Belfast Charitable Society and the Provision of Water
When Clifton House first opened its doors in 1774 the Belfast Charitable Society was incorporated by an Act of Parliament giving it additional responsibilities that would normally be associated with local government. As well as looking after the poor the Society became responsible for things like street paving, planning permissions, street lighting, and the provision of a water supply. Indeed, it is one of the lesser known stories of Clifton House that we brought piped water to Belfast on a large scale.
Since 1682 a water supply had been taken from the Tuck Mill Dam, but the town’s growing population meant that by the beginning of the 18th century demand was outstripping supply. Furthermore, by the late 18th century the water flowing down the Farset and the Blackstaff streams had become so polluted that it could not be used for drinking. The provision of water had, by then, become a matter of pressing importance and in 1795 the Belfast Charitable Society took upon itself the responsibility of augmenting the supply.
The Society sent John Holmes to London to investigate whether elm, lead or iron pipes would be most suitable for use. Holmes ascertained that elm wood pipes would be best and by 1797 the Society had invested £4,000 to progress the work of piping and channelling water to a reservoir which they had leased at Fountain Street. Within a few years the Society had to obtain leases of additional springs at Malone, and between 1807 and 1837 the wooden distribution pipes were gradually abandoned and replaced with metal pipes at a cost of upwards of £30,000.
Old wooden water pipes discovered in Chichester Street whilst erecting new street lights, January 1921. (Image via Belfast telegraph)
By 1817, a further Act of Parliament was necessary to regulate the supply of water and a new body was created – the Spring Water Commissioners – who were subject to the orders and directions of the Belfast Charitable Society. Both demand and quality of water remained lower than the required levels during this period and by 1840 the Belfast Water Act enabled the transfer of the Society’s water property to another new body, the Belfast Water Commissioners. The transfer of water assets was carried out in exchange for an Annuity of £800 for the poor in the Poorhouse and Infirmary and a free supply of water to the grounds of the Poorhouse. Today the Annuity remains payable by Northern Ireland Water to the Belfast Charitable Society as long as the Society occupies any part of Clifton House.
On Sunday 1st September, Clifton House, and its grounds, will be open to the public for a Heritage Skills Event.
As part of our 250th anniversary celebrations, this flagship event will host fun interactive heritage skills workshops and demonstrations; a chance to hear more about the history of the house; food and entertainment and an oral history capture.
As part of this event, we will be offering pitches to local crafters and food vendors.
If you are interested in being part of this exciting community event, please apply using the following link:
From the very beginning of the poorhouse, Belfast Charitable Society was a pioneering force for medical innovation in Belfast. As poverty and sickness are inextricably linked, the Society needed to be able to care for the sick poor who would enter the house. Before the involvement of the Society, medical relief for the poor in Belfast was practically non-existent and extremely limited.
When Clifton House first opened in 1774, it contained seven beds for the sick. These beds mark the beginning of Belfast’s hospitals, and the Society’s first medical report noted the treatment of five patients. In 1776 the Society was advertising outpatient times, encouraging the people of Belfast to visit one of ‘the medical gentlemen’ who would administer medical attention through the Belfast Charitable Society on a rotating basis. This free and accessible medical care for the sick poor of Belfast was revolutionary and revealed the deeply philanthropic nature of the Society and the physicians who donated their time and medicines. Furthermore, the doctor’s work with the poorhouse allowed them to improve their surgical skills and increase their reputation in the medical field. Doctors such as William Drennan and Alexander Haliday offered their time and resources to the Society on a rotating basis.
Medical cases within the poorhouse were varied, as recorded by the minute books. Cases involve a woman named Mary May who was struggling with severe asthma, a gentleman named Patrick McLaghlan who was suffering from cancer in the cheek, examples of lunacy and a woman dealing with a septic skin condition. This only a small sample of the cases seen by poorhouse doctors. The medical gentlemen would also deal with broken bones, crush injuries and torn ligaments caused, in part, by the emerging linen and cotton industries in Belfast.
The demand on the poorhouse for provision of the sick was unprecedented, and the Society quickly realised its own limitations. The Society, therefore, were instrumental in the creation of the Belfast General Dispensary in 1792. The dispensary, which aimed to facilitate medical relief for the poor in their own homes, was a cooperation between the Belfast Charitable Society and a range of local physicians and philanthropists including Dr James McDonnell, founder of the Belfast Medical School. Clifton House provided a venue from which the dispensary originally operated from, in return for the supply of medicine for the residents. Patients could visit the physicians operating out of Clifton House two days a week for medical advice and treatments – not unlike visiting a modern GP. The dispensary later became part of the Fever Hospital and moved to a premises on West Street, then to Frederick Street and eventually to the site which is now the Royal Victoria Hospital.
