[Taken from the Ramsey Courier 24 Jan 1930]

Ramsey over half a Century Ago

No III

WHAT PARLIAMENT STREET WAS LIKE.

[In this article, Mr Wm. Hardie Kneale details the various places of business in Parliament Street In the fifties, and recounts further interesting Incidents in the life of the town.]

Ramsey is built largely on what was part of the Ballastole estate, which at one time extended from the Leighany stream to Balure. The owners were the French Christians, and the area of the Christian Clan, I always understood, reached from Sky Hill to Port Mooar.

Parliament Street, on one side extended from Christian Street to the Market Place, and on the other side from where J. Clague and Son's premises now stand to the Court House. Coming down to the south side, there was first of all, Philip Teare's drapery shop, afterwards occupied by C. H. E. Cowle, of Ballahaue. As indicating the comparatively prosperous state the town, it is interesting to note that Mr Teare, in the space of thirteen years in business in Ramsey. was reported to have amassed a substantial fortune, and several other tradesmen in the town in those days retired in well-to-do circumstances. Mr Teare, by the way, had a private residence where the Prince of Wales Hotel is.

Next to his premises in Parliament Street came Daniel Goldsmith's grocery shop and dwelling house. and John Kneale. the "mealman." lived next door. This house was at one time occupied by one of the Ballastole Christians, and it was commonly accepted that the Duke of Atholl made a stay at this house during a visit to the Island, hence the name Athole Buildings given to the property when rebuilt later. The corner premises, now occupied by Mr J.J. Faragher, were those of the well-known M.H.K. for Ayre, Robert Teare merchant. The next block, which to-day is devoted to Messrs Norton's and King's establishments, then comprised three shops kept by Carr, the tinman, Martin Sprainger, baker, and Mrs Cowell, who had a sweet shop.

After Cannell's Lane came Abraham Gee's pot shop. the tailoring busines of George Quayle, and the premises where the "Courier" Office is now situate were built by John Christian, ironmonger, one of the Lewaigue family. Next, we had the grocery and pot shop of Mrs Sprainger, mother ot the noted "Tommy" Sprainger (this was afterwards the first branch of the I.O.M. Bank in Ramsey.) Then came Mr Daniel Joughin's shop and house. Mr Allan McWhannell's ironmongery business, a watch maker's shop, kept by Henry Myers, and the corner shop at that time was occupied by Mr W. Shimmin, draper, who later built the shop already referred to and now occupied by Norton's.

On the north side. the corner shop at Christian Street was kept by a man named Lace, who was also farming. Then followed Kewish, the tailor, a stoneyard carried on by Tom Clague, the joinery business of Corlett "the Smosher" and Robbie, "the Dusty." Mr Ned Kneale's daughter kept the sweet shop next door, then there was a small house belonging to Jackie Skinner and the grocery shop of Mrs Daniel Corlett just before the Gullit lane. Corlett "the Kittys" sweet shop came after that, a Mr Carran, who was a shoemaker, had another sweet shop adjoining, then the saddler's business run by Thos Mylchreest. the father of Mr T. H. P. Mylchreest. who became manager of Parr's Bank in the Island. The grocery, store and post office carried on by Mr Ed. Corlett, father of the late Mr Alf. Corlett, of Allen and Taubman, was on the site now occupied by Martins Bank, and after another shop, whose occupant I can't recall, came Daniel Sayle's well-known watchmaking establishment. The Plough Inn. a noted farmers' house, was kept by Mary Beattie, and next to it was the grocery business of Messrs Callow and Cowley, where the late Mr Robert Cowley, M.H.K. served his time. I am not sure who was in the premises where Mr Lindsay's shop is now, but across the way, where Mr Philip Boyde's premises stand, Messrs Cleator Bros, had their grocery business, with Dr. Stowell's pharmacy next door, then Miss Kneale's millinery shop and dwelling house, and Mr Lavery's (tailor).

