Cornmarket in the mid 1890’s

11Belfast’s Local History Magazine

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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

A bus being lifted out of a trench on the

Donegall Road after it accidently drove

into it. 1960

Junction of the Oldpark Road and

Crumlin Road 1960

Houses in Pottinger Court. (Small court at

side of Morning Star Bar) 1960

33333

Old Belfast Police ReportsO n January 11th 1930

Constable David Ferguson

and his brother James Ferguson

appeared in the Belfast Custody

court charged with stealing a suit

of clothes from John Lewis, a

tailor of Fleetwood Street,

Belfast. The magistrate sitting

during the hearing, Mr P J

O’Donaghue described the case as

"a great row over very little". It

was alleged that James Ferguson

visited the Lewis house in

December of 1929 and giving his

name as Mr Johnston he asked to

be shown some patterns and cloth

samples in order to have a suit

made. He gave his address to Mr

Lewis as care of Mr Swan of

Hillman Street in the north of the

city and the suit was ordered. On

December 20th 1929 Ferguson

(Johnston) was contacted and he

called to try on the suit. He told

Mr Lewis that he was waiting for

his friend Mr Swan of Antrim

Road Barracks and within

minutes Constable David

Ferguson arrived. James

Ferguson at this time left his old

suit behind and ran from the

premises. Constable Ferguson

was going to follow him when

Gertrude Lewis, the daughter of

John Lewis, tried to stop him from

leaving and claimed that she was

struck on the head by the

constable. A week later

Constable Ferguson called again

at the house of Mr Lewis and

offered Lewis £3 to settle for his

brother but this was refused. In

court Mr Lewis was cross-

examined by Mr Graham who

represented the Ferguson brothers

and he read out to Mr Lewis a

letter that he had sent to Lewis

asking for repayment of a loan of

£5 made by David Ferguson. This

letter had been sent to Mr Lewis

in June 1929 and Lewis admitted

in court that he had ignored the

letter. He also stated that he had

also received correspondence

from Mr Ferguson about a debt

of £5 but had also ignored all

requests for repayment. Mr Lewis

had telephoned Constable

Ferguson and asked for the suit

to be paid for as well as expenses

but in court he could not make up

his mind whether the suit had

been stolen or not.

Constable Ferguson confirmed

that there was a debt of £5 owing

to him from Mr Lewis and that

no one had tried to stop him or

his brother from leaving with the

new suit. He vehemently denied

striking Gertrude Lewis. The

magistrate having heard enough

of the counter claims dismissed all

the charges against the Ferguson

brothers.

Fuss about a Penny

It was reported that there was a

complaint of wasting public

resources on trivial matters and an

excellent example was the story

of the Belfast penny. This penny

had got embedded in a gas meter

in the city and the corporation

were called to try to get it out. It

took three corporation employees

two and half hours to get the

penny out – seven and a half

hours’ wages in all.

False Fire Alarm

Alexander Orr of Victor Street

was prosecuted in the Belfast

Summons Court in January 1930

for having given a false alarm of

fire from Royal Avenue. Orr was

observed by James Mackie, a

tailor of Donegall Street, breaking

the glass disc in the fire alarm at

the corner of Royal Avenue and

Library Street. Orr was drunk and

he was arrested by Sergeant

William McCappin. Mackie had

observed Orr leaning on the

lamppost and the alarm being

sounded as he left the post. Four

fire engines turned out in answer

to the alarm. Orr remembered

nothing about the incident and

admitted that he had been under

the influence of drink. Orr was

fined 40s for giving the false

alarm, with the alternative of one

month’s imprisonment. For

having been drunk he was fined

2s 6d.

Orr remembered nothing about the

incident and admitted that he had

been under the influence of drink.

44444

Postal Pilfering

Three Belfast post office servants

pleaded guilty to charges of

stealing postal orders on several

dates in 1929 and 1930 from

Belfast postal offices. In court it

was stated that all three men were

on wages above £2 per week but

that they all had got involved in

betting and that some weeks they

were each staking £4 per week at

the bookies. They had stolen the

money to finance their gambling

habits. One of the accused had

been acting as a bookmakers’

agent, which was a serious

offence in his role as a postman.

The sentences were two years

hard labour on William

McGarvey of Victoria Avenue,

three years penal servitude on

Thomas Parkinson, the bookies

agent, of Madrid Street and nine

months hard labour on John

Toman of Rockview Street.

McGarvey had committed two

charges of taking money and

postal orders from postal packets.

Parkinson was found guilty of

four charges of theft from postal

packets and asked for a further 15

to be taken into consideration.

Toman was found guilty of

opening a postal packet, not

belonging to him.

Vaccination Case Outburst

"O Mother of God, O Sweet

Infant Jesus, my beautiful wife

lies in prison; my beautiful baby,

torn from its mothers breast, lies

crying at home!" These

extraordinary words came from

Mr John Lessels of Bangor in as

strange scene at Kirkpatrick

Memorial Church during Sunday

worship. Mr Lessels was the

husband of Mrs Faith Lessels who

was incarcerated at Armagh Jail

in January 1930 for failing to

comply with the vaccination law

in Northern Ireland. The mother

of eight unvaccinated children,

Mrs Lessels objected to

vaccination on conscientious

grounds. Unlike Great Britain,

the Northern Ireland vaccination

regulations did not include a

‘conscience clause’. There were

many protests in support of Mrs

Lessels imprisonment, which

included a telegram read out at a

gathering at Belfast Custom

House from George Bernard

Shaw who supported the stand of

Mrs Lessels.

Mrs Faith Lessels was incarcerated at

Armagh Jail

For more local crime stories make

sure you read Joe Baker’s feature

every week in the Sunday Life

55555

SAVING A DROWNING DOLL, BELFAST INQUESTS

AND A MAN FLYING AROUND THE EARTH!

Last year we were all reminded about the alleged

moon landing by the United States as it was

the anniversary. Now I use the word alleged because

more and more people are now becoming convinced

that it actually never happened and was actually

staged. Leaving that aside there is no doubt that it

was the Ruskies who won the space race as it was

the Soviets who put the first satellite into space

(Sputnik), the first living creature (Laika) the first

living creatures to return (Belka and Strelka) the

first man (Yuri Gagarin) and the first woman

(Valentina Tereshkova) and many other firsts

ranging from the first moon landing (unmanned)

right through to deep space satellites.

From this issue I plan to begin a new series which

will look at what was going on in Belfast during

world changing moments and they reason for

pointing out the Soviet success above is because I

though I would start with Wednesday 12th of April,

1961 when Russia put the first man, Yuri Gagarin,

into space.

As Mr Gagarin was orbiting the earth 10 year old

Susan Malcolmson had a lucky escape when she

was saved from drowning at the Belfast docks by a

sailor. She fell into the water as she came down the

gangway from the Liverpool ship the Ulster

Monarch, after a holiday in England with her aunt.

