[from Manx Museum MS 09699]

Letter from Captain Thomas Middlemore - 1766

Background

This autograph is held by the Manx Musem with no public provenance - the Author would appear to be an Engineer with the Board of Ordnance who was expecting to have to visit the Island within a few months of the Revestment and the transfer of the Military Establishments from the Duke of Atholl to the English Crown.

Text

Carlisle Sepr the 18th 1766

Sir
Altho’ I have not yet got any Orders from the Board of Ordnance I thought it my Duty to go over to the Isle of Man to visit the Barracks.

I set out from hence & went on board the Packett the the 26th of August last & by way of Jaunt of Pleasure took my wife along with me - had a very bad passage and in the utmost Danger of being lost we fell in with the land at 12 o’Clock at Night without being able to see it. & a Squall of Wind took away our Masts Bowspritt Sails Rigging & close by the Deck. - but luckily we found ourselves within Ramsay Bay. Anchored all night & went ashore in the Morning.

The Town of Ramsay a very poor place except abt 7 houses belonging to the once Eminent Merchts who have & the rest are leaving the Island. There are no Barracks here one Company is Quarterd here.

We Went the next Day to Peal[sic Peel] another Sea Port. — a very Poor Town, here are the Remains of a very large Castle built by the Danes. - The History of it I could not by any means get at.— Another Company are Quarterd here. No Barracks.

The Country between Ramsay and this Place is the Garden of the Island & really as good Land as I would wish to see, at present pretty well Cultivated & capable by proper Industry to Turn out to good Acct - from here we cross'd the Island to Douglas Town. - formerly the seat of Trade but at present Dull & unprofitable as the Revolution (as they call it) has put a Stop to all Trade wtever.

The Town is well Situated but very ill built. There are a few good Houses placed here & there & as it were by accident. The neighbouring ones being very bad. There are Three Companys Quarterd here. No Barracks.

The Roads excessively bad & mountainous - & a very poor Country resembling the worst parts of the Islands of Scotland. I mean from Peal to Douglas, the Breadth of the Island, abt 14 Miles - from hence I went to Castle Town, the Residence of the Governour & where all Courts of Law &c are kept. — but the poorest ill built Disagreable Town in the Island - a bad Harbour & Dangerous Bay. - The Castle (called Ruthen) is very large & surrounded with a very high Wall in the form of a Hexagon with a Parapet, the Castle quite Entire.

Within these Walls are Barracks (lately built) for four Companys but so contrived as not to admit the Sun the whole Year thro’ & so coverd by the Walls and the Castle in the Centre that they are in perpetual Smoke. & very Damp. - in the Fosse are built Stabling for Two Troop of Horse. There's likewise an apology for a Glacis. but formerly it has been a Castle of Great Strength & consequence. - it stood a pretty long Seige in the Countess of Derby's Time, by Fairfax. - at last given up by the Treachery of her Governour who she hanged soon after — the Officers Barracks are the rooms the Countess lived in.

There's a good Turnpike Road from Douglas to Castle Town. the country very good and well Improved - The length of the Island is about 30 miles.

The poorer sort of the Inhabitants are really in a Deplorable state and were it not for the Herrings, which they get in great Quantity they would absolutely starve.

All kind of Liquors are Cheap. I bought very good Claret at 1s per Bottle. French white wine at 8d per Bottle - There are Three Brewerys at Douglas but only one now in Business. —

I am afraid Sir I’m tireing you, shall I therefore conclude with observing to you that for want of Barracks in Douglas Peal and Ramsey that the Government is at the annual expenses of near 600£ in providing lodging for the Troops, as they pay to every Col, Captn 5s-6d per week. Subalterns 3s 6d — Sergts Corpls 1s - a private 6d for lodging, should the Governt think Necessary to continue a Regimt in the Island. in my Humble opinion it would be Cheaper to purchase Houses of the Merchts in the aforenam'd towns (& who are all leaving the Island consequently would be glad to sell them at a very low price) than build them from the Ground.

We got safe home yesterday. I'll beg you'll be kind enough to present my respectful compliments to Lord Granby who I wish all joy on his late Prefermt. I beg likewise you'll acquaint his Lordship that I have been in this Island. - I hope Mrs Thoroton & your Family are well. — at present nothing is settled in respect to me - Mr Griffith the contractor has the sole care of the Barracks. & has appointed a Deputy - I am Sir
Your Obliged and Obedt
Hu Servt
Tho Middlemore

Notes

A Captain Dawson was ordered to the Island in 1765, post Revestment, to plan a suitable Barracks for the troops that had been sent over for the dual purpose of preventing the importation of the now illicit goods that were not allowed under the laws of England, Scotland and Ireland but which had be allowed under Manx Law and the running of these goods onto the coasts of the three kingdoms; the other reason for sending so many troops was to quell any possible popular disquiet. These troops arrived on 28th of June, being equipped with camping equipment and according to reports camped near Douglas as this was thought central enough for any use.

Two companies of Light Dragoons under Col John Hales together with the 2nd (Queen's Royal) Regiment arrived - both having been sent from Ireland - the cavalry regiment was returned to Ireland by March 1766 as unsuited to the purpose leaving it seems the 9 companies of the Foot regiment - 9 companies being the standard arrangement for Irish Regiments - though some drafts from this regiment had been sent to Scotland..

A Captain Richard Dawson is noted in Daniel Mylrea's Account of the Revenue for 1765 [Athol Papers AX 52-4] as he passed his bills on the Board of Ordnance to the Duke of Atholl so the latter was paid in London and Capt Richard Dawson received the money from the Duke's officers in Castletown - these were for £250 dated 1st November 1765 and £50 on 10th April 1766. It was presumably Dawson's barracks that were visited

The nine companies of the Regiment were distributed between the 4 towns of the Island. There is a note in the Treasury documents [T 1/433/356] dated 15th November 1764 that Irish Foot Regiments were to be normalised to the same size vizt 9 Companies each of 2 Sergeants, 2 Corporals, 1 Drummer and 28 Privates beside the Commissioned Officers.

I suspect the contractor was Gabriel Griffith, brazier of Whitehaven, who had links with the Island and also it seems with the Customs Officials at Whitehaven - he was declared bankrupt 1767 and the administrators of his bankruptcy sold Bermhague to Richard Betham.

The comment that only one brewery was in operation shows the loss of trade from the report of 1764.