Clifton House is an 18th-century

Grade A listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

located in

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

, Northern Ireland. Originally built as a

poor house A poorhouse or workhouse is a government-run (usually by a county or municipality) facility to support and provide housing for the dependent or needy. Workhouses In England, Wales and Ireland (but not in Scotland), ‘workhouse’ has been the ...

by the Belfast Charitable Institution. Today it is houses a heritage centre alongside a residential home and sheltered accommodation apartments.

Foundation

The

Belfast Charitable Society The Belfast Charitable Society, founded in 1752, is Belfast's oldest charitable organisation. It continues its philanthropic work from Clifton House which the Society opened, originally as the town's poor house and infirmary, in 1774. History ...

was founded in August 1752, with the aim of setting up a poorhouse and a charitable hospital

infirmary Infirmary may refer to: *Historically, a hospital, especially a small hospital *A first aid room in a school, prison, or other institution *A dispensary (an office that dispenses medications) *A clinic A clinic (or outpatient clinic or ambu ...

. The Society was financed by subscriptions collected from leading inhabitants of the then town of Belfast, and a nationwide

lottery A lottery is a form of gambling that involves the drawing of numbers at random for a prize. Some governments outlaw lotteries, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find some degree of ...

. After over 20 years, land was donated by

Arthur Chichester Arthur Chichester, 1st Baron Chichester (May 1563 – 19 February 1625; known between 1596 and 1613 as Sir Arthur Chichester), of Carrickfergus in Ireland, was an English administrator and soldier who served as Lord Deputy of Ireland from 16 ...

, the first

Marquess of Donegall Marquess of Donegall is a title in the Peerage of Ireland held by the head of the Chichester family, originally from Devon, England. Sir John Chichester sat as a Member of Parliament and was High Sheriff of Devon in 1557. One of his sons, Sir ...

to the north of the town, and a plan was drawn up by Mr Cooley for a combined 36 person poorhouse and 24 bed infirmary, estimated at £3,000 to construct. In the centre of the final approved design were large assembly rooms. The foundation stone was laid on 7 August 1771, with the building opening on 17 September 1774.

History

Quickly becoming full and continually operating at full capacity, the Society agreed in March 1800 to permit Dr William Haliday to try the first trials of inoculation and vaccination in Ireland. Subject to the condition of approval of their parents, poorhouse children were given vaccinations to protect them against diseases. The funds generated allowed the building to be extended, adding a lunatic ward. Doctor

William Drennan William Drennan (23 May 1754 – 5 February 1820) was an Irish physician and writer who moved the formation in Belfast and Dublin of the Society of United Irishmen. He was the author of the Society's original "test" which, in the cause of ...

, although never one of the Poor House's physicians, was a strong supporter of the

, and gave sound medical advice, especially on the advantages of public inoculation against small pox to the Board. Drennan lodged in the house of

Henry Joy McCracken Henry Joy McCracken (31 August 1767 – 17 July 1798) was an Irish republican, a leading member of the Society of the United Irishmen and a commander of their forces in the field in the Rebellion of 1798. In pursuit of an independent and democrat ...

and

Mary Ann McCracken Mary Ann McCracken (8 July 1770 – 26 July 1866) was a social activist and campaigner in Belfast, Ireland, whose extensive correspondence is cited as an important chronicle of her times. Born to a prominent liberal Presbyterian family, she comb ...

who had strong links to the Society.

Edward Bunting Edward Bunting (1773–1843) was an Irish musician and folk music collector. Life Bunting was born in County Armagh, Ireland. At the age of seven he was sent to study music at Drogheda and at eleven he was apprenticed to William Ware, organist ...

(1773–1843), an Irish musician and folk music collector, asked the Committee to support him in organising a festival, the proceeds of which were donated to the Charitable Society. A small sub-group of the Society's committee went to England to establish high-value trades which the poor should be trained in, and having studied the Lancashire cotton trade, came back to Belfast with the plan of training all inmates in the skills of the same industry. Hence training was set up on weaving, spinning, knitting, and net-making. The result was the foundation of

's cotton industry.

Present

After

celebrated its 250th anniversary in 2002, it decided to build a new nursing home at Carlisle Circus. This allowed them to lease Clifton House to Helm Housing Association for 75 years, allowing funding of required renovation work.Belfast Charitable Institution (Clifton House), Clifton Street, Belfast: Historic Building Details
''Northern Ireland Buildings Database''. Northern Ireland Environment Agency. Retrieved 30 June 2010. Clifton House is now shared by Helm who operate sheltered accommodation, and the Society who run an old persons home. The Clifton House Interpretative Centre offers tours of the building and the associated

Clifton Street Cemetery Clifton Street Cemetery, Belfast, holds the graves of a number of Belfast's most distinguished figures. The cemetery, whose entrance is at Henry Place in Belfast, is cared for by Belfast City Council and can only be accessed by prior arrangement w ...

which can be booked via their website. The cemetery includes the burials of many associated with Clifton House including

, Thomas McCabe and

References

External links

{{Commons Category
Official website
Buildings and structures completed in 1774 Buildings and structures in Belfast Grade A listed buildings Workhouses in Northern Ireland Poor law infirmaries