A Short History of Onchan

It involved every able bodied man between the ages of twenty and sixty in each parish having to take his turn of being on duty rather like a coastguard watching the sea. The first written reference to this being in 1417 when the Deemsters declared the penalties for not undertaking such duties. For failing to attend for three nights then life and limb were to be given up! In the daytime a man was positioned on the top of what is now the King Edward Bay Golf Course but then simply known as the Howe or Balnahow. (Howstrake comes from the Scandinavian Hawestrake meaning headland track).

At night of course it wasn’t possible to see ships out to sea so the man on duty moved to Port Conchan or by its modern day titles Onchan Harbour or Happy Valley. This is the creek between the new Majestic Apartments and the Douglas Bay Apartments. Here a ship could be seen or heard if it approached this sheltered bay and as with the day watch a beacon would be lit on the top of the Howe passing on the warning message to the man on duty in the adjoining parishes on coast promontories who would light their fires to warn of the invasion.

Onchan Harbour with
White City Amusement
Arcade above

Larger Image

As for law and order, much was done by the church and the church courts who issued fines and penalties for failing to attend church on Sundays or using bad language and the likes. More serious matters made their way to the court at Castle Rushen as a follow on to the Sheading Courts. Later of course there was a court in Douglas erected just at the end of the eighteenth century on the landward end of the Red Pier and having its own lock up underneath.