One of the first doctors in Belfast to offer their support to the Poor House by providing medical care to the poor for free was Dr Robert Stevenson. Dr Stevenson was called on to set broken legs and treat cancers in the Poor House.
Dr Stevenson was kept busy with work in the Poor House in […]
Today marks International Day for the Abolition of Slavery. The notion of slavery tends to bring us back to African slaves brought to America, however slavery continues as 21st Century problem. The Belfast Charitable Society of the 18th and 19th centuries found themselves caught in the controversy surrounding this abhorrent trade.
Much of the conflict regarding […]
This week our Christmas decorations went up marking the start of the festive season in Belfast’s original Poor House. Our Archive & Heritage Development Officer dipped into our archive to see how the Poor House would have been decorated in the past.
In the Georgian era the House was decorated throughout in what the Belfast Charitable […]
A £1million community fund which provides small, unsecured loans to social enterprises and charities has committed £850K to 36 groups in Northern Ireland in just 18 months.
Beneficiaries of the fund have been drawn from right across Northern Ireland with loans ranging from £1,000 to £25,000. Organisations supported include Step by Step which runs the One […]
Belfast was once famous the world over for its linen production, but this was not the first textile to be industrialised in Belfast.
Robert Joy was a paper producer and proprietor of the Belfast Newsletter, as well as the designer and project manager of the Poor House. Robert Joy, his brother-in-law Captain John McCracken and Thomas […]
Black ’47, the darkest year of the Great Hunger had a lasting impact on the town of Belfast. People were dying at an astonishing rate, with many streaming into Belfast to seek work and food. Money, however, could not save you from the ravages of the dreaded famine fever which killed indiscriminately. One such fever victim […]
The year 1818 was tough for the people of Belfast. Many were impacted by the famine conditions and the associated fever. This led some to take drastic actions.
We are not sure what the circumstances were for the young Robert Grainger whose grandfather kicked him out of his home. Whether the grandfather couldn’t afford his upkeep, or […]
The Belfast Charitable Society are proud to be attending the Institute of Fundraising Northern Ireland Annual Conference at Cultra Manor today (8th November 2018).
The conference offers fundraisers the chance to learn and share best practice in fundraising. This year’s theme is #KeepingItFresh both in terms of yourself as a fundraiser and also your cause. Belfast Charitable Society have, for […]
When it comes to the stories from the Poor House, the experience of the children are some of the most emotive. Some children came in with their families, others were orphaned and deserted, and a few knew only of life in the Poor House itself. In the 107 years from the first child entered until […]
Clifton House recently discovered a series of over 180 letters from Lt. Patrick Dixon to his parents and sister amongst other family papers. Thanks to our volunteer Jim Ferran, and Clare Tuohy who got in contact when the story broke, we have been able to piece together more of his life. Do you know of […]
