The oldest working building in Belfast, Clifton House, which is a distinctive feature of the architectural landscape and of the city’s history, has been commemorating its 250th anniversary. Originally known as the Poor House, it was opened in 1774 by the Belfast Charitable Society.
The Dublin-based architect Thomas Cooley was consulted on the plans for the building which was designed by the printer and philanthropist Robert Joy. Cooley, who was born in London, worked in the neoclassical style on several public buildings in Dublin and together with James Gandon was part of a small team of architects. Joy had drawn an initial plan of the structure on a napkin in the George Inn where rich Presbyterian merchants and burgesses met to form the Society in summer 1752 with the aim of establishing a charitable hospital infirmary.
With its spire, elegant wings, weathered brick, octagonal stone tower and original features, Clifton House stands on an eminence as one of the city’s finest Grade A-listed Georgian buildings. But the stylish exterior belies the social deprivation that brought it into existence.
In 1740-41 a combination of atrocious grain harvests, shortage of milk and frost damage to potatoes led to a severe famine in Ulster with a death toll of around 300,000.
When the Poor House opened it was incorporated by an Act of Parliament in Dublin in 1774 which gave it power over the welfare of citizens, especially the vulnerable and needy. It sheltered all creeds with beds for the homeless who carried out spinning and weaving work. Regular meals of stirabout, bread, broth, cheese, milk, and “pease porridge” (a savoury pudding dish) were served, while meat – then a rare treat – was provided every Sunday.
A stay in the Poor House, however, was a temporary expedient to help people over difficulties before taking their place again in the outside world. It effectively became Belfast’s earliest hospital and in 1800 was where the first smallpox inoculation in Ireland was administered. In the early 1790s the freed African slave Olaudah Equiano visited Ireland to promote his autobiography and was invited to speak to the Society. He was well received throughout his Irish stay and described his welcome in Belfast as especially warm.
As a progressive body the charity was influenced by the American War of Independence and the French Revolution. Those actively involved in setting it up included the Joy and McCracken families, while the United Irishmen Dr William Drennan and Samuel Neilson were supporters. However, in 1798, the year of the Irish Rebellion, the Society was given 48 hours’ notice from the military to clear the Poor House because of its radical connections. The building was eventually returned to them in 1800.
One of the most illustrious names linked to the house was the abolitionist and social reformer Mary Ann McCracken, born in 1770. A founding member of the Poor House Ladies’ Committee, she became its treasurer, secretary, and chair, offering support to hundreds of women and children. Her mantra, preserved on a framed sign in the boardroom, states: “This world affords no enjoyment equal to that of promoting the happiness of others.”
An active member of the Belfast Ladies Anti-Slavery Association, Mary Ann campaigned vigorously for an end to slavery. She refused to eat sugar because it was a product of the slave trade and West Indies plantations.
Earlier this year, to coincide with International Women’s Day, a bronze statue marking her achievements was unveiled in the grounds of Belfast City Hall.
In the foyer at Clifton House a display of heritage artefacts, including a cotton spinning wheel, wooden water pipes, and streetlamps from 1771, are a reminder of former times. A warning notice in the boardroom from an 1820 orderly book states: “If a window in this room is not kept open every day, when the weather is favourable, the allowance of tea, sugar, snuff, or tobacco will be withdrawn from those persons who get them.”
The society’s work continues today. The grounds of Clifton House are still used as a home for the care of older people where mews accommodation is made available by a housing association.
Present-day concerns over poverty are also addressed. Since December 2023, the society’s funding has ensured that 12,200 children in schools in North Belfast affected by the cost-of-living crisis, have had at least one nutritious meal a day.
The Clifton House Interpretative Centre holds public tours, and the adjacent Clifton Street Cemetery is widely recognised as a significant historical site. Not only is the cemetery the resting place of notable families, it is also home to the mausoleum erected by John Dunville who established the Irish whiskey brand in 1808 and was renowned for his philanthropy.
In keeping with its ethos, the charity has used the sestercentennial celebrations to bring people together to discuss the current reality of poverty and disadvantage, while an exhibition shines a spotlight on some of its proudest moments.