With the information provided by my friend, the late Robert Fyson, in New Manx Worthies, published in 2006, I thought I would take a look back at the founding editor of the Isle of Man Examiner, Samuel Keown Broadbent, who was born in Peel in 1851.

A lifelong Methodist and teetotaller, he was one of the first six pupils at Peel Wesleyan School.

At the age of 15, he left school and came to Douglas in 1866 to serve his apprenticeship as a printer with Mathew Glover.

He then spent a few years as a journeyman printer in Liverpool before returning to Douglas in 1876 and setting up in business on his own account, initially as a printer and stationer, and soon afterwards as a publisher.

In July 1880, the Examiner was launched with clearly declared intentions: the paper was committed to ‘strive to advance the cause of education, and promote temperance reforms,’ and ‘to defend and advocate the rights and liberties of nonconformists in the Isle of Man’.

It was a liberal paper, which aimed to advocate reforms and expose abuses.

These intentions were fulfilled for more than 40 years of Broadbent’s proprietorship. In the 1890s, he was able to claim that the Examiner had the largest circulation of any Manx paper.

From 1889 for about 10 years, the newspaper’s manager and acting editor was William Cubbon, later Douglas librarian, Manx Museum director, and bibliographer.

However, the overall direction of the paper, which became a limited company in 1896 or 1897, remained in the hands of Broadbent.

In the 1890s, Samuel Broadbent was at the forefront of progressive movements in the island.

Though not a socialist himself, he generously provided space in the Examiner for the advocacy of socialism by such enthusiasts as Benjamin Thomas Cormode and reported fully on the activities of the Manx Socialist Society.

He encouraged trade unionism and employed such men as J.D. Fell and J.C. Quine, printers and Douglas Trades Council leaders.

He was a keen debater and a prominent member of the Douglas Progressive Debating Society.

From 1894 to 1900, he was secretary and treasurer of the Conference of Manx Debating Societies.

At the 1897 conference, he optimistically claimed that ‘a wave of intellectual life seems to have passed over the island and left beneficial results in its wake’.

If that were so, he was himself one of those most responsible for it. He was also a keen cyclist - something that, at that time, often went hand in hand with progressive views - and was for many years president of the Ellan Vannin Cycling Club.

Broadbent was a Manx patriot, interested in the Manx language, and helped to spread interest in the language by publishing a weekly column in the Examiner in Manx.

In 1903-04, he visited Australia and New Zealand and diligently sought out friends, relations, and other Manx people in those countries. In 1911, he was the first secretary of the World Manx Association.

He was also a vice-president of the Manx Society.

Broadbent’s firm published a large number of books, including directories and guides, and in 1901, the original Manx Worthies by Arthur William Moore.

From 1891, he published the Examiner Annual, which established itself as an essential reference book for many years.

It was packed full of useful information and facts about all aspects of island life and was illustrated - at least in earlier editions - with photographs of notable Manx men and women.

I always remember a talking point being the publication of the salaries of individuals in public employment. While discussing matters previously published in the Manx papers, who remembers the routine publishing of wills, house sales, and other matters?

From 1907 to 1922, he published the Manx Quarterly (which was, in fact, published less often and less regularly, partly due to World War I), an interesting journal that republished articles from the Examiner, mixed with some original contributions, especially focusing on Manx activities overseas and the World Manx Association.

In 1903, Broadbent was on the committee that drew up the detailed programme based on a draft by Samuel Norris of the Manx National Reform League.

In October 1910, it was the Examiner that published an outspoken attack on Lord Raglan, the Governor, in the form of an open letter from the anonymous ‘X’ (No, nothing to do with Twitter!).

In 1918, the paper warmly supported the general strike over the price of bread and, recognising its broader significance, described it as ‘the most stirring experience in the island’s history’.

Broadbent was also active in other areas of public life. He stood unsuccessfully for Douglas Town Council. For 25 years, from 1899 until shortly before his death, he was a member - and for a time chairman - of the Douglas Board of Guardians, responsible for poor relief.

In 1920, he suffered a stroke and began to scale down his commitments, finally relinquishing control of the paper in 1923 to Thomas Robinson Radcliffe, whose editorial policy was less radical. In December 1924, Samuel Broadbent died aged 73 at his home, 10 Albion Terrace, Douglas.

The Mayor of Douglas said that Samuel Broadbent lived to do good to others and tried to make the world a better place than he found it.

Robert Fyson commented in his original piece that there was scope for much further research on the Examiner during the Broadbent years, but that enough was known already to make it plain that the paper provided essential support and publicity for radicals, liberals, and socialists during a crucial period of Manx history. In making that possible, Samuel Broadbent made a valuable contribution to the age in which he lived.

Valerie Cottle was the partner of the late Robert Fyson, who contributed much academic work related to our island’s social and political history, including the piece on Samuel Broadbent referred to above.

She has been involved as a much-respected serious journalist for as long as I can remember.

At some point, I may take a look back at journalists in our island, including political reporters such as Harry Bregazzi, whose verbatim reports of Tynwald proceedings were legendary.

Today, however, I wanted to mention that Valerie, together with renowned wit and entertaining Manx Radio personality Howard Caine, have combined their talents to produce a publication entitled Comic Cuttings and Quirky Quatrains, described as a collection of extremely silly poetry, or ‘pomes’, as Val calls them.

Launched in time to become a ‘must-have’ stocking filler this year, the book is available only via local charities: Beach Buddies, Crossroads, Housing Matters, and the Manx Wildlife Trust, each of which will benefit from the proceeds of the sale.

Three commercial sponsors - The Fundamentum Property Group, Cowley Groves, and Ramsey Crookall - together with about 30 individual supporters, covered the production costs.

You can choose which of the charities you wish to support by contacting them via Facebook or other more traditional methods.

Each charity has been allocated 120 books, and they are now available, so be quick.

This is not a money-making venture for Valerie and Howard, but with your support, each charity can benefit by £1,200 through the sale.

Isn’t this a perfect opportunity to help each of the charities, who individually do so much for our island?