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Douglas (, ) is the
capital city A capital city, or just capital, is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state (polity), state, province, department (administrative division), department, or other administrative division, subnational division, usually as its ...
and largest settlement of the
Isle of Man The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Govern ...
, with a population of 26,677 (2021) and an area of . It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, and on a sweeping bay of . The River Douglas forms part of the city's harbour and main commercial port. Douglas was a small settlement until it grew rapidly as a result of links with the English port of
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
in the 18th century. Further population growth came in the following century, resulting during the 1860s in a staged transfer of the High Courts, the Lieutenant Governor's residence (actually located in nearby Onchan), and finally the seat of the legislature,
Tynwald Tynwald (), or more formally, the High Court of Tynwald () or Tynwald Court, is the legislature of the Isle of Man. It consists of two chambers, known as the branches of Tynwald: the directly elected House of Keys and the indirectly chosen Leg ...
, to Douglas from the ancient capital, Castletown. The city is the island's main hub for business, finance, legal services, shipping, transport, shopping, and entertainment. The annual
Isle of Man TT The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May and June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907 Isle of Man TT, 1907. The event begins on the UK Spring Bank Holiday at the e ...
motorcycle races start and finish in Douglas.


Name

It is generally agreed that the toponyms of English ''Douglas'' and Manx ''Doolish'' both come from
Proto-Celtic Proto-Celtic, or Common Celtic, is the hypothetical ancestral proto-language of all known Celtic languages, and a descendant of Proto-Indo-European. It is not attested in writing but has been partly Linguistic reconstruction, reconstructed throu ...
*''duboglassio''-, where *''dubo''- (which survives today in Welsh as ''du'' and Irish as ''dubh'') meant 'black; deep' and *''glassio''- (surviving in Welsh ''glais'' and Irish ''glais'') meant 'water, river'; thus, it probably meant 'deep river'. The name of the city thus came from a nearby river. It is a common name for place names around Britain and Ireland, related to other toponyms such as Dyfleis, Dulais, Develish,
Dawlish Dawlish is a seaside resort town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Teignbridge district in Devon, England. It is located on the south coast of England at a distance of from the city of Exeter and a similar distance from the to ...
, Dowlish and, of course, other settlements named Douglas.


History


Early history

In the absence of any
archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...
data, the origins of the city may be revealed by analysis of the original street and plot pattern. The discovery of a
bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...
weapon in central Douglas, and the large Ballaquayle
Viking Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9� ...
treasure hoard on the outskirts (now in the Manx Museum and
British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...
, London), both in the 1890s, hint at the early importance of the site now occupied by Douglas. Scholars agree that the name of the city derives from Early Celtic 'Duboglassio' meaning 'black river'. Douglas is twice referred to in the monastic ''Chronicle of the Kings of Man and the Isles'': first in 1190, when the monks of St Mary's Abbey at Rushen were transferred there for a four-year stay; then again in 1313, when
Robert the Bruce Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (), was King of Scots from 1306 until his death in 1329. Robert led Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland during the First War of Scottish Independence against Kingdom of Eng ...
, King of Scotland, spent the night at the "monastery of Duglas" on his way to seize Castle Rushen. These may be references to the site of the later Nunnery, a little upstream from the port. The first detailed documentation shows that in 1511 there were only thirteen resident households in the settlement clustered north of the harbour; most of the property there was classified as "chambers" (unoccupied, unheated, single-celled structures) for which rent was paid by non-residents including clergy, officials and landowners from elsewhere on the island. This suggests that the city's nucleus originated as a non-urban port. Speculation links the store buildings with the Irish Sea herring fishery, and the import/export trade.


