Bringing Old Belfast To The New

Castle Place in 1900

£1.50

ONLY

7

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A horse getting a drink of water from

the trough at the junction of Comber

Place and the Crumlin Road. 1925

The old Recorders Court. 1927

Hewitt Brothers, Sandy Row. 1924

Glenravel Local History Project

There is perhaps no more fruitful for of education than toarouse the interest of a people in their own surroundings

These words were written by Richard Livingstone and appeared in a bookby Alfred Moore called Old Belfast over fifty years ago. Looking back itshard to imagine that they are as true today as they were way back then. Moreand more people are becoming interested in the history of Belfast and it wasout of this that the Glenravel Local History Project were born in May 1991.Many could be forgiven for assuming that this name derived from thefamous Glens in Co. Antrim and they would be right but in a roundaboutway. Glenravel Street was situated directly behind in the old Poorhouse onNorth Queen Street and contained quite a few beautiful and historicbuildings. One of these buildings was situated at its junction with CliftonStreet and although it was officially known as the Ulster Ear, Eye and ThroatHospital it was known to most people as the Benn Hospital. This was dueto the fact that it was built by Edward Benn (brother of the famousVictorian Belfast historian George). Mr Benn lived in the Glens of Antrimwhere Glenravel is situated. Although Glenravel Street contained all thishistory the street itself was totally obliterated to clear the way for themodern Westlink motorway system leaving us to question schemes such ashistorical areas of importance as well as buildings.The Glenravel Project was established by local historians Joe Baker andMichael Liggett and has now went on to become the main local historicalgroup in the whole of Belfast. Over three hundred publications have beenpublished by the group as well and several web sites, DVDs and countlessnewspaper and magazine articles. The Project also conducts severalwalking tours ranging from the Belfast Blitz right through to a walkingtour of the historic Cavehill area. One of these tours is also around thehistoric Clifton Street Burying Ground which is also situated behind theold Poorhouse and which was opened by them in the mid 1790s. Althoughour original aim was the historical promotion of this site we have now wenton to cover the whole of Belfast as well as assist numerous local historicalschemes far beyond our city’s boundaries. This magazine is now ourmain focus for the local and factual history of Belfast and we welcome allarticles of interest relating to the history of our city. And our aim:-

To secure a future for our past

5 Churchill Street,Belfast. BT15 2BP

028 9020 2100028 9074 2255

028 9035 1326

glenravel@ashtoncentre.com

www.glenravel.com

33333

In our previous magazines we began a new series

looking at life in Victorian Belfast as it was reported

in the local press. Then we looked at January and

February 1870 and in this issue we’ll continue by

looking at March and April of the same year. In

March 1870, in the early hours of Sunday morning,

a respectably dressed man was observed to denude

himself of the greater part of his clothing, and walk

up and down the quay at Prince’s Dock in an excited

manner. As it was considered the man intended to

throw himself into the water, the police were called

and he was taken to the Police Office.

In the Police Court Owen Jones, a Welsh sailor, was

returned for trial to the Recorder’s Court, charged

with having maliciously assaulted Daniel Galley, a

sail-maker, of Nelson Street, on board a vessel at

the quay, by biting off a portion of his nose, cheek

and ear.

MISSING FACE PARTS, A SHOT BULLOCK AND

THE EXCESSIVE USE OF ARDENT SPIRITS!

More From The Victorian Belfast NewspapersCatherine Power and Alice Goodwin were both

sentenced to a month’s imprisonment for having

stolen the sum of £40 from the person of John

Jackson, a commercial traveller.

Thomas Bateson was admitted to bail to stand his

trial at the Assizes, charged with having caused the

death of William Carson, by having carelessly

driven a van over him.

In April, 1870 the depot, comprising 150 men of

the 2nd battalion of the 18th (Royal Irish) Regiment,

arrived in Belfast from Cork by the train due from

Dublin at a quarter to four o’clock. They were met

at the corner of Queen Street and Wellington Place

by the band of the regiment.

An explosion of gas took place in the house of Mr.

William Bradshaw, Combermere Street. It appears

that an escape took place from the metre. The

explosion occurred in the parlour while Mr.

The General Hospital which stood in Frederick Street. This soon after became the Royal Hospital and later

the Royal Victoria Hospital when it moved to the Falls Road.

44444

Bradshaw was reading. He was severely injured

around the face and upper body and was in a critical

condition. Considerable damage was also done to

the house.

A man named James Connolly, resident of the

Malone Road, fell into the Blackstaff at Cromac

Street Bridge on his way home. Sub-Constable

William Barclay rescued him from the river. He was

almost half-drowned when he was rescued; however

he recovered once restoratives were applied.

Some maliciously disposed person placed a large

piece of iron in the centre of one of the rails of the

bridge at the Central Railway, which crosses the part

of Ballymacarrett known as the ‘Sands’. An engine

and wagons passed over the iron but thankfully were

not derailed as the wagons were stopped before

coming into contact with the iron. The police began

inquiries immediately.

A fire broke out in three houses in Moscow Street,

Shankill Road occupied respectively by Mr. Francis

C. Skelly, Mr. Charles Macpherson, and Mr,

Branagh. Upon the arrival of the fire brigade

however, it was discovered that roofs of the houses

were completely

burned out and that the end house, Mr. Skelly’s, was

completely gutted. Only for the exertions of the

brigade the entire row would have been destroyed.

A fire occurred at 16 Cranbourne Street, the private

residence of Mr. John Corbett, watchmaker, of York

Street. His wife and two children

were in the house at the time with him and were it

not for his timely discovery of the fire, it seems the

whole family would have been suffocated. With the

help of many others, they managed to get the fire

under control by the time the fire brigade arrived.

Several companies of the 18th Royal Irish arrived

in Belfast by the mid-day train from Dublin, to join

the headquarters of the right wing in Belfast. The

soldiers were accompanied to the barracks by the

band of the regiment, who played several airs on

the route.

An employee of the Ulster railway discovered a man

lying across the rails a short distance from the station

shortly before the arrival of the express train from

Dublin. The man was taken to the Police Office

where he claimed to be Benjamin Disraeli. It was

soon ascertained that he was George Preston, a

shoemaker from London, who had been confined

in Bethnal Green Asylum, London, some time

before. The magistrates at the Belfast Police Court

ordered him to be taken to the Workhouse.

An inquest was held in the Morgue, Police Square,

on the body of Robert Lindsay, aged eighteen,

engaged as an ordinary seaman on board the ship

Lammergier, lying at Clarendon Dock, and who fell

from the rigging of the vessel onto the deck. The

jury returned a verdict of accidental death.

A young bull attracted much attention among the

cattle bought in Saintfield fair, due to his bad

behaviour. Despite all efforts to capture him, he

succeeded in breaking away from the herds, and ran

wildly along the railway line so far as the Conns

Water Bridge. On finding that there was no use in

attempting to capture the animal, the men who had

gathered decided to shoot him.

An inquest was held in the General Hospital on the

body of a man named Alexander Eagle, of Sandy

Row, who died allegedly from accidental poisoning.

The deceased had been labouring under disease of

the heart, the right lung, and liver. After hearing the

evidence relating to the post mortem examination,

the jury returned the following verdict: ‘death from

natural causes, hastened by the excessive use of

ardent spirits’.

