Inns of Old Castletown

extracted from articles in Proc IoM Natural History & Antiquarian Society : vol v #4 p411/ 435 & vol VI # 1

Inns in Castletown

The ancient capital has three old inns which are still to be seen; in addition to several which have vanished. They are the George, Union and Castle Arms.

When the GEORGE first opened its doors I have been unable to discover, but there are several references to it in the Manks Mercury during 1793. From the ‘Swarbrick’ MSS. (in the Manx Museum) we learn that in 1815 the host was one Downes, ‘an elderly Englishman and a true John Bull’ , who had been a sergeant in the Manchester Regiment, but ‘having retired from the din of arms appeared to enjoy Otium cum Dignitate.’ In 1820 he died, but the business was carried on by his widow, for whom the Duke of Atholl, who owned the house, rebuilt it in 1823. There is a local tradition that the original building was the one which afterwards served as a barracks, and later still as the offices of the Town Commissioners. I can find no grounds for this belief, however, and think it much more likely that the new hotel —the one we now see — stands on the same ground as did its predecessor.

The UNION, which stands at the end of Arbory Street, a few paces from the George, has been there for at least a hundred years but probably not for much more, as it does not appear on a plan of the town dated 1833, which shows a brewery on the site. An advertisement issued in 1853 describes it as ‘immediately contiguous to the beach where there is the finest sea bathing in the world. ‘ The owner, Mrs. Eyre, obviously did not believe in understating her case.

The CASTLE ARMS — called by some of its facetious patrons the ‘Gluepot’ was known as the Castle in 1853, and before that as the Queen’s Arms, under which name it is mentioned in 1845. Amongst inns which no longer exist were : —

Caledonian, Market Place.	Manchester, Mill Road.
Hope and Anchor, Hope St.	Crown Arms, Quay.
Black Cock, Arbory St.	Highland Laddie, Quay.
Traveller’s Rest, Malew St.	Liverpool Arms, Bridge St.
Forester’s Rest,	Ellan Vannin Arms.
Wheatsheaf,	Commercial, Bridge St.
Globe,

Castletown also had a Coffee House, for the Receiver’s accounts for the 8th March, 1698, have an entry which reads ‘Paid towards a Coffy House sign to be set up in Castletown 5 /-‘ though why the Lord’s treasurer should be making a payment of this nature is difficult to understand. Nevertheless, as the first coffee house to be opened in England is said to have been at Oxford in 1650, and the first in London not before 1659, the Manx capital was obviously early in the fashion.

Notes (Castletown)

The BLACK COCK was at No. 3 Arbory Street, next door to the Union. At some date between 1852 and 1883 its name was changed to the MONA, but during the first world war it ceased to be licensed, and is now Ye Old Mona Cafe.

The COMMERCIAL was probably 'the Dwelling House on the Douglas road at the entrance of Castletown, formerly occupied as an Inn' which was advertised as being 'to let' in 1822 (17.12.1822, D.). In 1826 it is mentioned as being in Bridge Street (K.), and in 1853 (M.) to be 'the first inn to be met with on entering the town from Douglas.' An old resident has said that c. 1860 it was known as the Rock, and that it stood on the seaward side of the sharp corner which ends Bridge Street, and had a yard behind and stables and cow-sheds in front.

The CROWN ARMS was on the Quay, at the corner of Quay Lane, where that little street joins it, and on the left-hand side as you look up the Lane with your back to the harbour. It is now a private house, having ceased to be an inn sometime before the 1914-18 war.

The DUCK'S NEST does not quite come within the date limits taken for this paper, but is yet of considerable antiquity, going back to at least 1876. The name is said to be derived from the Mr. C. R. Duck who built the original wooden erection which housed it (F.L.S.).

DUGGAN'S INN, which seems never to have had a name, is mentioned by Feltham in 1797 as being one of the three principal inns of the town. When advertised as being 'to let' in 1815 (13.5.1815, B.) it was described as 'The Dwelling-house commonly known as John Duggan's Inn, near the Chapel, with a garden well stocked with fruit trees adjoining.' It was probably one of the houses on the Parade, but whether it was still an inn, or had by that time reverted to its original role a private house is not clear, though the latter would appear to be the case.

