Event Details

A full-day on-campus Study Event on Saturday 18 May devoted to the maritime history and heritage of the Isle of Man. This event is fully live and will not be recorded. Speakers include Allison Fox and Christopher Weeks (Manx National Heritage) and Andrew Choong (National Maritime Museum Greenwich).

Surrounded by the Irish Sea, it is no wonder that the Isle of Man takes pride in its rich maritime heritage. In its 10,000 year history, this small island has seen traders and raiders, mythological sea gods and day-tripping tourists. From its Celtic and Viking past to the current celebrations of the 200^th anniversary of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), the people of this unique island live by and with the sea. In this full-day Study Event we look at a special museum exhibition organised by Manx Heritage, celebrating this rich maritime history. We hear about efforts to preserve the 18^th century racing yacht the ‘Peggy’ – the oldest Manx craft in existence. We’ll also explore ‘Unpath’d Waters’, a national project promoting new research into maritime history and, with it, fresh insights into shipwrecks in Manx waters. From saving lives in peril on the sea to uncovering the stories of the shipwrecks that lay beneath it, this event charts a course from the past to the future, shining a spotlight on why maritime heritage matters to the people, places and identity of this island.

9.30 a.m. Assemble Library events space rear of ground floor (tea/coffee is not served at beginning of the day – but is available to purchase on campus*)

10.00 – 11.00 Session 1 All at Sea: an exhibition exploring the maritime heritage of the Isle of Man and two hundred years of the RNLI - Allison Fox, Manx National Heritage

11.00 – 11.30 Coffee/tea & biscuits

11.30-12.30 Session 2 Navigating Our Way Through Unpath’d Waters – Andrew Choong Han Lin, Curator National Maritime Museum Greenwich

12.30 – 1.30 Lunch*

1.30 – 2.30 Session 3 The Peggy of Castletown: an Intact Eighteenth Century Racing Yacht Christopher Weeks, Conservation Manager, Manx National Heritage

2.30 – 3.00 Tea/coffee & biscuits

3.00 – 4.00 Session 4 The press gang in and around the Isle of Man (1750-1815) David Kneale, independent scholar

4.00p.m. Close of study day