Desperately Seeking Thomas, by Valerie Cottle

In memory of Thomas aged 11years and 3 months and James 1 year and 10 months, sons of Thomas and Mary Cubbin, they were drowned in each other’s arms in the surf on the coast of Madagascar, on the 26^th March1868, after enduring very great privation and sufferings 11 days in a small open boat, through the foundering of the ship Serica, after an awful hurricane in the Indian Sea.  “Teach me to live that I may dread the grave as little as my bed.”

Thus reads the plaque in Braddan Old Church that aroused the author, Valerie Cottle, to research the background and details of what turned out to be a fascinating journey for her as well as readers of her outstanding book, Thomas Cubbin, Master Mariner and the Wreck of the Serica.

Valerie’s talk was absorbing, combining as it did, a remarkable tale and the research methods that gradually and patiently unfolded the facts. Clearly, despite her familiarity with this absorbing tale, she was still moved by the human story she had uncovered.

Apparently, Thomas Cubbin had written an account of the disaster but MNH couldn’t find their copy. Valerie then discovered a reprint on the Internet, three years ago and bought it. The title is something like, Wreck of the Senica, the Wonderful Adventures of a Manxman. This, of course, was a wonderful primary source.

Thomas and Mary with a rather motley crew sailed from Birkenhead in December 1867 together with two of their children, leaving the rest behind on the Island, we know not with whom. They were 12, 4 and 3 years old!

 The ship had been built in Canada and sailed with a cargo of timber, all for sale. Thomas owned this ship and was a qualified master. She hit one of the worst hurricanes in recorded history. Captain and crew took to a small boat to head for the nearest shore, Mauritius but wind and tide were against them and they sailed to Madagascar. The boat capsized in giant breakers with the loss of their children. However, they’d had another baby before returning to Rose Hill, Braddan!

One young man of the crew was of interest. He had sailed on Brunel’s Great Eastern laying the first trans-Atlantic cable. Some other members of the crew sounded less than ideal.

Merchant Navy records were accessed, as was the Public Records Office in Kew. Apparently, as well as providing several forms of identity, you have to read the regulations and then score 100% on a test before being admitted! Even then, Valerie found that 70% of the records she needed had been transferred to a specialist department in the University of Newfoundland. They came up trumps and pieces of the jigsaw fell into place.

This book makes a fine Christmas present but read it yourself, first!

The Christmas Party is 7.30pm, 11^th December at Peel Golf Club. Excellent dinner plus entertainment. Tickets from Corrie Wooding, 843502. Ring now. All welcome!

Jinny the Witch…….Hampton Creer

There was an excellent audience in the Methodist Chapel, including a goodly number of ‘new faces’. This is always cheering in a heritage organisation where many of us are heading for heritage, ourselves!

Hampton Creer told us that he had become very interested in Manx witches because his ancestors, the Hamptons of Ballabunt, had been defence witnesses at the trial of Joney ( Jinny) Lowney (Lewney) in 1716 who was accused of being a witch. She had been tried, earlier, in 1715 and sentenced to reform but her second trial, the following year in front of Bishop Wilson, took place over four months. There were many prosecution witnesses.

Beliefs in witchcraft and the like were commonplace in the 16^th, 17^th and 18^th centuries. Much of it was the result of people jumping to conclusions, (not the correct ones in these cases) and for many thousands in mainland Britain, a horrible death was the harsh punishment. Most of the accused were poor, vagrant women and not witches.

The terrible scenes of a woman and her son burned alive at the stake in Castletown were not repeated in Joney’s case but she was found guilty. Her punishment was to wear a white robe and go to each parish and publicly repent.

Witchcraft is not dead, of course. Indeed, I believe that our present Vicar General is also Witchfinder General so do accord her appropriate respect.

Hampton went on to describe the Manx tradition of decorating turnips and going around singing about Jinny in our hop tu naa songs. It is well worthwhile looking up Jinny the Witch in Google, Wikipedia. There are several versions of the song or chant, one being rather rude!