Her rescuer was named as local man, William

Mitchell of Highcairn Drive, who was a 36 year old

seaman and member of the Liverpool ship’s crew.

As Susan was leaving the ship she dropped her

favourite doll and as she tried to prevent the doll

from falling into the water, Susan toppled off the

gangway and fell 25ft into the cold water between

the Ulster Monarch and the quay.

Miss Gladys Malcolmson, Susan’s aunt raised the

alarm and Mr Mitchell without thought for his own

safety immediately leapt into the water and dragged

Susan to safety. Miss Gladys Malcolmson was later

treated for shock and Susan suffered a cut on her

knee and seemed happy when she was handed her

lost doll. Susan was taken on board the ship and

given medical treatment for shock and had a hot

bath before being taken with her aunt to Musgrave

Street RUC station and then on to hospital where

Susan received four stitches. Susan lost her baggage

when she fell as well as a shoe but her only thoughts

were with her doll. She spent the rest of her eventful

day wrapped up in blankets with her doll watching

television and was none the worse for her ordeal.

An inquest was held in Belfast concerning the death

of a child of 19 months who died when she went

out for a walk with her grandfather. Janet McMillan

of Annadale Flats in Belfast died when she was

knocked down by a lorry at the Lisburn Road end

of Marlborough Park in South Belfast.

Her grandfather, Richard Black of Maryville

Avenue, lived not far from where the accident took

place, had taken his three young grandchildren out

to buy sweets on the Lisburn Road. He stopped at

the corner of Marlborough Park and was about to

go into the shop when he noticed that Janet was

66666

missing. At the same time he heard a dreadful smack

and a screeching of brakes and he saw Janet lying

on the road. Mrs W Ardery from Banbridge had

been driving behind the lorry when the incident

occurred. She saw Janet running out on to the road

and ran straight into the trailer of the lorry; Mrs

Ardery didn’t believe that the driver could have

avoided the accident, the child had run out onto the

road without looking. A verdict of accidental death

was returned.

At another inquest into the death of John Andrews

of Slievetoye Park, Upper Cavehill Road, Belfast

an open verdict was returned. Mr Andrews had

fallen off his moped in Corporation Street 12 days

before his death. He died from the injuries sustained

in the accident and had not left hospital since the

incident. Evidence was presented that suggested

that Mr Andrews had been speeding at the time of

the accident and he then skidded on the road and

was thrown from his motorbike. Mrs Jane Clancy

who lived on Corporation Street witnessed the

accident and it was confirmed by witnesses that the

road was under repair at the time and that there were

pieces of stone, asphalt and dust scattered on the

road. The corporation road squad denied that they

had any liability in the accident, saying that the road

had been brushed and all road works were completed

a short time before the accident. All signage

indicating that the road was under repair had also

been removed from the site of the accident.

The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, Lord

Brookeborough answered questions at Stormont on

whether he should appoint an additional cabinet

minister to deal with the magnitude and gravity of

the unemployment position and the repercussions

of this high level of unemployment on the economic

and social life of the community. The question was

asked by Mrs Dinah McNabb, North Armagh, and

she suggested that the extra Minister could deal with

ways of attracting new industrial developments and

also encourage the expansion of existing industries.

A new development agency was also proposed to

the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister disagreed

and replied that he was not convinced that a new

development role would attract new industries to

Northern Ireland. This he felt was already done by

the Minister of Commerce with the Chandos

Development Council and the British Industrial

Development Office in America. He said;

We do not favour the establishment of such a

corporation which would seem to have to rely on

Government money to initiate manage and control

new industrial ventures.

Wonder if he would say that if he were on the dole!

W&G Baird’s premises in

Arthur Street around the early

1860’s Baird’s went on to

establish the Belfast Telegraph

77777

88888

Exploring Belfast’s Old StreetsRaymond O’Regan

WARING STREETWaring Street is one of the streets

shown on the Belfast map of 1685

(below). It had many names, eg.

Broad Street, Wern Street. Its

name derives from a tanner called

William Waring from Toombridge

who was given a lease in 1670.

He lived and carried on business

in the street that bore his name.

His daughter Jayne took the fancy

of Jonathan Swift, a minister at

the time in Kilroot. He refers to

Jayne as "Varina" but after two

years Swift’s advances were

spurned and he headed back to

England and eventually to Dublin.

It is interesting to note that Swift

on his journey in from Kilroot

along the strand to Belfast would

have passed the Cave Hill. It is

believed that he got the idea of the

giant in "Gullivers Travels" from

this view. Also to back up this

story on an 1860’s map of Belfast

were York Road Station Yard I

found a farm called "Lilliput

Farm". Today we still have a

laundry service called LILLIPUT

LAUNDRY.

99999

We start the journey down this

historic street from the former

Northern Bank building heading

towards Victoria Street and

Donegall Quay.

No. 2 Old Northern Bank

(closed 2002) built as the

Exchange in 1769 by the Earl of

Donegall to celebrate the birth of

his son George Augustus. The

upper floors (the Assembly

Rooms) were added in 1776 by

the famous London architect

Robert Taylor. It was converted

into a bank in 1845 by Charles

Lanyon (architect of Queen’s

University). This building

reflects a lot of the history of

Belfast.

1786 - A meeting was held in

the assembly rooms by some

Belfast merchants with a plan to

set up a Belfast Slaveship

Company similar to cities such

as Bristol and Liverpool . What

they had not relied on was the

intervention of the Presbyterian

United Irishman Thomas McCabe

who condemned this vile proposal

with the words "May God wither

the hand of the man who signs that

document." Not only did the

slaveship company never come

about but many people denied that

the meeting ever took place; but

historical records (The Drennan

letters ) exist to confirm that it did.

July 1792 – A Harp Festival was

held in the assembly rooms were

Edward Bunting transcribed the

music of the nine harpists, one of

which was a girl. It was held to

celebrate Bastille Day. The

festival was attended by many

United Irishmen including Wolf

Tone and Thomas Russell. Tone

was not too impressed with the

musicianship of the harpists as he

recorded in his dairy at the time.

"Strum, strum, strum and be

damned."

17th July 1798 – The famous

Presbyterian United Irishman

Henry Joy McCracken was tried

for treason, by a Colonel

Montgomery, in the Assembly

Rooms. He was found guilty and

on the same day was hanged at

5pm at the Market House corner

of Cornmarket and High Street

(site of present day Dunnes

Store). His body, instead of

having its head cut off and placed

on top of the market house - as

had happened to his comrades,

was brought back to the family

home in Rosemary Lane (Street)

After vain attempts to revive him

he was accompanied by a small

cortege and was buried in High

Street graveyard (site of present

day St. Georges Church) his

remains were removed in the

early 1900’s by Francis Joseph

Bigger and now lie with his sister

in Clifton Street Graveyard.

