Brian Stowell

Manx disappeared as a community language on most of the Isle of Man in the late 19th century. It was a low prestige language and negative attitudes by much of the Island's population towards Manx posed significant difficulty for learners and established speakers alike:

Stowell died on 18 January 2019 after a period of ill health.

His autobiography Gaelg as Fishig: Skeeal my Vea ("Manx and Physics: The Story of my Life") was published posthumously in 2019.

In 2008, Stowell was awarded Culture Vannin's Reih Bleeaney Vanannan ("Manannan's Choice of the Year") award for outstanding contributions to Manx culture. On Tynwald Day 2010, he was awarded the Tynwald Honour, the highest honour that Tynwald can award a citizen.

He made weekly broadcasts about history and current events on long-running, bilingual Manx Radio programme Moghrey Jedoonee for over 20 years. In March 2006 Stowell's Dunveryssyn yn Tooder-Folley ("The Vampire Murders"), the first recorded full-length novel in Manx, was published despite the small numbers who could read fluently in Manx:

The allocation of increased funding for the Manx language and the passing of the 2001 Education Act that allowed for the Manx language and history to be taught on the island's school which in turn caused a shift in attitudes towards the language:

He gained a PhD in applied physics while lecturing at Liverpool John Moores University and became head of department. While lecturing in Liverpool, he taught Manx to Phil Gawne and Adrian Cain, who would both later hold the position of Manx Language Officer after Stowell was appointed in 1991.

Stowell was appointed Manx Language Officer in 1991 and returned to the Isle of Man permanently with his family the same year.

In 1990, Stowell published Contoyrtyssyn Ealish ayns Çheer ny Yindyssyn, his translation into Manx of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Stowell's first marriage broke down in the mid-1970s and he married his second wife Julia Berney in 1982, with whom he had two girls.

In 1955 Stowell moved to Liverpool to study physics at the University of Liverpool. He met Pat Price, who became his first wife and mother to his two eldest children. After graduation Stowell worked as a physics teacher in a secondary school in Liverpool which he hated.

Stowell was inspired to start learning Manx after he read an article written by Doug Fargher passionately defending the Manx language in 1953. Stowell described himself as being "only dimly aware" before reading this article that there was a language other than English spoken on the Isle of Man. While still a student of Douglas High School for Boys he began attending lessons taught by Leslie Quirk, who introduced Stowell to Fargher, and in turn to other members of Yn Çheshaght Ghailckagh such as Walter Clarke and Bill Radcliffe. During this period he accompanied Fargher and other members of Yn Çheshaght Ghailckagh as they recorded the remaining elderly native speakers. He spent his weekends, meeting in Fargher's office in Douglas and conversing only in Manx. After about nine months he became fluent.

Thomas Brian Stowell RBV TH (6 September 1936 – 18 January 2019) also known as Brian Mac Stoyll was a Manx radio personality, linguist, physicist and author. He was formerly Yn Lhaihder ("The Reader") to the Parliament of the Isle of Man, Tynwald. He is considered one of the primary people behind the revival of the Manx language.

Stowell was born in Douglas, Isle of Man on 6 September 1936 to Caroline (née Stothard) and Tommy Stowell. His mother's maternal grandparents were native Manx speakers, although they did not pass the language on to their children. He attended Murray's Road Junior School before attending Douglas High School for Boys, where he excelled academically.