The visit to Douglas with the Isle of Man Natural History amd Antiquarian Society visited 9 sites of Knox interest in the following order:-

a) The site of William Knox’s engineering works on South Quay and The Bridge plus the site of the family residences on South Quay between them living in Cronkbourne Village and 70 Athol Street.

b) St. Matthew’s Church where Knox worshipped, was a sidesperson and had his favourite seat. We will see the War Memorial and noticeboard designed by Knox.

c) The site of the Old St Matthew’s Church/Chapel which was demolished in 1899/1900. Knox made sketches and paintings of the old church and the market area.

d) The site of St Barnabas Elementary School where Knox attended.

e) The site of 70 Athol Street and the blue plaque erected in Knox’s honour in 2014 (the 150th anniversary of his birth). The Archibald Knox Society and Liam O’Neill deserves much credit for this.

f) To Loch Promenade to get some idea of where Governor and Lady Loch sponsored the 1880 Art Exhibition to raise funds for an Art School on the Island. A temporary building for the exhibition (which was a failure) became the first Douglas Art School. Knox studied there and was a pupil/teacher of drawing from the age of 16.

g) The sunken garden set up for Knox by the Borough Council and The Archibald Knox Society in 2014. The flowers are arranged to give an idea of the colours and interwoven form of Knox’s designs. Paving stones with golden shapes of some of his designs have been added since 2014. Again Liam O’Neill deserves much credit for this feature existing.

h) The site of The Douglas Grammar School that Knox attended.

i) The Douglas School of Art’s permanent home in Kensington Road. Set up in 1884 this is where Knox also studied and taught. I have a wonderful photograph of Archibald Knox, Peter Chisholm and some of the young lady students outside the school in about 1930.