Henry Joy McCracken was a

member of Third Presbyterian

Church Rosemary Street. The

church was destroyed in the 1941

blitz and a Masonic Hall, built on

the site in 1954 The church moved

to North Circular Road and

retained the connection with it’s

former address as it is called

Rosemary Church. The Masonic

Hall now has at the entrance to

their building a plaque honouring

Henry Joy McCracken

1010101010

the memory of Henry Joy

McCracken

Incidentally all distances from

Belfast were measured from the

corner of the Exchange and

Assembly Building, ie. Junction

of Waring Street and Donegall

Street. The marker was removed

during the Second World War.

1111111111

Michael Andrews

Crossing Donegall Street the

block up to Hill Street is

dominated by just two buildings

Nos. 10-12 This site is part of a

new Premier Inn Hotel built at

the corner of Waring Street and

Donegall Street. On the ground

floor of the hotel is the new 4

Corners Restaurant.

Back in the early 1800s it was the

site of the Belfast Bank before

they moved across the road in

1845 to the former Exchange and

Assembly building. The new

owners have lovingly restored the

exterior of this nineteenth century

building and incorporated it into

the new hotel.

Nos. 14-24 Longbridge House:

Built in 1990 and is the home of

the Industrial Tribunals Board and

the Fair Employment Tribunal.

This now brings us to Hill Street

where a modern six storey

building stands at the corner of

Hill Street and Waring Street. On

the ground floor is the former

Pothouse Bar & Grill.(the name

is a reference to a pottery that

existed here in the late 17th and

early 18th. Century) one of the

many tenants on the upper floors

is the well known firm of

solicitors Jones & Co.

Cotton Court A restored building

that is set back of the street

offering managed work spaces.

Again this is an acknowledgement

to the cotton trade which was

carried on in Belfast from the late

18th. Century. It had been

introduced into the Poor House by

Thomas McCabe, Capt. John

McCracken and Robert Joy as a

means of employment and

training. The cotton industry in

Belfast reached it’s peak in the

1820s but due to fierce

competition from mills in

Lancashire was eclipsed by linen

from the 1830s on.

Moving along the street and next

door we find the 2 Taps Wine Bar.

On the kerbside is a very useful

information board highlighting

some of the history of the street

with a reference to Jonathan Swift

stating that at one time he lived

there. This is incorrect as Swift,

The old Belfast Poor House (with spire)

Capt. John McCracken father

of Henry Joy McCracken

1212121212

who was a minister lived at

Kilroot but made many visits to

his girlfriend Jayne Waring. *

(Incidentally Swifts house at

Kilroot had survived up to the

1960s but fell victim to mindless

vandalism when it was destroyed

and is now only a memory)

As we head to the end of this part

of Waring Street we come across

the long established firm of

wholesale jewellers Gardiner

Brothers which opened for

business in 1938.

Next door is Olo hairdressing

salon.

Victoria Street intersects Waring

Street at this point

The lower end of Waring Street

terminates at Donegall Quay were

a stunning 24 storey building is

nearing completion.

* This is just a tiny part of the false

history presented within this area.

For example it has in recent years

been classed as ‘Cathedral

Quarter’ which is a name given

by the Laganside Business to

impress would-be investors.

Lower Donegall Street in 1831 showing the Commercial

Buildings in the distance

The Four Corners in 1841 showing the Commercial Buildings

(left) and the old Exchange (right)

We now move back to to Waring

Streets junction with Bridge

Street.

Nos. 1-3 Built in 1819/20 and

paid for by public subscriptions,

cost £20,000. It was named

"Commercial Buildings" and was

used by Belfast merchants, it also

contained an hotel at the corner

of Waring Street and Sugarhouse

Entry (were Clanmill housing

now have their offices). The

Commercial Building was built

on the site of four thatched

cottages one of which belonged

to Samuel Neilson, who like many

Belfast Presbyterians was a

United Irishman. He carried on a

successful woollen drapery

business before being arrested for

his membership of the United

Irishmen. He was imprisoned in

1313131313

Dublin for 18 months without

being charged and not released

until early 1798. After the failure

of the 1798 uprising Neilson

along with 90 other United

Irishmen, deemed too dangerous

to be allowed to stay in Ireland,

ended up in Fort George prison

in the north east of Scotland. After

his release in 1802 he was

banished from ever returning to

Ireland under pain of death. He

did make a clandestine visit home

to Belfast via Dublin to say good-

Samuel Neilson in the uniform

of the Irish Volunteers

The Commercial Buildings today

bye to his family before leaving

for America. He died and is buried

in Poughkeepsie, New York State

in 1803 not long after his release

from Fort George Prison. The

Commercial Building became the

home of the Northern Whig when

Francis Dalzell Finlay moved his

newspaper there In the early 19th.

Century. The Northern Whig

ceased publishing as a newspaper

in 1959. It is still in business

today but not as a newspaper but

printers and can be found on the

Limestone Road and who actually

print this magazine!

Today the ground floor of the

building is a bar and restaurant

still retaining the old name - the

Northern Whig. In one of the

many offices on the upper floors

is the home of Martin Lynch.

Martin is a well known

playwright with many plays under

his belt including "The History Of

the Troubles Accord’n to My Da.”

This very successful play was

back again in the Opera house in

2009. In 2008 he produced that

excellent Marie Jones comedy

"Women on the Verge of HRT"

which played to packed houses

and this is also due back in the

Opera House. This was a play that

had all the excellent comic

touches you expect from Marie

Jones and in the second half of the

play the pathos of a Greek

tragedy. It is surely a play that

deserves many more runs as it has

a universal theme. Martin was

also the producer of "A Night In

November " (another Marie Jones

play) which had a very successful

run in Belfast, London and

Dublin. Martin had a new play

Called "Chronicles of Long Kesh"

which had a very successful run

in the Studio Theatre at the

Waterfront Hall in January 2009

and receives rave reviews and

played to packed houses at the

Edinburgh Festival. His adaption

of the famous SamThompson

play "Over the Bridge" was staged

in the Studio Theatre at the

Waterfront in March and April

2010.

Continuing on down the street we

pass Sugarhouse Entry, famous in

the 18th Century for Peggy

Barclay’s "Benjamin Franklin

Tavern". The United Irishmen

met here using the cover name of

Martin Lynch

1414141414

"The Muddlers Club". There was

also a Sugarhouse here, hence the

name. The entry has been blocked

off since the 1970’s due to the

‘Troubles’ but should be opened

up again. The Benjamin Franklin

tavern is were the notorious

government spy Belle Martin

(mistress of Lord Castlereagh)

worked. She was able to pass

information back to her

paymasters leading to the arrest

and conviction of many United

Irishmen. She was so notorious

Castlereagh had her moved away

from Belfast to Dublin were she

carried on spying on United

Irishmen. Watty Cox, who

produced a newsheet in Dublin

printing the names of people who

he claimed were working as spies

for Dublin Castle and in one of

the issues he gives a detailed

descripton of Belle Martin.