The ELLAN VANNIN ARMS was on the Quay, probably in the house flanked by the Police Station on one side and a long, white building-which an old photograph in the Manx Museum shows to have been the Steam Packet Company office - on the other. This house, now a private residence called 'Ellen Vannin,' fits the description of the inn as given in an advertisement in Jefferson's Directory for 1859 which refers to it as 'next door to the Steam Packet office, Quay, Castletown.'

The FORESTER'S REST, said to be in Malew Street in 1852, is shown as being in Queen Street in 1857 (H.).

The GEORGE. When Downes died, at the age of 76, in October 1820 he was said to have been landlord of the George 'for upwards of forty years' so it must have been in existence from at least c. 1780. After his death the old building was pulled down, and replaced by a new one which opened in July 1821. During the demolition long hidden evidence of some old crime or tragedy came to light when the skeleton of an infant was found behind the wainscoting of one of the rooms. When the new building was opened Mrs. Downes-who had take her husband's place when he died -handed the business over to Mr. T. Kneen, and under him and his successors the George continues to this day to serve as the centre of social life in the old Capital. For a short period during 1853 to 1855, while W. Ockerby was the landlord, the George seems to have been called the LANCASHIRE AND YORKSHIRE. Its appearance was altered about the year 1880, when the present more modern type of windows were built. [Note by FPC - some confusion may have occurred as this newly rebuilt George (to the design of Thomas Brine was then sold to form the Barracks (later the Commisioners Offices and now Mannanan House). A new George was erected a little further down the Parade to the design of John Welch that is mentioned in the Manx Advertiser 13 April 1834 when T Kneen adverises that he has just removed to the new building. It is this building that contines as the hotel]

The NEW GEORGE. For a short period during 1812 and 1813 there would appear to have been an inn called the New George 'near the Bank, of which P. Johnson was the landlord. 'The Bank' was, presumably, the narrow little street, now known as Bank Street, which leads from the Bridge to Malew Street, and it seems strange that two inns of the same name should have been in existence at the same time within a few hundred yards of each other.

The PLOUGH was alongside the bridge (known as Maddrell's Bridge) over the Dumb river at the end of Malew Street, just where it joins the modern by-pass road. The house, probably a crofter's cottage, which bore the name, had ceased to be an inn sometime about 1880, and had been given to St. Mary's Church to provide funds for the assistance of poor widows. It has recently been sold, and is now a private dwelling.

The ROYAL OAK, although it seems to have been an inn for but a few years, was in a house with a long history. This house (No. 2 Parliament Square) though partly hidden by the old meeting-place of the Keys-now the Westminster Bank-is easily recognised by the five red sandstone steps which lead up to its very solid and dignified front door. A competent judge considers it probable that it was built in the early or middle years of the eighteenth century; and it was said (by the late Mr. Wm. Cubbon, of the Manx Museum) to have been the residence of Robert Kelly, who was High Bailiff of Castletown from 1808 to 1825. Though mentioned as an inn in 1843 it appears to have reverted to private ownership very soon afterwards-perhaps the need for an hotel in that locality ceased when the Keys, who met so near by, migrated to Douglas in 1869.

Recently restored and modernised internally, its carved wooden staircase sweeps gracefully upwards, giving access to large and highceilinged rooms which, furnished with taste and elegance, provide the greatest possible contrast to the unadorned exterior which the house presents to the little square in which it stands. From inside, looking through its front windows, one sees only the grim old Castle: but through the rear ones are visible the interesting little harbour; the green, white-capped waves rolling by outside, and the sunlight painting glorious patterns on Langness. With its deep cellars and rambling attics-which doubtless housed an ample staff-it must, either as house or inn, have been a pleasant place in which to reside.

The UNION. Behind this house, just off the Parade, may still be seen the extensive range of stabling which once belonged to it. It gives a vivid impression of the business which must have centred on an inn of this class. The present building was badly damaged by fire in 1885, when the wall above the front door was destroyed (F.L.S.).

The WHEATSHEAF cannot now be identified with certainty, but it was probably the inn in Malew Street now known as the VICTORIA (or, unofficially, as Spion Kop).