Jinny lived in Braddan and was tried at Bishop’s Court on both occasions. Her greatest ‘crime’ was stopping the Ballaughton Corn Mill. She was sentenced for the first ‘offence’ to 14 days imprisonment, fined £3 and made to stand at all the four market crosses, dressed in sackcloth.

We have to remember that this was before universal education and superstition was an attempt at interpreting events, seeking to find a link between cause and effect. Accusing people of witchcraft was often a fail-safe way of getting rid of them for your own reasons!

When children arrive at your door on the 31^st October singing one version or another of hop tu naa, you might ask them what they know about this poor woman!

Thank you Hampton and the Methodist Church for providing the refreshments and the warm welcome.

Our next meeting is back in the Centenary Centre on Wednesday, 21^st November at 7.30pm. Val Cottle will be ‘Desperately Seeking Thomas’. 

‘A day to Remember’ by Ian Cannell CBE

Ian Cannell’s title, ‘A Day to Remember,’ gave us an evening to remember. The illustrated talk centred on Ian’s award ceremony to receive the CBE was particularly appropriate with our minds still focussed on Her Majesty’s sixtieth anniversary on the throne, marked here, in Peel, by the visit of His Royal Highness, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall.

In a deliberately brief introduction, I referred to Ian’s work as Town Clerk for many years, commenting that the title should really be City Clerk, particularly as we have not just one cathedral bur two and his national and international role with the Royal British Legion. I could have added TT and Tynwald Day commentator and goodness knows what else!

Ian began by saying that he was born in Peel and this has always been his home. He regarded himself as part of Peel Heritage, as indeed he is. He then explained that he was going to talk about the honours system, how you get on it and referred to some of the Manx people recently honoured. His efforts to avoid an ‘ego trip’ left me feeling that I would have liked to know more about the work that had led to his award of first MBE and then CBE. He stressed that one did not use both titles, only the more senior one, commenting that despite his advice, Joey Dunlop’s memorial plaque, incorrectly, bears both! 

Anyone can send a letter recommending a person for inclusion in the honours list, setting out the reasons.  This should be accompanied by supporting letters from others and sent to the Lt Governor who chairs a small selection committee. Their recommendations are then forwarded to Downing Street and on to Her Majesty.

Ian outlined the process as far as the candidate was concerned and the arrangements for the day of investiture. At this point, we were treated to a DVD made by the palace, personalised for each recipient – a remarkable achievement in itself. It included the pomp and ceremony as well as the preparations behind the scenes, the arrival of guests and their progress through the palace, past wonderful works of art to the ballroom where the ceremony was to take place. We then saw the presentations along with comments rounding off a panoply of splendour yet, uniquely personal to each recipient. At its conclusion, our audience broke out into spontaneous applause.

After refreshments, Ian answered questions and we were able to see his awards, citations and photographs.

When it was time to make our usual small presentation to the speaker, I couldn’t resist the procedure we had just witnessed. Ian entered into this fully, bowing and shaking hands and retreating as he had before Prince Charles. A great sport rounding off a great evening with much amused applause!

Next event is Peel’s Secret Gardens on the 14th and 15th July. Admission programmes will be in the usual outlets and in the Market Place on the days.

“Queen of the Mountain”……Carolynn Sells

Most of us know how difficult it is to attend a job interview, speaking about your accomplishments without appearing boastful or self-congratulatory. Somehow, Carolynn Sells succeeded in talking about her remarkable motorcycle racing accomplishments in a modest, charming, entertaining yet modest manner. 

Tim Crookall, Chairman, made a splendid introduction, admitting that he’d made use of Google to assemble some key highlights. Carolynn’s sites are excellent and I cheerfully refer you to them, having dipped in myself.

Carolynn now lives in Lower Foxdale after several moves. She hailed from Preston, spending her childhood at race circuits with her family, her father being a keen racer, competing in circuits all over the UK. These trips doubled up as family holidays, sometimes with the children and luggage wedged in a sidecar hitched to a Norton ES2. This even took them to France. The bike was described as ‘unreliable’. My memory of many Norton’s of this period was their fondness for catching fire!

