For a hundred years, The Scillonian magazine has kept its finger on the pulse of Scilly life and informed and entertained Scillonians and visitors alike. It is a precious part of our heritage, and an invaluable record of Scilly over the decades. Clive Mumford, synonymous with the magazine for so many years, wrote these words as an introduction for us shortly before he passed away:
"The word 'digitisation' would have meant nothing to the twin early editors of The Scillonian magazine: Carn Thomas school headmaster, Geoffrey Fyson, and the extravagantly named Chaplain of the Isles, William Lancelot Thorrel Barclay. Undoubtedly they would have been gratified that their efforts were being made so widely available. A century ago these two prominent islanders embarked upon the concept of recording in print the passage of Scillonian life. Thus was born The Scillonian magazine. Rather sniffily it announced itself as ‘The Proud Parent’ of its marine namesake, taking to the water a year later."
The Isles of Scilly Museum is very proud to present this important digitisation project, and we hope you enjoy.
First phase
At the time of launching this website, issues 1-106 (March 1925 to Midsummer 1951) are available for viewing.
This first phase of the project has been supported by an Annual Philanthropy Award from SDS Group and by a legacy left to the Isles of Scilly Museum by long-time supporter Usch Schweer.
Sponsoring an additional issue
You can sponsor the publication of an additional issue on this website by taking the following steps:
1. Go to the ‘Issues to Sponsor’ section and identify an issue that you would like to sponsor.
2. Make a note of the issue number.
3. Go to the Donate page on the Isles of Scilly Museum website.
4. Enter the correct ‘one-time’ amount depending on which issue you are looking to sponsor and whether you are eligible for Gift Aid:
· for issues 107 to 200, the cost of sponsoring is £50 per issue (or £40 if you are eligible for Gift Aid).
· for issues 201 onwards, the cost of sponsoring is £115 per issue (or £92 if you are eligible for Gift Aid)
5. Tick the ‘Write us a comment’ box and enter the issue number you would like to sponsor. If you wish, you can also enter a short message that will appear on the website next to your sponsored issue (e.g. ‘in memory of John Smith’).
6. If you are eligible, tick the Gift Aid box.
7. Click the ‘Next’ button and then follow the instructions.
The final two issues of The Scillonian magazine, numbers 298 and 299, are not available for sponsoring at the time of launching this website. They will be added at a later date to complete the archive.
May 2025