Alongside the dispensary, the Society was closely affiliated with other innovative medical organisations in Belfast. The Lying-in Hospital, Belfast’s first maternity hospital, was opened in 1794 and had connections with philanthropists involved in the Charitable Society from whom they rented premises. The Ulster Society for Promoting the Education of the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind also leased property from the Society, as did a dispensary for the treatment of skin diseases ran by a Dr H. S. Purdon. The Purdon family were closely affiliated with the Charitable Society and often volunteered their medical services to the sick poor residing in Clifton House. It seems there were very few charitable and medical endeavours within Belfast that the Charitable Society was not involved with in some respect, including revolutionary inoculation campaigns for the young residents.
Pioneering Medical Research
William Drennan, poet, physician, and co-founder of the United Irishmen was involved in the revolutionary medical work inside Clifton House. In the late eighteenth century, Dr Drennan was attempting to inoculate the children of the poorhouse against smallpox – a disease which was incredibly dangerous in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries with a 30% mortality rate. This variolation campaign itself was not without any risks. Unlike the safer form of vaccination pioneered by Edward Jenner sixteen years later (which used the milder cowpox as the active strain in the vaccination), Drennan used small amounts of real smallpox in ‘arm-to-arm’ exposure to immunise the patient against further illness – this campaign would decrease the mortality rate to 1-2%.
Drennan’s campaign, although somewhat risky, can only have been a success for the patients residing in the poorhouse, as the 1782 minute books resolve to thank Doctor Drennan for his scheme of inoculation:
1st June 1782
‘Resolved that thanks be returned to Doctor Drennan in the public papers for the scheme of inoculation introduced by him into this house, and that mr Crombie doe waite on him and acquaint him with this Resolution and that He send It to the paper provided that the doctor does not oppose it.’
The Society continued to record its vaccination schemes throughout the beginning of the nineteenth century thanking Doctor Haliday Jr. for his good work in his vaccination programmes, which had developed with the Jenner method using cowpox rather than the riskier smallpox.
Facing Epidemics
In 1847 – known as Black ’47 – the Society notes the loss of a Surgeon James McCleery. James McCleery was a surgeon from Portaferry who began his medical career in Belfast. He was the main attending surgeon to the male side of the poorhouse from 1835. McCleery ‘zealously and benevolently fulfilled the laborious duties of Surgeon to the male of this Charity’ until he succumbed to ‘famine fever’. He is buried in Clifton Street Cemetery and his role was taken over by his son. ‘Famine fever’ was caused by a combination of nutritional deficiencies and a raging typhus epidemic characteristic of the famine years. Over 131 doctors and their pupils across Ireland succumbed to this in 1847 alone. Clifton Street Cemetery is evidence of the many tribulations faced by Belfast during the famine period and the strain faced by the Belfast Charitable Society as they attempted to manage burials and provide coffins for the poorer Belfast communities.
Alongside the hundreds of bodies interred in the cemetery that died from fever in 1847 alone, the cemetery also contains the ‘Cholera Ground’ in which those that died in the great epidemic of 1832-33 are buried. For the safety of the residents of Clifton House, the Society decided to close its doors to new arrivals to prevent further transmission whilst still providing coffins for the Board of Health. Readings of the minute books in this period reveal the Society’s understanding of disease and transmission, as they required the isolation of patients who had potentially been exposed as well as the importance of a nutritious diet to stave off disease. The Poorhouse became one of few places in Belfast to not be completely decimated by the disease, thanks in part to its attending surgeons and healthcare systems.
The Mysterious Medical Chest
Every good attending surgeon in the nineteenth century would have their own medical chest, full of essential supplies ready to go at a moment’s notice. Recently, one such medical chest was discovered inside Queen’s Medical Library which is believed to have belonged to the Surgeon McCleery. The chest contains a range of medical equipment which would have been common to the nineteenth century travelling surgeon and would have been used within Clifton House to treat the sick poor.