Growth and development

In 1681 Thomas Denton described Douglas as "the place of greatest resort" on the Isle of Man, and by 1705 a clear picture of the early town emerges, with hints that its residential, market, and military defence functions were growing in importance alongside the port facility. The town thrived in the next 60 years, as imposing merchants' houses, large warehouses, quays and a pier were built to accommodate the burgeoning "running trade" (
smuggling Smuggling is the illegal transportation of objects, substances, information or people, such as out of a house or buildings, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations. More broadly, soc ...
): one of the stimuli for the town's expansion. Other forms of trade also grew, and after the Revestment Act 1765, Douglas began to reap the benefits of transatlantic trade, due in part to co-operation at a local level with
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
. Legitimate merchants who rose to prominence over the period included the Murreys, the Moores, and the Bacons. The town's later prosperity was facilitated by the low cost of living, and the favourable legal status enjoyed by English debtors and
half-pay Half-pay (h.p.) was a term used in the British Army and Royal Navy of the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries to refer to the pay or allowance an officer received when in retirement or not in actual service. Past usage United Kingdom In the E ...
officers. The initial growth and development of the ALR owed much to its natural harbour (now the Inner Harbour), since greatly expanded and improved. Over the 18th century, the town's population rose from about 800 in 1710 to nearly 2,500 in 1784. Throughout the 19th century, the town's demographics followed the same trends as the United Kingdom, due to the
Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution, sometimes divided into the First Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution, was a transitional period of the global economy toward more widespread, efficient and stable manufacturing processes, succee ...
. The number of holiday visitors grew from the early 19th century, and from around 1870 onwards, the town was transformed into a leading holiday resort. But there were increasingly unsanitary conditions, and poor quality housing; again reflecting a trend seen across the United Kingdom. The open
sewage Sewage (or domestic sewage, domestic wastewater, municipal wastewater) is a type of wastewater that is produced by a community of people. It is typically transported through a sewerage, sewer system. Sewage consists of wastewater discharged fro ...
,
midden A midden is an old dump for domestic waste. It may consist of animal bones, human excrement, botanical material, mollusc shells, potsherds, lithics (especially debitage), and other artifacts and ecofacts associated with past human oc ...
s (domestic waste dumps), and smell from the harbour at low tide all contributed to the town's uncleanliness. Oil and gas lamps first appeared in the late 1820s and 1830s, the first hospital to join the
Dispensary A dispensary is an office in a school, hospital, industrial plant, or other organization that dispenses medications, medical supplies, and in some cases even medical and dental treatment. In a traditional dispensary set-up, a pharmacist dispense ...
was built in 1850, and in 1832 the scenic Tower of Refuge was built in Douglas Bay to offer shelter and provisions for sailors awaiting rescue. Douglas in the first half of the 19th century often suffered from the destitution of its population and the many epidemics, in particular
cholera Cholera () is an infection of the small intestine by some Strain (biology), strains of the Bacteria, bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea last ...
. The rise of Douglas as the social and economic stronghold was recognised in 1869, when it became the home of the island's parliament,
Tynwald Tynwald (), or more formally, the High Court of Tynwald () or Tynwald Court, is the legislature of the Isle of Man. It consists of two chambers, known as the branches of Tynwald: the directly elected House of Keys and the indirectly chosen Leg ...
, and therefore the capital, an honour previously held by Castletown, a smaller town in the south of the island. Douglas's political landscape also changed significantly in the 19th century, in spite of the conservatism of some townsfolk: in 1844, for example, at a public meeting, the idea of a
town council A town council, city council or municipal council is a form of local government for small municipalities. Usage of the term varies under different jurisdictions. Republic of Ireland In 2002, 49 urban district councils and 26 town commissi ...
was rejected in favour of retaining the system of Town High Bailiffs; when the Town Bill Act was passed at Tynwald in 1852, the people of Douglas again rejected the idea. However, an Act passed later that decade, which did not include opt-out clauses, was accepted, and in 1860, Douglas elected its first town council, which was predominantly
middle class The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. C ...
in its makeup. The Town Commissioners could tackle the town's problems with greater efficiency, and by 1869 the sewage problem had been largely resolved. The Commissioners also worked to alter the anachronistic architecture of Douglas, built during the era of fishing and trading, and no longer amenable or safe for tourists. The proportion of the total Manx population living in Douglas was also expanding, with 35% living there by 1891. The Victorian and later modernisation of the town was achieved at the expense of the original maze-like layout of the oldest streets. These were cleared away in the new street schemes and slum clearances of the 1870s to 1920s. The town's infrastructure was radically altered for tourists' convenience, and in 1878 the Loch Promenade was constructed. In 1870, there were 60,000 visitors annually; by 1884, this had grown to 182,000. In 1887, 310,916 visited for Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee.


