Belfast Poor House

The House and the Hospitals - Glenravel Street The presence of the Poorhouse, and the wealth and prestige that was present on the board of the Belfast Charitable Society proved to be a catalysing influence for change in the area. Whilst the Charitable Society directly influenced significant changes through the foundation of the New Burying Ground and the provision of water to Belfast, other entrepreneurs and philanthropists identified the area as one in need of development but filled with potential. One such individual was Edward Benn; a familiar name for followers of the history of Clifton House. The Benn’s history has [...]

Cheek by Jowl- The History of The New Burying Ground The Belfast Charitable Society has long been improving the living conditions of the less fortunate of Belfast. Their impact can be seen in landmarks in the local landscape. Whilst some of this history has been eroded as the city has evolved, near the old Poor House, now known as Clifton House, one of the Society’s most enduring ventures still exists just off Clifton Street. The New Burying Ground, or Clifton Street Cemetery as it became known was in use for nearly 200 years since its first burial in 1799 before the [...]

Medical History of the Poorhouse 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. [...]

We are delighted to confirm that historian and author Dr Gareth Russell will join us in October as part of the President's Talks Series 2023 Gareth has been no stranger to our televisions and radios recently. His most recent book is the non-fiction bestseller, The Palace: From the Tudors to the Windsors, 500 Years of History at Hampton Court. His talk in October is titled 'Olaudah Equiano: Aristocrat, Abolitionist, and Activist'. When best-selling author Olaudah Equiano arrived in Belfast in 1791, his life had already taken him from a childhood in the Benin aristocracy to enslavement on a Virginia tobacco plantation. [...]