Crowd Funding Appeal for New York Memorial to a Manxman is supported by President of Tynwald

News From The Celtic League

A 4-week £4,000 crowd-funding initiative is being led by author Bob Stimpson and the US and Manx descendants of William Kennish. Running until 28th December, raising funds to place a memorial in New York made from Manx Granite, the initiative has been endorsed by Hon Clare Christian MLC, President of Tynwald, the Isle of Man government.

“William Kennish was a multi-talented Manxman whose story was known only to a few. Fortunately, the excellent book about his life by Robert Stimpson and the naming of the William Kennish Engineering wing of the Isle of Man college have done much to increase awareness of his inventions and other achievements.

However, I am sure it is not generally known that his burial place remains unmarked in a New York Cemetery. I hope as many people as possible will support Mr Stimpson’s initiative to install a Manx Granite Memorial at the final resting place of this extraordinary man.” Hon Clare Christian MLC

William Kennish was born on the Isle of Man and was a Victorian Royal Navy explorer, inventor, poet and engineer who lived from 1799 to 1862. This Manxman found the first route linking the Pacific to the Atlantic which did not require locks, and also invented the first “Gun commander” system in 1828 for concentrating the fire of a broadside of a ship of war. His son William Jr was the supervisor for the construction of the plinth to the Statue of Liberty, so he too had a major contribution to historical events.

In 2014 the Isle of Man Department of Education and children named their new £4.8m ($6.5m) Engineering Training Centre after William Kennish, and he was also featured on Panama Canal commemorative stamps issued in August 2014 by the Isle of Man Post Office.

We believe this great explorer, engineer and poet should be recognised where he lays in New York. We are running this activity (together with his descendants) to fund a Manx Granite headstone to be installed on his final resting place - an unmarked grave in Green Wood Cemetery, New York.

I trust all true Manxmen and those that love the Isle of Man will support this worthwhile endeavour." 
Mr Bernard Moffatt, Director of Information, The Celtic League

The public are being encouraged to help with the fund-raising by visiting the web site www.william-kennish.com/wkm because the project is an “All or Nothing” crowd-funding event. All of the target £4,000 must be pledged to allow the funds to be taken up, otherwise the project will not happen.

Website: http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/william-kennish-memorial