Seafaring links

The earliest organised ferry services emerged between Douglas and Whitehaven, established by William Nicholson in the 1750s. More formally, Nicholson's Packet Service began in 1765 or 1766, and the Post Office mail contract was secured by 1782. Sailings were irregular and heavily dependent on weather conditions. Steamer services brought a considerable improvement; the first regular link (en route between Greenock and Liverpool) was available from 1819. The formation of what became the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company in 1830 led to greatly improved services, and also laid the foundations for growth in both cargo and tourist traffic. The
Royal National Lifeboat Institution The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest of the lifeboat (rescue), lifeboat services operating around the coasts of the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on s ...
(RNLI) has a lifeboat station at Douglas. The first lifeboat station in the port was established in 1802. In 1825 it was one of the first lifeboat stations to be provided with a purpose-built lifeboat; this was at the request of Sir William Hillary, the founder of the Institution. It was not operational between 1851 and 1868, and it closed in 1895. The station, established in 1874, operates the
Tyne-class lifeboat The Tyne-class lifeboat was a class of lifeboat that served as a part of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution fleet until 2019. They were named after the River Tyne in North East England. They were designed to be launched from slipways or op ...
''Sir William Hillary''. There are three memorials to Sir William in Douglas: one in St George's Church where he was buried in 1847, one on Loch Promenade, and the other on Douglas Head near where he established the Tower of Refuge in 1832.


Recent history

During the First and
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
s, some parts of Douglas and elsewhere in the Isle of Man were home to
internment camps Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simp ...
for "
enemy alien In customary international law, an enemy alien is any alien native, citizen, denizen or subject of any foreign nation or government with which a domestic nation or government is in conflict and who is liable to be apprehended, restrained, secur ...
s". Douglas held seven out of the ten internment camps on the island during World War II, including: Hutchinson,
Metropole A metropole () is the homeland, central territory or the state exercising power over a colonial empire. From the 19th century, the English term ''metropole'' was mainly used in the scope of the British, Spanish, French, Dutch, Portugu ...
, Central, Palace, Granville and Sefton Camp. Sections of the Promenade were cordoned off and many guest houses were used for the purpose. The war dead of the island are commemorated on the Douglas War Memorial. Douglas is now the main home of the island's offshore financial services industry, and also of the main shopping centre. The city was the birthplace of brothers Maurice, Robin and Barry Gibb, members of the
Bee Gees The Bee Gees were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry Gibb, Barry, Robin Gibb, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in ...
. Douglas was home to the Summerland
leisure centre A leisure centre, sports centre, or recreation centre is a purpose-built building or site, usually owned and provided by the local government authority, where people can engage in a variety of sports and exercise, and keep fit. Typical facilit ...
, which suffered a catastrophic fire in 1973. In 2011 Douglas hosted the Commonwealth Youth Games. On 20 May 2022, it was announced that, as part of the
Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours As part of the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II awarded a number of civic honours, most notably the creation of new cities in a competition. Another competition for lord mayor or lord provost status was held. It was announced on 8 June 2021 ...
, Douglas would receive
city status City status is a symbolic and legal designation given by a monarch, national or subnational government. A municipality may receive city status because it already has the qualities of a city, or because it has some special purpose. Historically, ci ...
by
Letters Patent Letters patent (plurale tantum, plural form for singular and plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, President (government title), president or other head of state, generally granti ...
sometime later in 2022. The letters patent was expected to be effective from 1 November 2022,It is assumed that
letters patent Letters patent (plurale tantum, plural form for singular and plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, President (government title), president or other head of state, generally granti ...
was received on the expected date of 1 November 2022, for it to hold
city status City status is a symbolic and legal designation given by a monarch, national or subnational government. A municipality may receive city status because it already has the qualities of a city, or because it has some special purpose. Historically, ci ...
.
although there were some reports in November 2022 that it was somehow delayed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, to a unknown date. A council meeting was said to discuss the issue in February 2023, but it was not discussed.
Queen Camilla Camilla (born Camilla Rosemary Shand, later Parker Bowles, 17 July 1947) is List of British royal consorts, Queen of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms as the wife of King Charles III. Camilla was raised in East ...
presented Letters Patent conferring city status on 20 March 2024.