Some of the most notable items contained in the chest are the surgeon’s amputation and bloodletting kits. Bloodletting was an essential part of any surgeon’s kit in this period and was used to remove ‘impure’ fluids, or bad humours, that were thought to be making the patient unwell. This procedure was dangerous and could easily result in the death of the patient and decreased massively in usage after the nineteenth century. The Bloodletting equipment was used enthusiastically by medical professionals during the cholera epidemics that ravaged Belfast’s poorest communities in this period.
An amputation kit was essential for the surgeon and a surgeon was distinguished by the speed in which they could operate. Without general anaesthetic the patient would be awake during the procedure – one can only imagine how painful and traumatic this was. To reduce the risks to the patient the surgeon needed to be quick with his saw and cauterisation. However, as antibiotics and proper hygiene in medicine were yet to exist the mortality rate of these surgeries was incredibly high. As our understanding of medicine and anatomy has progressed, both amputations and bloodletting have understandably fallen out of favour in the medical community being replaced by much safer, modern methods of treating sickness.
All of this only touches the surface of the deep and varied medical history of Belfast’s poorhouse. Further research may be warranted on the treatment of mental health – referred to as lunacy cases throughout the 18th and 19th centuries – and the way the poorhouse was, for a long while, the only place in Belfast equipped to deal with such cases. We can also consider the vast number of doctors who walked the halls at Clifton House and their legacies, especially those less famous, with links to the wider Belfast community and the Belfast Medical Society.
As the medical field in Belfast progressed so did Belfast Charitable Society. After the children left the poorhouse in 1882, more work was done to provide the elderly poor with good medical care with nurses being employed after 1892. Clifton House would adapt to the needs of Belfast until it became what it is today, working with the elderly and providing medical care in an assisted living facility.
Now in its 250th year, Clifton House, home of Belfast Charitable Society (BCS) and the Mary Ann McCracken Foundation, has chosen this milestone to host challenging conversations around poverty and disadvantage. In its long history, Clifton House has witnessed many changes and developments Sadly, however, the issues surrounding poverty remain the same. Across the UK many vulnerable groups are experiencing disadvantage. During the month of March, BCS and the Mary Ann McCracken Foundation want to highlight the challenges refugees and asylum seekers currently face, particularly women and girls.
The audience listened while Vicky Tennant, the UNHCR Representative to the UK, spoke about refugees within the global context, before focusing on the broader challenges within the UK asylum system and the specific issues faced by refugee women and girls. She said:
“Welcoming, including and empowering refugee women is not only a humanitarian and moral obligation, but a strategic investment in advancing the rights for all people, communities, and societies. It’s so important that we take into account their specific experiences and the barriers they face when building a new life in a new country. I was honoured to attend today’s event which as well as calling for a fair and compassionate asylum system, also celebrates a wonderful tradition of welcome in Belfast. By recognizing those who have worked hard for others, we can continue to make people feel welcome and ensure they receive the support they need to thrive.”
BCS were privileged to also have the Rt Hon Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick to speak at the event, who reflected on her experience of debating the Illegal Migration Bill in the House of Lords. Baroness Ritchie has over three decades’ experience in public life and spoke about the obstacles asylum seekers face when coming to the UK. Following the event, she commented:
“The symposium was a good opportunity to demonstrate that the Illegal Migration Act is effectively an anti-refugee measure that is contrary to the Refugee Convention and penalises many individuals including women and children purely for their method of arrival into the UK. It will lead to their long term detention with all the ensuing additional hardship and trauma while the UK Government works out what to do with them. Of course, the UK Government has ignored the Supreme Court Judgement and is trying to force the Rwanda Bill through Parliament to send these vulnerable refugees to a country that is not considered a place of sanctuary”.
Attendees, which included representatives from key voluntary and community organisations and senior public representatives, had the opportunity to hear more about what Belfast Charitable Society and the Mary Ann McCracken Foundation are doing to support refugees and asylum seekers in Belfast.
Sir Ronnie Weatherup, President of Belfast Charitable Society, explained “Belfast Charitable Society currently funds two education officers within Anaka Women’s Collective. These two workers help newly arrived families to navigate the Northern Ireland educational system. Importantly, they also support a group of 16–25-year-old refugees and asylum seekers, a group who do not have access to education. This relationship also led to a new project with the Mary Ann McCracken Foundation where, through poetry, participants were encouraged to connect Mary Ann’s legacy to their own lives”.
