HTML © F.Coakley , 2011
[From William Cooper's Castletown]
| Cooper's Text | Notes by Eva Wilson |
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| From now on I do not remember who lived in all the houses, but on the left [15 Malew Street] the shop now occupied by Mr. E. Moore is on the site of the house of the Miss Kitchens, Milliners and Dressmakers, It was pulled down and the present house erected by Mr. R. Qualtrough [who] went by the name Dick Nancy. It was built by my father when I was an apprentice about 1887. When Mr. Qualtrough retired it was taken over by a Mr. Thorburn who had been an assistant with him. |
H. & E. Cubbon fishmongers. Peveril house. This is one of the tallest houses in Castletown, three-storeyed with dormers. Built of red brick with yellow brick facings and a moulded frieze. The red brick would have come from Ruabon in North Wales. The yellow brick came from Flintshire, where it was taken as return ballast goods in the Island's ore trade with North Wales. In a different context Cooper names the architect, Daniel Cregeen, C. E., a Manxman and Chartered Engineer. Daniel Cregeen is said to have worked on the Panama Canal. The fishmongers closed down in 2005. |
| The next [17 Malew Street] was the shop of Mr. J. Rothwell, Confectioner, and in my time was kept by his daughter, Miss Rothwell. It is still owned by the family, Mr. Rothwell's great-grandson, Mr. W. Cubbon. |
"Bill the Barber". Together with nos. 19-21, this building, with its fine shop-front, is at present subject to planning applications for the development of the area through to 18-22 Arbory Street. Some excavations were carried out in 1991-1992. At 17 Malew Street, the rear part of the surviving building appears to consist of a seventeenth century structure, while the front part is a nineteenth century addition, bringing the building forward to the street frontage.21 It is likely that there have been changes in the original layout of the streets here involving the junction with Bank Street. |
| The next was the shop of Mr. John Taggart, grocer, and afterwards of his nephew, Mr. T. M. Dodd, and then by Mr. W. A. E. Pollock. It is now a fruiterers. The next was a baker's shop kept by Miss Cubbon. The family name was Cubbon Cut. I do not remember who came next but for a long time this house was occupied by Mr. George Corrin, gardener, who kept a greengrocery and crockery shop. It is now occupied by his son. |
19-21 Malew Street The former Sunflower Diner is now empty. Both businesses mentioned next by Cooper appear to have been where the Health Food Shop is now. Both were included in the large grocers', wine and spirit shop of T. M. Dodd. Behind the shops were a mineral water and bottling factory and storage areas, with outlets through arches to Arbory Street. Wilson, born in 1900 (see Queen Street), remembers: 'The shop was quite wide and large, on the right they dealt with provisions, bacon, butter, eggs and large cheeses and so on, on the left were general groceries. The staff were men, five or six of them, I remember they wore white coats down to their knees. In the middle of the shop was a rack with a display of fancy goods, such as chocolates and fancy ginger biscuits, things like that. The upper part of the office, where the lady clerk sat with her books - her name was Ada Sayle, was glassed in, with a window in it. Tom Dodd was the only grocer in the Island, as far as I know, who ever had a connecting system between the shop assistant on the floor, and the lady in the office, whereby the invoice and the money was put in a cup, a string was pulled which propelled the cup along a cable to the office.' Further back still was a factory for manufacturing lemonade and mineral water. T. M. Dodd died in 1912, see also Chronk-my-Chree, Arbory Road. |
| The next [23 Malew Street] I remember anything about is the one now occupied by Mr. Kinrade, grocer. It was occupied by Mr. Kennaugh, grandfather of Mr. Kennaugh Redgap. He kept horses and traps and stables and sheds for traps behind the house with entrance from Arbory St. The part behind the stables was converted into [a] storeroom by Mr. T. M. Dodd with [an] arch of dressed limestone for entrance. It is now a builder's store. |
Cooper's memory did not in fact fail him. This entry refers to the Pet Food Shop next door. Mr. Kinrade, grocer, is also remembered for his horse-drawn milk-float. |
| The next three were bought by Mr. R. Corlett so that he could enlarge the premises in Arbory St. I do not know much about them. The first was for a long time a crockery- ware shop kept by Miss M. Quayle until she retired. The next two went by the name of Big Steps as the floor was higher than the parapet and had steps up to it. The only tenant I remember in them was Mr. Dowling a man who, I understand, came to work at the Chicken Rock Lighthouse, married a Manx woman, and stayed here. He had a son, Robert, who went to school with me and later joined the Liverpool Police. |
25-29 Malew Street. These properties are now private dwellings; no. 29 divided into two units. See also R. Corlett, grocer, 24 and 28 Arbory Street. |
| The next [31 Malew Street] was the corn store, the date is on a stone at the front. The first I remember there was Mr. Thomas Sansbury and his brother-in-law, Mr. Robert Collister, and afterwards, for a short time, by Mr. Richard Kneen until he gave up and took over Mr. J. Clague's coalyard. It is now Mr. Holmes' bakehouse and store. |
Fortune Castle Restaurant. The stone plaque above the door has recently been painted over and is now very faint. It reads 'Saint John and Catherine 1714'. This refers to the Saint family who owned land both in Arbory Street and Malew Street. |
