Manx National Heritage Library

Public Information Sheet No. 6 January 2002

Maps and Plans are an invaluable source for the study of the history and development of the Island, providing information on place names, settlements, development, coastal erosion, land divisions and estates, mines railways etc.

The following is a brief guide to the collections held in the Library together with a list of sources.

Early mapping
Prior to the Ordnance Survey a number of cartographers surveyed the Island at a variety of scales and these are recorded in Early Maps of the Isle of Man by A.M. Cubbon, (available from the Museum shop). Some of these are also illustrated in a book of facsimile maps published by Shearwater Press. In addition a cartobibliography of printed maps covering the Island prepared by Frances Coakley is available in draft form for consultation in the reading room and also in abbreviated form on her web site at: www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/contrib/manx/maps.
Ordnance Survey
The Ordnance Survey was commissioned by the British Government to survey the Island and between 1866 and 1871 a series of maps was produced, at the following scales:
1:500 Douglas and Ramsey only
1:2500 Whole Island by Parish (25 inch = 1 mile)
1:10560 Whole Island (6 inch = 1 mile)
1:63360 Whole Island (1 inch = 1 mile)
There is a reference book for the 25 inch plans arranged by parish which states the acreage and landuse of each plot of land whether arable, wood, house and garden, rough pasture etc.
Unfortunately the large scale mapping was NOT revised until the 1950s and so there is no equivalent of the County Series for England with its frequent revisions. This may cause problems when charting the development of places like Douglas as the plans predate the various promenade extensions and harbour developments.
One inch scale maps were revised at intervals but at such a small scale do not show a great deal of detail.
For an account of the survey see Neely below.

Ordnance Survey current mapping

The IOM Government has responsibility for current mapping of the Island and commissions the Ordnance Survey to prepare data from ground and aerial surveys which is used to produce maps. The Government employs its own Cartographer within the Department of Local Government and Environment to whom enquiries should be made direct: Tel: (01624) 685954 Email: planning@dlge.gov.im

The mapping is as follows:

1:1,250	Major towns reviewed annually.
1:2,500	Remainder of Island reviewed annually.
1:10,000	Revised from larger scale as appropriate.
1:25000	Rights of Way North and South (reduced from 1:10,560, 7th ed 1995).
1:50000	OS Landranger sheet 95, 1998. (Copyright of Ordnance Survey).

Digital Plots Site Centred Format:

Whole Island coverage, these can be produced on a wide variety of scales and are only available at DOLGE.

N.B. The Library only holds historical mapping.