1985 was Carolynn’s father’s first MGP. She and her brother came over as well. In 1985 they moved here. Where else! 

Carolynn started racing just before her 27th birthday, at Jurby, having borrowed dad’s TZ250. By 2003, she obtained her National Licence allowing her to compete on TT course. Martin Bullock approached her and the rest is history!

A full list of Carolynn’s accomplishments are beyond the scope of this article but to give a flavour of her dedication to racing, include being the first woman to win a championship on the Island, highest finishing woman newcomer, 1st woman in top 10, 1st woman to win a race in the Southern 100 (2005), female lap record in 2008, success in Irish Road Races, won Lesley Anne Trophy for best performance by a female in MGP 2003 –9. Fastest lap of 113mph on Martin Bullock Racing CBR 600 holds 9 silver replicas for MGP and in 2009 became the first woman to win an MGP. The gamble of riding four laps, non stop, paid off and took many by surprise. Phew!

Just to balance all these successes, we were also shown spectacular crashes, including being helicoptered to hospital. She regrets being unable to remember the trip as her only experience of this form of flight!

In 2009, Carolynn made the cover of the MGP brochure and is in the Guinness Book of Records. Despite all this success and glamour, Carolynn showed us a photo’ of  her baby daughter as her greatest reward. To our relief, she has stopped racing but is still heavily involved in the sport, tutoring newcomers and travelling marshals.

The questions from the audience were well-informed and very entertaining. Not surprisingly, Carolynn and the audience were strongly in favour of keeping the MGP as close as possible to the present format. She also admitted that she would be very nervous if her daughter took up racing!

Our next meeting is at 7.30pm on Wednesday 20th June in Centenary Centre. – Ian Cannell MBE ‘A Day to Remember.’

M.N.H. Archives for Peel…Wendy Thirkettle

Wendy Thirkettle, archivist at Manx National Heritage, gave us a tantalising glimpse of the wealth of archive material held by Manx National Heritage. She entitled her talk, ‘Aspects of Peel and the West.’ To contain this in a reasonable time frame was an obvious challenge, so she had, sensibly, concentrated on items and events that appealed to her and were likely to be of interest to this largely local audience.

We saw the relatively new five- storey storage building referred to as ‘the stack’. Fresh to our eyes were the internal, mobile racks that can be wound to and fro to allow access between them. Personally, having viewed films where victims were deliberately crushed between them, I would feel a little wary of using them!

Business archives were illustrated by Irving’s Peel pop works with views of original accounts, including supply of drinks to the Knockaloe Internment Camp in the First World War. Usefully, members of the audience were able to help identify people and places or to give dates such as when the pop works was demolished. Its name lives on in Pop Works Cottage on the corner of Atholl Street and Douglas Street. Other business accounts we examined included Peel Fishing Co. 1893 – 1905 and J. Teare, ships’ chandlers, 1866 – 1929. Wendy commented on the way people helped each other out, exchanging goods and services rather than relying, totally, on a cash economy. Mind you, in Peel, at least, we still have a strong tradition of mutual help -an important element in a community as in a family.

Court records were shown as an important archive. We were shown a couple of examples. One striking one was the Peel Riot of 1758.

An interesting item was the proposed swing bridge in 1900. The plans we saw showed a remarkable similarity to the one we now enjoy, a century later. Patience is a virtue! The original was set aside because it was felt that there would be too much delay if it was hand operated and a hydraulic drive would cost too much to recover in a reasonable time. Tolls were predicted to raise about £235 pa but the construction cost would be £4k. The famous ferries and wheeled boards continued for another half-century or so.

Various committees’ archives were displayed, as were letters and testimonials, some relating to loss of life at sea and courageous rescues. Lots of material is available from the Knockaloe internment camp. We can, of course, see much of this in our own Leece Museum on the quay.

