of the committee just set up by Tynwald to inquire into the price of food.
Arising out of the appointment of Mr R. D. Farrant to be Deemster, as related on a previous page, Mr William Percy Cowley has become High-Bailiff of Ramsey and Peel. Mr Cowley is 38 years of age, and is a son of the late Mr Robert Cowley, H.K., a prominent Ramsey merchant. He was educated at the Ramsey Grammar School, and served his articles as am advocate with Mr F. M. LaMothe, now Deemster, by whom he was taken into partnership immediately upon his admission to the Bar in 1909. Upon the appointment of the present Attorney-General, in 1921, the firms of Ring and Moore, LaMothe and Cowley, and R. D. Farrant were amalgamated, and Mr Cowley took up residence and practice in Douglas, purchasing the fine mansion of Ballaughton, previously occupied by ex-Deemster Moore. He is universally regarded in legal and official circles as " the coming man," and everyone predicts for him the attainment of the highest possible public positions in his native country. Mr Cowley is a past Provincial Grand Master and a certificated auditor in the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows, and until recently he was auditor of the Andreas Benevolent Society. He was chairman of the committee which reported upon the questions of unemployment insurance in the Island, and of the compulsory insurance by employers against their liability for workmen's compensation, and he is chairman of the directors of the Manx National Health Insurance Society. He is an ex-chairman of the Ramsey Town Commissioners. During the Great War he held a commission in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, and served afloat on the staff of the Commander-in-Chief in the Mediterranean. It may be added that there is scarcely a man in the Island who possesses in an equal degree the gifts of personal popularity.
Few Manxmen are held in such universal repect not merely in the Isle of Man itself, but in all parts of the world where a few sons and daughters of EllanVannin gather together, as Mr John Leigh Goldie-Taubman, president of the W.M.A. From the inception of the World Manx Association, in 1911, he has toiled unsparingly in its interests, and thousands of ex-service men and their dependants have reason to be eternally grateful to him for his kindness to them -both for what he did and the way he did it. He is chairman of the Naval and Military Pensions Committee appointed by Tvnwald, and president of the Manx Legion. Mr Goldie-Taubman was for a few years a member of the Legislature; at a bye-election in June, 1919, he became a member of the House of Keys for South Douglas, and in 1921 he was nominated by the Lieut.-Governor to a vacant seat on the Legislative Council. He retired in October of last year. He is the senior Justice of the Peace in the Isle of Man, having been appointed 32, years ago, and he has been captain of the parish of Lonan since January 1923. He is chairman of the directors of the Isle of Man Banking Co, and a director of the Isle of Man Railway Co., and until a short time ago he was on the board of British Nigeria Limited. His uncle, the late Sir George Taubman-Goldie, who died as recently as August last, was virtually the founder of British Nigeria, and is admitted to have been a really great Empire-builder. As is generally known, Mr Taubman is a son of the late Sir John Senhouse Goldie-Taubman, Speaker, of the House of Keys frum 1867 to 1898. and brother-in-law of he present Lieut. Governor of the Isle of Man, Sir William Fry.
who was last July appointed superintendent of the Castletown Primitive Methodist circuit, is that rara avis, a Manx minister in charge of Manx congregations. He is a native of Port St Mary, and a, brother of Captain W. Elliott, harbour master, Port Erin. He entered the ministry 24 years ago, and has rendered highly appreciated service in the Liverpool First, Eston (Yorkshire), Eastwood (Nottinghamshire), Helmshore (Lancashire), and Burnley First circuits.
The gentleman whose portrait occupies this page will be best known to thousands of boys and girls in the Isle of Man as "Uncle Jack," conductor of the most excellent " Children's Corner " now appearing week by week in the " Isle of Man Examiner." Mr Joseph Edward Leece was born at Peel in 1861, and after serving as a pupil teacher and assistant master at the Clothworkers' School in that town, he underwent the recognised professional training at Chester College. He returned to his native island as headmaster of the Michael elementary school; he was at that time the youngest man in charge of any school in the Isle of Man. Seven years later he was appointed to the St. Thomas' Church of England School, Douglas, and he remained there for 33 years, retiring on pension in 1923. On his retirement, numerous testimonies were given of the esteem and warm affection which he had inspired among all with whom he came into contact.