An inquest was held in Mrs. Heron’s public house,

Ballymacarrett, on the body of a woman named

Mary Ann Wainwright, of Church Street,

Ballymacarrett, who died a few hours after her

confinement. The jury returned a verdict saying that

no blame could be attached to any person in

attendance at the time of her confinement.

55555

The remains of Wilton’s Funeral Parlour,

Crumlin Road, after it was destroyed during the

Luftwaffe Blitz on Belfast in April 1941

66666

A sad and distressing event

took place in Kent Street,

off Royal Avenue in Belfast in

February 1925.

Alexander McEwan aged 28

and his wife Minnie aged 21

had been married for 13 weeks.

During the time of their short

marriage Alexander had lost

his job, had become depressed

and thought that he was going

to have to go back to sea. He

had served five years in the

Navy, his last ship being the

Research. His naval discharge

Grim Belfast TragedyElaine Hogg

papers certified him as a man

of good character but he had a

rather nervous temperament

after his experiences in World

War One.

When Alexander lost his job

the couple were living in good

accommodation in Samuel

Street, which ran from

Winetavern Street to Millfield.

McEwan was so distressed by

losing his job that he tried to

kill himself by gassing himself

but he was saved, arrested and

remanded on a small bail.

After his attempt at suicide the

couple became homeless and

at the height of their stress they

met up with a Patrick O’Rorke,

who was one of life’s true good

Samaritans. O’Rorke was a

man of great generosity and his

wife knew Minnie McEwan

from when they were children.

He offered to share his humble

home in Kent Street with the

couple and the McEwan's

gratefully accepted. The

couple slept in the kitchen of

the house in an improvised bed

make up of a couch with chairs

placed alongside it.

Also living in the house in

Kent Street were the Walsh

family made up of Mrs Walsh

and her four children. They all

slept upstairs and the O’Rorke

couple slept in a room off the

kitchen, with their children.

In the early hours of that fateful

morning Mr O’Rorke awoke

when he heard someone

coming into his room. In the

darkness he could just make

out the shape of a woman

slowly making her way over to

his bed. One of the woman’s

hands was clutching her throat

and the other reached out andThe house where the tragedy took place. X marks the window of

the kitchen where the ill-fated couple slept

77777

touched Patrick’s wife and a

husky murmur could be heard.

Mr and Mrs O’Rorke jumped

form their bed and went after

the figure that they now

realised was Minnie McEwan

as she passed from their room

in to the lighted kitchen. As

Minnie walked back to the

kitchen she slipped and fell

back to the ground, dead. The

O'Rorkes could see clearly

now that Minnie’s throat had

been cut, from ear to ear, and

they were also horrified to

discover that Minnie had

slipped in her bare feet in a

pool of her own blood, which

covered the kitchen floor.

It was obvious with the amount

of blood on the floor that

Minnie was already dead and

Patrick O’Rorke looked to see

where her husband, Alexander,

Crowds gather in Kent Street after news of the tragedy spread

had got to. He found

Alexander in the corner of the

room hacking at his own throat

with a razor. Patrick grabbed

the razor from his hand but it

was too late, Alexander had

already cut deep enough into

his own throat to cause fatal

damage. The blood spurted

from his throat and before the

police came to the house

Alexander was dead. The

arrival of the police awoke the

O’Rorke children and the

Walsh family who had slept

through the whole thing.

At the inquest into the death of

the tragic couple the text of a

letter written by Alexander

McEwan was read out:

Dear friends, - do not think I

am daft or mad by doing this,

as I am drove to it by my

nerves, which I got in the war,

and I think it fair for the

Government to grant my son a

pension in respects to his

daddy. So I kindly wish all

goodbye.

The story of the last few days

of the McEwans life was also

reported to the coroner and it

would have brought a tear to

anyone’s eyes. Living on the

charity of a mere acquaintance

sat hard with Alexander. He

moped about and was very

downhearted and O’Rorke and

his friend Pat Curry tried very

hard to liven him up while Mrs

O’Rorke sought to cheer up

her girlhood friend, Minnie.

The men took the husband out

round the city for walks and

tried to talk him into happiness

by hoping for better times.

O’Rorke told McEwan that he

could get a war pension to tide

him over and told him that he

could stay with him for as long

88888

as he needed. He also offered

him furniture for when he

found somewhere else to live.

O’Rorke took everyone to the

cinema to cheer them all up

and everyone seemed much

happier the day before the

couple died. The McEwan’s

were described as being a

devoted couple, very

affectionate and they never

argued.

The inquest concluded that

Alexander McEwan had killed

his wife and then killed himself

Alexander McEwan Mrs McEwan

while of unsound mind. It was

a sudden act of insanity which

changed the lives of all those

who knew them.

Early one Sunday

morning in October

1936 the Molyneaux

family who lived in

Turin Street off the

Grosvenor Road were

trapped by fire in the

upstairs rooms of their

home. Before the day

was over four of the

family of seven were so

badly injured that they

died in the Royal

Victoria Hospital.

The dead were John

Molyneaux aged 40, his

wife, Elizabeth

Molyneaux aged 38, and

two of their daughters,

Ruby aged 15 and Elsie

aged 8. Their son

Thomas Molyneaux

Fire disaster in Belfastaged 14 was severely

burned and spent many

weeks in the RVH and

three year old Sandy was

treated in the Children’s

Hospital on the Falls

Road for slight burns and

shock. Both sons made

a full recovery. The only

member of the family to

escape uninjured was

their six week old baby

daughter who was

dropped from an upstairs

window by John

Molyneaux into a shawl

belonging to a

neighbour.

This terrible disaster, one

of the worst seen in

Belfast for many years,

also was responsible for

the death of Mr W

Forsyth, an elderly man,

who had been unwell for

some time and lived

across the road from the

Molyneaux family. Mr

Forsyth died from shock

caused by the excitement

on the street during the

fire and his last words

were an inquiry as to the

safety of the Molyneaux

children. His anxieties

about the children were

relieved by his wife who

reassured him that all the

children had got out of

the house and he

eventually went back to

sleep, but Mr Forsyth

was found dead in his

bed the following

morning.

"Father and mother no

doubt lost their lives in

trying to save their

children" were the words

of the Belfast Coroner

after he recorded a

verdict of accidental

death on the Molyneaux

family. The inquest had

heard stories of heroism

and gallantry by

neighbours, firemen and

police. The father and

mother stayed in the

house when they had

every opportunity to

escape but both refused

to leave the house until

all their children had

been rescued from the

house.

One man, Victor

Morrow, entered the

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Molyneaux house three

times in an attempt to

rescue the trapped

family and only gave up

his efforts when he

became overcome from

smoke and exhaustion

and was taken to

hospital.

It was thought that the

fire had started when

Mrs Molyneaux hung

some of the children’s

clothes by the fire in the

kitchen to dry overnight.

When Mrs Molyneaux

was rescued from the

house, badly burned and

scorched she told her

neighbour, Mrs Eva

Boal, that "I put on a fire

and hung some of the

children’s clothes

around it before I went

to bed". She died

minutes later on her way

to hospital, relieved to

see her baby daughter

one last time.