Wendy has referred us to a new website, www.manxnationalheritage.com  I’ve just accessed this and recommend it to follow up any interests you have in the past, including the new I.Museum in Kingswood Grove, soon to be on line.

Next meeting, Wednesday 16th May, 7.30 pm in the Centenary Centre. M.G.P. winner, Carolynn Sells will tell us her adventures in this male dominated sport. Non-members are always welcome, with or without ‘bikes!

‘Roy Moore Remembers’

Good grief, where do I start or end! Roy took us on a wander through his memory bank moving to and fro, from topic to topic from infancy to the present. Yes, he did get to his experiences as a commentator for Manx Radio T T at the Gooseneck, as billed! 


Roy began by saying that at a previous talk to the Dyslexia Association, he was hailed as a shining wit. The chairperson was, presumably, Dr Spooner. Another triumph was at the Haemorrhoid Society where he received a ‘standing ovation’! 


Within a few moments, we heard about Geoff Cannell, a relative, an uncle Jack who raced here and was in THE film, ‘No Limit’ – (I think!) We were then swept along by Geoff Duke, on his 4 cylinder Gilera, as we all were, at the time and Reg Armstrong. Help, hold on tight, we were now in Lea Terrace, one of his several homes. We had been in the Glencrutchery Road a few seconds back. 


Rowing boats in the harbour came and went – a lot faster than my efforts at rowing them against wind and tide. Then we seemed to be in Peel with a brother called the Olympic Torch because he never went out! Peel generates some wonderful nicknames. Fortunately, you do not always know your own!


Douglas Head ferries were recalled, together with Pierrot shows and the “Snotty Bridge” at Kewaigue – so called, Roy, said, because of ‘what hangs from it.’ Presumably, stalactites from lime leaching out with water ingress. This is a guess - you’ll have to ask him.


The much-loved Clypse Course, surfaced next. I liked this because the bikes came round so often. It was very intimate – you lifted your legs to let the sprung hub Triumphs bounce round. These must have been difficult to overtake, as you never knew which way they would bounce next.


A coach-driving uncle came and went at this point and memories of his hero, Mike Hailwood.


Roy’s cousin (?), Geoff Cannell, started commentating in 1968 and Roy followed on in 1984. Refreshments were announced but we had got to the Hairpin!


Back at the start line – a tap on the shoulder and we were away again.


The broadcasts are set up so that all the commentary points are linked to the control room at the grandstand. The commentaries were carried down a special, pure telephone line to avoid interference. The producer says, when on air, how long before the commentator has to speak and gives a count down. It is often necessary to listen and to speak at the same time – a difficult skill to master.


Roy mentioned how difficult it can be to fill in gaps between riders or when racing is delayed.  One rider hit a seagull that, fortunately, did no more than embed itself in the fairing. Roy found himself saying, “Shows how easy it is to pick up a bird in Ramsey!”


Next meeting – Wednesday, 18th April, 7.30, Centenary Centre, Wendy Thirkettle, MNH.

Ian Young….Gobbag Vooar and a Bit More!

Ian’s fine slide show on the wide screen of the Centenary Centre with photographs and video taken from his boat, Pegasus, was so realistic that, even two days later, people told me they were feeling sea-sick!

Ian’s trips from Peel Harbour, concentrate on the coastline immediately north and south. Craftily, a second boat can head off in the opposite direction, shark, dolphin and whale spotting.

The images above and under water were amongst the best I’ve seen. Having worked as a skipper for the original Basking Shark Watch with Ken Watterson and Pauline Oliver in the 1980s, Ian’s experience is probably unmatched.

Adults longer than a London Bus and with a greater mass than an elephant cannot fail to impress. The importance of keeping still and letting these huge but harmless plankton feeders come to you was emphasised. They have a natural curiosity but are no threat, although people in kayaks and small boats feel vulnerable seeing the animal under and either side of them. Indeed, one of my own daughters had a dorsal fin brush against her kayak!