Mr John James Qualtrough, bootmaker, of High-street, Port St. Mary, is one of the five gentlemen who were in June last placed on the Commission of the Peace. Mr Qualtrough has a very long and creditable record of public service; he has for many years been a member of the Port St. Mary Village Commissioners, of which body he was chairman for five consecutive years. He is a director of the Port St. Mary Public Hall Co., and many years ago was very closely identified with the activities of the Port St. Mary Fishing Supply Company. He is a Past Provincial Grand Master in the Independent Order of Oddfellows, and is permanent secretary of the Harbour of Peace (Rushen) branch of that Order. During the war he performed valuable service in the administration of military pensions, and he is a member of the permanent committee set up for that purpose by Tynwald. He has on several occasions served on the Isle of Man Advertising Board. He was a candidate in the House of Keys election in 1919, and his chances were much fancied, but he suffered a breakdown in health during the campaign.
The Rev. John Webster has been superintendent of the Douglas Wesleyan Methodist, circuit for three years, and last September entered upon a fourth. He has also been chaplain to the Mayor (Alderman A. B. Crookall, H.K.) since November, 1923, and a few, weeks ago he preached at the ceremonial attendance of the Mayor and Corporation at divine service, in a manner which has occasioned numerous expressions of the highest admiration. Mr Webster is, in fact, a preacher of exceptional ability; his arguments are excellently marshalled, and his phrases flow admirably. One prominent townsman has been heard to declare that one could not hope to find articles in the great religious periodicals which bettered the sermons preached on the same topics by Mr Webster. The rev. gentleman is a native of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, and commenced to preach at the age of seventeen. He went through a most creditable course at the Headingly Connexional Training College, Leeds, and his ministry has hitherto been spent in such busy centres as Glasgow, Edinburgh, Plymouth, Manchester, and Liverpool. Before coming to Douglas he completed five strenuous years in the Liverpool (Wesley) circuit, to which the famous Lodge Lane Church belongs, and was president of the largest F.S.A, brotherhood in the city.
One of the most moderate and yet most effective Labour leaders in the Isle of Man to-day is Mr Thomas Edward Gelling, Douglas and district secretary of the Shop Assistants' Union, whose portrait appears above. Mr Gelling was born at Glenroy, near Laxey, and is 45 years old. He came to Douglas when13 years old, to enter the service of the late. Mr T. J. Halsall, tailor and clothier, and he still remains in the employ of one of the deceased gentleman's successors,- Mr J. W. Dawson. The Shop Assistants' Union was set going in Douglas in 1918, under the secretaryship of Mr H. M. Emery, but Mr Gelling succeeded that gentleman within the first twelve months. In various negotiations with employers on the subject of wages and hours, he represented his Union with great, determination and skill, and was instrumental in obtaining for his fellows many solid advantages; and he also took a prominent part in the movement which led to the passing and the stabilising of the Shop Hours Act. Four years' ago Mr Gelling became president of the Douglas Trades and Labour Council, in succession to Mr James D. Fell, J.P., who had held that office for about 20 years.
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Mr Wiliam Herbert Chapman is- widely known not only in his adopted town of Douglas, but in most of the rural areas of the Island, partly hy reason of his business association with the Manx Farmers' Marts, and partly because of his ceaseless activities as an organiser of musical entertainments and of local Eisteddfod competitions. He is intensely musical; he has for 16 years been organist at the Salisbury-street Wesleyan Church, Douglas, and has, " supplied " at many other churches in town and country, and he has for the past five years been secretary of the Douglas Choral Union, which organisation he had previously served as stage manager, member of committee, and chorister. Mr Chapman was born in 1878 at Manchester, a son of Mr W. Chapman, an ex-president of the Manchester & Salford Butchers' Association, and one of the founders of the National Federation of Meat Traders. He took up his father's trade of butcher, and came to the Isle of Man in 1908, as manager of a branch shop in Castle Mona Avenue, Douglas, on behalf of Mr John Rooth. Eight years later he entered the service of John Kerruish & Son, accountants and agents, Douglas, whose activities include the proprietorship of the livestock marts at Ballasalla, St John's, and Douglas.
Mr Samuel Christian Hulme is this year's chairman of the Douglas Board of Guardians,
in the proceedings of which body he has for several years taken a prominent
part. Mr Hulme is a native of Leigh and came to the Isle of Man at the beginning
of 1912, as district superintendent for the Prudential Assurance Company. He
had previously represented that great business institution in Chorley, Accringon,
Farnworth, and Liverpool. He retired under the Company's pension scheme in December,
1922, having reached the age of 60. Mr Huhne has in his day devoted a vast amount
of energy to religious, temperance, and social work. During his 20 years' stay
in Liverpool he was a very constant speaker and zealous organiser for the Liverpool
District Temperance Union, he conducted a largely-attended Bible class. and
frequently addressed P.S.A. meetings, and he was an acceptable local preacher.
In the Isle of Man he is vice-president of the Manx Temperance Federation, and
a former chairman of its executive committee, and a frequent contributor upon
temperance topics to the local Press, religious and secular.
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Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received
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