The Belfast Poor Law Union was officially declared in 1839. The Workhouse was opened in 1841 at a cost of £9,869. It was built to house a maximum capacity of 1,000 inmates. The Belfast Workhouse was built to accomodate people from the areas of Ballygomartin, Ballymurphy, Ballysillan, Belfast, Carnmoney, Greencastle, and Whitehouse in Co. Antrim, and Ballyhackamore, Ballymacarrett, Castlereagh, Dundonald Church-Quarter, and Hollywood in Co. Down.
During the worst years of the Great Famine, extensions were put in place to accomodate a further 747 inmates.
During World War I, parts of the Belfast Workhouse were used to house garrisoned soldiers. Later, during World War II the Belfast Workhouse was used to treat injured civilians who had been the victims of air-raids. The site later became the Belfast City Hospital.
Today only a small number of the original buildings of the Belfast Workhouse are still standing in the grounds on Belfast City Hospital.
References
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For more information see here | Ireland | VIEW SOURCE |
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Public Records of Northern Ireland | Northern Ireland. Great Britain. | VIEW SOURCE |
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Belfast Workhouse Records | Northern Ireland. Great Britain. | VIEW SOURCE |
Type of Building:
Some communities associated with this building
Some ancestors associated with this building
Some ancestors associated with these communities