The event culminated with an opportunity for attendees to record their ‘call to actions’, which the Society, along with others, would take forward to influence change. Salwa Alsharabi, founding member of Anaka Women’s Collective ―a group of women with experience of the asylum system and a grant recipient of BCS ― sees daily the struggle women and girls face. Salwa’s call to actions included: “homes, and not hotels for refugees and asylum seekers; education made available for every girl, and every boy; and an end to racism, hate-crime and discrimination”.
Sir Ronnie concluded “these conversations are important, as we want to use our position to raise awareness of the issues facing our new communities, and ask the question ‘what can Belfast Charitable Society, and organisations like ours, do to help’? We are delighted that so many attended the event today, and we look forward to working with others to make a difference both locally in North Belfast, but also further afield.”
This week David Watters stepped down from the board of Belfast Charitable Society following 12 years as Chair. Guided by the Charity’s overall mission since 1752 to help the disadvantaged, and inspired by its long history of innovation and influence, David wanted to do more than just give out grants. David leaves a long legacy of projects and initiatives which will have, and will continue to have, a real impact on people’s lives. He also ensured that Belfast Charitable Society, already one of the oldest charities in Northern Ireland (est 1752), has the stability and structure to continue well into the future.
On Wednesday 13th March, board members, members, staff and volunteers celebrated David’s achievements with an evening of music and culture in Clifton House. Attendees were wowed with performances from the North Belfast Youth Choir, Caidre Community Choir with Siobhan Brown, ANAKA Women’s Collective and Ursula Burns.
Taking over the reins as Chair, Professor Alastair Adair, former Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Ulster University, commented “It’s a privilege to follow David as Chairman of the society, particularly in this very historic year celebrating the 250th anniversary of Clifton House. I would like to pay tribute to David for his dedication to the Society, applaud the leadership of Sir Ronnie in the role of President and thank my colleagues on the Board and the staff for the continued delivery of the mission to influence philanthropy to address disadvantage.
As has been mentioned this is the 250th anniversary of the opening of Clifton House and there is no better example of sustainability. I have spent 16 years leading the build of the new UU campus in Belfast and that has a life expectancy of 300 years I hope that in that time Clifton House will remain as magnificent then as it is today.”
These words echoed around the historic walls of Clifton House time and time again last Friday, 23rd February, during a stark but informative conference on ‘The immediate and long-term impacts of cuts on North Belfast’s education sector’.
This event, which formed part of Clifton House’s 250th Anniversary programme, looked at the current state of education in North Belfast; how schools are dealing with unprecedented levels of poverty; and the terrifying predictions recent cuts will have, longer-term, on an education system already under pressure.
Dr Ciara Fitzpatrick, Ulster University, opened the talks and set the tone of the event “The cuts to education have been made at pace… The reductions in resources directed at schools are ferocious, particularly for schools in disadvantaged areas”. Ciara went on to paint a very bleak image of the negative impact the cuts are and will continue to have on our young people including those struggling with mental health; those requiring Special Education Support (SEN); those already living in poverty; those falling behind with attainment; those from ethnic minority communities. The list was long, and according to Dr Fitzpatrick will take a generation to reverse their impact!
Principals representing the primary and post primary sectors of North Belfast provided their insights into what the reality is for schools in what remains one of the most deprived parts of Northern Ireland, and which is struggling under the additional pressure created by the cost-of-living crisis.
Ashleigh Galway, Principal of Currie Primary School commented “Arriving at a school building for the first time our youngest children coming on their first day of school are now met with buildings that have had all maintenance worked stalled for years. Paint flaking on school railings, ours included, toilets closed, playgrounds with old and broken equipment, broken windows boarded up rather than replaced, no painting or refurbishment work completed and generally sad looking places for our next generation to learn.
Ashleigh then focused on just one of her concerns, that of mental health “Counselling support has been impacted significantly with the removal of Happy Healthy Minds. Within our own 21 North Belfast Primary schools we are facing unprecedented need for this support with all schools reporting a waiting list for counselling regardless of context or the colour of uniform or school railings!”. She finished by saying “basic needs have become the business of schools, as well as teaching, in 2024!”
Speaking on behalf of the post primary schools in north Belfast, Martin Moreland, Principal of Mercy College spoke passionately about how the cuts are negatively impacting on families and communities, as well young people. He said “we cannot underestimate the dire impact that underfunding an education system can have not least on the young people currently in it, but their families, school communities and society, as a whole.