Geography

Douglas is on the east of the island near the
confluence In geography, a confluence (also ''conflux'') occurs where two or more watercourses join to form a single channel (geography), channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main ...
of the two rivers Dhoo and
Glass Glass is an amorphous (non-crystalline solid, non-crystalline) solid. Because it is often transparency and translucency, transparent and chemically inert, glass has found widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in window pane ...
forming the Douglas. At Douglas, the river flows through the
quay A wharf ( or wharfs), quay ( , also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more Berth (mo ...
and into Douglas Bay. A gently sloping valley runs inland and there are hills around the city. The city is surrounded by several villages, most notably Onchan to the north-east (which forms a
conurbation A conurbation is a region consisting of a number of metropolises, cities, large towns, and other urban areas which, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban or industrially developed area. In most ...
with Douglas) and Union Mills to the west.


Climate

The weather reporting station closest to Douglas is the coastal weather station at Ronaldsway, about south-west of Douglas. The highest temperature recorded in Ronaldsway stands at , recorded in July 1983. On average, a temperature of or more is recorded 0.8 days per year at Ronaldsway (1981–2010) and on average the highest temperature of the year is . On average, 14.5 days of air frost per year were recorded at Ronaldsway in the period 1981–2010. The lowest temperature recorded in Ronaldsway is , recorded in December 1961. For the period of 1981–2010, the lowest temperature of the year was on average.


Demography

The Isle of Man census 2021 lists the population of Douglas as 26,677, a reduction from the 2011 population of 27,938. The 2001 census gave a population of 25,347. The city has 31.73% of the island's total population of 84,069.


Governance

Douglas elects eight members of the House of Keys: two each from four constituencies (Central, East, South and North). The House of Keys is the lower house of
Tynwald Tynwald (), or more formally, the High Court of Tynwald () or Tynwald Court, is the legislature of the Isle of Man. It consists of two chambers, known as the branches of Tynwald: the directly elected House of Keys and the indirectly chosen Leg ...
, the Manx parliament. The local authority responsible for the running of services is Douglas City Council (formerly Douglas Borough Council), which has 12 elected councillors.


Transport

Douglas is the hub of the island's bus network, with frequent services to Port Erin, Peel and Ramsey, as well as various more local bus services. The city also has the termini of the two main railway lines on the island: the steam railway to Port Erin and the electric tramway to Ramsey. It is also the home of the
ferry terminal A passenger terminal is a structure in a port which services passengers boarding and leaving water vessels such as ferry, ferries, cruise ships and ocean liners. Depending on the types of vessels serviced by the terminal, it may be named (for e ...
, from where the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company operates regular services to
Heysham Heysham ( ) is a coastal village in the Lancaster district of Lancashire, England, overlooking Morecambe Bay. It is a ferry port, with services to the Isle of Man and Ireland, and the site of two nuclear power stations. History Of historic ...
and to Liverpool (Birkenhead in winter) and occasional services to Dublin and to Belfast.


Media

The
Isle of Man The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Govern ...
's three main radio stations
Manx Radio Manx Radio (legally Radio Manx Ltd.) () is the national commercial radio station for the Isle of Man. It began broadcasting on 29 June 1964, almost ten years before legal commercial radio was licensed in the United Kingdom. The Isle of Man, hav ...
, Energy FM and 3FM are all based in Douglas. Local TV coverage is served by '' BBC North West Tonight'' on
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...
and '' ITV Granada Reports'' on
ITV1 ITV1 (formerly known as ITV) is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the British media company ITV plc. It provides the ITV (TV network), Channel 3 ...
. The city is served by three local newspapers: the '' Isle of Man Examiner'', the '' Isle of Man Courier'' and the '' Manx Independent''.