Nos. 9-13 Built in 1955 as The

Northern Ireland War Memorial

Building It housed museums and

welfare offices. In 1840 on this

site stood a hotel and an

architectural equipment store. It

is interesting to note that the firm

of architects H & R have taken

over the ground floor of the

building

Nos. 23-31 Cathederal House

(Belfast Business Centre) and

next door the William Hill betting

establishment (the bookies)

On the gable wall of this building

is a striking full length mural well

worth having a look at.

Here is Skipper Street, named as

it was a place were ships Captains

would board) On the 17th

Century map of Belfast it is only

developed on one side.

No. 33 "The Ulster Buildings" -

a building at the corner of Skipper

Street and Waring Street built in

1869 on land that actually

belonged to the First and Second

Presbyterian Churches in

Rosemary Street. It was left to

them by William Tennant, a well

to do merchant and former United

Irishmen, in his will of 1832. This

small three storey building was

once part of the former Ulster

Bank Headquarters next door. It

along with its neighbour, is now

part of a hotel called The

Merchant and this part of the new

hotel is called the Cloth Ear

Public House probably an

acknowledgement to the former

cotton trade nearby. The former

bank has been lovingly

transformed into a luxury hotel.

The new owners spent a lot of

money renovating it and the

magnificent chandelier at the

entrance is a sight to behold.

Nos. 35-39 The main building

and the Former Ulster Bank

Headquarters built in the late

1850’s, when this area was the

commercial heart of the town.

(Belfast was not granted city

status until 1888). The exterior

of the building has not been

altered during its transformation

into the magnificent Merchant

Hotel, Britannia with Justice and

Commerce beside can still be seen

on top of the building. Take a look

at the railings at the entrance to

the hotel it features the famous

Red Hand of Ulster but it is

showing as the left hand when it

should be the right. This mistake

was again repeated above the

main entrance to the hotel but as

the architect was from Glasgow

he may not have been aware of

the significance of his mistake.

The Merchant Hotel is a welcome

addition to Belfast’s growing

hotel accommodation and the new

1515151515

owners have to be congratulated

for a magnificent restoration of

this historic building. Parked at

the front of the building is the

hotels Bentley which if you want

to impress your friends can be

hired to collect you from the

airport.

(If you get a chance to visit that

"Jewel in the Crown" of historic

graveyards - Clifton Street

Cemetery you will find the grave

of a Mr Heron one of the founders

of the Ulster Bank.)

Next door to the Merchant Hotel

is a building that houses Youth for

Justice.

Nos. 41-43 Nambarrie Tea

merchants is at the corner of

Waring Street and Victoria Street.

This building until recently was

where the tea was packed and

distributed but is now reduced to

an administration office and

distribution centre. (Below)

Waring Street continues on across

Victoria Street right down as far

as Donegall Quay where a 24

storey skyscraper is under

construction on the banks of the

River Lagan.

BOTTOM - Waring Street in 1960

showing the old Ulster Bank

1616161616

&THENNOW

Gordon Street in 1933. This is the small street which connects Hill Street with the modern Dunbar

Link or the street up the side of Mynt Niteclub for the younger generation! BELOW - The street today

1717171717

North Street in the late 1950’s

BELOW - The street today

1818181818

Laying new tram tracks on Clifton Street in January 1921. BELOW - The same view today (April 2010)

1919191919

British troops on patrol in Castle Junction January 1921. BELOW - The same view today (April 2010)

2020202020

BRUTAL BELFAST MURDERSCRUEL MURDER IN THE GOOD OLD DAYS!

Throughout the history of Belfast there have

been numerous murders, the most common

of which during the nineteenth and early

twentieth century were what is commonly

known today as ‘domestic’ murders. These are

murders that occur in the home and in the

nineteenth century many of these murders were

precipitated by alcohol. Today there is much

debate about the health implications of alcohol

consumption and in recent years there has been

discussion about the social implications of

violence carried out due to the over use of

alcohol. This story of violence from 1881 shows

us perhaps how things have not really changed

from Victorian times.

DEMANDED CHEQUE

It was June 1881 and the McClure family, James,

Mary and their eighteen month old child were

living at 108 Old Lodge Road. Mary McClure

ran a small shop at this address helped by a

young servant girl named Ellen who lived in

the house with the family. Mr McClure was a

mechanic in Ewarts Mill and the McClures had

been married for three years.

Around this time Mr McClure stopped going to

work and instead often stayed at home to drink

with his wife each day. On the 28th June he

stayed at home and the couple began to argue

over a cheque which Mrs McClure had hidden.

Mr McClure wanted to take the cheque from

his wife, as he believed that she would cash it

and spend all the money on drink. Mrs McClure

refused to give his the cheque and it was then at

around 1.30pm that McClure struck her. Mrs

McClure fell through a glass door, which

separated the shop from the downstairs kitchen,

and it was then that she decided that she needed

to get cleaned up. Mary went upstairs and was

followed by her husband who continued to ask

her for the cheque and she refused again and

again.

BRUTALLY BEATEN

It was at this point that McClure seemed to snap

and pushed Mary into the bedroom and began

to savagely beat her, punching and kicking her

and still Mary would not give him the cheque.

Then James McClure lifted his walking stick

and beat her so brutally with it that it snapped.

Mary finally relented and gave him the cheque

and called out to Ellen to fetch help, as she could

not move.

James McClure left the house and went to his

sister in laws house in York Street and asked

her to come and help him with his wife.

Meanwhile Ellen tried to raise help from the

neighbours but they closed the door in her face.

Finally Mrs Gillespie from 110 Old Lodge Road

came to see Mary at the same time as James

returned. Mary pleaded for someone to bring

her to hospital but her husband refused and a

doctor was called instead.

MEDICAL REPORT

Dr McMurty called at the house and

immediately felt that Mary needed to go to

hospital and it is understandable why he felt that

she should be in hospital when we read extracts

from his statement describing Mary McClure’s

injuries:

One of the bones of the forearm was broken. I

found that the fracture was compound and the

wound was an inch long. The arm was broken

also between the elbow and shoulder…there was

a wound of two inches on her head. On the left

2121212121

James McClure was a mechanic in Ewarts Mill. He had stopped going to work and instead often

stayed at home to drink with his wife each day

temple there was a contused wound, the skin

being blackened, swollen and abraded..her nose

was swollen and blackened, an abrasion on the

lower lip and on the right arm I found a great

deal of blackness. On the right leg there was a

fracture of the larger bone, the leg being swollen

and black..there was also a fracture of the bone

of the right heel, the skin on the foot and calf

was abraded as was much of her arms and

abdomen.

At just before 4.00 pm, while the doctor was

trying to get Mary McClure to hospital, she

became so weak that the doctor lay her on the

shop counter and a couple of minutes later she

died. The police were called and her husband

James was charged with the murder of his wife.