Schools need to provide a safe, warm environment with basic needs met, otherwise learning doesn’t take place. Many schools are currently struggling to meet this due to years and years of underinvestment. More and more young people are now living in poverty, coming to school with lack of food, lack of clothing and lack of personal hygiene. Our schools are now providing much more care than ever before, on top of mental health issues and pastoral care. First and foremost, we are educationalists, so, when we are the parent, councillor, psychiatrist, nurse, social worker, friend, that is time not being spent on the formal curriculum.”
The final speaker at the event was Professor Noel Purdy, co-author of The Fair Start Report and contributor to The Consequences of the Cuts report. Professor Purdy gave a brief overview of some of the 47 actions which were outlined in the Fair Start report, including a focus on early years, the whole community approach through a RED Programme (Reducing Educational Disadvantage) to name but a few before focusing on the current challenges facing education. He said “Our education system is facing massive budgetary pressures, including cuts to discretionary programmes. We are still seeing the long lasting impacts of Covid including absenteeism, additional needs like speech and language in early years”. Finishing on more ‘glass half full’ scenario of, Professor Purdy spoke of the optimism he felt due to the restoration of the Executive and closed by calling for NI Executive/ DE “to commit to fully funding and fully implementing the 47 actions contained in ‘A Fair Start’, the final report and action plan of the Expert Panel on Educational Underachievement in Northern Ireland.”
Hosting the event, Sir Ronnie Weatherup, President of Belfast Charitable Society thanked all the contributors to the discussion. He said “Combatting child poverty and improving the lives of Belfast’s poor children has been, and remains to be, an important aspect of the work of Belfast Charitable Society (BCS). We really wanted to use the event today to raise awareness of the devastating impact cuts to education are having, particularly in deprived areas like north Belfast. We will continue to look at this important issue to see what we, as a Charity, can do to help alleviate some of the pressures schools face. We will continue to look at this important issue to see what we, as a Charity, can do to help alleviate some of the pressures schools face. We will continue to use our funds where possible to support some of the most basic needs, but clearly more needs to be done. We look forward to continuing the conversation with educators and the local community to see what we can and should do to help.”
“Made of Belfast”- 250 years of the Belfast Poorhouse
Allegedly sketched on the back of a napkin by local newspaper publisher Robert Joy and brought into reality by architects Thomas Cooley and Robert Mylne, Clifton house was built between 1771-1774 on land given to the Belfast Charitable Society by the Marquis of Donegall, Arthur Chichester. Not only did the house offer respite to the poor of Belfast and become a shelter for the sick and infirm, but it also became a home for the Belfast Charitable Society for nearly 250 years. Within its walls, meetings helped shape the course of the bourgeoning city of Belfast, with the Belfast Charitable Society playing a key role in its development. The construction of the Poor House was not just the erection of a building for the poor of Belfast: it was a commitment by the Society to continue to provide for the people of the town and city for the decades (and eventual centuries) to come.
The plot for the Poor House was chosen for a number of reasons. Its topography naturally elevated the house and made it more visible across the growing Georgian town. The site also possessed a large amount of clay which was suitable for the production of bricks. The clay excavated from the plot ahead of the buildings construction made up the bulk of the red bricks now found in the building. The bricks were made on site, with any excess sold to the town, with Dunmurry Stone used in the construction of main features, such as the doorway and accents, whilst other materials from the house included sand dredged from the Lagan. Every effort was made to make the house of local materials, ensuring the house was very much “Made of Belfast”.
Belfast News Letter, 2 August 1771.
With the ground prepared, a ceremony was advertised in the Belfast Newsletter for the 2nd August 1771 for the laying of the foundation stone. The exact location of the stone has been lost over time, the minute books record the location “as near as may be the center of Donegall Street”, likely in acknowledgement of the contribution of the Marquis of Donegall in donating the land upon which the house was built. Ahead of the ceremony, the Society resolved to acknowledge tradition, whilst also setting the charitable tone for which the building would become known for -ordering that 5 guineas would be laid on the foundation stone and then distributed amongst the workmen present. Foundation ceremonies were (and still are) important in the life of a building, with offerings often being made. The fact the founders of the house acknowledged this tradition before giving their offering to the people of the town demonstrates an awareness of old practices but a determination to make changes. The offerings given at these ceremonies were to bless the building, and were buried in the foundations as construction continued, however, at the ceremony for the Poor House, the Charitable Society ensured the offering, and therefore the blessing, were passed on to the people of Belfast.