All the family would

have perished in the

intense fire if a

neighbour Mary

Hastings had not smelt

smoke as she made tea

for her husband around

12.30am on the Sunday

morning. Her husband

rushed over to the

Molyneaux house to find

it filled with smoke. He

broke down the front

door and rushed into the

house but was driven

back by smoke and

flames. He saw a

shadow of someone in

the flames and then

heard Mrs Molyneaux

scream "Oh my baby".

He ran from the house

and shouted to Thomas

and Elizabeth to break

the front windows and

pass out the baby. Mr

Molyneaux broke the

window, cutting himself

badly and he threw out

the baby but he was

overcome by the smoke

and disappeared from

the window. Mr

Hastings could see that

Thomas Molyneaux was

already badly burned

and almost unconscious

from the huge amount of

smoke in the house.

The firemen who

attended the scene acted

1010101010

bravely in going into the

house and getting the

remaining family out of

the house. The family

were suffering from the

smoke they had inhaled

and from varying

degrees of burns.

The next day the fire

service investigated the

fire and traced the source

of the fire to the kitchen

and around the fireplace

where Mrs Molyneaux

had said she had left the

clothes to ry.

Mr Alexander the

coroner stated that "from

the moment the fire was

discovered, there seems

to have been nothing but

gallantry and heroism

shown by neighbours

and the emergency

services. An unknown

motorist hurried two of

the children to hospital,

doing two journeys and

not losing a minute".

This unknown motorist

was later found to be

Cyril Diplock of 188

Malone Road, who had

not wanted any attention

for his kind and

charitable act which

surely saved the lives of

two of the Molyneaux

children.

The Molyneaux family

had lived comfortably

and happily in their

small but well furnished

house in Turin Street.

Mr Molyneaux was an

ex soldier who had

served in World War 1,

in which he was badly

injured. He was a man

of good nature and as

head porter in Arnott's in

Belfast was beloved by

his colleagues and

trusted by his employers.

Mr Molyneaux was also

a member of the Central

Mission and had a good

singing voice and his

death was greatly

regretted by his fellow

members of the choir.

At the funeral of the

family thousands lined

the street as the remains

of Thomas Molyneaux,

his wife and two children

passed along the

Grosvenor Road on its

way to Carnmoney. The

funeral cortege passed

the scene of the tragedy

to scenes of anguish,

grief and suffering from

the local community.The funerals of the Molyneaux on the Grosvenor Road

There have been many stories

of the frenzied rush of

fortune seekers to the famous

goldfields in the Klondyke or in

Americas west but the "gold

mine" found in Belfast York Street

area in November 1923 did not

create quite the same frenzy.

No surveyors or special

equipment was needed in

The Belfast Gold MineFrederick Street when large gangs

of workers who were working on

excavating and demolishing

buildings in the area left large

piles of debris.

The rubble attracted groups of

young men who often dug among

the debris of the buildings to see

what they could find. Imagine

their surprise when one evening

they uncovered ten gold

sovereigns.

Soon the news spread through the

area and large crowds of mostly

young men gathered there to

search anxiously through the

debris in the hope of finding more

gold.

Bricks and stones were scattered

all around by eager searchers but

no more gold was found. The

1111111111

young men had taken to writing

on any surface in the area

"Beware of Gold" and

"Klondyke".

The most annoyed of all the

people in the area were the

workmen who had often chatted

to the young boys and had

encouraged them to sift through

the debris to find wood which

they told them to take home and

use as firewood. If they hadn’t

encouraged the young men to

search through the debris the

workmen may have found the

sovereigns themselves.

The building that was demolished

where the money was found had

originally been a poultry shop run

with a small grocery shop in

Alexander Street opposite the

corner of Constabulary Lane.

After the owner had vacated the

premises they were used as stables

and they remained as stables until

they became so dilapidated that

they were ordered to be

demolished thus allowing the gold

to be found.

In February 1927 an

RAF plane crashed in

the Ballycraigy area of

Glengormley narrowly

missing the small

country home of the

Heron family.

The aircraft which was

Glengormley Plane Crashattached to No 2

Bombing Squadron left

Aldergrove in the early

afternoon and had been

the air for around two

hours when the pilot

realised that he was

running out of petrol.

He was then over Belfast

Lough and he

immediately turned his

plane towards the airport

in the hope of reaching

his destination without

mishap. He had only

covered about a mile

when the petrol ran out.

All he could do was

make a forced landing

and he gradually brought

the Avro machine to a

low altitude to try and

find a safe landing place.

As he was passing over

1212121212

Ballycraigy at a few

hundred feet his engine

backfired, indicating that

all the petrol was gone.

He picked out a field

which although very

small was his only

chance. The field was

beyond a belt of trees,

but there was nothing

else he could do and the

undercarriage of his

plane skimmed over the

branches and it was then

that he noticed he was

heading straight for the

country house owned by

the Heron family.

The pilot bravely banked

the aircraft and the wing

missed the top of the

house by inches. He

circled round the house

and then glided towards

a field, but the plane

struck a ditch and

nosedived to the ground.

As soon as the plane

crashed Mrs Heron and

her two daughters ran

from their house to the

plane but before they

reached the scene the

pilot got out of the

cockpit, uninjured but

shaken. The pilot

immediately began an

examination of the

aircraft despite the

possible danger to

himself.

Mr Heron who was on

his way to see a friend

when he noticed the

plane flying at a low

altitude said at the time;

"I was about a mile away

from my home at the

time and I stopped to

watch the plane’s

manoeuvres. It was

evident that the pilot was

in difficulties, as he

came lower and lower in

the hope of finding a

spot to land. Suddenly

he went down sharply,

and realising that he was

almost over my home I

entertained fears for my

family. In a few

moments the plane

disappeared and I at once

retraced my steps. I fully

expected to find my

home wrecked, but was

relieved on arrival to

learn that the machine

had miraculously evaded

the roof and had landed

with the pilot safe, about

400 yards away".

Within days the plane

was dismantled and

brought to RAF

Aldergrove for

examination and the

Heron family had a great

tale to tell their family

for many generations.

1313131313

Junction of Albertbridge Road and Castlereagh Street showing the landmark rock in 1923

BELOW - Malone Place on the Lisburn Road in the same year

1414141414

1878

1515151515

Exploring Belfast’s Old StreetsRaymond O’Regan

CASTLE PLACEThe history of Castle

Place can be traced

back to the Belfast of

the 1600’s and was

once part of High

Street. Many people

don’t realise that the

original Belfast

Castle, dating back to

the 12th century, was

on the site were British

Home Stores stands

today. (Pictured

below) Hence the

numerous references

in the street names

nearby e.g. Castle

Street, Castle Lane

and Castle Arcade.

Castle Place was also

where the original

Robinson and Cleaver

had their first store .

Castle Place was also

known as Grand

Parade in the 1790’s as

it was the venue for

many military

parades. Castle Place

also has another more

grim reminder of its

past as it was the area

were public hangings

took place. The last of

these public hangings

took place in the early

19th. century when

two men convicted of

arson on premises in

Peters Hill were

hanged. A Thomas

Gaffikin records the

event at the time "I

remember distinctly

seeing the helmets and

swords of the

Dragoons as their

horses closed up the

thoroughfare between

High Street and Castle

Place while the two

men were hanged".