CONSIDERABLE CRUELTY

At his trial in Belfast the jury amazingly returned

a verdict of not guilty of murder but guilty of

manslaughter and he was sentenced to fifteen

years penal servitude. The judge told McClure

when passing sentence that "the jury have taken

a merciful view of your case..there can be no

doubt that yours was the hand that deprived this

unfortunate woman of her life- of whom it is

alleged she provoked you by exceeding in liquor

– you deprived her of life under circumstances

of certainly very great and very considerable

cruelty’.

There was no doubt that the judge felt that Mrs

McClure had been murdered by her husband

however he could not state this in court. If found

guilty of murder James McClure would have

been executed for his crime but when we look

back on this brutal case we must also think of

how the neighbours on the Old Lodge Road

ignored her screams for help and even when

their help was requested by the servant they

denied this also. The good old days indeed!

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DOUBLE MURDER IN NORTH BELFASTFor many people living in Belfast in the 1930s

this era was known as the "hungry thirties". It

was a time of great poverty and unemployment as

the mills began to close although there was little

sectarian violence. The social injustice and poverty

of the time united the two communities. Twenty

seven percent of the workforce was unemployed and

striking was commonplace and the connections

between unemployment, sickness and poverty were

recognised. The Ardoyne area of Belfast had grown

up with the mills and had also suffered as the they

closed.

In Rosebank Street, facing the gates of the

Brookfield Mill, one of the largest in the area, Mary

Mulholland and John McMullan were shot dead one

night in April 1931.

In July 1931 William Mulholland was charged with

the murder of his wife and John Mulholland and

the whole of Belfast waited to see if the death

penalty would be handed down to William

Mulholland. Several people had been executed in

Crumlin Road jail in the previous years, but Belfast

was more usually the scene for sectarian murders

throughout the previous decade and this domestic

double murder received a lot of attention.

William Mulholland was aged 35 and was a fitter

employed at the shipyards. His son, Richard

Mulholland aged 19 gave evidence in court that his

parents had a poor relationship and had not spoken

for two years. Richard Mulholland did not speak to

his father either. The Mulholland house at 7

Rosebank Street was the scene of the deaths that

were both brutal and unexpected.

William Mulholland had returned to his house at

around 10pm to find his son Richard in the kitchen

with a friend John McMullan, his wife Mary and

daughter were also in the kitchen. His son Willie

was also in the house. John McMullan was often

around at the Mulhollands house where he and

Richard played music and practiced together. They

often listened to music on the radio, which is what

they were doing on the night of the terrible murders.

William Mulholland was in bad humour and told

John McMullan "didn’t I tell you not to come in

again?" and then when he received no answer "I’ll

give you three minutes to get out". John McMullan

did not reply although we did not hear in court why

he did not answer Mulholland when he spoke to

him. It was some time later that Mulholland

appeared with a revolver he had had at the house

since his days as a B Special and told McMullan to

leave his house but to wait until 11.20pm when the

‘peeler ‘ would have left the area. When McMullan

got up to put on his coat Mulholland suddenly

reappeared and shot John McMullan dead in the

hallway.

Richard Mulholland ran from the house and went

to Leopold Street Barracks to try and get some help.

Meanwhile at the back of the house Mary

Mulholland and Willie left the house through the

Number 7 Rosebank Street where Mary

Mulholland and John McMullan were murdered

2323232323

yard and out onto the alley, with Mary running

towards Ohio Street and Willie in the other direction

toward the Crumlin Road. They all feared for their

lives as William Mulholland ran out after Mary and

Willie.

The court was silent as Willie Mulholland gave

evidence of how his father ran after him with the

revolver in his hand and then suddenly turned to

run after his mother Mary Mulholland. The next

thing the thirteen-year-old boy heard was a single

shot and his mother lay dead in the alleyway behind

Rosebank Street.

In his evidence Richard Mulholland stated that

McMullan was a frequent visitor to the house and

that he had been on good terms with his father but

on other occasions his fathers behaviour had been

erratic when Richard had other visitors. He said

that his father would at first appear to be friendly

The entry at the rear of Rosebank Street where Mrs Mulholland fell

with the visitor and then would suddenly turn on

them and insist that they leave the house.

After shooting dead John McMullan and his wife

Mary, William Mulholland returned to his house and

then he went out into Rosebank Street where he was

arrested by two policeman fetched by Richard from

the local barracks.

Mulhollands defence rested solely on the accused

being insane at the time of the murders and that he

could not be held responsible for his actions. The

Medical Superintendent from the County Antrim

Asylum, Dr W J Smyth and Dr O’Flaherty the prison

medical officer told the court that Mulholland was

"sane on the night of the shooting and that he was

still quite sane".

The jury however found Mulholland guilty but

insane and he was detained as a criminal lunatic at

the Governments pleasure.

2424242424

HORRIFIC MURDER OF AN ‘UNFORTUNATE’

In December 1912 the trial of two Belfast women

accused of the murder of poor, alcoholic woman

concluded. Mary Maguire of Marshall Street and

Mary Jane Baillie of Great Patrick Street were

charged with the murder of Mary Ann ‘Minnie’

McMullan in Marshall Street on the 9th July 1912.

Minnie McMullan was what was called in Belfast

in those days as an ‘unfortunate’ woman. She was

a young woman who was addicted to alcohol and

spent her time in either the workhouse, Belfast

Prison, or in houses that took in these women for

money.

Mary Maguire owned two houses in Marshall Street,

numbers 15 and 17 and she made a living renting

out rooms to women who had fallen on hard times.

Her friend Mary Jane Baillie lived just around the

corner on Great Patrick Street where she helped her

husband Henry run a small grocer shop. Most of

her time thought she spent helping her close friend

Mary Maguire run her homes for the ‘unfortunates’.

In early 1912 Minnie moved into number 15 to stay

in the Maguire house.

In July 1912 Mary Jane Baillie had become

suspicious that Minnie McMullan had been messing

around with her husband Henry. She had no proof

of any relationship between the pair but she told

her friend Mary Maguire about her suspicions and

also the other residents in Marshall Street about the

affair between her husband Henry and Minnie.

Many of the people of the area heard Mary Jane

threaten to hurt Minnie if she ever caught her with

her husband.

On the 8th July Minnie had been drinking alcohol

for many hours and was the worse for wear. She

came back to Marshall Street where Mary Jane

started to shout at her in the street. She then struck

Minnie full on the face, so hard that blood

immediately began to spurt from Minnie’s nose. She

slumped drunk and slightly dazed from the blow.

Mary Jane left her there, lying propped up against

the door of Mary Maguire’s house and went off to

tell any one who would listen what she had done. A

short time later Mary Maguire came back to the

house and brought Minnie inside and lay her down

on the settee of her house.

