Newsletter
Frank Cowin
2003
The 2003 winner of the Reih Bleeaney Vanannan was Mr Frank Cowin, F.R.I.C.S, who for over fifty years has been actively involved with talks and publications related to the Manx historical past.
Frank was brought up in Douglas and won a scholarship to King William’s College.
He is a member of many long-established societies with historical interests within the Island, including the Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society, the Manx Victorian Society, the Manx Family History Society, the Manx Philatelic Society and the Manx Methodist Historical Society. He has made a practice of giving talks on a range of topics to these societies and other local groups, including many of the local Heritage Societies, which have been formed in the last few years.
From about 1960 onwards his interest in encouraging young people to take up an interest in Manx Heritage was evidenced in his commitment to the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, which was followed by him acting as a leader and assessor for the scheme. Over the decades he has maintained this commitment to helping young people as evidenced by his prolonged association with the Ard Whallian youth centre in West Baldwin.
He ran three annual courses for the Liverpool University Continuing Education Department in the Island, as well as giving many local talks. Frank was also invited to lecture on Manx topics at a number of venues in Britain.
He enthusiastically qualified as a “blue-badge guide”, in which capacity he has worked for the Tourist Department in relation to many groups visiting the Island, ranging from general tourist parties to academic organisations.
In regard to publications he co-operated with Mr Gordon Kniveton in connection to a number of books in “The Manx Experience” series, and undertook much of the background research for the Manx Philatelic Society’s “Manx Year Book”. He was also the author of a number of historical papers in the “Proceedings of the Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society”.
Frank has been a member of the Natural History and Antiquarian Society for over fifty years, twice holding the role of President of the society. He was acting Secretary in that Society’s Centennial year in 1979, when among other activities he arranged three outstanding public lectures by distinguished scholars from off the Island.
An oral history interview recorded with Frank Cowin RBV in 2022 is available here.
