Archibald Knox bought a property in Sulby at the very end of 1901 and it is believed he moved in during May 1902.
He stayed there until Spetember 1905 when he left abruptly as he was told that he had to pay an outstanding £300 charge on the property which had been left unpaid by the vendor in 1901,
Knox's time in Sulby was very fruitful for he produced the designs for Liberty's pewter "Tudric" range there from 1902 to 1905,
The house and studio were rebuilt in the 1940s but the original foundations and shape of the buildings were retained.
Below are some facts and photographs that give a glimpse of life in Sulby and how villagers interacted with Knox in the 3 years+ he spent there.
Other facts are that Knox was on the Board of trustees for Lezayre school. He helped reopen the Sulby reading room as shown below in the extract from the Isle of Man Examiner 30 September 1905.
Knox worshipped at St Stephen's church when he lived in Sulby and he made a present of a communion dish, that he designed and had made by Liberty & Co., to the church in 1904.
Extract of title dated 27 December 1901 and registered 11 February 1902
The small plan at the top of the extract showing far left where Mill Race Cottage is now.
The other parts show the studio on the left and the house on the right.
The postcard photograph on the left/above was posted in 1904 but the photograph was probably taken in 1902 or earlier.
The buidings in the foreground on the left are Knox's studio and house; now called Brookville and Brookdale.
About 50 metres further down on the same side of the road is Kella Mill which Knox painted in watercolour. Two of the watercolours Knox painted of it are now in the Manx Museum.
The building in the foreground on the right was the post and telegraph office as the sign on the wall says. The house is now called Harbor Springs and the QR code is on the wall behind where the gentlemen are standing.
Out of shot and to the left of Knox's studio and house was a field. This is now the grounds of Mill Race Cottage. Knox planted marigolds on the half acre plot and in a letter he wrote to T Quayle, the stonecutter in Douglas, saying "Come and see my half acre of gold." We are grateful to Alan E Kelly, Mannin Collections Limited, 2017 for this information.
The red sandstone plaque on the left/above was designed by Knox and is easily seen on the wall between Brookville and Brookdale.
It commemorates the visit of King Edward VII and his family on 25 August 1902. The stone reads as follows: Their majesties King Edward VII Queen Alexandra and her Roysl Highness Princess Victoria passed through this Kella Abbey Quarter XXV VIII MCMII
Contemporary newspaper reports state that the plaque was put in place on the wall between Knox's studio and house in February 1903.
As the plaque does not appear in the 1904 postcard the photograph must have been taken before that date.
Mrs. Kinrade(née Miss Quayle), was A.K.’s housekeeper and lived in a cottage opposite Kella Mill.
Next door to her lived Mr and Mrs Corlett (please see below).
A photograph taken in 1945 with Mrs Kinrade in the middle of the back row.
A photograph of John Robert Corlett in 1899.
The photograph opposite/above shows John Corlett in 1899. He was a carpenter/joiner and carried out work on Knox's house and studio in 1902 before Knox moved in.
He continued to do work for Knox and we have extracts from his work book showing what work and what he charged.
We are grateful to Liz Evans, the granddaughter of Mr Corlett for the information and images of the work book and also for the photograph above showing members of her family and Mrs Kinrade on 24 June 1945.
Extract from Isle of Man Examiner re the Reading Room in Sulby.
St Stephen's Church Sulby approximately 300 metres from Knox's house
on the same side of the road on the road to Ballaugh.
Watercolour of Kella Mill by Archibald Knox, August 1903.
A second watercolour of Kella Mill by Knox in August 1903.
Different light and shade.