What happened next no one is really sure as the

only witnesses were Mary Maguire and Mary Jane

Baillie, although it was believed that some of the

other residents saw what happened but were too

afraid to tell anyone. What we do know is that

Minnie was very unwell as she suffered a severe

blow to her head, which was of such severity that

her head was smashed in, struck from above and

splitting the skull right down to the nose. The brain

was driven against the frontal bone of the head

causing Minnie to lose her ability to move or speak

but leaving enough brain activity that she was still

alive.

Mary Jane Baillie went back to her house on Great

Patrick Street leaving Minnie asleep at Mary

Maguire’s. Mary Maguire was woken up early on

the morning of the 9th July by Minnie moaning and

then as she attended to her a rattle was heard in

Minnie’s throat indicating that she was close to

death. She sent one of the lodgers to fetch Mary

Jane and as she arrived a short time later with her

husband, Henry. It was decided between them to

carry Minnie out of the house and leave her in

Marshall Court where they knew there was another

unfortunate woman who was sleeping in the street.

Mary and Mary Jane carried Minnie out the back of

the house in Marshall Street and down through the

alley than ran along the back of the house. The

alley led out into Marshall Court where they left

Minnie propped up against the other drunken

woman. The two women thought that no one had

seen them but several of the local residents observed

what they did.

That morning a passing worker, Marcus McMillen

had seen the two women leave Minnie lying in the

2525252525

street and Jenny Wright who lived in the area had

also seen the two women and she checked on Minnie

later that morning. Minnie was barely alive and

she decided to call for the local constable who

arrived on the scene and called for an ambulance

that took Minnie to the hospital where she later died.

The witnesses told the police what they had seen

and the two women were arrested and charged with

the murder.

Despite overwhelming evidence of what the two

woman had done none of the other lodgers would

give evidence against them and when the jury retired

to consider their verdict on the charge of murder

they returned a short time later and acquitted the

women on the capital charge. No one had seen the

blow, which could be confirmed as having killed

Minnie, and so they returned a verdict of guilty of

manslaughter with a recommendation of mercy to

Mary Maguire. Both women were sentenced to jail.

The case was described in court as being one of the

most "vicious and wicked acts of revenge and was

carried through to its terrible conclusion under

circumstance of terrible cruelty and savage inhuman

brutality" that was seen in Belfast in recent years.

2626262626

EXECUTION BROADSHEETSThe execution of a condemned

prisoner was the cause of

major excitement throughout the

community. Since most executions

took place outside either the gaol or

some other municipal building in

full gaze of the general public, such

events drew the inevitable large

crowds. Most of those who formed

the bulk of the crowds were curious

onlookers. Some coming to see ‘a

hanging’ for the first time. Others

however were regulars, travelling

from far and near like the bards of

old relishing in the scene of misery

and despair. Like the bards of old,

some of these individuals were the

writers and producers of what was

known as the Execution

Broadsheet.

This special broadsheet was

basically a programme detailing the

tragic event. Most people bought

the publications as a memento to the

dreadful incident. As was pointed

out earlier, such public executions

attracted huge crowds., sometimes

numbering as many as 20,000

people (An estimated 20,000

assembled to witness the execution

of Private Robert O’Neill outside

Belfast Prison on June 21st 1854)

Such gatherings attracted all the

usual dealers and hawkers selling

food, prayers, tobacco, snuff,

alcohol and other drinks.

Many of the execution broadsheets

were actually produced before the

execution and sometimes detailed

the death of the prisoner when, in

fact, he had received a last minute

pardon. Many of the execution

ballads and laments have been

recorded and are even sung to this

very day. These islands have always

had a rich oral history and this was

augmented by these type of

broadsheets.

Most broadsheets followed the

same pattern. Firstly the prisoner’s

trial would be described in brief

detail followed by the sentence of

the court with the solemn

terminology used by the hanging

judge - that you, on the 1st day of

July in the year of Our Lord 1995,

be taken to the public place of

execution and there be hanged by

the neck until you are dead ...... and

may the good Lord have mercy on

your soul!

Secondly came the confession if one

was issued. This confession would

have been printed in full. This

particular piece of information, the

condemned man’s last words, was

much sought after. It was said that

the confession was a proof of God’s

intervention in the affairs of

mankind - the vindication of the

sentence and the religiously inspired

hope of salvation in the afterlife for

the criminal.

Thirdly came the lamentation or the

execution verse. This also became

a common ingredient to the

broadsheet. The lamentation itself

was a description in verse of the life,

crimes, apologia and fate of the

prisoner about to be executed. Some

of these lamentations were set to

popular tunes of the day and were

sung for many years afterwards.

Today many remain in our folk

history. Several fictional pieces of

prose appeared in broadsheets such

In Belfast the public executions were mainly held in Castle Place

and High Street at its corner with High Street

2727272727

as the dying man’s speech and

details of the execution itself. Some

even had an illustration of the

execution making that particular

publication ultimately more popular

It was commonplace for the

authorities to actually encourage

people to witness such spectacles.

Families went to these gatherings en

masse to try and impress upon their

children the difference between

right and wrong. The Great Moral

Preacher was the term used for the

hangman and the lesson, unlike

today’s more modern day religious

lesson was extremely graphic. The

impression on the minds of the

multitude of the fatal consequences

of sin could not have been explained

any clearer. Everyone who attended

these spectacles must have surely

been scarred for life and most

certainly left with an indelible

impression on the minds of innocent

youngsters and adults alike, as they

watched the condemned criminal

slowly strangled to death in the

name of the laws of man.

The crowds attending these

hangings ultimately led to the event

being turned into a carnival with the

execution being the main event. As

time went on however and more

liberal ideas began to develop

among society the practice of public

execution was slowly abolished.

The last public execution was held

in England on May 29 1868 of an

Irishman, Michael Barrett, for the

bungled rescue attempt at

Clerkenwell. A new act dictated

that future executions would be

carried out inside the prison in

which the condemned was held at

the time of sentencing. The right to

attend executions was only

extended to local and visiting

justices, sheriffs, governors, clergy,

the press and several gaol guards.

The press were eventually

prevented from witnessing

executions in 1902.

Many of the execution broadsheets were actually produced before

the execution and sometimes detailed the death of the prisoner

when, in fact, he had received a last minute pardon

The United Irishman Henry Joy McCracken was just one of those

hanged at the corner of High Street and Cornmarket

2828282828

Today it may seem pretty hard to believe but in

February 1955 Belfast was being prepared for

the real possibility of a hydrogen bomb (H Bomb)

attack. Mr George Hanna, the Minister of Home

Affairs spoke to the press about the planning and

fall out after an attack. The hydrogen bomb had

replaced the atom bomb as the great danger to

mankind. A hydrogen bomb explosion in Belfast

would most likely cause complete destruction of the

city and would cause considerable damage to areas

within a radius of 12 miles of Belfast. Mr Hanna

revealed that 300,000 people would have to leave

Belfast in an emergency evacuation and that a

detailed plan was underway to enable the public

services to deal with such an attack. During the

Second World War the services had to deal with the

displacement of 75,000 from Belfast so the current

figure of 300,000 was an enormous increase. Mr

Hanna stated that the object of Civil Defence in the

face of "this terrible picture" as "to preserve the life

of and life in the Province as we now know it", and

he added "on the adequacy of our Civil Defence

arrangements will depend the period that would

elapse after a war before anything approaching our

present conception of civilised life in the Province

could be restored". He wanted to allay fears that

the government were not prepared for a hydrogen

bomb attack.

