Isle of Man historic shipwrecks commemorated on stamps

A new commemorative set of stamps is set to highlight several significant shipwrecks off the Manx coast.

The six-stamp collection features illustrations of the disasters, which span 500 years.

It coincides with the 200th anniversary of the wreck of HMS Racehorse off rocks at Langness in December 1822.

Maxine Cannon, of Isle of Man Stamps and Coins, said the shipwrecks were chosen for their "historical importance and fascinating backstories".

It was thought the wreck HMS Racehorse, which saw six of the vessel's crew and three rescuers from Castletown drowned, partly inspired Sir William Hillary to establish the RNLI.

An exhibition marking the anniversary of the disaster and featuring artefacts recovered from wreck was set to go on display in the town in December.

While four of designs were based on images from the archives of Manx National Heritage, two were original paintings by artist Paul Parker.

The collection also includes the Brig Lily, which had been sailing from Liverpool to Africa with a cargo that included gunpowder, when shipwrecked at Kitterland in stormy weather in December 1852.

While the shipwreck itself saw five men die, an explosion during the salvage operation killed 29 local men.

Maritime historian Adrian Corkill, who helped to compile the collection, said: "Many hundreds of ships have met their final fate around the coast of the Isle of Man.

"The Island's central location in the Irish Sea and proximity to major shipping routes have been factors in centuries of losses."

The Parache Sancta Catalina, wrecked off Spanish Head in 1588, and the Barque Thorne, which was driven on to rocks at Pork Jack in 1890, were also illustrated in the collection.

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