(75) Bowring Mill

On the upper reach of the Groudle River - at the November 1879 meeting of the Douglas Waterworks Co it was reported that "your Directors are happy to inform the shareholders that they have accomplished a most desirable object, viz., the securing of the Bowring Mill, and rights to the water, which object they have had in view for the last twenty years, but were not able to secure on such terms as the Directors thought advantageous to the Company, but now that the Clypse reservoir is so far advanced as to require the laying of a main pipe to connect the said reservoir direct with the town, the securing of this property could be no longer delayed". The site was needed to run the pipe thus the mill was dismantled but the machinery found a new home at Laxey St George's mill.

George Forster (a publican from Leeds) purchased the house he occupied in Bigwell St in Douglas at a coroner's auction in January 1835 [SSS May 1835 38] - this was the Leeds Arms and noted in an 1863 advert as having been there for 30 years. In the 1841 census he is noted as inn keeper but by 1851 aged 44, at the same address 20 Bigwell St, described as Cloth Manufacturer, he was joined here by his 20 year old brother Francis. He had married Elizabeth Kewley at Braddan in November 1829 - no children to this marriage are known.

Forster bought three quarters of a small parcel of land from Robert Fell (Fayle on plan) by deed, SSS May 1845 #36, dated 26th March 1845 to include the buildings and machinery of the existing flax mill together with the dam and water rights - the other quarter was bought on the same day from Wm Taggart + wife [SSS May 1845 #78].

George and wife had moved to the Mill by 1861, he is by then employing 6 men & 1 lad - two households are noted with the second headed by father James noted as a 79 year old Woollen manfacturer, brother Francis is also there. There must also have been female employees as

Isle of Man Times, Saturday, 30 July 30, 1870

ACCIDENT A serious accident occurred to a woman named Margaret Cashen at the Bowring Mills, Onchan. Instead of closing the door which encloses the "devil" (a machine for "teazing" the wool with her hand, she attempted to do so with her elbow, which was caught, and her arm dragged in up to the shoulder, stopping the whole of the machinery. According to the Herald a very wonderful feat of surgery was performed, the arm being amputated above the shoulder joint; according to fact the amputation was made between the elbow and the shoulder. We understand the sufferer is doing well.

In 1862 he issued the following notice

GEORGE FORSTER, MANUFACTURER OF CLOTH,
Blankets, Flannel, etc

BOWRING MILL, ONCHAN. BEGS to apprise his Friends and the Public, that he has REMOVED from BANK HILL, Douglas, (his place of business for the last 20 years) to more commodious Premises, No. 3, ATHOLL-STREET, opposite St. James' Hall; and takes this opportunity of thanking those who have so far favoured him with their orders, and hopes to merit a continuance thereof.
All Goods guarranted Genuine Wool.
Wool received to Card and Manufacture as heretofore. May 17, 1862.

thus he would appear to have established some business based on wool prior to obtaining possession of the Mill, possibly like the pub he leased it prior to purchase.

Having bought the mill he would then appear to have settled his widowed father as cloth manufacturer at the mill (in 1851 census at Ballacain but next door to Robert Fell who sold the property in 1845), along with James was George's sister Ann and presumeably her, rather than James's 12 year old son James. Ann can be found with George in 1881 census, James senior's death, aged 89 is noted as being on 1st September 1870 at the Bowring Mills Onchan. Ann's death in 1884 is also reported as at the Mill in 1884 - her son James and his wife Elizabeth Arnold would also appear to have resided at the Mill in this period as the burials of two of their children (1867 & 1879) are reported as from there.

He died, aged 83 in Onchan in October 1888, his wife having predeceased hin in July 1888 - both buried at Onchan - the IoM Times carried the following notice

Isle of Man Times, Saturday, October 27, 1888
DEATH OF THE FOUNDER OF ODDFELLOWSHIP IN THE ISLAND. - On Wednesday, there died, at his residence, Bowring Cottage, Onchan, George Forster, aged 83, who was the founder of Oddfellowship in the Isle of Man. originally, a member of a Yorkshire Lodge, in 1835 he founded, in connection with the Manchester Unity, the Mona Lodge. He passed through the various positions of the Lodge, with credit, and at the time of his death was a P.O., and D.G.U. The funeral will take place on Monday, at eleven o'clock, in Onchan Churchyard, and it is expected that many members of the Order will attend to show their last token of respect to their departed brother.

This strong connection with Oddfellowship would explain the choice of name of the mill as Dr Bowring M.P. who had been a Parliamentary friend to the Island as well as a leading figure in the Oddfellows visited the Island in 1846.

[there is an account of this family on p35 of Sue King's book on Laxey Woollen Mill but it is difficult to reconcile her account with the available published sources]

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