Education

References to education in Douglas begin in the late 17th century, with mention of the schoolmastership, usually combined with the Chaplaincy of Douglas, and reference to a "petty school" in 1675. William Walker (1679–1729) was appointed to the mastership in 1700; school was probably kept in the old Chapel, in later Heywood Place.) Walker was later preferred as Rector of Ballaugh, and received an honorary Doctorate. He is now remembered in his mother's Manx Gaelic lament on her sons: "Illiam Walker ''as'' Robin Tear". The more formal history of education in the city begins with Bishop Thomas Wilson's establishment of the Douglas Grammar School. Alderman William Dixon (a native of Douglas, but resident in Dublin since at least the 1680s) agreed to hand over his parents' former home, and passed over the New Bond Street property in 1714. The Bishop raised an endowment of £500 (Irish currency), half being funded by the Barrow Trustees, most of the balance being provided by the Bishop's Douglas relatives, the Murrey family. Even after this, the mastership of Douglas Grammar School continued to be combined with the Chaplaincy, now of the new Chapel of St Matthew. Details of the building of the original Grammar School are sparse, but it seems that William Murrey was deeply involved, retaining the use of the capacious storage vault under the school in lieu of repayment of £150 costs. Another notable Master of the Grammar School was Rev. Philip Moore (1705–1783) who was a native of the city, his father Robert Moore having been one of the "Undertakers" who organised the construction of St Matthews, and his mother Miss Katherine Kelly. Moore was appointed Master in 1735, and was reckoned to be a good classical scholar, and have "an inherent love of teaching". Today, Douglas has two high schools: Ballakermeen High School and St. Ninian's High School, and numerous primary schools. University College Isle of Man and the International Business School are also located in Douglas.


Landmarks

Douglas has a number of attractions and items of interest: *The Tower of Refuge is a small castle-like shelter built upon Conister Rock in Douglas Bay as a sanctuary for shipwrecked sailors. Construction was instigated by Sir William Hillary, founder of the
RNLI The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest of the lifeboat services operating around the coasts of the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on some inland waterways. Founded in 1824 ...
. * Douglas Head is home to the Grand Union Camera Obscura which has recently undergone restoration and is open to the public during the summer months. Other artefacts and remnants of Victorian Tourism can still be found on walks around the area. *The horse-drawn trams that run along the promenade from the Villa Marina to the Manx Electric Railway station from spring to early autumn. * Steam trains run 15 miles from Douglas railway station to Port Erin in the south of the island. *The Grandstand on Glencrutchery Road marks the start and finish of the annual TT Races and various other motorsports. *The Gaiety Theatre and the Villa Marina are popular venues for all manner of stage acts: from rock music to comedy to drama to ballet. The Gaiety Theatre is one of the best surviving examples of the work of
Frank Matcham Francis Matcham (22 November 1854 – 17 May 1920)Mackintosh, Iain"Matcham, Frank" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, accessed 7 July 2019 was an English architect who specialised in the design of theatres and ...
and dates from 1900. Both venues have recently undergone extensive renovations. *The award-winning Manx Museum in Kingswood Grove contains many of the most important cultural artefacts relating to the Manx nation. Highlights include the Calf of Man Crucifixion Stone, the Pagan Lady's necklace from the Viking excavations at Peel Castle, and the largest collection of Archibald Knox materials. It also houses the National Art Collection, and the National Archives. *The Jubilee clock is a street clock built in 1887 to mark the
Golden Jubilee A golden jubilee marks a 50th anniversary. It variously is applied to people, events, and nations. Bangladesh In Bangladesh, golden jubilee refers the 50th anniversary year of the separation from Pakistan and is called in Bengali language, ...
of
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...
's reign. It is located at the foot of Victoria Street at its junction with Loch Promenade. The location also marked the lower terminus of the Upper Douglas Cable Tramway. *Other buildings of interest include Isola restaurant, in John Street, and the Douglas Hotel, on the North Quay, both merchants' houses from the mid-18th century; the Castle Mona (formerly the Quality Hotel), a seaside mansion built by John Murray, 4th Duke of Atholl in 1804, awaiting refurbishment; and the Loch Promenade, a curving terrace of former boarding houses dating from the 1870s. Douglas saw the first architectural essays of the Arts and Crafts architect Baillie Scott. *The breakwater extension was built outside the existing smaller one, which carried a rail-mounted crane. It was completed in 1983 and opened by Princess Alexandra. *The Sunken Gardens on Loch Promenade were created as a result of the widening of the promenade at the turn of the 20th century. A construction line was installed for this task.


