The Rushen Abbey mystery motor - part 2

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Let’s go back to Rushen Abbey on the Isle of Man once again. We were there last week with a bit of a mystery (click here). That car was a Mors of around 1907, or so you told us, although we also came across a Delaunay-Belleville Tourer in the replies that we received.

But the location of Rushen Abbey itself gave room for speculation, too. Nick Simpson wrote: “Perhaps the rear body had been fitted for domestic use such as trips to the railway station to fetch Le Monsieur on a winter’s day? Just look at the mud all over the car and particularly the rear wheels…” David Green thought similarly: “I suggest the management kept the Mors, complete with chauffeuse, for running guests to Ballasalla station, or possibly Douglas (about 10km away).”

We also liked David Grimstead’s theory: “If perhaps this Mors model could have been on the IoM, in 1905, when reportedly 'the number of cars owned by islanders could be counted on the fingers of one hand', there can’t have been many local woman members of the Manx Automobile Club. However, that year saw an influx of private car drivers, including one well-known competitive chauffeuse: Miss Victoria Godwin…”

This week’s Rushen Abbey photograph is believed to have been shot in 1925 or 1926 by which time there must have been quite a lot more motor cars on the island. And again we see a lady behind the steering wheel! Other than the photographer, the names of the people seen in it are known and they all seem to have come from the island itself, with the driver being Mrs Alice Mylroie. Over to you for filling in the details of this lovely vehicle…

Words by Jeroen Booij. Picture courtesy of Manx National Heritage.

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