Isle of Man Newspapers

Newspapers can be very beneficial in understanding the life of an individual and in finding vital information.

History
The earliest newspapers on the Isle of Man, dating to the 1790s, contained only minimal local information. Mostly, they contained information about British affairs. Newspapers at the time contained many advertisements, as they were one of the major sources of revenue. These advertisements can be used to determine the businesses or companies began or when they changed hands. Early newspapers also did not contain any local obituaries, although death notices were sometimes included with minimal information. In the 1830s, marriages and births started to be noted in newspapers. These notices are beneficial because off-island marriages may have been included. Besides notices, court cases were also sometimes included. Beginning in the 1840s, the amount and depth of local coverage extended considerably. Details of births, marriages, and deaths in the newspapers can give more information than the parish registers, listing such things as addresses or names of family members. Marriage notices may list those who attended.

Accessing the Records
The Manx National Heritage Library and Archives has the most complete collection of Isle of Man newspapers ranging from 1792 to 1960. All have been digitized and are available on iMuseum. These newspapers require a fee to be searched; subscriptions range from one day to one year.

Findmypast ($) has one collection of newspapers (1869-1900) in Douglas, Isle of Man.

British Newspaper Archive ($) has a collection of The Isle of Man Times (1869-1900), published in Douglas, Isle of Man.