June 25th is ‘Day of the Seafarer’ and we thought it was appropriate to look at some of our connections to those who made their livelihoods on the open sea. Belfast in the 18th and 19th centuries was a thriving port. Ships docked from across the globe bringing everything from rum and sugar, to wool and exotic woods. Some of those foreign sailors who docked at Belfast would never return to their ships. Within the Belfast Charitable Society Archive, the burial registers shine a light on those sailors from foreign lands, who today rest in the shadow of the Poor House. They offer a fascinating glimpse into a past many find hard to imagine.
James Crow d. 1831 – Born in Yarmouth, came from St. Domingo
William Nelson d.1833- Native of Sweden
John Haidenquist d. 1834- Born in Russia
George Charles Mathers Ericsson d. 1853 – Native of Norway
These are only a few names from the thousands who are buried in Clifton Street Cemetery from all walks of life.
