Sources

Where the facts come from

Every factual claim on this site links to its source. This is the full list.

How we checked

Each fact was written in our own words alongside its source. Our build script stores the text of every source and, for each fact, checks that the key words and figures really appear in it. 119 of 119 checks passed when this site was last built (13 November 2026). Where we couldn’t find a named source saying something, we left it out. Where good sources disagree, we say so and give both.

Where sources differ

When she was built. 1789 (Manx National Heritage; National Historic Ships UK’s significance notes; castletown.org.im) or 1791 (Dr Basil Greenhill’s 1967 conclusion, reported by National Historic Ships UK). The family had three similar boats between 1789 and 1793, two of them called Peggy.
George Quayle’s birth year. 1757 (Manx National Heritage) or 1751 (National Historic Ships UK).
When she was laid up. About 1810 to 1815 (Manx National Heritage, 2021), in her cellar since the early 1800s (the same document), or hauled up after Quayle died in 1835 and walled in in 1851 (National Historic Ships UK key dates).
When she was found. 1935 (National Historic Ships UK, main text) or 1941 (the same page’s key dates). One local history page prints the year as “195”, a typing slip.
How she came to the museum. Presented to the Manx Museum in 1941 when Bridge House was sold (National Historic Ships UK) or bequeathed to the Manx nation in June 1942 (Manx National Heritage, 2021).
Repairs before the museum opened. The late 1940s (National Historic Ships UK) or not possible until 1950 (castletown.org.im).
Her guns. Six small swivels and six fowling pieces on her 1793 licence; eight small cannon today.
Her record. The oldest surviving schooner in the world, the earliest surviving schooner, or one of the oldest surviving pleasure yachts in the world, depending on the Manx National Heritage page.

How we checked

Where sources differ

All sources (10)