No. 4 St Barnabas Square, Douglas, Isle of Man, 1932-34 (b/w photo)

On the back of this photograph John James Frowde writes, "(Mid-winter) Demolition pictures - No 4 S. Barnabas Sq. I had often wondered if this old mansion had a vaulted cellar like the other houses in the Square. It had not. Through the opening in the print, it had walled corridors visible, possibly wine-cellars, coal cellars and what not, and evidently not designed for the storage of contraband in bulk. It would then seem to have been the residence of a wealthy gentleman, - merchant prince possibly, a century and a half ago. I have mentioned in Route 1 that the house had a fairly capacious yard, but no exit from it that I could see, other than through the front door. I believe that I added that many domestic complications might be envisaged in consideration of that fact. Re this: see note on print following. Cyclist 'skiting' over the top of the rise. Common expression in my school-days. Obsolete today? Very expressive term. One of the few cellars, for a house of this size that were joisted and not barrel vaulted. Wood was scarce at that period. Feltham states (1794?) that when here, outside the Nunnery he saw no trees larger than shrubs anywhere in the Island. Very difficult to credit however. If the opulent Mr M.B. were in the habit of dining late, one can visualise the dispatch of his butler, with a tallow dip, to the shades below stairs, for the liquid accompaniment to his gastronomic activities. In 1881-2 Falton always used wax (real beeswax) candles when, on Winter mornings, Candidates for the Cambridge Local Exam. met at 7 a.m. in the 'parlour' of his house adjoining the Grammar School. With Falton & some half dozen of us around the table, the ensemble, with the illumination of two beeswax candles until day dawned, is a curiously clear recollection to me, after some 53 years. At that time there were no paraffin wax candles so far as I know. My bedroom candle was always at that time, & much later, a tallow dip - & odoriferous, as we only had gas on the ground floor; & there were times when gas was too great a luxury & the tallow dip was my nightly illuminant for my home-work or the matter to be absorbed for school the next day: with Falton & his half-inch cane & uncanny aim therewith, looming ahead on the morrow."