| The next [33 Malew Street] was a public house kept by a Mr. George Clarke, who went by the name of Foreign George. It was later altered and made into a dwelling house by Mr. John Taggart, grocer, and his widow lived in it until she died. It is called Mona House. |
Mona House. In 1990 the land at the rear became attached to the garden of Bagnio House, 32 Arbory Street. The old coach house was rebuilt - using the original stone - as Mona Cottage. |
| The next [35 Malew Street] was built by Mr. John Gelling, joiner, who had his workshop behind with entrance by a passage through the house. It is now occupied by his daughter and son-in-law, Mr. W. G. Watterson. |
The present owner has kindly allowed me access to the Deeds. They reveal that the house was sold by Public Auction in 1885 to cover John Gelling's debts. It was sold to Philip James Kegg, grocer. He was a batchelor and, when he died in 1919, the house was sold to Thomas Karren of Balthane, farmer. It is his daughter and son-in-law Cooper remembers `now occupying' the house. Cooper is not always right! |
| The next [37 Malew Street] was the house and shop of Mr. James Corrin, painter, who wore a top hat and went by the name of Belter. After his death it was kept by his widow and two sons, Richard and William, and then by William, who went by the name of Billa, to distinguish him from another William Corrin, painter. After he died it was carried on by his son, Stanley Bowman, who died two years ago. The next was a ruin which went by the name of Kinnishes'. |
Crichton House is now a fairly substantial house, of similar design to no. 37 and, like the previous two, now in private occupation. |
| Next [41 Malew Street] was the house and cowhouse of Mrs. Quayle. It was after made into a greengrocer's shop. Mr. George Quine did this and afterwards added the cowhouse to the shop. It is now occupied by his daughter. |
The Curtain Shop. |
| The Tennis Courts in my young days was the garden of Mr. John Martin. It was made into the Courts when I was very young and, when my sisters took me to the opening ceremony, they were told to take me home, as children were not admitted. The Officers of the Regiment stationed here at the time had a lot to do with the making of the Courts and the soldiers did most of the labouring work in connection with the levelling and laying out |
From here on there are now no more shops in Malew Street, all houses are in private occupation. |
| I do not remember much about the next house [49 Malew Street]. The first tenant I remember was Mr. John Cubbon, stonecutter, until he removed to Albert Terrace, The Crofts. The next [51 Malew Street] was a grocery shop occupied by Mr. Robert Boyd and is still a grocer's shop kept by a Mr. Evans. The next house [53 Malew Street] was occupied by a Mrs Willams and her niece Miss Florence Hausewell [Hardwell?]. The next [55 Malew Street] was the house of Mr. Charlie Clague who was Dr. Clague's coachman and went by the name of Charlie the Doctor. When Dr. Clague died he left him the house and the garden, now the Bowling Green, and he put up greenhouses and started as a market gardener. |
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| The next [57 Malew Street] was the shop of Mr. Wallace who had the garden in the Crofts, where the Bowling Green now is, and had a greengrocer's shop there. It was afterwards bought by Dr. Clague, who left the house to his nephew and nieces, his sister's children named Wood. The two Miss Wood were burnt in a fire, which started in the kitchen, and they were not found until a woman, who worked for them, called in the morning and got no answer. The brothers had died before and the family is now ended. |
The Bowling Green. The gardens mentioned here, were bought by the Castletown Commissioners in 1946 from the then owner, Edward Leaman. This was in order that it would remain an open space, and for a Bowling Green to be established here. The official opening took place in July 1950. It was decided that the Bowling Green was to be open on Sundays ...'not for play, but to allow those desirous to stroll around or sit in the very pleasant surroundings.' |
| The next was a baker's shop kept by a Mr. Clarke. It was afterwards a brawn and pickle shop and again a baker's shop kept by a Mr. W. Kelly for a number of years. It is now a radio repair shop. |
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| 59 Malew Street. The living quarters are on the left and the bake house, on the right, is still intact and extends into the yard at the back, with the bake oven still in place - and, says the owner, ready to use. There is also a small stable in the back yard. The horse, needed to make deliveries, would have had to be taken through the house to the street. Of the next two [61-63 Malew Street] I do not remember who lived in them. Mr. John Gelling Junior once told me that his father lived in it at the time of the great snow in 1895. The morning after the storm he had to get out through the bedroom window. Mr. R. Killey, stonecutter, lived in one. He was married to Mr. J. Cubbon, stonecutter's, daughter. After Mr. Cubbon's death he took over the works in Hope St. I do not remember who lived in the next [65 Malew Street] but it was repaired and done up some years ago by a Mr. Collister from Rushen. The next [67 Malew Street] was the house of Mr. Cannell, tailor, and his sons Sam and Fred. Sam was a tailor and kept on the business and Fred, who went by the name of Freddles, was an apprentice with Kermode, Sr., baker. House now occupied by Sam's son. |
