A campaign to give a Manx explorer, inventor and poet a memorial headstone at the site of his unmarked grave in New York has won fresh support.

Manxman William Kennish was born on the Isle of Man in 1799 and despite humble beginnings went on to lead an extraordinary life that crossed continents and oceans – but for many years was largely forgotten after his death in 1862.

Among his many achievements, Kennish invented a system to improve the aiming of naval artillery while in the service of the Royal Navy and helped map a route for the Panama Canal and surveyed gold-bearing land in Colombia. He also become a noted poet and campaigned for safer Manx harbours, before emigrating to America in 1849.

Kennish’s son, also called William, went on to play a key role in the building of the Statue of Liberty in New York as the chief inspector of the concrete structure of the base for the world-famous landmark in 1885.

A campaign to give the older William Kennish a proper Manx memorial at his final resting place by preparing local island granite and then shipping it to the Green Wood cemetery in New York has been ongoing, and has now been backed by Rossborough Insurance. It will add to the memorial plaque in Maughold, the Manx village where Kennish was born, and the William Kennish engineering centre in Douglas.

The Isle of Man insurance broker has set up a trustee liability policy to support the William Kennish Memorial Trust in its efforts to have the memorial, funded entirely by donations, in place ready for the anniversary of Kennish’s death on 19th March 2017.

‘William Kennish has been called “Manninagh Dooie”, Manx Gaelic for True Manxman and it’s right that his considerable achievements should be recognised today and that he is given a Manx granite memorial at his final resting place. Rossborough is proud to be helping these efforts,’ said Tim Rattray, managing director of Rossborough Insurance in the Isle of Man.

Author Robert Stimpson, who has established the William Kennish Memorial Trust with Kennish Manx-born descendent, sportsman and TT commentator Roy Moore, said: ‘We’re delighted that Rossborough is supporting efforts to have a memorial to William Kennish in place in time for the 155th anniversary of his death. He was an extraordinary man and deserves to be recognised today at his final resting place.’

You can find out more information about the appeal and the work of the trust at www.william-kennish.com/donate.

- Ends -