On a more lighter note

when trams were

introduced initially

Castle Place

in 1843

Castle Place

in 1870

Map of Castle Place in 1888

1616161616

horse drawn and then

in 1904 *electric trams

Castle Place became

more well known as

Castle Junction. Even

today many of the

older citizens of

Map of Castle Place in 1897

Castle Place around 1885

Castle Place in 1897

Belfast still refer to it

by that name.

(*The last tram to run

in Belfast was in 1954.

They were replaced by

trolley and petrol

driven buses)

A building that stands

out as a striking piece

of architecture is the

Bank Buildings

(1899). a five story

building. This is the

third version of this

building and is today

the home of Primark

(first version 1787,

second version 1855,

third version 1899 /

1900.) The original

names of the owners

of the 1899 building

can still be seen above

the present day

entrance I.E.

R O B E R T S O N ,

L E D L I E ,

FERGUSON.

The first Bank

Buildings of 1787 was

the brain child of four

bankers , all with the

Christian name of

John and all members

of First Presbyterian

Church in Rosemary

St. They started off in

Castle place approx.

were HMV is today

moved to Ann St and

were known as "The

Bank of the Four

Johns". The 1787

Premises (today’s

Bank Buildings) was

leased from the Four

Johns and was known

as Cunningham’s

Bank in 1787. This

bank would close in

1793 and the Bank of

the Four Johns would

move from Ann Street

to the Bank Buildings

and remain in business

until it was dissolved

in 1797 and for a

period the building

was the home of a

Church of Ireland

Bishop)

1717171717

Castle Place in 1897

The same view today

Moving to the junction

of Castle Place we

find that the fast food

outlet McDonald’s.

Next to this is the

coffee lounge of

British Home Stores.

Their neighbours are

Jean Scene in which

part of the store is

situated in a 19th

century building and

the other in the 20th

century Castle

Building. The other

stores occupying the

Castle Building are

Mothercare and East

Clothes.

Castle Buildings were

built in 1905 and

recalls the association

of this site with Belfast

Castle that stood here

up to the 18th. century

(the site of the original

Belfast Castle was

approx. the area now

covered by British

Home Stores. The

castle was almost

completely destroyed

in a fire in 1708 and

the Donegall family

eventually moved to

England with

the land

1818181818

eventually being

leased out as

commercial premises.

The latest shop to

open here is Carrolls

Gifts and Souvenirs

which is situated at the

junction of Castle

Place and

Cornmarket. In the

recent past Leahy

Kelly and Leahy had

a tobacco shop here

and its history goes

back even further all

the way back to the

18th Century when it

We now cross to the

other side of Castle

Place beginning at its

junction with Royal

Avenue where the

Clarkes Baggage

Store is situated.

Passing by today you

cant help but notice

the clothes store of

DV8.

This is situated in the

building up until

recently occupied by

the General Post

Office until it moved

to the junction of High

Street and Bridge

Street. The GPO

moved here from

Royal Avenue when

the original building

was demolished to

clear the site for the

Castlecourt complex

(why it’s called this is

a complete mystery as

the original castle

court was no where

near it) The new

Castle Place GPO

occupied the site of the

old Ulster Club which

was demolished to

build it and which can

be seen in the old

photographs with this

feature.

Facing this store is a

small Kiosk. It was

roughly where this

stands that the public

executions took place.

Next to DV8 is the

only other 19th

century building that

survives in Castle

Place and which today

is occupied by

Barclay’s Bank.

This then brings us to

the stores of Game,

HMV and Curry’s.

These now occupy the

site of the famous

Robb’s Department

Store and even more

interesting is the fact

the Donegall Arms

hotel built in 1786 was

absorbed into the

Robbs buildings in

the 19th. Century. The

hotel was used by the

army during the 1798

rising. The last owner

of the hotel was a man

called Moore who is

buried in Clifton

Street Graveyard in a

grave simply marked

Moore!

Belfast Street Directory listing Castle Place in 1870

1919191919

Castle Place

around 1890

Castle Place in 1952

Castle Place

in 1963

A trolly bus pictured in Castle Place in 1953

Castle Place

in 1965

1930

2020202020

FINAL RESTING PLACE

THE OLD POORHOUSE

AND GRAVEYARD Part 4

C lifton Street Burying

Ground is the final resting

place of many of Belfast’s

forefathers, as well as some of its

wayward sons. Everyone from

mill owners, shipbuilders,

paupers, thieves, politicians and

political rebels all rest within its

walls.

The following is a tiny selection

of some of the people buried here.

Not all are famous or well known,

but all show the diversity of the

people buried here.

Given that there are thousands

laid to rest here it would be almost

impossible to list all the graves.

It would also be hard to look at

all the graves of noted individuals

as there are simply too many of

them. The purpose of this feature

is to show the diversity of those

buried here be they rich or poor,

skilled and unskilled. Where else

would you get Unionist MP’s

lying alongside Nationalist

leaders? After all, as the old

saying goes, we are all equal in

death!

Remember man as you pass by

As you are now so once was I

As am am now so you shall be

Prepare yourself to follow me

Inscription on tombstone in Lower Ground

The Hyndman memorial still

remains almost intact with the

exception of a small statue of a

dog which stood on top of it. It is

unknown what the reason was

behind this particular statue but,

at a guess, it would be almost safe

to assume that it was a devoted

family pet.

This statue created another story,

only this time it was a widely

known story given a local theme.

The story was that the statue was

erected on the grave to

commemorate Hyndman’s dog

which lay on his grave after his

death until the dog itself died. A

nice story but completely untrue

in relation to Belfast. The true

story occurred in Edinburgh and

surrounded a dog which became

known as Greyfriars Bobby. The

basic story is told on one of the

many web sites on the subject

(www.greyfriarsbobby.co.uk)

In 1858, a man named John Gray

was buried in old Greyfriars

Churchyard in Edinburgh. His

grave levelled by the hand of time,

and unmarked by any stone,

became scarcely discernible;

but, although no human interest

seemed to attach to it the sacred

spot was not wholly disregarded

and forgotten. For fourteen years

the dead man's faithful dog kept

constant watch and guard over the

grave until his own death in 1872.

James Brown, the old curator

of the burial ground, remembers

Gray's funeral, and the dog, a

Skye terrier called Bobby, was,

he says, one of the most

conspicuous of the mourners.

The grave was closed in as usual,

and next morning Bobby, was

found, lying on the newly-made

mound.

This was an innovation which old

James could not permit, for there

was an order at the gate stating in

the most intelligible characters

that dogs were not admitted.

Bobby was accordingly driven

out; but next morning he was

there again, and for the second

2121212121

time was discharged. The third

morning was cold and wet, and

when the old man saw the faithful

animal, in spite of all

chastisement, still lying shivering

on the grave, he took pity on him,

and gave him some food. This

recognition of his devotion gave

Bobby the right to make the

churchyard his home; and from

that time until his own death he

never spent a night away from his

master's tomb.

