Origins

The Villa Marina and surrounding grounds were originally an estate owned by George Steuart, who acquired the land in 1806. After his death the estate passed to his son, Colonel Robert Steuart,^[4] Receiver General of the Isle of Man and Customs Collector for the Port of Douglas. The estate included about 7 acres (3 hectares) and consisted of the Mansion House and offices, walled gardens, lawns, plantations and a flower garden.^[5] In addition there were a conservatory and hothouse which contained tropical plants. The Mansion House had a drawing room, dining room, two libraries, a large hall and fifteen bedrooms, and a verandah.^[6] There were kitchens, servants' hall, pantries, two cellars, a washhouse and a brewhouse. Outside there were a four-stall stable, a coach house with accommodation for three carriages, a harness room, a granary, a farm stable and piggery. The Villa Marina Estate also had a gardener's lodge.^[5]

Colonel Steuart died, aged 65, on 15 November 1832;^[7] the whole estate was then offered for sale by auction.^[5]

Joseph Dunn

The Mansion House and surrounds were bought by Joseph Dunn,^[8] uncle of two ladies, Frances and Eliza Dutton, referred to as the Misses Dutton,^[9] and were subsequently converted into a seminary boarding school under the governorship of the Misses Dutton,^[10] who moved the seminary from nearby Athol Street at the start of 1834.^[11] Joseph Dunn died in 1845, after which some of the land on the west of the estate was sold to John Crellin for development,^[12] resulting in the creation of the residential area of Derby Square and Crellin's Hill.^[13] In Spring 1854 the Villa Marina Estate was again placed on the market, with the school to vacate on the agreement of sale.^[6] However interest appears to have been non-existent until in December 1860 it was confirmed that the property was to be the home of the Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man, Francis Pigott Stainsby Conant,^[14] having taken a seven-year lease^[15] from the beginning of 1861 with a break at the end of three or five years.^[16] The Misses Dutton vacated the premises at the beginning of 1861, relocating to Parkfield Villa.^[17] After some slight alterations to the premises, the Governor took up residence in May 1861.^[14] The rent for the Villa Marina was agreed at £250 per annum or a purchase cost of £7,500.^[18]

The tenancy of Governor Pigott was short: he died on 21 January 1863. The unexpired part of the lease was then placed on the market with an option to purchase the estate and the right to purchase the house and grounds within the remaining five years of the lease.^[19]

Henry Noble

On 4 May 1863, the unexpired term of the lease was purchased by Henry Bloom Noble and John Firth for £7,750.^[20] After this,^[21] the lease on the premises was offered for tenancy. In October 1864, the tenancy was taken by William Johnson, a local publican, who turned the residence into a hotel.^[22] Various functions were held at the hotel, one being a dinner in honour of James Gell on 4 July 1866, after his appointment as Attorney General.^[23]

William Johnson relinquished his lease on the Villa Marina at the beginning of May 1868, when he retired from business.^[24] After unsuccessfully advertising the lease for continued use as a hotel, Henry Noble purchased the shares held by John Firth and set about turning the Villa Marina into his personal residence; although there was a degree of consensus at the time that the estate should have been bought and turned into a pleasure ground with a proposal put forward to raise £10,000 in £1 shares for the purchase.^[25][26][27]

After Noble's death in 1903, the Villa Marina was once again used as a home for the island's Lieutenant Governor when Lord Raglan took up residence after his appointment later that year.^[28]