Hi Sarah

My great aunt Clara was born 1883 in Foxdale but lived with her parents in and around the St John's area. Her father William Kinrade was a tailor and also the postman in St John's. How she came to run the Railway Hotel at Ballaugh I have no idea. My father told me in her time she was a very smart woman and going off dates I have found she married when she was 49 so she must have been a fairly independent woman. I can remember her from my childhood but by then she was in her early 70's and lived in Mill Street in Castletown. She is buried with her parents at Patrick. We tried to find the Railway Hotel on visits to the island but assume it has been pulled down as the only pub we could find in Ballaugh was the Raven.

I have a picture somewhere of Clara and if you let me have your email address I will forward it to you. It looks as if it was taken outside the pub so may be of some interest.

Unfortunately I don't live on the island but was born there and try to get back every few years for a visit - if I ever win the lottery I will be heading back for good.