Often in bad weather attempts

were made to keep him within

doors, but by dismal howls he

succeeded in making it known

that this interference was not

agreeable to him, and he was

always allowed to have his way.

At almost any time during the day

he could be seen in or about the

churchyard, and no matter how

rough the night, nothing could

induce him to forsake that

hallowed spot, whose identity he

so faithfully preserved.

Valentine Jones was one of the

early builders of the town of

Belfast. He was engaged in

commerce with the West Indies in

partnership with a Mr Bateson,

and later went on to run an

extensive wine trade, his premises

occupying almost one side of

Wineseller Entry. Valentine Jones

was involved in almost every

public venture of importance in

Belfast, particularly the founding

and establishing of the Belfast

Charitable Society, and he

contributed to the building of their

poor-house. He was responsible

for the building of fine houses

which stood on the east side of

Donegall Place, and it was in one

of these houses, next to the

Imperial Hotel, that he spent his

latter years. On a darker side he

was one of those who wished to

bring a slave trade to Belfast.

In 1795, Henry Joy (junior) sold

the Belfast Newsletter to a

consortium of five Edinburgh

men consisting of Robert Allen,

George Gordon, Ebenezer Black,

James Blair and Alexander

Mackay. Robert Allen, who was

a banker,would appear to have

negotiated the purchase and

raised the necessary capital.

Soon after George Gordon,

became the editor and publisher

and he was later joined, in 1796,

by Alexander Mackay who took

over the management. After the

death of Ebenezer Black in 1804,

Alexander Mackay ‘bought out’

his associates and became the

sole proprietor of the newspaper.

He remained the proprietor of

the Belfast Newsletter until his

death in November, 1844.

The newspaper remained within

his family up until 1989, when it

was sold by Mr O. Henderson

who was the great, great, great-

grandson of Alexander Mackay.

In this vault are buried the remains

of Dr Alexander Haliday and his

nephew, Dr William Haliday.

Dr Alexander Haliday was the

most distinguished physician in

the north of Ireland for much of

the latter part of the eighteenth

century. He was the first president

of the Linen Hall Library and

was also closely connected with

the Belfast Charitable Society. In

1770 he played a key role in

bringing peace when the ‘Hearts

of Steel’ attacked the Belfast

Barracks after one of their

members had been arrested and

taken there.

His nephew, Dr William Haliday,

was also connected with the

Belfast Charitable Society and

was an early president of the

Belfast Medical Society.

This vault is the resting place of

the Luke family. Buried here is the

body of Samuel Luke, a merchant

who lived at 4 Antrim Place

(lower Antrim Road). Born in

Belfast in 1791, he died in June,

1844.

Also buried here is James Luke

who, along with John Thompson,

became partners of the Belfast

Commercial Bank in 1821. This

2222222222

bank went on to become the

Belfast Banking Company; and

James Luke became a director.

He died in London in October,

1862, at the age of 79 years.

Without doubt the most famous

person buried in the New Burying

Ground is the United

Irishman,Henry Joy McCracken.

Henry Joy McCracken was born

in High Street Belfast, on the 31st

of August, 1767. His father was

John McCracken, who was

captain, and part owner of a vessel

which traded between Belfast and

the West Indies. His mother was

Ann Joy, daughter of Francis Joy

who had established the Belfast

Newsletter in September, 1737.

The Joy’s had, in all probability,

fled to England from religious

persecution in France, coming to

Ireland with the armies of James I.

The McCrackens, generations

earlier, had settled at Hillhall near

Lisburn, having been driven from

Scotland during the persecution of

the Covenanters by Claverhouse.

After John McCracken and Ann

Joy married they set up home in

High Street next to Ann’s brother,

Henry Joy, and it was there that

most of their children were born.

Henry Joy McCracken had four

brothers, William, Robert (who

died in infancy), Francis and John.

He also had two sisters, Margaret

and Mary Ann.

Later in life Henry Joy

McCracken became acquainted

with Thomas Russell, both of

whom were associated with

William Drennan and Theobald

Wolfe Tone and a number of

others, the most prominent of

whom was Samuel Neilson, the

son of the Presbyterian minister

of Ballyroney. At this time the

idea was born among them of

uniting their fellow countrymen,

Protestant and Catholic, into one

grand confederacy of ‘United

Irishmen’.

2323232323

Soon after the “Society of United

Irishmen” was born. McCracken

laboured with the energy of his

enthusiastic nature to promote the

interests of the Movement, but at

no time did he come forward as a

leader or seek to obtain any

position of honour in the Society,

which he was instrumental in

establishing. The main aims of the

Society were to break the

connection with England and

win independence for Ireland.

However, once these aims became

clear it was outlawed by the

authorities and many of its

members were taken prisoner and

held in various prisions

throughout Ireland.

Henry Joy McCracken was

arrested and taken to Kilmainham

jail in Dublin where his brother

William was already incarcerated.

Both were the first ‘Unitedmen’

to be held in this jail. Henry Joy

McCracken spent almost a year in

this prison, but had to be released

in 1797 because of his failing

health.

After his release he returned to

Belfast, and almost

immediately set about organising

the North for a planned rising.

Soon after he was appointed

Adjutant-General for Antrim, then

Commander-in-Chief of the

‘Northern United Irish Army’.

During this period there existed

another Society called ‘The

Defenders’. They were mainly

Roman Catholic, and their object

was to defend the rights of their

class and creed when attacked.

When the plans were being made

for the United Irishmen’s

rebellion the Defenders joined

with them.

The plan of the rebellion was to

attack a large number of towns

throughout Ireland; and Henry

Joy McCracken was determined

to make his chief attack on the

town of Antrim. In command of

around 3,000 men, from both the

United Irishmen and The

Defenders, he set out to attack the

town on Thursday the 7th of June,

1798.

When they arrived within sight of

the town they saw that a number

of homes and other buildings had

been set on fire by the retreating

troops. McCracken had planned

to attack the town from four

different directions with four

columns three of which were to

arrive at 2.30pm and the fourth,

from Randalstown, to enter by

Bow Lane soon afterwards.

Unknown to McCracken, the

royal troops had received

reinforcements from Blair’s

Camp. What followed was a long

and bloody battle in which the

Royal Troops defeated the

‘United Men’, but at the great

Memorial plaque on the Co. Antrim headquarters of the Freemasons’ in

Rosemary Street. Henry Joy McCracken was a member

2424242424

expense of many killed and

wounded. Henry Joy McCracken

ordered his men to retreat, and he

himself escaped to the Cavehill

where he stayed in the home of a

follower named David Bodel.

Bodel got in touch with

McCracken’s friends informing

them of his whereabouts.

Later a pass was obtained under a

false name for McCracken to flee

in a foreign vessel which was tied

up in Larne. When all was ready

he proceeded towards Larne

accompainied by John Quiery

and Gavin Watt, but when they

crossed the commons at

Carrickfergus they met four

yeomen, one of whom, a man

named Niblock, knew

McCracken. All three were

arrested at once and taken to

Carrickfergus, then soon after to

the old Artillery Barracks in

Belfast.

