Christmas Eve 1831 was not a festive one for the Belfast Charitable Society. Members of the Society had watched with trepidation as cholera marched through Russia, into Poland before spreading across the rest of Europe. That evening a resolution was passed stating on the first appearance of cholera in Belfast…
…that communication between the house and […]
Samuel Neilson was a very successful Belfast businessman and an active member of the Charitable Society. He was an uncompromising social reformer who wished to improve Irish society for all. He was also an abolitionist and provided the freed slave Equaino with lodgings during his time in Belfast and invited Equaino to speak at the […]
How is the original Belfast Poor House, a country estate outside Lisburn and a National Trust property connected? Well, through the merchant banking Mussenden family!
Daniel Mussenden was an early promoter of the Belfast Charitable Society’s scheme to build a Poor House and Infirmary for the town of Belfast. Whilst Daniel was philanthropically minded, he was […]
Until well into the 19th century ships could come up into the foot of High Street, and maps from that time show a large bay of the Lagan which if it where there today would cover the Victoria Square and a large area to the south of it. This meant there was tidal water on […]
On one of the oldest donation boards in Clifton House it is recorded that ‘ Capt. Chas. McKenzie and crew of the ship Peace and Plenty’ made a generous donation to the Belfast Charitable Society in October 1786.
‘Peace & Plenty’ was a merchant barque sailing-ship of 400 tonnes. Captain McKenzie had sailed her very successfully […]
Clifton House opened in 1774 as the original Poor House for the town of Belfast. As the first public building in North Belfast, we have been part of the community for over 245 years.
During our tours of Clifton House many people tell us about the photographs they have of family events from weddings and christenings […]
In 1793 Martha McTier wrote to her brother, Dr William Drennan, seeking advice for the new ‘Lying-In Hospital’ she was helping to establish. In these times, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, his advice is as relevant today as when he penned his response in 1793.
If a house be established, the great advice is […]
March is Women’s History Month and is is very appropriate that a number of our key anniversaries surrounding the formation of the Poor House Ladies Committee fall in this month.
On this day 1826 Belfast Charitable Society received the letter written by the women who had attended the meeting with Elizabeth Fry earlier in March 1826. […]
On 13th March 1826 a meeting was called by Elizabeth Fry to encourage the women of Belfast to take an active role in the various charitable institutions within the town of Belfast. The women of Belfast agreed to write to the Poor House Committee for permission to set up a ‘Ladies Committee’ for ‘superintending the […]
Despite the vast, rich and yet unique history and heritage of north Belfast, the area is overlooked when it comes to regeneration and tourism opportunities. The positive contribution all of this could make to the wider city tends to be is overshadowed by negative stories that reflect the impact of communities separated and torn apart […]
