‘Dearly, Departed’: Bodysnatching in 19th-Century Belfast
Clifton House 2 North Queen Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BelfastThere was a time in Belfast when the bodies of the deceased rose from their graves…but not without some help! In the 19th century body-snatchers were at large in the local cemeteries, stealing the bodies of the recently deceased for dissection by local doctors. But why did people go to such lengths? Why were these bodies needed? And how were they stopped? Join us at Clifton House, where James Cromey, Archive & Project Coordinator of the North Belfast Heritage Cluster will discuss why body-snatchers were such a concern during the early 1800’s. James Cromey is the Archive & Project Coordinator for [...]
Christmas in the Poor House (Christmas themed tour of Clifton House)
Clifton House 2 North Queen Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland, Belfast‘Christmas in the Poor House’ will often stir scenes of Scrooge and other Dicken’s classics. However original research from our archives tells a very different tale. One of traditions, festive foods, holidays and cheer. Our experienced tour guides will tell the story of those from Belfast Charitable Society who were responsible for bringing some festive merriment into the house in the 1800s, and how Christmas traditions developed throughout the centuries. With the use of augmented reality, we will take you back in time to Clifton House in the 18th and 19th Centuries, before bringing you back to the present where Belfast Charitable [...]
A Very Victorian Crafty Christmas at the Poor House
Clifton House 2 North Queen Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BelfastJoin us on Sunday 7 December for a very special seasonal Christmas event at the Poor House. This event is exclusively designed for adults, offering a peaceful and sophisticated atmosphere within a gorgeous Georgian setting. Hear more about the Christmas traditions that took place here, in Clifton House, make a traditional Victorian Christmas cornucopia to take home; and enjoy some festive refreshments too! While you bathe in the twinkly lights of our tree in the grand entrance of Clifton House, our expert guides will tell a yarn or two about what Victorian life was like for the residents of the Belfast [...]