The licensee at the Crown Inn was John Teare, who afterwards built Oatlands Andreas. Then came Joseph Curphey's(baker) on the site now occupied by John Kermode Ltd., and the next shop was kept by Mr Quayle, the blind draper, who left the money to build the Alms' houses in Albert Street and Quayle's Hall. Leech the printer, with whom incidentally Alex. Curphey, in later years Maritime correspondent of the "Ramsey Courier," served his time, had the adjoining shop, and after the lane came the drapery business of Messrs Corkill and Kneale (my father.) Next came Cannel, the shoemaker. John Carran, druggist, and the ironmongery business of Mr Ellis, whose eldest son became assistant manager of the Bank of Mona in Douglas. Mr Brown, the ships-chandler, had his business on the site where the present Isle of Man Bank has been built, but the entrance then was from the Quay. Armstrong's (shoemaker) premises followed, and then the Mitre Hotel, belonging, at that time, to Col. Bourne, from whom Bourne Place takes its name, the licensee being Mrs Pilkington one of whose daughters married George Heron, of Douglas, the other becoming an actress, playing under the name of May Douglas. Mrs Pilkington's son. Henry, became a doctor. practising across the water. George Holmes, father of Mr J. W. Holmes was employed with Mrs Pilkington at the Mitre at that time. Deemster Drinkwater married the daughter of Col Bourne, and afterwards came into the Mitre property.

After the Mitre came the painter'shop and house of James Corlett, a grocer's shop kept by Allan Radcliffe from Andreas, afterwards occupied by Edward Taubman, chemist. In the next premises, now Wattleworth's Cafe, lived Mr Summers, chemist, whose son Mr Hardy Summers, afterwards ran a newspaper in Ramsey and later went to Birmingham. Morrison's (shoemaker) followed, and then came the famous old Saddle Inn carried on by Mrs Henderson, with a large smithy at the back, also run by the Hendersons. John Wade's (butcher) shop came next, James Callow's (watchmaker), and John Corkill's grocery shop. On the opposite side of Market Hill was the butcher's business of Billie Sayle, grandfather of the late Philip Corlett, Town Crier. Higgins' drapery establishment, and then a man named Pearce kept a greengrocery businees. Next was called the Pigeon house, now occupied bj Conibears. A tradesman, known as Happy Jordan, who had a Ropewalk near Ramsey, had a crockery shop, adjoined by Corlett, the Ranter's pot shop, Taggart's bakery business, and Brew Ltd, in the same premises they occupy up to the present day. In Peel Street there was a grocer's shop,kept by Thomas Looney, Dumbell's Bank premises, and Dr. Clucas' surgery, and Mr J. R. Kerruish father of Mr H. C. Kerruish had built his grocery and provision business on the site now occupied by Pegrams Ltd.

The Market Place was a lively centre where butter eggs, poultry and young pigs were sold on Saturdays, and on Fair days in March and November the place was a scene of much activity. The National Day School was conducted in Church Street in those days, as it was for many years later.

The two hairdressers in the town had their shops in the Market Place. They were the famous "Professor" Kelly, "tonsorial artist, cranium manipulator, capillary abridger, and facial operator" (which description was actually set out on hs shop sign), and Cubbon the barber. Mr Cubbonn it was who met tbe Prince Consort when he landed at Ramsey in 1847.

Several well-known people lived in Albert Street in the fifties, and at a house kept by Miss Kee near Dumbell's Bank, there stayed on holiday the Misses Fricker. These sisters aftewards married famous poets, Coleridge and Southey, on the same day. I also remember Miss Kee producing from her china cupboard a cup and saucer which she said had been used in her house by the famous poisoner, Dr. Palmer, while on a visit to Ramsey. Palmer was an inveterate gambler, and in order i obtain mone with which to satisfy his passion, it is estimated that he murdered no fewer than twenty odd persons, including his wife, his mother-in-law, and a brother. He was publicly executed in the sixties.