Whilst the architects helped realise the construction of the building, it is apparent that Robert Joy still held significant sway. The now iconic spire that emerges from the heart of the building was a later addition, suggested by Joy himself. This replaced a dome like feature called a cupola, originally proposed by the architects, and would have been a common feature for a building of this nature and period. The spire itself is an odd addition, somewhat unique to the Poor House, however it is not solely for decoration. The spire ensured that the building visible across the city: a beacon to those in need as far away as the ships arriving in the harbour:
“While the reason for the change was not articulated, it seems clear that the aim of the spire was to make the new building more prominent in the landscape, as achieved by the tower on the Market House and the spire on the parish church. Thus, the vista along Donegall Street from the Exchange and Assembly Rooms was closed not simply by a prominent building but with a spire that clearly marked the building as exceptional… It focused attention on the Poorhouse…By directing attention to the building, it also stressed the virtues that underpinned it, in particular the voluntary nature of the institution and the civic values of the urban elite.” Gillespie in ‘The First Great Charity of this Town pg.97.
There is rumour that the addition of this spire angered Lord Donegall who had just laid down plans for the Parish Church of St Annes to be built, on the present site of St Annes Cathedral. Allegedly, as a result, he was forced to make the tower of St Annes higher however relationships were not soured as he was first President of the Society. It is therefore likely that it is just folk tale told due to the unusual height of the spire at the Parish Church.
Whilst overshadowed by the glass and steel-clad goliaths of modern-day Belfast, in its day the Poor House would have been one of the most stately buildings in the area: a Palace for the Poor. In January as part of the 250th anniversary celebration calendar, Marcus Patton, Architect and Vice Chair of Hearth NI, will be giving a talk about the architecture of the building and its links with its counterparts in early Belfast.
With the spire now complete, attention turned to locating a bell. On the 1st April 1775, Reverand William Bristow wrote to the Vestry to request a loan of the bell and clock from the Old Corporation Church which stood on High Street, (now the site of St George’s.) The church had fallen into disrepair and the opening of St Annes resulted in the building being condemned. As such, loan of the bell was agreed, and it would hang in the spire of the Poor House; its chime regimenting the day, marking when residents got up, meal times and ‘lights out’. The bell now rests in the entry hall, held within a wooden frame: The oldest resident of the poor house.
Whilst a clock was also acquired along with the bell from the Old Corporation Church, it is not the one that now proudly sit above the main entrance. This clock is a later addition, provided by the Johnston family in 1882. Recorded in the minutes of an April meeting William G Johnston stated that “it was the intention of Lady Johnston to present the Belfast Charitable Society with an illuminated clock to be placed in front of the institution, with installation completed by July 1882. The clock was made by local clockmaker Francis Montgomery Moore, best known for creating the clock and mechanism for the Albert Memorial. Whilst the bell is now silent, save for the entertainment of those on guided tours of the building, this clock continues to count the minutes and hours for those who work in the building in the 21st century.
The People who make the Place
After 3 years of construction, it was resolved at a meeting in the Market House (now the Exchange and Assembly buildings on North Street) that the next meeting of the Belfast Charitable Society would be held in their new home; the board room in the Poor House. As such, on the 24th October 1774, the Belfast Charitable Society held its inaugural meeting in its new home; one that would continue to be its home across 3 centuries. With the Society overseeing the finishing touches of the buildings personally, the house was officially ready to receive its first residents on Christmas Eve 1774.
John Charters (1796–1874), millowner and philanthropist.
Whilst the house was completed, it quickly felt pressure to expand to facilitate the need of the Poor of Belfast. As the city grew, so too did the need to house the poor and destitute living in the towns growing population. As a result, the house had two small additions constructed in the 1820’s, however it was not until the 1860’s that a significant, purpose-built addition was constructed, thanks to a generous donation by local Flax mill owner John Charters. Born in 1796 on the Crumlin Road, Charters earned his wealth through the textile industry and owned a Flax-dressing mill on the Falls Road. He sold his stake in his company in 1866 before donating substantial amounts of money to various causes like the Poor House and the Working Men’s Institution. The Charters Wing would almost exclusively house the children of the Poor House. This remedied an ongoing issue that had plagued the house since its opening.
The house had not been designed to take in children, nor did the Charitable Society initially intent to offer shelter to them, however, due to continuous pressure and need, concessions were made to allow children to live under the Poor House roof. (The education and apprenticeship of the children will be covered in more depth throughout the month of February.) This wing and its focus on providing for children represents a core focus for Charters and his philanthropic vision, as he gave generously to for the brightest boys from Boys Model to attend Royal Belfast Academical Institution on funded scholarships. The construction of the Charters wing as it would later be known encapsulated John Charters overlapping charitable interests and his desire to give back to his home town in his later years.
