Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received
The Editor
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© F.Coakley , 2026
[from A.M Harrision's Descriptive List of Insular Societies]
The Isle of Man Examiner of 12 October 1895 in an editorial column entitled 'The Advent of Socialism' welcomed its first appearance on the Island with a kind, but irreverent analysis of the meeting and the members, but went on to cover the activities of the Labour groups in full, seriously and fairly as they developed over the years. Policy was faithfully reported, also the human side of the society as in the report of the last meeting of the winter session, held in their club room in Duke Street, Douglas, in the Isle of Man Examiner of 9 May 1896.
'After exhaustive reports and elections of officers tne party sat down to supper 'to partake of the good things which the committee of management, and Mrs. Crookall and her attendants thought good and digestible. I noticed and partook of the 'Bounder' his decanter. Thanks to the beverage committee for providing us with this change of menu. After a merry chat and a cigar, Mr. Owen opened the evening's entertainment with a piano solo, in one of his best styles, and Comrade White kindly officiated at the door during the evening. While the company indulged and made each other comfortable with readings, songs, recitations, tin whistle solos and speechifying, time wore on and it was nearly twelve o'clock when the entertainment closed with "Auld Lang Syne'.
' Socialism was a vogue subject. Editorial comment in the Isle of Man Examiner of 2 November 1895 said 'Socialism is, as the saying goes, in the air. Take up the syllabuses of debating and mutual improvement classes and you will always find this subject on the list.. The Socialist party had its own regular debating society and the Douglas Progressive Debating Society, founded 1890 and later, the Dilettanti society, founded in 1909 were both always ready to debate on aspects of a topical political philosophy.Papers on socialism were often printed in full, as that read at the Debating Societies conference at Peel reported on 3 April 1897.
The Society's report to the Debating Society presented by its secretary, W.S. Weigh, throws light on both the work of the party and the expectations of its members.
'In presenting the report of this society, I have to state that the actual number of members is 35. Of course under one half of this only are in the habit of attending the meetings. (There are no opponents.) The number of Socialists, however, is ever on the increase, even in this Island of ours, which is, so to speak, cut off from the rest of the busy world. As regards our winter's work, I fear this conference will regard it to be very little, but, who can tell how far-reaching our work has been?. In November it was decided to issue a series of letters or short essays upon subjects of vital interest to working men. The series consisted of papers as follows:-
1). Employer's Liability;
2). Free Breakfast Table and Death Duties;
3). Manhood suffrage;
4). Reduction of expenses in civil administration and payment of members;
5). Taxation of Land values;
6). Old Age Pensions;
About 15,000 of these leaflets have been distributed and I think we may with confidence state that they were very well received, and caused great interest. In support of this statement, I might call your attention to the late election, when some of measures dealt with in the leaflets were made test questions to the candidates for the House of Keys. We ended last season by a treat to poor children. Meetings have been held weekly during the winter, and have been enjoyed by the members.Following the plan adopted last year, letters have been sent to almost every minister - Church and Dissenter alike - in the Isle of Man, asking them to preach a labour sermon on the first Sunday in May next. In all 42 letters have been sent, but I regret to say that up to the present only three replies have been received. In two of the replies, the ministers intimate their intention of preaching labour sermons as requested.
A Clarion cycling club has been formed, which will be the means of keeping the members in touch with each other during the coming summer months'.
Later that year, on Monday, November 1, Tom Mann, the radical trade unionist, brought over by the Socialist Society, addressed a public meeting at the Gymnasium. Greeted with much enthusiasm and press interest, he was a great success.
'Tom Mann has been, and gone, and conquered. His address was a perfect treat, full of fire and eloquence. He fairly electrified the audience, and carried his hearers with him.'
The stimulus of his visit also prompted replies to the lecture by his opponents. The Rev. C. Shaw of the Methodist New Connexion, Derby Road, anxious to reply publicly to the lectures, was said to have been 'guaranteed against loss by a number of leading commercial gentlemen in Douglas, many of whom attended Mr. Mann's lecture, and feel disturbed at the hearty approval that the lecturer's utterances evoked, so far as the workers present were concerned.' The coverage is full and chronicles every change in the development of political socialism in Man, fortunately giving some hope that the main developments may be extracted from them, in a small way helping to compensate for the very regrettable loss of Manx Labour Party records, destroyed in the 1970's.
By the 1900s the organisation had renamed itself. Now tne Independent Labour Party, branch meetings were held regularly in Douglas, Ramsey, and the South. The secretary, still Stephen Weigh, reported on mid-year party and Douglas branch meeting in the Isle of Man Examiner of 16 October 1909
'Independent Labour Party the half-yearly meeting, and the first winter branch meeting, of the Independent Labour party was held on Wednesday at the Gymnasium, the new headquarters of the branch. The election of officers and committee for the ensuing half-year took place, after which the coming municipal elections were discussed,resulting in a definite line of action in conjunction with the Trades and Labour Council being decided on. The meeting then stood adjourned until Wednesday next, when it is hoped there will be a record attendance of old and new members, the business being very important'.
The important business of the moment was the great political struggle of the 1900's , the fight for old age pensions. The Isle of Man Examiner of 16 January 1909 recorded the proceedings of a public meeting in Douglas organised by the Douglas Branch of the Independent Labour Party again pressing the issue of Old Age Pensions, this time supported by Mrs. Sylvia Clark, sister of Mrs. Emmeline Pankhurst, Women's Suffrage workers of Manx descent. The important business of the agreement of the party with the Trades and Labour Council was a joint public meeting on behalf of the campaign for Old Age pensions, held at the Wellington Hall in Douglas and reported in the Isle of Man Examiner of 11 December 1909 as an 'enthusiastic meeting well-attended' with 'several ladies present' who 'seemed to be greatly interested in the proceedings', and 'slashing attacks on the Governor and Members of the House of Keys'. Mr J.D. Fell. the President of the Douglas Trades and Labour Council offered the radical and traditionally unwelcome remedy: 'that England was miles ahead of the Isle of Man in social legislation, and our Governmant was out of the trend of the times. It might be a bold thing for him to say, and no doubt he would court disfavour, but in his opinion no great social and industrial improvements would ever be made on this Island unless they were annexed to England.'
Old age pensions, funded from the revenue of the newly-introduced Income Tax, were first paid on the Isle of Man in 1920. The doctrines of socialism were being faithfully and constantly put before the people. Unfortuately the members of first the Socialist Society and then the re-organised Independent Labour Party, though they worked hard on labour issues, were better equipped to set out their doctrine than achieve significant power for the implementation of serious reforms.
In 1909 Stephen Weigh, a stalwart of Manx socialism became secretary of the Liberal Association, itself a development of the Liberal league which arose from the Manx Reform party's victory in the 1909 North Douglas election of the House of Keys. He held the post until 1911, when he left the Island permanently for Australia. Like a few other Manx socialist and liberal politicians who joined him he no doubt found the attraction of a party that had achieved reform successes nationally at Westmnster and was likely soon to help the Island, compelling. A nucleus of the party survived for future development.
Isle of Man newspapers, especially Isle of Man Examiner, ut supra et passim
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Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received
The Editor |
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