On 1st April 1775 the Belfast Charitable Society member, Reverend William Bristow, wrote to the vestry for the loan of the Old Parish Church bell and clock. This church was located on the site of what is today St George’s on High Street. The old church had been condemned, and a new church was later constructed where St Anne’s Cathedral is today.
The request was granted, but the grandfather clock was in a poor state of repair and one Mr Dean was paid 6s/6d for ‘making the clock strike’. The bell was placed in our spire and was rung to mark when residents got up, meal times and lights out.
What started out as a loan has become a permanent featured in Clifton House. The clock and bell are now situated in our hallway and can be viewed on tours of Clifton House.