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| The next was an old house occupied by several women, one of them had a broken nose and went by the name of Kitty Nosey. She died of suffocation; a piece of meat stuck in her throat. The old house was pulled down and the present house, built by Mr. Albert Corlett who lived in it until he died, and his widow then went and lived in the Crofts. |
69 Malew Street. In another context Cooper remembers Albert Corlett:...'he went by the name of Alby Crowe. He was undersized and deformed. There was a song going in my young days, the first verse was something like this: There are four boys in Castletown, Who to the College go, There's Preston, Quinney, Obediah, And little Alby Crowe.... The last line repeated many times.' It seems Albert Corlett did very well, he also built Albert Terrace, the Crofts, named after him. |
| [71 Malew Street] The first occupant I remember was John Quayle after he left being caretaker of the Town Hall. It was afterwards occupied by Mr. John Corlett, joiner, who put a shop window in it, and lived in it until he removed to Victoria Road It is now a private house occupied by Mr. Leece, baker. The next [73 Malew Street] was the shoe-shop of Mr. Peter Gell. He lived to a good age and was an active man on his feet. His daughter lived here until she moved to Arbory Road. The next, now pulled down to widen the corner, was occupied by John Kelly, mason, who went by the name of Kelly Heckles. The first house above the Crofts [77 Malew Street] was the home of the Cubbon family all my life until a few years ago and they sold it to a Mr. Gardner. The family went by the name of the Difties |
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| The next three houses [79-83 Malew Street] were owned by the Misses Qualtrough who were from the Little Mill, Kentraugh. I remember, when a lad, going to the first to have a couple of teeth pulled out by Mr. Home, dentist. It was then occupied by Mr. Austin, barber, and afterwards occupied by Mr. Robert Collister, who was a carter for Mr. T. M. Dodd. Afterwards for Mr. R. Corlett, grocer. Now occupied by one of his daughters. The Misses Qualtrough occupied one of the others themselves, but I cannot remember who occupied the other. The next [85 Malew Street] was occupied by Mr. John Tate, a general labourer. The next was a thatched cottage, now pulled down and a garage made on the site. 87 Malew Street. At some time the garage was replaced by the building now on this site. |
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| [There were] two cottages and a stable between [the] old cottage and Mrs. Gale's. The first tenant I remember in the first was Mr. (Ned) R? Quine, mason, until he removed to Arbory Street. The other, and stable, was occupied by Mr. E. Kewin, who kept a horse, and did carting work and delivered coal from the boats. He was rather fond of beer, but used to take spells of sobriety when he would talk about fools spending their money on beer, but the sober spells would not last long. The next was the house and building occupied by Mrs. Gale and her three daughters, who kept cows and took in boarders. This house and buildings are old and at one time, I think, would be a farmhouse and buildings. The next was occupied by Mr. Tom Hudgeon, gardener, from whom my father got some of his first apple trees. The next was Teddy Callow's stable and garden and the garden of Mrs Gale's house which here came to the street. Mr. Blackburn bought Mrs. Gale's place and pulled this part down and built garages. |
93-97 Malew Street, Hazelcroft. `Blackburn's Workshop' has been developed recently and divided into two units, 97 and 97 A. Further development, conversions and refurbishment on this side of Malew Street makes it difficult to relate the houses mentioned by Cooper to the buildings here today. |
| The next house was occupied by Teddy Callow's grandfather and afterwards by Teddy, who had an old horse called Prince and did general carting. He did carting for my father and, if you wanted his cart first thing in the morning, a lad would have to be sent over to knock him up. After the old horse died he became a general labourer. The next was occupied by Mr. Caley who kept donkeys and went round the country buying old iron etc. He was the father of Peg-Leg-Caley who went about waylaying people on the roads about forty years ago. I have heard my sister saying that, when he removed from Malew St to Arbory St., the youngest [child] was brought over asleep in one of Caley's donkey carts. That was before my time. The next two houses, one of which was occupied by Mr. Edward Hudson, father of Hudson, leather merchant, of Douglas; but I do not remember who occupied the other. The next two houses and shop were rebuilt in my time. The shop was a butcher's shop with slaughter-house at the back, but it did not last for long. The next was the house of John Cooil who was skipper of a nickey and in the winter time worked for Mr. Joseph Qualtrough mending nets. The house is now unoccupied and has been for some years. The first tenant I remember in the first [last?] house was Mr. Kelly, general factotum at the College, who went by the name of Kelly Polly, and also Kelly Button. It is now occupied by his daughter and husband. The next terrace is the start of the School Hill Estate. |
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21 Davey, P. J. et al, op. cit. p. 64.
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Any comments, errors or omissions
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Editor HTML © F.Coakley , 2011 |
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