Sport

Douglas is the start and finish point for the
Isle of Man TT The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May and June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907 Isle of Man TT, 1907. The event begins on the UK Spring Bank Holiday at the e ...
. The race had been a part of the FIM Motorcycle Grand Prix World Championship but lost its status when a new British motorcycle Grand Prix was established in 1977. The Isle of Man Cricket Club was formed in 1930 and later reformed as the IoM Cricket Association. It was elected a member of the International Cricket Council in 2004. The National Sports Centre (NSC), is a large multi-sports centre and athletics stadium located on Pulrose Road. Owned by the Department of Tourism and Leisure it is operated by Manx Sport & Recreation. The King George V Bowl, a multi-use
stadium A stadium (: stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage completely or partially surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit ...
located on Pulrose Road is owned by Douglas Borough Council. A free
Parkrun Parkrun (stylised as parkrun) is a collection of 5K run, events for runners, walkers and volunteers that take place every Saturday morning at more than 2,000 locations in 23 countries across five continents. Parkrun was founded by Paul Sinto ...
takes place in Nobles Park, St. Ninian's Road every Saturday. Douglas is home to eight of the seventeen
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
clubs that compete in the Isle of Man Football League:Isle of Man Leagues: The Canada Life Premier League
,
The Football Association The Football Association (the FA) is the Sports governing body, governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest footb ...
. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
Douglas Rugby Club and Vagabonds Rugby Club are based in the city. Their 1st teams play in the English competitions and reserve teams play in the Manx Rugby competition.


Notable people


Science and technology

*Professor Edward Forbes FRS, FGS (1815 in Douglas – 1854 in Edinburgh) a Manx naturalist * Martin R. Bridson FRS (1964 Douglas) Manx mathematician * David W. Lewis, mathematician known for his contributions to quadratic forms theory * Gordon Manley FRGS (1902 in Douglas – 1980) an English
climatologist Climatology (from Greek , ''klima'', "slope"; and , ''-logia'') or climate science is the scientific study of Earth's climate, typically defined as weather conditions averaged over a period of at least 30 years. Climate concerns the atmospheric ...
* Dorothy Pantin (1896 -1985) the first woman doctor and surgeon of the Isle of Man * Derek Charles Robinson FRS (1941 in Douglas – 2002 in Oxford) a physicist who worked in the UK
fusion power Fusion power is a proposed form of power generation that would generate electricity by using heat from nuclear fusion reactions. In a fusion process, two lighter atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus, while releasing energy. Devices d ...
programme


Public service and commerce

*Commander Robert Benjamin Young, RN (1773 in Douglas – 1846 in Exeter) an officer in the Royal Navy, he observed the
battle of Trafalgar The Battle of Trafalgar was a naval engagement that took place on 21 October 1805 between the Royal Navy and a combined fleet of the French Navy, French and Spanish Navy, Spanish navies during the War of the Third Coalition. As part of Na ...
in 1805 from the deck of HMS Entreprenante * Arthur Forbes, 9th Laird of Culloden DL FRSE (1819 in Douglas - 1879 in Aldershot) a noted Scottish landowner and amateur botanist. He was Deputy Lieutenant of Nairn and Ross * Thomas Edward Brown (1830 in Douglas – 1897) a scholar, teacher, poet and theologian * Lawrence Adamson, CMG, (1860 in Douglas – 1932) a schoolmaster of
Wesley College, Melbourne Wesley College is a co-educational, open-entry private school in Melbourne, Australia. Established in 1866, the college is the only school in Victoria to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) from early childhood to Year 12. The college ...
, Australia. *Admiral Sir Thomas Hugh Binney KCB KCMG DSO (1883 in Douglas – 1953 in Colchester) a senior officer in the Royal Navy and
Governor of Tasmania The governor of Tasmania is the representative in the Australian state of Tasmania of the monarch, currently King Charles III. The incumbent governor is Barbara Baker, who was appointed in June 2021. The official residence of the governor is Gov ...
from 1945 to 1951 * Sidney Nowell Rostron (1883 in Douglas – 1948) a Church of England priest, theologian, and academic. He was the first Principal of St John's College, Durham, 1909 to 1911 * Bertram Kelly (1884 in Douglas – 1976) brought electricity to the Island * Chris Killip (born 1946 in Douglas) a Manx photographer who has worked at
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
in
Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 United States census, ...
since 1991, where he is a professor of visual and environmental studies * Angela Little (born 1949 in Douglas)
Professor Emerita ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retirement, retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". ...
at the
Institute of Education The UCL Institute of Education (IOE) is the faculty of education and society of University College London (UCL). It specialises in postgraduate study and research in the field of education and is one of UCL's 11 constituent faculties. Prior t ...
,
University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...
works in primary education policy and practice in developing countries * Phil Gawne BSc (born 1965 in Douglas) a former Member of the House of Keys and Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry


The arts

* William Clucas Kinley (1866–1920), Manx playwright and journalist * Otto Schwarz (1876–1961), travelling bandleader from Germany, who was interned in the prisoner of war camp at Douglas in 1914–1918. * Harry Korris (1891–1971) a British comedian and actor, star of the hit BBC radio show ''Happidrome'' and starred in the 1943 film version * William Thomas Quirk (1908-1977), Manx poet, composer, and teacher * Toni Onley OC (1928–2004) a Manx painter noted for his landscapes and abstract works, he moved to Canada in 1948 and lived in
Brantford, Ontario Brantford (Canada 2021 Census, 2021 population: 104,688) is a city in Ontario, Canada, founded on the Grand River (Ontario), Grand River in Southwestern Ontario. It is surrounded by County of Brant, Brant County but is politically separate wi ...
* Bryan Kneale RA (born 1930) a Manx artist and sculptor, described by BBC News Online as ''"one of the Isle of Man's best known artists."'' * Sir Barry Gibb, CBE (born 1946) a British singer, songwriter and record producer who is the last living member of The
Bee Gees The Bee Gees were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry Gibb, Barry, Robin Gibb, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in ...
*
Maurice Gibb Maurice Ernest Gibb (; 22 December 1949 – 12 January 2003) was a British musician and songwriter. He achieved global fame as a member of the Bee Gees pop group. Although his elder brother Barry Gibb and fraternal twin brother Robin Gibb wer ...
, CBE (1949–2003) a British singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer who achieved fame as a member of the
Bee Gees The Bee Gees were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry Gibb, Barry, Robin Gibb, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in ...
*
Robin Gibb Robin Hugh Gibb (22 December 1949 – 20 May 2012) was a British singer and songwriter. He gained global fame as a member of the Bee Gees with elder brother Barry and fraternal twin brother Maurice. Robin Gibb also had his own successfu ...
CBE (1949–2012) a British singer, songwriter and record producer, who gained worldwide fame as a member of the
Bee Gees The Bee Gees were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry Gibb, Barry, Robin Gibb, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in ...
*
Francis Magee Francis Magee (born 7 June 1959) is an Irish actor. He portrayed List of EastEnders characters (1993), Liam Tyler in British soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 1993 to 1995. He has also appeared in numerous television shows and feature films, inclu ...
(born 1959 in Dublin) an Irish-Manx actor, best known for his portrayal of Liam Tyler in the long-running British soap opera ''
EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, the ...
'' from 1993 to 1995; raised on the Isle of Man * Jamie Blackley (born 1991) a British actor, known for his role as Adam Wilde in the film ''If I Stay'' * Amy Jackson (born 1992) a Manx-born, Liverpool raised actress, who appears in
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
n movies * Joe Locke (born 2003) a Manx actor, best known for his portrayal of Charlie Spring in the
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
series '' Heartstopper''


Sport

* Dave Moore (born 1966), Motorsport commentator * Tim Kneale (born 1982 in Douglas) a Manx sport shooter who specializes in the double trap *
Mark Cavendish Sir Mark Simon Cavendish (born 21 May 1985) is a Manx people, Manx retired professional cyclist. As a Track cycling, track cyclist he specialised in the Madison (cycling), madison, points race, and scratch race disciplines; as a road racer he ...
(born 1985 in Douglas) a Manx professional road racing cyclist * Conor Cummins (born 1986 in Douglas) a Manx motorcycle road racer * Kieran Tierney (born 1997 in Douglas) a Manx-born, Scottish international footballer. He plays for Arsenal F.C. * Adam Long (born 2000 in Douglas) a Manx professional footballer


Panoramas of Douglas


References


External links


The oldest surviving horse drawn tramway operating in Douglas on the Isle of ManDouglas City CouncilIsle of Man Building Control Districts
showing parish boundaries
Isle of Man Census Report 2006
{{DEFAULTSORT:Douglas, Isle of Man Populated places established in the 12th century Towns in the Isle of Man Ports and harbours of the Isle of Man British capitals Port cities and towns on the Isle of Man Port cities and towns of the Irish Sea Viking Age populated places