Despite this nuclear threat life in the city went on

as normal. In the courts three men from the

Hardinge area of Belfast were fined after a fight

broke out during a dance in the Plaza Dance Hall.

The punch-up started when two men began to fight

on the dance floor but soon the fighting became

widespread throughout the hall with men throwing

chairs at dancers, and the scene became quite

chaotic. The manager of the Plaza, Mr Pritchard,

told the court that he tried to split up the fighting

but had great difficulty in pushing through the

dancers but he was able to identify two of the men

Members of the Civil Defence in Victoria Barracks prepare for what was thought to an inevitable

nuclear attack from the Soviet Union

PREPARING FOR A SOVIET ATTACK,

DANCE HALL FIGHTS AND THE PERILS

OF DRINKING ARSENIC!

2929292929

in the court as being part of the group of men

throwing chairs. All men denied the charges and

gave as their defence that they were themselves

trying to stop the fighting.

Two young men from Valentine Street in Belfast

started a fight in the Mistletoe Cafe in High Street,

Belfast and when the police arrived to remove them

from the cafe the older youth produced a knife and

aimed a blow at the police constable. "I put my

hand up" the constable told the court, "and the knife

struck me on the back of the hand". Both men

denied the charge and one of them told the court "I

had the knife in my pocket. You (policeman) must

have ran your hand against it. I was not disorderly".

Also in February 1955 the N.I. National Playing

Fields Association, called on the Belfast Corporation

to provide more open spaces for children in the form

of playing fields and playgrounds. Building was

increasing on bomb sites from the Second World

War and there would be no open spaces available

for play for the children and the corporation was

urged to see if existing sites could be retained and

new spaces acquired before children were forced

back on to the streets to play. The playing fields

associations were continuing to raise money to help

on projects and announced that there would be a

gala show in Belfast to be held in late 1955 during

which it was hoped to hold a football match when a

prominent English international would bring over

a team of leading English players.

Staying with the Corporation the Housing

Committee of Belfast Corporation met to publish a

special report concerning the housing situation in

A two seater sports car which was in collision

with a milk lorry at the junction of Donegall

Park Avenue and Shore Road. February 1955

Royal Avenue in

February 1955

3030303030

Belfast. The report was produced by the city

architect and the estate superintendent and stated

that 14-16000 new houses were needed in the city

but there were no new sites left.

A leading academic called for all betting shops in

Ulster to be closed immediately and that in the future

all betting should be done by post. He pointed out

that the "traffic" in football pools coupons showed

that betting could be done by post and that this new

method would solve "Ulster’s gambling problem".

Professor Corkey believed that the government

should discourage organised agencies which

exploited gambling instincts and encouraged people

to gamble far beyond their means.

Getting back to the courts and staying with the

gambling problem a labourer in his thirties from

Belfast was fined £2 after it was discovered that the

man had been neglecting his four children aged from

two to 11. The man broke down in court and told

the NSPCC inspector that he could not pass a bookie

shop without going in. The man promised the court

that he would change his ways and he intended to

go to England to get work. The NSPCC arranged

for a supply of groceries for the family and a kind

and public-spirited citizen had contributed £5 to help

them.

Moving to the other side of the world we were

informed that one thing that Ireland had in common

with Russia in 1955 was the number of jay walkers

that they had. This interesting fact came from one

of the men who recently returned from a cultural

visit to Russia along with other men from Ireland.

He told a meeting of the Young Ulster Society that

his first contacts with the Soviet people had come

in an interview at the Soviet Embassy and there he

had been struck by the informality of the

proceedings and the lack of distinction. Plumbers

and doctors met on equal terms and there was

camaraderie between bus drivers and passengers.

On the two-day train journey from Riga to Moscow

five star Russian generals, peasants and diplomats,

mingled with each other, all eating out of packages

of food they had brought with them.

February 1955 ended tragically when a young man

from Garnervillle Road in Belfast, William

McCracken, died when he drank arsenic while at a

dance in Chamberlain Street Hall. McCracken had

become obsessed with a young girl who he worked

with and he had asked her out but she refused. He

had been asking her out for some time and at the

dance he asked her to "just speak to him" but she

told him not to bother her. He did not appear to be

too upset and he was in no way violent but he was

very upset and he took a bottle of arsenic and drank

some. He friend came up to him to see if he was ok

when he fell down and he told his friend what he

had done. He was quite unaware of the serious

consequences of drinking the week killer and he

died a short time later. The girl had given

McCracken no encouragement but he was unable

to cope with the rejection of his affection.

February 1955 also saw a very heavy snow fall

in Belfast. This photograph shows a family

clearing the front of their home at the Horse

Shoe Bend where the snow was ten feet deep

Groundsmen clearing the snow from the pitch at

the Oval where Glentoran were to play Bangor

in an Irish League game

FACING PAGE - Advertisement for the Grand

Central Hotel. 1955

3131313131

3232323232

OLD BELFAST PHOTOGRAPHS 1932

Children from the Oldpark PES at a show of Peter Pan in Waring Street being given presents from Santa

Junction of Halidays Road and Antrim Road

looking toward the Cliftonville Road. The

building on the right is now McLaughlin’s Bar

Knockbracken Road

The premises of the Maypole Dairy on the

Albertbridge Road after it was gutted by fire

3333333333

Delivery vans from Bernard Hughes set off with fresh deliveries

The Friends Provident Buildings at the junction of

Howard Street and Great Victoria Street

Mersey Street Presbyterian Mission Church new

hall on its opening

The Lativian steamer Latvia with a heavy list to

port - she came to Belfast from Finland with a

cargo of timber

3434343434

A fireman coming down the pole at the headquarters

of the Belfast Fire Brigade in Chichester Street while

the driver starts the engine

The firemen complete their dressing on their way to the fire

Fighting a blaze at the office of the Ordnance

Survey, Antrim Road

1932 was the year which saw the out door relief

riots. This picture shows torn up paving stones

on the Crumlin Road close to Ardoyne

A burning barricade across Agnes Street with its

junction on the Crumlin Road during the ODR

riots

3535353535

A Maypole Dance by pupils of the Belfast Royal

Academy Preparatory School

Flooding on the Laganbank Road

Advertisement for Tate’s Medical Hall on Royal Avenue

Members of the Pawnbrokers’ Association

photographed at the City Hall before leaving on

their excursion round the Antrim Coast

Crash on the University Road

Mr Charles Hurst (second from left)

3636363636

A DESPERADO AND £11,000

FROM THE FAIRIES!Returning to the old Victorian

Belfast courtroom we

thought we would have a look at

a few of the cases which were

taking place on Saturday 4th of

May 1895

PAIR OF CRUEL SONS

John Kearney jnr was charged on

a warrant with having threatened

his father John Kearney. Mr

Spiller prosecuted in the police

cases. The information on which

the warrant was issued for the

prisoner’s apprehension stated that

the Accused was addicted to drink

and was in the habit of abusing his

father. He worked none and on the

Wednesday, April 17th, he came

home and commenced to abuse his

father and swore he would "knife

him." Owing to his violence and

threats his father was afraid of him.

