Records of the Isle of Man Forestry, Mines and Lands Board: Island Exploration Company Ltd. Mineralogical Survey and Prospecting Records

This fonds comprises records created and maintained by the Island Exploration Company Ltd. over the course of mineralogical survey, prospecting and drilling work undertaken on the Isle of Man (1955-1968) under licence from the Isle of Man Forestry, Mines and Lands Board. Records include:

• Copy minutes of the Island Exploration Company;
• General correspondence between the company and its specialist contractors;
• Copy Chairman annual speeches;
• Financial records, including monthly estimates and accounts;
• Technical reports and progress reports from both the company and its specialist contractors;
• Working technical maps and drawings;
• Scientific data gathered and tabulated by the company and its specialist contractors.

Island Exploration Company Ltd :

In 1953, the Isle of Man Forestry, Mines and Lands Board issued invitations to tender with a view to resurrecting the Isle of Man's mining industry. In 1954, the Board granted a licence to Ballamoda Ltd for a period of 4 years. The licence conferred the right to undertake prospecting work across the whole Island with a few named exceptions, principally the Snaefell and Old Foxdale mines (the prospecting licenses for these being held by Metalliferous Holdings Ltd.).

The Island Exploration Company Ltd. was registered with the Isle of Man Companies Registry on 28 Jul 1955. Ballamoda Ltd., with the agreement of the Isle of Man Forestry, Mines and Lands Board, assigned the prospecting licence it had secured to the Island Exploration Company Ltd. that same year. The Island Exploration Company Ltd., with the aid of various specialist contractors, undertook mapping, mineralogical survey, prospecting and drilling work between 1955-1968. The Company was formally dissolved on 14 Jun 1968.

Isle of Man Forestry, Mines and Lands Board :

In Oct 1947, Tynwald agreed to purchase all remaining Crown property on the Island for the sum of £75,000. This included Crown lands and forestry, as well as Crown minerals, quarrying, foreshores and territorial sea rights. The new Board drawing its name from the legislation which established it - The Forestry, Mines and Lands Act, 1950 - took on the responsibility for a number of functions formerly administered by HM Commissioners of Woods and Forest (restyled HM Commissioners of Crown Lands from 1 Jan 1925 by an Order in Council of the 8 Dec 1924). One of the the newly established Board responsibilities included the issuing and renewal of prospecting licenses on the Island.

The other elements of the Board's land management functions - those relating to the administration of the Common lands - were transferred from the Common Lands Board; whilst its forestry administration functions - those relating to the management of publicly owned forestry plantations on the Island - were transferred from the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries. The Board ceased to exist in 1986 when its core functions were in turn transferred to the newly created Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry was dissolved in 2010 with the majority of its core functions being vested in the newly formed Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture.

This fonds is divided into 2 series and 13 subseries, namely:

S82/1 - Island Exploration Company: scientific data

• S82/1/1 - Self potential survey field notes;
• S82/1/2 - Electromagnetic survey field notes;
• S82/1/3 - Geological resistivity survey field notes;
• S82/1/4 - Soil sampling field notes;
• S82/1/5 - Diamond drilling records;
• S82/1/6 - Aeromagnetic data;
• S82/1/7 - Specialist, technical and progress reports;
• S82/1/8 - Working field maps and drawings;
• S82/1/9 - Records index.

S82/2 - Island Exploration Company: administration and project management

• S82/2/1 - Copy minutes;
• S82/2/2 - General and project correspondence;
• S82/2/3 - Financials;
• S82/2/4 - Chairman's Annual Speeches.

This fonds is open. For information on visiting the Isle of Man Public Record Office please see our website: www.gov.im/pro .

Please see our website for catalogues: www.gov.im/pro

Fonds level description created by Gavin Rowan, IOMPRO, 4 Mar 2019.

Records selected for permanent preservation in Nov 2015, Angela Skitt, IOMPRO.

Records comprising this fonds were originally generated by the Island Exploration Company Ltd. and its specialist contractors. The records were created as a result of prospecting work undertaken (1955-1968) under a licence issued by the Isle of Man Forestry, Mines and Lands Board.

Record comprising this fonds were later consigned as a temporary transfer under section 3(8) of the Public Records Act, 1999 by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in Apr 2010. Reappraisal and selection work was conducted on the consignment in Nov 2015. Selected records were subsequently fully transferred under section 3(4) of the Public Records Act, 1999 by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture in Jan 2016.

No accruals are expected.