On the 17th of July, 1798,

McCracken was taken for trial to

the exchange at the bottom of

Donegall Street, his trial being

under the presidency of Colonel

Montgomery. Just before the trial

began, McCracken’s father was

approached by the crown

prosecutor who told him that there

was enough evidence to convict

his son, but that his life would be

spared if he would inform on his

friends, in particular Robert

Simms. His father replied that he

would rather his son die, than to

do such a dishonorable action. He

was soon found guilty and

sentenced to death by hanging.

At five o’clock Henry Joy

McCracken was taken to the place

of execution: the old market

house, which stood at the corner

of High Street and Cornmarket,

which had been given to the town

by his great grandfather. His

sister, Mary Ann, was by his side

right up to the gallows, and once

there McCracken tried to address

the people who had gathered, but

his speech was muffled by the

soldiers who had began to shout

and stamp their horses’ feet.

In a few minutes all was over. His

body was then given to family and

friends. His body was taken to the

family home in Rosemary Street,

and soon after he was buried in

the Episcopal church in High

Street.

A number of years later this

graveyard was cleared away, and

in 1902, what are belived to be his

bones were unearthed and placed

in a coffin, and then kept in the

home of Francis Joseph Bigger

for seven years. On the 12th of

May, 1909, the remains of Henry

Joy McCracken were buried in the

grave of his sister Mary Ann in

the Clifton Street burying ground.

Before his coffin was buried, a

sealed phial (glass bottle) was

placed inside it. The phial

contained a parchment and

written on this were the following;

These bones were dug up in

the old graveyard in High

Street in 1902, and from

several circumstances are

belived to be those of Henry

Joy McCracken.

They were reverently treated

and were placed here by Robert

May of Belfast, 12 May 1909,

when the monument was

placed to his beloved sister.

There are in fact two monuments

erected on this grave, one, erected

by Francis Joseph Bigger, is to the

memory of Henry Joy

McCracken, and the other

(mentioned above) is erected to

the memory of Mary Ann

McCracken on which appears the

following inscription;

2525252525

Mary Ann McCracken

the beloved sister of

Henry Joy McCracken

born 8th July 1770

wept by her brothers scaffold

17 July 1798

died 26th July 1866

DILEAS GO h-EAG

(Faithful until death)

When the Society of United

Irishmen was founded, Mary Ann

McCracken along with her sister-

in-law Rose McCracken were

sworn into the Movement.

After the Societies defeat at

Antrim, Mary Ann helped her

brother up until he was captured

and later hanged. Just as Mary

Ann had seen her brother make

the supreme sacrifice, she also

witnessed the execution of the

man who had won her heart. Five

years later Thomas Russell was

hanged, outside Downpatrick jail,

in 1803. After the exection of

Russell, Mary Ann withdrew from

politics and began to work for the

poor of Belfast, especially those

within the poor-house on North

Queen Street. Here she began a

number of projects which

included weaving for the women

and teaching for the children.

She later joined with the English

prison reformer Elizabeth Fry to

form a ‘Ladies Committee’ in the

poor-house. Together they won

many improvements in conditions

inside the poor-house and also in

the work-house on the Lisburn

Road. Mary Ann was also a

member of the committee which

was set up in Belfast to abolish

the use of ‘climbing boys’, who

were chimney sweep helpers,

and also campaigned for better

conditions for children working in

factories. Mary Ann McCracken’s

work for the poor women and

children continued until her death

in July, 1866.

2626262626

PART 2The Mount Stone

This stone at the corner

dates back to the 1840s

and the stone was taken

from the old long bridge

when it was pulled down

and replaced by the

present Queens Bridge.

The builder of the bridge

Frank Ritchie gives the

stone as a gift to the

innkeeper of the Tavern

that sat at this point, it

had a dual purpose the

first was it was a stone

that the horsemen used

to mount their horses and

it is also alleged that it

covers a well that the

people used prior to

piped water. By the way

the story that King Billy

mounted his horse at this

stone is only that a story.

(See picture on page 13)

The Belfast Savings

Bank stood and still

stands at the entrance to

Cluan Place a newly

built Sandstone building

in 1920

Musgrave’s Sirocco

Works

Musgrave Brothers Ltd

A man called William

Musgrave and his

Brother started this

Company in 1855 in a

stable in the Short Strand

he was an inventor and

the first goods he

produced where Stable

and household fittings.

Among its customers

was Royal Households

from around the world

and his customers

included the rich and

famous, people like

Monsieur Eiffel of Paris

the man who built the

tower.

The company was given

a Royal appointment by

the Prince of Wales and

the Royal Crest is still to

be seen on the railing

over the entrance to the

Kings Building on the

Albertbridge Road.

The company also

designed and fitted the

first ventilation system

in the world this was at

the Royal Victoria

Hospital in 1902.

They ceased trading in

1965 but in its day it

employed over 2,000

local people.

Ballymacarrett

Orange Hall 1901

The present hall replaced

the old Orange Hall,

which stood at the corner

of Chamberlain Street;

this street was then

called "Lovers Lane".

Mr Gustav Wolff of the

shipyards bought the

land that the hall stands

on and presented it to the

Ballymacarrett Orange

District No 6 as a thank

you for all the work and

skills that had been

shown by the

Orangemen in H&W.

The Orange Hall houses

the largest Orange

District in the World -

32 working Lodges but

at one time there were 53

lodges.

For many years this was

the main place of

socialising for the area it

hosted Tea Dances,

From The Albert Bridge to

The Old RopeworksBobby

Cosgrove

Gustav Wolff

2727272727

Social evenings,

Concerts and Wedding

Receptions

First Ballymacarrett

Presbyterian Church

This Church and

Buildings dates from the

early 1830s and is still as

alive to-day it was the

ninth Presbyterian

Church to be built in

Belfast and the first in

Ballymacarrett it also

housed Mountpottinger

National School and the

old school building can

be seen at the rear of the

Orange Hall. The School

and Church had many

famous local people

travel through it on their

journey of life.

Mountpottinger

Y M C A

The Y M C A was first

started on the

Mountpottinger Road by

two Scottish Preachers

while they where on tour

in Belfast, the group

grew that quickly that

they needed larger

premises and the site on

the road was donated to

them and the large red

brick building you see

today is the result of that

endeavour. It has had a

face lift in the last

number of years it is like

many building around

this part of the City very

old and very Victorian.

At its peak it had a Gym

a Snooker Hall a large

Church Hall and a

number of smaller

committee rooms during

the Home Rule era it was

used as a Hotel for

members of the R I C

who came from outlying

areas, the Army also

used it during the Second

World War.

Mountpottinger

Methodist Church

This Church is sited at

the Templemore Ave

Junction a nd would be

more famous for its

outreach mission that

stood in Pitt Street and

had one of the largest B

B Companies in Ireland.

1920

2828282828

The Ulster Hospital

for Women and Sick

Children

This hospital was sited

on Templemore Avenue

and is now a doctor’s

surgery. The first

Hospital with this name

was recorded in Fredrick

Street in the late 1700s

it came to this site

around the late 1800s.

The hospital took a

direct hit during the 1941

Belfast Blitz (above)

and it closed as a hospital

when the Ulster at

Dundonald opened in the

1950s it was for a while

an Maternity Hospital.