The accused who had a large

number of records against him,

was ordered to be imprisoned for

three months, in default of finding

bail for his good behaviour.

John Morrison was charged with

being drunk, with assaulting his

father and also threatening him.

It appeared that the prisoner was

under the influence of drink and

smashed the door in his father’s

house and also the door of a

neighbour’s. On being arrested he

threw himself down on the ground

and became very violent and it

was with great difficulty that he

could be removed to the police

office. When there he also

threatened to take the life of his

father and also spat in his face.

Head-Constable Doyle

characterised the prisoner as a

desperado and stated that there

were thirty-four records against

him. The accused was fined 10

shillings and costs for being

drunk, 5 shillings and 2 shillings-

sixpence compensation for the

malicious injury and for the

assault, two months

imprisonment with hard labour

and at the expiration of that time,

in default of finding bail for his

good behaviour in the future, to

be further imprisoned for two

months.

Going back even further a

brilliant case occured on the 2nd

of March 1861

EXTRAORDINARY CASE

OF SUPERSTITION

Ann M’Aveeny was indicted for

obtaining sums of money from

Jane Dawson, wife of a

shopkeeper in Brookeborough, on

the pretence of procuring for

prosecutrix the sum of £11,000

from the fairies!

Jane Dawson, the prosecutrix,

was examined and deposed to the

facts of the case, which was one

of a romantic and superstitious

character. The witness stated that

on various occasions previous to

May 1860, the prisoner had urged

her to allow her (the prisoner) to

obtain for witness a fortune from

the fairies, with which august

body she professed to have

considerable influence. Yielding

to the temptation, witness gave

the prisoner, on various occasions,

several sums of money, together

with shop goods, clothing and

articles of furniture, amounting in

the gross to about £20, the

prisoner in exchange

guaranteeing to procure for

witness the sum of £11,000 , and

a castle in Scotland! The prisoner

had gone through several

mysterious incantations in

witness’s house. She put some

powder into the fire, which then

gave forth "blue blazes" and "red

blazes;" and, on the same

occasion, four half-crown pieces

were placed on four corners of the

room table, unintelligible writing

being put over the coins. The

home ceremonies ended. Prisoner

informed the witness that the

latter must proceed to Scotland,

where at a given time and place,

she would meet with some

gentlemen who would conduct

her to a house where she would

receive the fairy money. Witness

had meanwhile, been made by the

prisoner to swear on the Bible that

she would keep the matter secret.

On the 13th of July, prisoner gave

witness a bottle of oil to rub on her

eyes when in Scotland, by which

eye-salve she was to receive a new

light, and have a clue to the

promised treasure. Witness then

went to Scotland and applied the

oil as directed. (Loud laughter)

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Baron Hughes - Where did you

find yourself then?

Witness - Just where I was before.

(Laughter)

The witness then deposed to her

return to Brookeborough, a

disappointed, but somewhat

wiser, person.

In reply to his Lordship, the

witness said she really believed

she would get the money in

Scotland, because the prisoner

had previously obtained large

legacies for other people in the

country. (Laughter)

After she returned from Scotland

the prisoner artfully persuaded her

to sign a clear receipt for all claim

against her.

The prisoner handed in this

document in her defence.

His Lordship said he could not

believe that such superstition

existed in the North of Ireland

The prisoner was convicted and

sentenced to twelve months’

imprisonment, with hard labour.

It’s hard to beleive that in these

times there were no holidays for

the courts as they even had to sit

on Christmas day! It was on that

day in 1866 that the following

case appeared.

LANDLADY AND TENANT

Mary Lamp, a wretched-looking

old woman, was charged with

assaulting an old man named John

Hughes by striking him with a

poker.

The complainant on being called

declined to press the charge.

Head-Constable Lamb - I believe

she is his landlady.

Mr Orme - I suppose he is a vary

bad tenant. He doesn’t pay his

rent regularly and she tried to

knock it out of him with a poker.

(Laughter)

Mr Orme (To Hughes) - Are you

a married man?

Hughes - I am married.

Mr Orme - Are you a widow Mrs

Lamp?

Mrs Lamp - I am, your Worship.

Mr Orme - There may be

something in that. Now Mr

Hughes, you had better take Mrs

Lamp home (Laughter)

The complainant and defendant

left the Courthouse together - a

circumstance which created much

amusement.

Ann M’Aveeny told Jane Dawson she would obtain her fortune from the fairy’s in Scotland!

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The Albert memorial Clock shortly after being completed.

Constructed between 1865 and 1870, as a memorial to Queen

Victoria's late Prince Consort, Prince Albert, it stands 113 feet tall.

A statue of the Prince in robes of a Knight of the Garter stands on

the western side of the tower. A two tonne bell is housed in the

tower. Designed by William J Barre, who also designed Belfast's

Ulster Hall, it is described as a mix of French and Italian Gothic

styles. The sculpture of Albert is by S.F. Lynn. Built on wooden

piles on marshy, reclaimed land around the River Farset, the top of

the tower leans four feet off the perpendicular and is known

colloquially as Belfast's "Leaning Tower of Pisa".

Being situated close to the docks, the tower was once infamous for

being frequented by prostitutes plying their trade with visiting

sailors. However, in recent years regeneration has turned the

surrounding Queen's Square and Custom's House Square into

attractive, modern public spaces with trees, fountains and

sculptures.

In 1947, the film Odd Man Out was filmed partly in Belfast, with

the Albert Clock as a central location, although neither the town

nor the clock is explicitly identified.

The clock was damaged in an IRA bomb explosion outside nearby

River House in the High Street on 6 January 1992.

To halt the worsening lean and repair damage caused by the

elements and heavy passing traffic, a multi-million pound

restoration project was completed in 2002. During the project the

wooden foundations were strengthened, the majority of the

decaying carvings were replaced and the entire tower was cleaned.

© Wikipeda

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Junction of Duncairn Gardens and Antrim Road 1929

The tramway kiosk at Castle Junction 1926

ISSN 1757-7284

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