[From Home Office File HO 98/66 ]

Lt Gov Smelt to John King dated Castletown 25 July 1805

Sir

I beg you will have the goodness to inform Lord Hawkesbury that the repairs of the Government House in Castle Rushen were begun upon immediately after my arrival at Castletown a month ago, and will I hope, be completed in the course of six weeks from this date, for a sum not exceeding the £350 which he was pleased to allow me to draw on the treasury for, on that account.

There not being an article of furniture in the house, nor a possibility of buying any on the island, I am under the necessity of requesting leave to go to England for the month, which will be sufficient for all the business I have to do, and also to prepare my family for accompanying me to this island at my return. I shall therefore be much obliged to you to obtain for me the Secretary of State's permission for that purpose, and I have the honor &c

C. Smelt

Notes

Manks Advertiser, Saturday, November 3, 1804

TO be SOLD, by Auction, at Castletown, on Wednesday the 7th Day of November, Inst. All the Household Goods, Furniture, and Effects; the Property of the Honourable ALEXANDER SHAW, Lieutenant Governor of this Isle; consisting of Beds, Bedding, Drawing-Room and Parlour Furniture, China and Delf Ware, Bed-Room Furniture, an Electrifying Machine, a great Variety of Books, (a Catalogue of which may be seen by Application to Colonel CUNNINGHAM); Kitchen and Back-Kitchen Furniture, Carts, Ploughs, Harrows, and other Farming Utensils; an elegant Post Chaise and Harness; a Pair of handsome Carriage Horses, (Bays, with Black Manes and Tails) ; Two Black Farming Horses; with a Variety of other small Articles.

The Sale to begin at 11 o'Clock, and to continue from Day to Day, until the Whole of the Goods will be sold.
Conditions to be declared at the Beginning of the Sale.
The Goods may be seen in the mean Time, by Application to JOHN BRIDESON of the said Town.
N. B The Horses, and also the Post Chaise, to be put up the First Day of the Auction.

The electrifying machine was something of a fad in late 18th century, being an electric shock generator based on electrostatic charge generation by friction and charge storage - used to 'treat' every sort of disease, though it is unclear with what results (possibly being the least harmful of 18th Century medical interventions). This, together with a large library - a great pity the catalogue was not included in the newspaper - and the carriage horses indicates some wealth in the family.

The farm horses and other agricultural implements indicate some serious husbandry - before the Revestment the Governor had use of the Redgap lands at a nominal rent, possibly they continued though the preRevestment Governor's house became the George Inn.

In a letter from Smelt on his return to the Island he notes that there is no garden for his use as the Duke has altered its use.