[Taken from the Ramsey Courier 21 Feb 1930]

[For those with the CD-ROM reference to the 1868 plan of South Ramsey recommended]

Ramsey in the Fifties

No VII

Reverting for a moment to my description of the South Promenade last week, I should have mentioned that in those days there was a wooden landing stage running out to the sea , opposite Auckland House. When the steamers arrived in the Bay at low water on the spring tides, the small boats used for the purpose of conveying the passengers ashore could not get to the landing stage, and passengers were landed in carts, or by the even more primitive method of being carried by men on their backs. I remember a laughable incident in which a well-known local lady figured. She was biggish of build and voluble of speech, and was being carried ashore on the back of one of the men regularly engaged in this work, when he stumbled, and the lady promptly fell into the sea. She was very irate, and expressed her indignation in forcible language, to the amusement of all who witnessed the incident. Her temper was not improved later by the appearance in a Douglas newspaper of an article written by a correspondent styling himself "Jeremiah-Go-Lightly," in which he made great capital of the lady's misfortune. Mrs "Betty" Macauley, to whom I referred last week, was a remarkable woman. When over 70 years of age she walked from Ramsey to Douglas and back. On her return, she added some miles to the journey by making a detour to Agneash, where she dropped in to have a cup of tea with a friend, afterwards continuing her walk home. She did the whole distance on foot and within the space of twelve or thirteen hours.

The only approach into Ramsey from the south before Cardle Road (later Waterloo Road) was made was by Maughold Street to the Old Cross, which in earlier days still was the Market place of the town. The only buildings on the roadway, now Ballure Road, were Cotterman's (pronounced Crosherman's) farmyard and cottage (the cottage still stands adjoining Mr J C Brew's property). and a house occupied by Mr Surplice, whose daughter married Mr John Christian, proprietor of the estate of Ballure. Sometime before this, I understand, it was a licensed house. In later years it was the residence of Mr W D Roose. After an open space, there were about six cottages, and then to Mrs Thomas Cannell's house, referred to last week. Opposite Washington Villas and Beach House was Starkey's Cronk, now called Stanley Mount, and the only building thereon was the ruins of the residence of Lieut Monk, R.N., the first of the well known Monk family, to live in Ramsey. Behind that was a noted cottage called "Sebastapool". Coming into Maughold Street, among those having houses on the west side were Ned Looney's family, a Mrs Kinnish, John Looney builder (the father of Mr J. C. Looney, afterwards bank manager) and at the corner of Maughold Street and Waterloo Lane lived Robert Lavery, plumber, the father of Bob and Edwin Lavery. On the opposite corner "Yock" Corkill lived. He was watchman on the North Pier when it was being built, and he kept a boat moored opposite the Packet Office. A pathetic incident happened one morning when going down the steps to his boat, he descried a man's body. On recovering it he found it to be that of his own son. After several cottages belonging to "Christian, Tommy Neddy," and a yard and stables occupied by John Wade, butcher, there were some further houses, among the occupants of which were "Andy" Skillon and John Edwards, and then came another stable kept by John Daugherty, who was engaged in carrying goods by cart between Douglas and Ramsey. He was the father of Mr Edward Daugherty, of Brookhill, Ramsey. The next property was owned by Mr Robert Garrett, Ballighennie, Bride, and that brings us into the Old Cross. On the opposite side at the top end were four or five thatched cottages, two of which were occupied by Mrs Carlyle, and Pitts, the coal factor. Then there was the back of Gill's house and John Criggal's and a lane through to the beach. The next place was a cottage facing the street, later occupied for many years by John Christian, Ballawanton. After two or three further houses came "Ivy Castle", in which the Kaighens lived, then followed the yard of Auckland House, and another lane. The Mansion House, occupied by the three Miss Christians, of Ballure, was next, and there were several other houses between that and the corner premises kept by Mrs Quiggin as a crockery shop. Then in the Old Cross, as stated before, was the residence of the LaMothes. Opposite was the cottage of Bobby Stowell, the painter, a well known man in the town, and over on the other side was the gateway entrance to Lough House. There being no Approach Road in those days. Opposite Lough House was the old Court House, which at the time I was acquainted with it, was Mr Richard Mark's school. The approach from the Old Cross to Peel Street was by way of College Street, which thoroughfare, of course, existed long before Church Street was built.