Templemore Avenue

Public Baths. 1893

The City of Belfast

Corporation opened this

facility to accommodate

the 1,000s of working

class people who lived in

terraced housing that

lacked even the basic

amenities.

When it was opened it

was said that the prime

purpose of the baths was

to provide a facility for

the health, hygiene and

cleanliness of the

population of East

Belfast. The building

also had two swimming

pools and at one time or

another everyone used

this facility.

It was said that you

cleansed you body on a

weekday so as to be

ready to cleanse your

soul on a Sunday.

Templemore Avenue,

Templemore Street

and Lord Street

These streets all took

their names from Lord

Templemore who was

the land agent for the

Donegall’s who at one

time owned all the lands

around Belfast.

He was the man who

built the tree lined

avenue with its mixture

of housing he had hoped

to have all of

Ballymacarrett built in

this way but had no

money left after he had

the this avenue built.

Dr Breaches House

1870s

Dr Williamson a

prominent Surgeon and

former High Sheriff of

the City lived in this

house for over 60 years.

A crest bearing his

initials and dated 1912

can be seen between the

upper windows.

The present owners are

the Breach family who

have been there from the

1950s. This indicates

that in the 130 year

history of the house it

has been a Doctors

Surgery. The tree that

once stood in the front

garden was an Irish Fairy

Thorn Bush date

unknown.

Geddes Pawn Shop

This is the only

surviving pawn shop that

still does "Pledges" left

in East Belfast and the

only one in Belfast that

still displays the sign of

the pawnbrokers over its

door. The sign of the

three golden balls is the

family crest of the

2929292929

Medici family. This was

the Italian family who

first introduced pledging

goods for a loan of

money in the 15th

century. The family had

many doctors and the

three balls represent

"Gilded Pills"

The present shop was

built as a pawn during

the First World War for

a company called Harper

and Quinn they traded

until 1952 when Alldritt

& Co took over, the

present owner G & J

Geddis started in 1962

At one time Belfast had

over 100 pawnbrokers

and the only two to

survive are both owned

by the same family - this

one and one in York

Road. The interior

retains many features

that where there when

the building was first

built It has the high

counters and the boxes

where you make your

pledges in private. It is

in fact like stepping back

in time to Edwardian

Belfast.

257

Albertbridge Road

This site was the family

home and business of

McCreery & Son.

The company was

established in 1805 and

traded up to the First

World War at this

address - over 100 years

on the road.

The company were Bog

Oak Carvers, dealers in

Bric-a-Brac and

spinning wheel

manufactures.

They were the only

spinning wheel

manufacturers listed in

the Belfast Street

Directory for

Ballymacarrett in mid

Victorian times and the

only bog oak carvers

listed for the same

period.

Ballymacarrett

Fire Station

This site at the corner of

Albertbridge Road and

Skipton Street was

opened at the end of the

1800s and housed the

Ballymacarrett Fire

Brigade Station and for

over 60 years it served

the people of the area

with commitment and

bravery the first station

officers and firemen in

1920 were as follows.

Chief Engineer

Mr Devlin Robinson

Firemen

Alexander Jamison

Harold Maginnis

William Skeleton

William Jordan

Drivers

William Massey

Samuel Williams

When it first opened the

tenders where horse

drawn so the drivers

would have doubled up

as blacksmiths. It light

up many a dull day or

night when you heard

the bell ringing and the

engine with crew

passing on there way to

a fire.

Albertbridge Road

in 1952

3030303030

The Belfast

Ropework Company

The ropeworks as it was

known started life as a

small ropewalk

employing 50 people in

the 1850s, but in 1873 it

was taken over by the

owners of the shipyards

as the demand for rope

could not be met by their

suppliers. This like the

shipyard became the

largest ropeworks in the

world, it was on 46 acres

and by the 1920s it was

employing 4,000 people.

Not only did they

produce rope but also

twine, cord and fishing

nets these where made at

the three different walks

or factories they were the

Bloomfield, Connswater

and Pottinger sheds each

over a quarter of a mile

in length and in the early

days horses were used in

the making of rope as

they pulled the strands of

hemp up and down the

shed so as they

intertwined to produced

the strong Rope.

During the Second

World War the Belfast

Ropeworks produced

one third of all rope and

cord required by the

Allies.

At one time the works

had over 100,000

customers worldwide

16,000 tons of goods left

the premises annually

valued at a staggering

£2m, sadly with the

introduction of synthetic

yarns the ropeworks

could not compete

against overseas

competitors and sadly

closed the gates for the

last time in 1974 and so

ended 100 years of

industrial history in

Ballymacarrett.

I think that one of the

saddest sites was to see

the wonderful panelled

red brick wall that

surrounded the works

being demolished and

taken away. I think that

a piece of forward

thinking could have seen

the wall remain and the

shopping complex built

behind it so as the old

and the new told there

own stories about our

past and our new

beginning.

The East Belfast Lamp

Lighters Office was at

198/202 Albertbridge

Road and had at one time

over 200 men working

from it the manager was

a Thomas Mc Bride, and

at number 208-212 was

the Ulster Unionist

Labour Association this

was an organized trade

union group and was

well supported .

The last building on the

left coming down the

road was a bar called

BEN L’s after its owner

Ben L Ferris now a

bookies and the lounge

is now called "The

Prince Albert"

I hope you enjoyed this

trip along the Albert and

it has brought memories

to some and an eye

opener to others when

we look at the road to-

day it is hard to believe

that it was a thriving

working class

community with a soul

and a heart.

.

The Belfast Ropeworks

3131313131

A remarkable aerial photograph of the Albert Bridge and its surrounding area in 1965

3232323232

After the famine, cholera

caused a huge number of

deaths in Ireland. In Belfast

those who died from this

terrible disease were buried in

mass graves in Friar's Bush

and the New Burying Ground

at Clifton Street (above).

As most Belfast houses didn't

have adequate water supplies,

disease and infection spread

rapidly.

During the 1840's cholera was

often referred to as the 'potato

cholera' due to the fact that

people thought it was caused

by eating unripe and green

DISEASE AND DEATH

IN BELFAST

potatoes. One local newspaper

reported: "The disease will

continue to decimate the

country as long as potatoes are

the staple diet of the people."

During a cholera epidemic the

death rate can reach over an

alarming fifty per cent. Victims

are restless, exhausted and

thirsty. As the body becomes

colder the voice is reduced to

a whisper. In the 1840's Belfast

was full of overcrowded lanes

and as the water supply was

poor it was impossible to wash

and keep clean.

At that time only the rich could

afford such a luxury, but for

every rich man in Belfast there

were multitudes of paupers.

People were dying at an

alarming rate. Although no

official health boards were

established, it was

recommended that one be set

up 'to inspect the homes of the

poor and to advise them on

hygiene and diet'.

Disease was most common in

the poorest areas of Belfast

where people lived in cramped

conditions, dressed in dirty

rags and ate whatever scraps

of food they could find.

Verdun Ball

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On 22nd December 1846 food

riots erupted in Belfast. A

crowd of over 200 surrounded

Hughes's Bakery in Donegall

Street and even though the

owner told them he'd

contributed a lot to charity the

crowd became violent.

Things calmed down when

passers-by gave them money,

which they spent on bread

from the bakery.