Edward Benn (1798–1874), philanthropist, industrialist, and antiquarian.
The Charters wing was not the only addition made to the building during this period. The 1860’s and 70’s were a period of rapid growth for the House. After the opening of the Charters wing an anonymous letter was be presented to the Society offering to pay for the construction of two new wings, with the stipulation that it cost no more than £3000. It transpired that this offer came from Edward Benn, an established philanthropic figure within the Society and in Belfast. He was also in the progress of redeveloping the adjacent Glenravel Street on which iconic buildings such as the Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital would were built.
With the construction of the Benn Wings underway, it was acknowledged by the Society that the generosity of Charters should be better recognized, and it was decided in March 1872 that an inscription recognising John Charters should be erected on the building which his donations paid for, as Benn had incorporated his crest and name on each of the wings under construction.
These two donations encapsulate the philanthropic nature that existed within the society during this period. Benn, a successful businessman who had been plagued by ill health in later life, donated to increase the capacity of the Poor House, whilst simultaneously transforming Glenravel Street into the Medical Hub of Belfast. Charters, on the other hand, had sold his stake in his company, and was wanting to spend his twilight years donating his wealth to causes he was passionate about.
Both additions increased the capacity of the house and allowed for better practices in aspects such as hygiene and personal comfort, which allowed the house to weather rocky periods such as plagues and famines, sheltering its residents from the worst of what these periods in history brought. Both Benn and Charters passed away within a few months of each other in 1874, 100 years after the opening of the house, however their generosity is immortalized in the wings of the Clifton House which still houses residents and are now emblazoned with their name, forever etched into the history of the building.
This article, and indeed the events throughout January 2024 will explore the creation of the Poor House. The subsequent 11 months will breathe life into this historic building and populate it with the characters, faces and stories that made it a home to every person who entered through its doors.
We hope you will join us on this journey through the history of Clifton House, and by extension, a journey through the history of Belfast itself.
President of Belfast Charitable Society officially introduces start of 250th Anniversary
2024 is an important year for Clifton House with an exciting 12-month programme of activity, starting in January 2024, which includes a variety of special legacy projects, talks, tours, conferences, exhibitions and social media campaigns which will all help to tell the story of Clifton House throughout its 250 years!
The charity will also use the anniversary to bring others together to talk about the reality of poverty and disadvantage today – with an aim to answer the question ‘What would Belfast Charitable Society need to ‘build’ in 2024 to meet the needs of the disadvantaged, as it did back in 1774?
President of Belfast Charitable Society, Sir Ronnie Weatherup explains more in this short New Year’s address.
Clifton House unveils plans for 250th Anniversary Year
Next year Clifton House will mark its 250th year with an exciting 12-month programme of activity, starting in January 2024. First opening its doors in 1774, Clifton House is the oldest working building in Belfast. It remains the home of Belfast Charitable Society, who fundraised, built it, and managed it from 1774, and who ensure that its uses remain true to the charity’s mission … to look after those in need.
During the annual Clifton House Benn Dinner today (Wednesday 13th December), a long running tradition in itself, the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Ryan Murphy, along with the Chair of Belfast Charitable Society, David Watters unveiled plans for the 250th year celebration. Attendees, who included board members, partners and stakeholders, heard about the variety of special legacy projects, talks, tours, conferences, exhibitions and social media campaigns which will all help to tell the story of Clifton House throughout its 250 years!
David Watters explained “I am honoured to take this wonderful charity, and its home, Clifton House, into a yearlong programme of celebration. The charity is not wasting this opportunity on mere celebrations but instead will bring others together to talk about the reality of poverty and disadvantage today – with an aim to answer the question ‘What would Belfast Charitable Society need to ‘build’ in 2024 to meet the needs of the disadvantaged, as it did back in 1774?’”
David added ‘It isfantastic to welcome so many of our supporters into Clifton House today for the launch of our anniversary plans, in conjunction with our 141st Benn Dinner. This event was first held in the winter of 1882 after George Benn, a renowned local philanthropist, bequeathed £1,000 to fund the residents of Clifton House to gather and have a Christmas lunch. Since then, the Belfast Charitable Society has continued to support this tradition in his name. This year is even more significant as we share our ambitious plans for 2024. Plans which allow us to tell our history in new ways and engage and gather further support to shape the next 250 years!”
