Douglas started its life as a humble fishing village, its tiny houses clustered on the river bank after the rivers Doo (Manx - black) and Glass (Manx - grey) converge to become one and gives the town its name. There is little doubt that the Vikings found the bay but the name Doo-Glass suggests that it could be one of the few surviving Celtic place names pre-dating the arrival of the Vikings.
In the seventeenth century the then Lord of Mann remarked that the Island would remain poverty stricken until ‘there trading be’ and Douglas was described to be the Island’s safest and most commodious and convenient harbour for trading with England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. By 1726 Douglas was described by the historian Waldron as ‘the town of most trade’ and throughout that century the town developed as its trade increased, and the great Manx merchants of the eighteenth century presided over what could today be described as a boom town.
Douglas Head, showing the popular Port Skillion Baths, the Camera Obscura dating from 1887, amusement kiosks and the original Lighthouse.
It was a town built and maintained on trade, especially what was named the ‘Running Trade’. Smuggling had been the most lucrative pursuit of the Manx for many years and Douglas played its full part in it. The Manx end of the trade was, of course, perfectly legal – it only became illegal smuggling when the goods were landed at the other end. Naturally the harbour had to be improved to cater for such busy shipping and quays, piers and bridges were built. Douglas became the place of choice for incoming merchants and then by association, for the gentry.
The expansion of the town became more rapid with the onset of the 19th century when the fashion for sea bathing and bracing seaside holidays began to become popular in Britain. Douglas with its magnificent shore and unparalleled sweep of its superb bay, together with its geographical location and connections with Liverpool was perfectly placed to exploit this new custom. The infrastructure of the town began to be improved, as were the harbour facilities, to accommodate holiday makers.
A new governing structure to tackle the growing size, population and success of the town was required and in 1860 the Douglas Town Commissioners was established. Then in 1896, The Municipal Borough of Douglas come into being and provided 18 Town Councillors from the six wards in existence. Further development of the town took place including the construction of a new landing pier, the Victoria Pier, Victoria Road and other new roads, the Promenade and its purpose built terraces of boarding houses and splendid hotels along the seafront. Douglas became firmly established as the Island’s capital after the Keys had its last meeting in Castletown (the former capital) in 1874 and Tynwald was moved to Douglas.
Work on constructing the Victoria Pier in 1889, officially opened by Governor Loch in 1892.
Tourism boomed and places of entertainment were developed including variety theatres and dance halls at Derby Castle, the Coliseum, the Palace Ballroom, the Villa Marina and the Gaiety Theatre. Douglas Head was a popular place for visiting tourists where the Great Union Camera Obscura, Port Skillion bathing pool and the Open Air Theatre were amongst the attractions.
After the 1950’s a gradual decline in the tourist industry set in as holiday patterns changed and package holidays to the sunshine of the Mediterranean expanded. The Isle of Man took advantage of its right to determine its own rates of income tax and after laying the foundations during the 1960s, the off-shore finance industry mushroomed during the 1980s and established itself as by far the most important part of the Island’s economy. This is reflected in Douglas today by the further development of the town to accommodate the number of banks and finance companies, together with shops and other businesses located in the town centre that serve the increased population.
[Sources – ‘Douglas Isle of Man a History & Celebration’ - Frank Cowin
‘Douglas Centenary 1896 – 1996 A Celebration’ – Various]
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