In the same month labourers

with spades and shovels

entered the city. They

surrounded bakers' shops

demanding bread as the frost

and snow had stopped their

work. Because they weren't

violent the bakers gave them

some bread to eat.

Nevertheless, the problem of

hunger and disease continued

to grow. The fever wards of

Belfast's institutions were so

overcrowded that no more

people could possibly be taken

in.

The General Hospital in

Frederick Street was

completely full. There were 72

cases of fever, 70 of dysentery

and 84 cases of other diseases.

The fight against cholera and

fever continued and a simple,

yet extremely effective way to

reduce the spread was

discovered.

In Belfast and the surrounding

countryside people white-

washed their houses, both

inside and out. The lime in the

white-wash destroyed the

germs, thus helping to reduce

the risk of infection.

Over two hundred years ago Belfast's town

parks were laid out in pasture. South of

the Blackstaff most of the land was wooded,

comprising the extensive deer park of the

Marquis of Donegall. The drives of this deer

park were laid out in the early 1700s. Two of

them became roads - the Ormeau Road leading

to the 1816 bridge across the Lagan and

Donegall Pass.

Roads leading out of Belfast got their names by

direction, for example, the Dublin Road and

Antrim Road to name just two. Yet strange as it

may seem, the name Ormeau, French for young

elm, gives no such clue.

First mentioned on an old map of Belfast in 1791,

it's simply marked 'Ormeau, Mr Kingsmill'. As

well as the store keeper and surveyor of the Port,

Mr Kingsmill was also agent to the Marquis of

Donegall for his Irish estates. Until the end of

1803 the Kingsmill family retained Ormeau

cottage, which then came into the hands of the

Marquis of Donegall. After making some

alterations, he lived there in 1807.

In the 18th century, before the present road was

made, the Ormeau Road was known as 'The

Long Pass' to distinguish it from other Belfast

passes and stopped short near Essex Street. The

Ormeau Road wasn't completed to its junction

with the old Ballynafeigh Road at Rosetta until

1825.

Ormeau Bridge, built in 1815, gave better

access to Ormeau by what was then known as

Cromac Road. Before this the way was through

the old Long Bridge

and Lagan Village. Until 1897, from the

Ormeau Bridge to the Saintfield Road, was

known as the new Ballynafeigh Road. Between

1897-1900 this name was changed to the

Ormeau Road, so that the complete length of

road between the Gasworks corner and the

Saintfield Road became the Ormeau Road.

Interestingly, the earliest reference to public

parks in Belfast was at a meeting of the

Corporation on October 3, 1865. Four years

later the corporation acquired a fee farm grant

from the Marquis of Donegal for his demesne

at Ormeau. On April 15, 1871 Belfast's first

public park, covering an extensive 173 acres,

opened there.

ORMEAU

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1888

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It was a spectacular event. A procession with

banners and flags assembled at Carlisle Circus,

then proceeded via Donegal Street, Bridge

Street, High Street, Chichester Street, Cromac

Street and Ormeau Road. At 4pm, 30,000

people saw its opening.

Belfast's Ormeau Park received many gifts.

Richard Patterson donated garden seats, a

councillor a drinking fountain. Others included

Egyptian geese, swans, goldfish and lion cubs.

The well-known blind harpist Paddy Murney

sang and played in the Ormeau Park in 1875

and in 1892 golf links were built. During the

First World War, 236 allotments were laid out

to grow vegetables for Belfast's food supply.

At the end of the war the park was closed to

the public and given over for a day's

entertainment for children.

After the peace procession through Belfast on

10th August 1919, the 36,000 men who took

part rested in Ormeau Park where they were

given refreshments. Belfast's Ormeau Road has

many interesting landmarks. The Convent near

Rosetta was built in 1867 and enlarged in 1906.

The Gasworks were designed by Robert Watt.

During the 1830s the second Marquis of

Donegall lived in Ormeau House. Later the

young Irish architect William Vitruvius

remodelled it in the Tudor style. After 1850 the

house was demolished and the demesne became

Belfast's first public park.

1895

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James MacDonnell set

up Belfast's first

Dispensary. Hitherto,

many poor people

received no proper

medical attention at all,

relying on the Charitable

Instition in Clifton Street

(above). He took a house

in West Street, suppling

free medicine and free

medical attendance to all.

Born outside Cushendall,

Co. Antrim in 1762, the

young James spent a

happy childhood in the

beautiful Glens of

Antrim. Sometime in the

1770s the blind harper

Arthur 0'Neill arived in

the Glens and stayed for

two years with the

MacDonnell family.

"The young James made

the best progress, giving

astonishingly clever

performances on the

harp," he recalls.

Yet it's difficult to believe

that the young James

received most of his early

schooling in a cave.

Writing in May 1689,

Richard Dobbs remarks:

"Into Red Bay falls a

river. Where the boats are

harboured are three large

caves." Towards the end

of the 18th century

Maurice Traynor taught

in one of these caves and

James MacDonnell was

his star pupil.

After leaving this curious

'cave school' James went

to Belfast and then to

Edinburgh where he

graduated in medicine.

Afterwards he returned to

Belfast, established

himself as a doctor and

built up a large practice.

In the late 1790s typhus

fever was rife in Belfast.

It was impossible to

control the infection and

nurse patients at home.

James MacDonnell

arranged for the purchase

of a house in Berry Street

and here, in 1797, the

first fever hospital in

Ireland opened its doors.

As well as his medical

interests, Dr.

MacDonnell found time

for other activities. From

an early age he'd been

keenly interested in

music.

In 1608 he founded the

Belfast Harp Society. He

organised an Institute for

the Blind where they

were trained to play a

musical instrument so

they'd have some means

of livelihood.

Undoubtedly, Dr. James

MacDonnell was

Belfast's leading

physician. Under his

instruction, new hospitals

were built, one of which

opened its doors on 1st

August 1817 and later

became the Belfast

Medical School.

Dr. James MacDonnell

lived at 13 Donegall

Place, Belfast, where he

died on 5th April 1845,

aged 82. He is buried in

the peaceful country

churchyard at Layde,

near Cushendall.

In the same year the

celebrated poet, Hugh

McDonnell published an

elegy in memory to both

the man and his

exceptional medical

achievements.

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Shoppers enjoy the pet stores in Gresham Street in 1963

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Junction of Crumlin Road and Oldpark Road in June 1960

Holiday makers enjoying Bellevue in the Summer of 1965

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Today Joe Baker is extremely well known for his work

on the local and factual history of Belfast. In fact at

one time he was described as Belfast's most

distinguished historian.

Most people would be forgiven for thinking that

because of this Joe done very well at school, went

to university and went to the shop when his mummy

told him! However most people would therefore be

wrong.

Joe grew up in the tough working class district of

the New Lodge in North Belfast at the height of what

became known as The Troubles. When leaving school

he could hardly read and write and self taught

himself while in young offenders centres and prison.

This December Joe will be

launching a new book telling

the story of this remarkable

transformation in what really

is a case of

Hooligan to Historian

The book will be available

in all leading newsagents

throughout Belfast and

will cost just £3.50

For more information go to

www.joebaker.ie

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