Geological Survey
This was conducted by G.W.Lamplugh between 1892 and 1897 and published at 1:10560 scale. Accompanying it is a volume of the Memoirs of the Geological Survey published in 1903.
Also available are copies of the Drift edition at 1:63360 for 1898, 1913 and 1966.
A current Drift edition (1975) at 1:50000 is published by the British Geological Survey.
A new edition is in preparation as at September 2000.
Library Ref O43
Annotated/Antiquarian maps
A hand annotated version of the 1:10560 scale Ordnance Survey of the 1860s is available in the Library with notes from research by Cubbon, Kermode, Savage, Craine, Megaw and Lamplugh. This through field observation shows archaeological sites and placenames around the Island which have not been recorded by the OS.
Goad plans
These are detailed street plans of the main shopping area of Douglas and currently cover the period from 1971 to 1999 at roughly 3 year intervals. They name the occupier of each shop unit and chart the development of the retail centre which makes them an invaluable source for students.
Reference pDG 69-77M & pDG62-64L
IOM Government, Department of Local Government and the Environment
Local Plans and Written Statements.
A series of published statements with accompanying maps have been produced in recent years by this Department.
Local Plans:
Arbory and East Rushen; Braddan Parish District; Castletown; Douglas; Foxdale; Kirk Michael; Laxey; Onchan; Peel; Port Erin; Port St Mary; Ramsey; St John’s; Sulby.
Strategic Plans:
Eastern Sector; North Eastern Sector; North Western Sector; Southern Sector; Western Sector.
Library Ref B60
Kay Plans
These were purchased by the Library in 1953 from an Architectural practice based in Athol Street, Douglas.
They consist of a series of hand coloured maps with amendments up to the 1940/50s and are based on the first large scale ordnance survey. (1:500 or 1:1250).
There are about forty sheets covering:
Castletown; Douglas; Laxey; Onchan; Peel; Port Erin and Ramsey.
N.B. There is not a complete set for each area.
Land Utilisation Survey
At 1:63360 for 1932 and 1963, based on OS map. There is also a report of the survey for 1932 updated by Norman Pye to 1939 which was published in 1941.
Abandonment Plans / Non-Coal Mines
These vitally important plans dating from the mid 19th century to c.1914, record the position of individual mine shafts and plot the geographical location of underground workings in the Isle of Man. All Abandonment Plans are held by the Library on deposit from the Health and Safety Executive, HM Inspectorate of Mines.
Soil Survey
Mapped by B.S.Kear and drawn onto the 1969 1:63360 OS Map with accompanying book.
Ref A224/37 & pXX.21.L
See also Soils of the Isle of Man by Fullen et al. Library Ref A224/78q
Woods Atlas
James Woods was a Surveyor for the Asylum Board who compiled a new Atlas and Gazeteer of the IOM, published in 1867. This consists of seventeen maps describing the Civil and Ecclesiastical boundaries of each Parish, and the boundaries of the several Baronies, freeholds and quarterlands, as well as the several farms as they were then held. It has reference tables showing proprietors of land with the manorial description and extent of land held.
Other Maps and Plans
As well as those mentioned above the Library has a collection which includes commercially published maps, archaeological site plans, nautical charts, building plans and drawings and estate maps. Mining, railway development and land divisions are some of the topics well covered in the collections.
These are listed in card indexes which are arranged by subject/place or Cartographer /Publisher.
Each card describes a map or plan and gives its size and format together with a library reference which is explained as follows:
e.g. p.BN.1.L = printed map/plan. Braddan. number 1. large sequence.
or LO.2.M = map/plan. Lonan. number 2. medium sequence.
These plans are a useful source as an alternative to OS maps for example in showing the growth of Douglas.
N.B. When looking in this index under place, remember to check under Parish.
e.g. Cronkbourne see Braddan, Cronkbourne.
Copying of Maps and Plans
Normal copyright conditions apply to maps and plans. Single copies are permitted for study and research purposes with the exception of recent Ordnance Survey maps from which we are only allowed to make one actual size A4 copy. In addition we reserve the right to refuse copying of such items should their condition mean this would cause damage to them.
Please note: we are only able to copy up to A3 size as we do not have a plan copier.

Selected Reading List

Coakley, Frances

Printed Maps of the Isle of Man 1583-1900.

(Unpublished research manuscript).

Archive Ref 9318

Cubbon, A.M.

Early Maps of the Isle of Man. (4th edition).

Douglas: M.N.H. reprinted 1994.

Library Ref A365

Fullen, M.A., Harris, J., Kear, B.S.

Soils of the Isle of Man

Douglas: Centre for Manx Studies, 1996

ISBN 1 899 338 04 7

Library Ref A224/78q

Harley, J.B.

Ordnance Survey Maps: a descriptive manual.

Southampton: Ordnance Survey, 1975.

Library Ref 526.8HAR

Kear, B.S.

The Isle of Man: Its soils and their significance.

North of England Soil Discussion Group, c.1980.

Library Ref A224/37

Lamplugh, G.W.

The Geology of the Isle of Man.

London: HMSO, 1903.

Library Ref A224

Maps of the Isle of Man 1280-1760.

Douglas: Shearwater Press, 1975.

ISBN 0 904980 00 6

Library Ref 034f

Neely, G.J.H.

Maps and Archaeology

Proceedings, vol.3, Feb 1930, pp 388-404.

In IOM Natural History & Antiquarian Society

Library Ref L6

Oliver, Richard

Ordnance Survey Maps: a concise guide for historians.

London: Charles Close Society, 1993.

ISBN 1 870598 13 X

Library Ref 526OLI

Ordnance Survey

Book of Reference to the Plans of the IOM

London: HMSO, 1868-70.

(published in 17 parts, one for each Parish)

Library Ref 0

Pye, Norman

The Land of Britain: The Report of the Land. Utilisation Survey of Britain, Part 44

Isle of Man.

London: Geographical Publications, 1941.

Library Ref F68/15

Speed, John

The Isle of Man and English Counties Anno 1610.

Douglas: Shearwater Press, 1975.

Library Ref O35f

Woods, James

A New Atlas and Gazeteer of the IOM.

London: Day & Sons, 1867.

Library Ref Counter

The Manx National Heritage Library holds a wealth of various and extensive source material. Staff at the library and throughout Manx National Heritage, are always pleased to hear from anyone with an interest in Manx history.

AGF rev. ed. 01.02