Plots & Plotters: Belfast Charitable Society and the 1798 Rebellion Online Talk
Explore the history of the reformers & rebels who made the Belfast Charitable Society a “hotbed of radical activity” in the 1790s in this virtual talk. Hear about the Joys, McCrackens, McCabe & Cunningham who were on opposing sides of the 1798 United Irishmen Rebellion & how the Charitable Society, and its members, emerged from it, including Dr James Campbell White who went into exile in the United States. Numbers for these hour-long sessions will be limited to allow for a Q&A session at the end. The Zoom meeting login to join the talk will be emailed to you on the [...]
In Life and Death: Clifton Street Cemetery Online Talk
Clifton Street Cemetery is the final resting place of reformers and radicals including Mary Ann & William Drennan. Poets and artists, merchants and notable families are all buried here, alongside one of the largest famine graveyards in Ireland. Tune in to this talk to explore the lives of those who lie buried in this historic cemetery. Numbers for these hour-long sessions are limited to allow for Q&A sessions at the end. The Zoom meeting login to join the talk will be emailed to you on the morning of the event. Please ignore any QR code/ bar code on your confirmation email as this is automatically generated by [...]
Belfast and the Slave Trade Online Talk
This talk will examine Belfast and its ties to slavery, from those who owned Plantations and enslaved people, to the West Indian merchants who benefited from what Henry Joy termed “the infamous traffic in the flesh and bone of man”. It will also cover the abolitionist movement and those who dedicated their lives to the abolition of slavery. This virtual live talk will be facilitated by our knowledgeable staff and volunteers using Zoom. Numbers for these hour-long sessions will be limited to allow for Q&A sessions at the end. The Meeting ID will be sent out the morning of the talk. [...]
Doctors & Disease: The Medical History of the Poor House Online Talk
Explore the medical history of the Poor House as recorded in our archives, from the different medical establishments we supported, to the patients and the doctors who treated them. The talk will examine the Poor House response to the epidemics of the 19th century and will include the biographies of key medical professionals associated with Clifton House, from Dr William Drennan, through to the 1798 American exile Dr White and the Purdon medical dynasty. Numbers for these hour-long sessions will be limited to allow for a Q&A session at the end. The Zoom meeting login to join the talk will be [...]
Lesser Spotted Graves of Clifton Street Cemetery Online Talk
Many of you will know about the key figures of Belfast who are buried in Clifton Street Cemetery including the activist, abolitionist and reformer, Mary Ann McCracken, and the founder of the United Irishmen, Dr William Drennan. However, this talk will delve into the burial registers of Clifton Street Cemetery to explore the equally fascinating lives of the ‘lesser spotted graves’ of Clifton Street Cemetery including a French prisoner of war turned barber! Numbers for these hour-long sessions will be limited to allow for a Q&A session at the end. The Zoom meeting login to join the talk will be emailed [...]
The Bigger Family Picture: From 1798 to Partition Online Talk
The Bigger family of Mallusk and Belfast have a long association with both Belfast Charitable Society and North Belfast. Explore this remarkable family through some of its most interesting personalities including the noted antiquarian Francis Joseph Bigger. Numbers for these hour-long sessions will be limited to allow for a Q&A session at the end. The Zoom meeting login to join the talk will be emailed to you on the morning of the event. The price of the ticket is per device. Clifton House is the social enterprise of Belfast Charitable Society which continues to address disadvantage in Belfast and beyond today. [...]
The Chichester Family: Lords of Belfast Online Talk
The Chichester family laid the foundations for what would become Belfast City, owning it and the surrounding land for 250 years- a unique situation on the island of Ireland. The family’s influence, both positive and negative, helped to shape the development of the town, and many streets still retain their names today. For 190 of the 246 years that Clifton House has been operating, Chichester descendants have acted as Presidents of the Belfast Charitable Society. This fascinating talk will reveal their long and colourful dynasty. Numbers for these hour-long sessions will be limited to allow for a Q&A session at the [...]
Industrial Philanthropists: The Barbour Family of Lisburn Online Talk
*Booking for this event is now closed* Explore the fascinating history of the Barbour Family of Lisburn, founders of Barbour Threads at Hilden. The Barbour family were not only industrialists but philanthropists, supporting their workforce and the local community. This talk will touch of the development of the mill and the impact of the family on Lisburn and beyond, as well as how the family are still helping to tackle disadvantage in partnership with Belfast Charitable Society today. Numbers for these hour-long sessions will be limited to allow for a Q&A session at the end. The Zoom meeting login to join [...]
Mary Ann McCracken (1770-1866): A Life in Letters Online Talk by Cathryn McWilliams (Mary Ann 250)
As part of the Mary Ann McCracken 250 series of events the Mary Ann McCracken Foundation are proud to host this talk by Cathryn McWilliams to open the celebrations. Over the course of her ninety-six years, Belfast’s Mary Ann McCracken (1770–1866) amassed numerous roles and titles in her quest for political, memorative and humanitarian justice. By engaging with her own written correspondence and other contemporary documents, this talk will provide an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of one of the Belfast Charitable Society's most famous supporters and to explore her connections with the environs of Belfast as a whole. Cathryn [...]
Paper & Politics: The Joy Family Online Talk (Mary Ann 250)
Registration for this event is now closed As part of the Mary Ann McCracken 250 series of events Clifton House are proud to host this talk exploring the Joy family, arguably one of the most influential Presbyterian families in the history of Belfast. From Mary Ann McCracken's grandfather, Francis Joy, we will journey through the family from the 1700s to the 1940s. Composed of paper manufactures, printers, philanthropists, politicians and artists, this talk will illuminate some of the key personalities of the Joys throughout the centuries and their place in history across these islands. Registration information • To register for [...]
Framing Irish Complicity in Transatlantic Slavery by Brian Kelly (Mary Ann 250)
As part of the Mary Ann McCracken 250 series of events Reclaim the Enlightenment are hosting this talk by Dr Brian Kelly. The powerful re-mergence of a global Black Lives Matter movement has helped propel a timely debate on how Ireland can best confront its own complicated entanglement in transatlantic slavery. A bustling port city and an emerging industrial powerhouse, nineteenth-century Belfast was home both to an influential mercantile elite eager to share in the spoils and to an outspoken abolitionist element. Against the backdrop of rising tensions in the United States, the city hosted a number of successful visits by [...]
HERstory: The Women of Clifton House Online Talk (Mary Ann 250)
As part of the Mary Ann McCracken 250 series of events Clifton House are proud to host this talk exploring the lives of the women who were involved with the Belfast Charitable Society; from well-known figures such as Mary Ann McCracken and the role of the Ladies Committee, through to the matron and the other women who drove the direction of charity in Belfast throughout the centuries. Delve into this fascinating topic based on original research in our archives. Registration information • To register for the event please RSVP below • The Zoom code will be sent to your registration email address [...]