The Benn Dinner is traditionally attended by the Lord Mayor of Belfast, and this year was no exception. The residents of Clifton House were delighted to welcome and chat with Councillor Ryan Murphy, who was accompanied by the Junior Trade of Commerce and Santa himself!
Councillor Murphy said “Clifton House, home of the Belfast Charitable Society, is such an asset to the history and heritage of our city. I was delighted to attend today and hear more about the exciting 250th anniversary plans, which will commence in January 2024. Each year from 1882, Belfast’s first citizen has had the pleasure of coming to this amazing building and paying respect to our city’s older people through the tradition of the Benn Dinner. It’s a real privilege to now be a part of that history, as the 141st Lord Mayor to attend this incredible annual event. I have no doubt that it, along with all the activity that happens within Clifton House, will continue to run for years and years to come. I wish you all the best of luck with the anniversary, and for the next 250 years of this remarkable institution.”
Since first opening its doors in January 1774, Clifton House has been an iconic sight on the city’s skyline, synonymous with addressing poverty and disadvantage. Paula Reynolds, Chief Executive of Belfast Charitable Society commented “In our 250th year, as well as reflecting on our long history of philanthropy and social reform, we also want to look forward to our next 250 years. We want to continue to challenge and innovate, and will be, throughout the year, asking our supporters and followers ‘What should the next 250 years look like’? We can’t wait to deliver our calendar of 250th Anniversary events, and look forward to welcoming more people through our doors in 2024.” For more information on the 250th Anniversary year, visit Clifton House 250.
Belfast Charitable Society (BCS) are looking for an enthusiastic, self-motivated, dedicated and flexible Administrator with a keen eye for detail to join our growing team.
Working with us as an Administrator offers an excellent opportunity to gain experience in the Charity and Heritage sector, and to develop and enhance your own skill set. You will be providing administrative support and assistance alongside our encouraging team to ensure the successful delivery of all our department needs. You will report directly to the Chief Executive Officer.
This is an excellent opportunity for someone who wants to work within a historic organisation and work across wide and varied functions of an organisation.
Closing Date for applications: 12noon Monday 4th December 2023. To find out more, and to access all the relevant documentation, including application form, visit: https://www.communityni.org/job/administrator-belfast-charitable-society
Interviews will be held during the afternoons of 11th / 12th & 14th December 2023.
William Drennan, poet, physician, and co-founder of the United Irishmen was involved in the revolutionary medical work inside Clifton House. In the late eighteenth century, Dr Drennan was attempting to inoculate the children of the poorhouse against smallpox – a disease which was incredibly dangerous in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries with a 30% mortality rate. This variolation campaign itself was not without any risks. Unlike the safer form of vaccination pioneered by Edward Jenner sixteen years later (which used the milder cowpox as the active strain in the vaccination), Drennan used small amounts of real smallpox in ‘arm-to-arm’ exposure to immunise the patient against further illness – this campaign would decrease the mortality rate to 1-2%.
In 1847 – known as Black ’47 – the Society notes the loss of a Surgeon James McCleery. James McCleery was a surgeon from Portaferry who began his medical career in Belfast. He was the main attending surgeon to the male side of the poorhouse from 1835. McCleery ‘zealously and benevolently fulfilled the laborious duties of Surgeon to the male of this Charity’ until he succumbed to ‘famine fever’. He is buried in Clifton Street Cemetery and his role was taken over by his son. ‘Famine fever’ was caused by a combination of nutritional deficiencies and a raging typhus epidemic characteristic of the famine years. Over 131 doctors and their pupils across Ireland succumbed to this in 1847 alone. Clifton Street Cemetery is evidence of the many tribulations faced by Belfast during the famine period and the strain faced by the Belfast Charitable Society as they attempted to manage burials and provide coffins for the poorer Belfast communities.
Some of the most notable items contained in the chest are the surgeon’s amputation and bloodletting kits. Bloodletting was an essential part of any surgeon’s kit in this period and was used to remove ‘impure’ fluids, or bad humours, that were thought to be making the patient unwell. This procedure was dangerous and could easily result in the death of the patient and decreased massively in usage after the nineteenth century. The Bloodletting equipment was used enthusiastically by medical professionals during the cholera epidemics that ravaged Belfast’s poorest communities in this period.
