CORRIN TOWER AND GRAVES
Built on the highest point of Knockaloe Beg, the home since 1750 of the Corrin family. A solid square building, 50 feet high. The stone came from a nearby quarry, and the limestone blocks and coping stones from the South of the Island. It was built in 1806 by Thomas Corrin of Knockaloe Beg, following the death of his wife Alice and her unborn child. There are strong indications that Alice and another child Christian aged 3 years, are buried in the adjacent burial ground and also Thomas Corrin himself.
The interior of the Tower has four chambers. The ground floor is mostly taken up by a square pillar which runs to the top forming the distinctive pinnacle, at which point it assumes a round shape. The flat roof is surrounded by a wall 4 feet high. Narrow stairs lead upward through a square aperture, and so to each floor in turn. Narrow window lights in floors 2, 3 and 4 have been blocked up. There is a fireplace on the third floor, and Thomas Corrin spent many hours reading there. The light from the candles or lamp he used could be seen out at sea and on occasions was mistaken for the light on Peel breakwater, and following complaints from the
Governor he had to seal up the windows on the South and West elevations.
In the tower there are various inscribed memorial stones, some still lying on the floor. One is to Philip Corrin, son of John Corrin of Colby, who purchased the farm Knockaloe Beg from
Charles Wattleworth in 1750, and who died in 1776. Another to Jane his wife, Robert his son, whose son Thomas built the Tower, and Isabella, Thomas Corrin's mother. Also a memorial stone to Alice Corrin, wife of Thomas Corrin who died in 1806 aged 33 years.
The Burial Ground is ninety feet from the Tower and here lie the remains of Thomas, his wife
Alice and two of his children. Originally the plot was surrounded by a sod hedge, but because of continual damage it was replaced by a stone wall. This is now suffering similar damage, and it seems to be impossible to persuade any Peel builders to undertake the work. The Tower also suffers damage although warning notices are erected. At the North and South stand two stone built pillars, with spherical block on the top and 4 other smaller pillars indicating the bounds of the enclosure.
On one of the large pillars or obelisks is the inscription CORRIN'S PILLAR 1840. On the other the inscription on each of four sides reads 'CORRIN'S PILLAR 1839, THIS MOUND AND
WITHIN THE ENCLOSURE UPON ITS TOP REST THE REMAINS OF ALICE CORRIN AND
HER TWO BELOVED CHILDREN. THIS PILLAR, TOWER, AND MOUND WAS ERECTED
BY THOMAS CORRIN TO PERPETUATE HER MEMORY UNTIL REUNITED BY THE
POWER OF GOD'
Thomas Corrin was a dissenter from the established church. He was in fact, a founder member of the Congregational Church and was one of a group who built the first
Congregational Church in the Isle of Man in Athol Street, Douglas, which in due time moved to
Finch Hill.
Each Sunday he drove to Douglas to worship and teach in the Sunday School. His strongest belief was that he should be buried outside the Established Church by his own minister.
When his wife died, he buried her on the highest point of his land and also the daughter
Christian. He then built the Tower in her memory and to perpetuate the Corrin family name.
Thomas Corrin was afraid his son Robert, who was an Anglican by persuasion, would not keep the Tower and graves in repair. He therefore offered it to the Governor as a landmark for ever. Eventually the Tower was conveyed to Trinity House who agreed to keep it in repair and it was used for coast watching from 1836 to the late 1920s, and the Coastguard Houses

on Knockaloe Beg land were built. When the present Coastguard Station and houses were built in Peel, Trinity House had no further use for the Tower and it was conveyed back to the
Corrin Trustees, who are now reponsible for its maintenance. During his life time Thomas
Corrin spent a great deal of time caring for the burial ground, and complained bitterly about people trampling down hedges.
Because Thomas did not believe that his son Robert, a practicing Anglican, would allow him to be buried outside a consecrated Angical Burial Ground, he arranged with some friends prior to his death in 1845 that they should see that his body was placed in the grave on Corrin Tower
Burial Ground with his wife. However, the story goes that his friends carried out his wish after dark but for various alleged reasons failed to complete their task by daylight, so they hid the coffin in some gorse bushes and completed the exercise the following night.
The family duly heard about this and had the reverse action carried out and the coffin was returned to Patrick Churchyard. This had also been anticipated by Thomas but this time the friends placed the coffin in a secret cellar in Knockaloe Beg Farmhouse, where it remained until both sides reached an agreement which resulted in the Bishop consecrating the burial ground on the Hill. So Thomas Corrin finally got only part of his wish, he was buried in the
Corrin Burial ground with his wife and children but not outside the jurisdiction of the
Established Church.
Thomas Corrin apparently had only one son Robert who succeeded Thomas in Knockaloe
Beg Farm and also became a shop owner and later played an important role in the development of Peel fishing industry, building a net factory and bawlking yard and provided the subsequent wealth of the Corrin family. Also provided funds for Corrin Hall and Corrin
Memorial Home.
Robert Corrin had 3 sons and 3 daughters.
John George JP who lived at the Raggatt died in 1919
Robert Wattleworth who lived at Raglan House died in 1920
Thomas Caesar who lived at Knockaloe Beg died in 1932
Alice Elizabeth who lived at Glenfaba House died in 1935
Elinor Mary who lived at Glenfaba House died in 1921
Katherine who lived at Glenfaba House died in 1936
None of the family married.