A time capsule dating back to 1905 has been uncovered at the site of Ballacloan Infants’ School in Douglas.

The piece of history was uncovered by Manx Demolition during work to clear the former primary school site on Demesne Road.

The time capsule contained a copy of the Mona’s Herald and the Daily Times from the week of November 22, 1905.

The capsule also included a list of the names of the members of the education board at that time, a list of the names of the officials and of the head teachers of the several schools of the board.

In addition there was a print of the last triennial report of the board, coins of the time and a silver trowel donated by a Mr Bottomley, whose company built the school which opened in 1908.

The time capsule was laid in the ground along with a commemorative stone made of granite from Barrule when the schoolhouse was built.

In an article written in the Mona’s Herald, Mr Bottomley said: ‘In my experience, I have had to do it a great many times, but today is a somewhat unique case, because I have never had the pleasure before of asking a lady to accept a remembrance of an occasion like this, so it is an exceedingly great pleasure to me to ask Mrs Inglis to accept this silver trowel.’

Mrs Inglis was the wife of the chair of the Douglas School Board at the time, Reverend David Inglis.

She buried the time capsule and laid the stone down.

l The school site is part of the proposed Westmoreland Road Village development. See about that on pages 8 and 9 of this edition.