Douglas

O Luxury ! whom Eastern kings revere,
Dost thou maintain a little empire here ?
Could not whole kingdoms thy desires allay,
But must poor simple Douglas be thy prey ?
Ah! see what desolation thou hast spread
Young Industry is sick and Virtue dead:
While Pride and Pomp so absolute are grown,
That friendless Modesty's kicked out of town.
John Stowell

These pages will include various topics connected with the Douglas, Isle of Man.

Douglas Householders 1730
Seats in Douglas Chapel, 1735; Unpaid assesssments: 1753 & 1761
Maps/Plans
- Taggart's Plan of Douglas, 1834 + street locator
- Map (ex Jefferson in Cannel's guide 1843)
- Sherwood's Plan 1849
- 1869 Plans - an illustrated tour of old Douglas is also available on CD Rom
- c.1912 Street Plan showing places of interest for tourists
Churches
Compostion Book
- 1760 copy of 1704 composition book
Habour + Lighthouse
- Lighthouse
- Harbour
Hotels
- Castle Mona
- Coffee Palace
- Fort Anne - demolished 1970's
- Metropole mansions - demolished 1998
- Sefton
- Villiers Hotel - demolished 1996/7
Public Buildings etc (please note not all completed any many more to be added)
- Bank of Mona Building (now part of Legislative buildings)
- Courthouse (Oddfellows' Hall)
- Douglas Head
  - Grand Union Camera Obscura
  - Port Skillion
- Falcon Cliff
- House of Industry 1834
- Iron Pier - removed 1892
- Jubilee Clock
- Noble's Hospital - later Manx Museum
- Nunnery
- Promenades
- Red Pier - demolished
- Regent Street Post Office
- Tower of Refuge 1832
- Town Hall
- Victoria Terminal - demolished 1961
- Victoria Tower
- Villa Marina later Kursaal
- Windsor Park
Dance Halls and Theatres
- Theatre Royal - demolished
- Gaiety
- Grand
- Derby Castle - demolished
- Palace - demolished
- Wellington Hall - demolished 1996
Mayors 1896-1950
Public Houses
Reminiscences & Descriptions
- Moore in the opening chapter of Nessy Heywood describes Douglas as it would appear in 1780's
- Hannah Bullock gives a description of Douglas c.1815.
- Thomas Callister's "Accurate Description..." of 1815
- Haining's Guide of 1822
- The first chapters of Hugh Stowell Brown give an excellent description of Douglas in 1830's
- Letter to Editor of Manx Liberal, 1836
- J.A.Brown "Douglas nearly 100 years ago" [1850's - useful on theatres and printing]
- Jenkinson's Guide, 1874.
- Browns 1894 Directory Historical Chapter pp39 et seq has excellent history of formation of Loch Promenade and Victoria Street.
- Old Douglas - accounts of the 1840's written 1896 - one series in the IoM Examiner followed by one in Mona's Herald - parts I, II, III
- J. Cowin Reminiscences of Notable Douglas Citizens etc, 1902
- A. W. Moore Douglas 100 Years Ago 1904
- Excursion around Old Douglas,1922
- Letters re Preaching House lane & Slips, 1932
- N Mathieson "Douglas" c.1961
- W. Gell's verse account of Duke Street might amuse.
Street Names
Trade Directories
- Pigot 1823
- Quiggin's Guide of 1836 (+1839/41, 1848 & 1852)
- Pigot 1837
- Cannell's Guide 1843 (probably dates from c.1841)
- Pigot & Slater 1843
- Slater 1846
- Slater 1852
- Slater 1857
- Thwaites 1863
- Brown's 1881
- Smith's 1883
- Porter's 1889
- Brown's 1893
Views

References and articles

G.N.Kniveton et al Douglas Centenary 1896-1996 Manx Experience (ISBN 1-873120-21-4) 1996
S. Slack Streets of Douglas - Old and New Manx Experience (ISBN 1-873120-27-3) 1997
Mike Clague The Magic Isle self published by author 2015; Chapter 9 covers the various places for theatrical + other performances in the 19th C.

The IoM Victorian Society has many newsletter articles dealing with Douglas.


[Towns]

Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor © F.Coakley , 2001