Did you know that the Poor House had it’s own vegetable garden and farm? Belfast Charitable Society made the most of the land they owned around the Poor House to make it as self sufficient as possible. The vegetable garden was used to provide the essentials to feed our residents. However, it was common that a surplus was produced. Sometimes this would be sold for profit, but on 26th October 1811 the orderly suggested that the poor be allowed and extra portion of broth in the week rather than to selling the surplus at the market “where the profit made on them would be very small”.