The small ante-room which is encountered on first entering the
Museum has two interesting and curious structural features. One
of these is a concealed panel, behind which may be seen an extraordinary
example of George Quayle's inventive turn of mind - his proposal
and plans for a gigantic invasion barge to transport 30,000 troops
across the English Channel to invade Napoleonic France. The other
is the unusual feature of a fireplace set into a wall beneath the
window.
In this room is a bureau from Bridge House, which formed part
of the furniture of the Quayle Bank. Many of the records of the
bank, including large numbers of its notes, were given to the Museum
by the last representatives of the family, and may now be seen on
the Manx Museum Library in Douglas. Other family papers in the Bridge
House Collection in the Library include a group which has provided
much information about the Peggy and her owner.
Enlarged photocopies of some of these are displayed in the Quayle
Room. Among them are extracts from the account book for the building
of the yacht, which details every item of expenditure, even down
to "six canvas suits for the crew,"
an Admiralty licence of 1793 authorising her to pass freely in English
ports, and a letter describing an eventful journey back from Lake
Windermere - "it blew so hard, and the
tide driving in the wind's eye gave us enough to do to keep the
water under by bailing."
The small ante-room which is encountered on first entering the
Museum has two interesting and curious structural features. One
of these is a concealed panel, behind which may be seen an extraordinary
example of George Quayle's inventive turn of mind - his proposal
and plans for a gigantic invasion barge to transport 30,000 troops
across the English Channel to invade Napoleonic France. The other
is the unusual feature of a fireplace set into a wall beneath the
window.
