In light of Covid restrictions, Belfast Charitable Society have been unable to reopen the doors of Clifton House for our regular tours. However, we have developed a unique set of virtual talks which are delivered every Friday at 1pm, allowing people to tune in from the comfort of their homes, or over their lunch break, […]
John Trimble was admitted to the Poor House in May 1858 at the tender age of aged 7. His mother was still living in Belfast at the time but as his father had passed away. After spending a number of years within the walls of the institution, John was apprenticed in 1865 to Mr Reed, […]
At the George, 28th August 1752
The evening of Friday 28th August 1752 was cool in Belfast. After closing up their businesses and homes, a group of nineteen merchants, burgesses (councillors) and the local vicar, made their way to the George Inn at the corner of North Street and John Street (now Royal Avenue). It was […]
Today, 26 August 2020, marks International Dog Day, and is the perfect opportunity to share a small bit of the history of Clifton Street Cemetery. This beautiful sculpture of a dog (pictured above) once graced the top of the Hyndman headstone in Clifton Street Cemetery. Sadly the sculpture and the memorial tablets on the headstone […]
Today marks International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition. But what is the significance of the date? Well, on the evening of 22nd into the 23rd August 1791 witnessed the beginning of an uprising in Santo Domingo, which played a crucial role in the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.
Both before […]
On 11 August 1919 the Orderly reported to the Belfast Charitable Society that the residents of the Old People’s Home thoroughly enjoyed the Peace Day Celebrations held earlier in the week. A parade of servicemen left Victoria Barracks, behind Clifton House, and made it’s way down Clifton Street into the city centre. Newspapers reported that […]
On this day in 1866 the people of Belfast learnt of the death of Mary Ann McCracken. She had lived through some of the most turbulent years of Irish history including the 1798 rebellion, the Great Famine and the Industrial Revolution. Passing away aged 96, Mary Ann lived into a period where photography was becoming […]
Ever wondered about the origin of some of the old tiled Belfast street signs? Well, at a meeting of the Belfast Corporation in July 1869, known today as Belfast City Council, it was resolved that the Belfast Charitable Society should affix signs to the streets on their land including Clifton Street, Regent Street & Duncairn Street. Over […]
On this day 1798 Henry Joy McCracken was executed for his role as commander of the County Antrim forces of the United Irishmen. After the United Irish defeat in Antrim in June of 1798, Henry Joy fled to the Belfast Hills, whilst Mary Ann arranged his escape to America. However, he was seized on the […]
Today (8th July 2020) marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Mary Ann McCracken, the noted activist, abolitionist and social reformer. Mary Ann was born to Captain John and Anne McCracken (née Joy). Her maternal grandfather was Francis Joy, founder of the Belfast Newsletter. Like her siblings Mary Ann was educated at David Manson’s […]
