Cyril Clague
Cyril Clague was the author of the popular Manx dialect poem, The Peel Manx Tay Party.
Life
Clague was born in c.1880, the son of Henry Clague, a Douglas draper. After leaving the Douglas Higher Grade School, Clague entered the main Douglas Post Office as a probationer, where he served until transferring to Liverpool at the opening of the new General Post Office there. After about 11 years in Liverpool, he returned to the Isle of Man in 1910, when he entered the controlling staff on the Main Post Office in Douglas. He remained in this position until retiring in October 1939, having reached the retiring age limit.Whilst in Liverpool, Clague became a qualified signaller attached to the Liverpool Scottish Territorial Battalion. Upon returning to Douglas, he became honorary instructor of signalling to the Isle of Man Volunteer Battalion. At the outbreak of the First World War, Clague was called up and attached to the Royal Engineers, but was soon brought back to the Isle of Man after protestations by the Island's Head Postmaster. Throughout the rest of the war Clague was in charge of the post office at Knockaloe Internment Camp.
At the outbreak of the Second World War Clague became employed by the Military Service Division of Government Office but later joined the Food Control Division. He came to be Food Controller before falling ill in around June 1946. He died about a month later, at his home, 30 Alexandra Drive, Douglas, on Sunday 28 July 1946.