A highlight was a video clip, taken by John Galpin, of a Basking Shark broaching (leaping clear of the water), all seven tons of it. This is one of only two know, filmed examples. Less happily, we saw pictures of two dead animals. One was hoisted on a crane in the harbour, taller than a lamp post. The other had been washed up in a cove. We could see detail in its mouth, including a line of teeth.

Research has shown that the reason the west coast of the Island is such a popular area for sharks is that the plankton bloom heading up with warmer waters from the south is diverted by the volume of water coming down the Mersey.

Great clouds of jellyfish are sometimes seen. The occasional sunfish may be seen feeding on these and more rarely, leather backed turtle. Ian reeled off the animals to expect, including dolphins, fin, orca, minki whales and seals. We saw a picture of a six-foot long tope, weighing 60 – 70 ponds. These are returned, once caught and recorded.

Birds to be seen include sandwich terns, gannets, shags, cormorant, guillemot, razor bills, puffins, gulls. We are so fortunate to live in this wild life haven. I wonder what they think of us! The emphasis, throughout, was how we must protect these fellow residents on the planet. Sea trips and shows, such as this are so important in keeping us all aware of this fragile, fascinating natural heritage.

Following refreshments, the AGM was soon romped through. The new committee was elected and will meet on the 27^th March. Then, I’ll be able to publish the officers for the year and the programme card will be sent to all members.

Note the next meeting, carefully. It’s Wednesday, 21^st March, 7.30, Centenary Centre. Roy Moore, Manx Radio’s TT Voice, will speak of his host of memories.

John ‘Dog’ Collister….Rushes….19.1.12….John Slater

I was a little anxious about this event. Given the large numbers who attend our meetings, I wondered how everyone could be involved in following instructions in the ancient craft skills using rushes.

My concerns were swept away in moments. John’s lovely, gentle manner had us all under his spell within moments.  He had a long table at the front with piles of rushes, completed examples of a wide range of articles and a glamorous, though bearded, assistant, introduced to us as Kevin. He leapt into action at intervals, in between making pieces, himself.

John paid credit to George Quayle who had taught him, including many ancient legends associated with this craft. George’s book, Legends of a Lifetime was recommended reading.

Traditionally, reeds were used for thatching spud butts, stacks in the yard but not on houses. They were used to cover earth floors, in houses, making bee skeps and are still used on the processional way at Tynwald.

Another important use was in making rush lights as a cheap alternative to candles. They might just be dipped in tallow or, better still, a mixture of bees’ wax and tallow. All ingredients were found to hand and did not involve any extra expense. We were showed how to strip off most of the bark by pulling over the thumb as an anvil which prevented tearing. One strip was left on to give some rigidity. The strips pulled off weren’t wasted but made into rope.

Amongst the items we were shown were playthings such as rattles, bumbee (Bumble Bee) cages, St Bridget Crosses, hot mats, egg cups and goodness knows what else. Children used to weave a bumbee cage, leaving a hole at one end. They caught a Bumble Bee on a flower and pushed it into the cage, completed the cage trapping the insect inside. This was then used as a rattle!

The tradition was that bumbees were fairies that had been naughty and were changed into bees by the fairy captain, sentenced to bumble around for the rest of their lives. However, when the children were asleep, parents would release the bee, replacing it with stones to maintain the rattle. In the morning, the children were told that the fairy captain had released them as they had completed their punishment!

Following more delightful tales came refreshments followed by practical sessions where we tried our hands at making various articles. John, generously, gave a number of items to members who had birthdays on particular dates. This was an amusing version of pantomime when sweets are thrown into the audience,

We brought home an instruction sheet on making a bumbee cage. I’ll have to have a go!

John and Kevin, thanks for a lovely evening.

Our next meeting is on Wednesday, 15^th February at 7.30 in the Centenary Centre. Ian Young will give a slide show on his boat trips along the coast from Peel plus our brisk AGM. Not to be missed!