The small ante-room which is encountered on first entering in ancient capital of Isle of man has two It has interesting and curious structural features. One of these is a concealed panel, behind which may be seen an extraordinary example of George Quayle’s inventive turn of mind – his proposal and plans for a gigantic invasion barge to transport 30,000 troops across the English Channel to invade Napoleonic France. The other is the unusual feature of a fireplace set into a wall beneath the window.

In this room is a bureau from Bridge House, which formed part of the furniture of the Quayle Bank. Many of the records of the bank, including large numbers of its notes, were given to the Museum by the last representatives of the family, and may now be seen on the Manx Museum Library in Douglas. Other family papers in the Bridge House Collection in the Library include a group which has provided much information about the Peggy and her owner.

Enlarged photocopies of some of these are displayed in the Quayle Room. Among them are extracts from the account book for the building of the yacht, which details every item of expenditure, even down to “six canvas suits for the crew,” an Admiralty licence of 1793 authorising her to pass freely in English ports, and a letter describing an eventful journey back from Lake Windermere – “it blew so hard, and the tide driving in the wind’s eye gave us enough to do to keep the water under by bailing.”