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The Editor
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© F.Coakley , 2026
[from A.M Harrision's Descriptive List of Insular Societies]
The Mona's Herald of 22 June 1859 published the following notice.
'At a public meeting held at the Wellington Hall, in the town of Douglas, on the 17th instant, John Senhouse Goldie Taubman, Esq., of the Nunnery in the chair, it was unanimously resolved that immediate steps would be taken to make certain required improvements in the Town and Neighbourhood, to provide Suitable Amusements for the visitors and Rational Recreation for the people.
The following were then appointed a committee to carry out the foregoing resolution: John Senhouse Goldie Taubman, Esq.,Samuel Harris, Esq., Captain George Goldie, Mr. James G. Gelling , Mr. Charles Cleator, Mr. Robert Heron, Mr. Robert Fargher, Mr. James Quirk, Mr. George Curphey'.
A detailed list of amenities already organised, an impressive programme of public amusements arranged, both in Douglas and across the Island,.and a full account of the proceedings of the public meeting which set up the new association followed. in brief the new committee's sole object was to make Douglas attractive, both to visitors and townspeople and to this end it would canvas the town for subscriptions, when it was expected that all classes would liberally respond.
The public meeting went deeper into the question. First by including the improvement of sanitary conditions in the town and second by Harris' clear statement of the background of the new initiative.
'He had many a time had the honor of advocating measures which were of essential benefit to the town, but never before had he taken part in a movement which was likely to be the nucleus of more prosperity to the town than on the present occasion. It must be apparent to everybody that in England and other places every attempt was made to make watering places attractive to strangers, while we were descending in the scale of affording to visitors what they had the right to expect...... We had plenty of good water and pure air, but not withstanding this, we had hitherto done all in our power even to tamper with these blessings; our once beautiful bathing shore had been stripped of its sand, and the abominable state of parts of the town was such as to render the atmosphere unfit to breathe in'.
John Senhouse Goldie Taubman and High Bailiff Harris were a formidable combination in action - Harris an occasional developer with entrepreneurial ability and Goldie Taubman a philanthropist of broad sympathies and a great benefactor to the town of Douglas. This initiative, which came with well-developed plans for action and a most intelligent understanding of the contemporary tourist market and the potential of the Island for appropriate and thoughtful development, must have been a seminal force in the coming successes of both Douglas and the Island, and the activities of the Douglas Town Commissioners, even though the committee does not appear to have stayed formally in place for very long.
M.N.H.L.. Isle of Man newspapers, ut supra et passim
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Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received
The Editor |
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