Families of the Great Houses of the Shore Road

Families of the Great Houses of the Shore RoadAuthor(s): Richard GrahamSource: North Irish Roots, Vol. 6, No. 2 (1995), pp. 15-22Published by: North of Ireland Family History Society (NIFHS)Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27697024 .

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FAMILIES OF THE GREAT HOUSES OF THE SHORE ROAD

Richard Graham, Member number B 844

With the recent setting up of a branch of the Family History Society in the Newtownabbey area, I thought it would be an opportune moment for me to share with you some information

on the families who were instrumental in the development of Belfast from what was a rather

insignificant town to a large and prestigious Victorian City.

From the early 1800s, the families concerned chose not to live amongst the noise and

pollution of the centre of the town, preferring instead to reside along what was later to

become the Shore Road, from York Street to Greenisland and overlooking Belfast Lough.

I would like to present to you three differing properties which were to be found along the former Carrickfergus Road and some background on the people who resided in them

during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

THE GROVE, Belfast

On leaving the town of Belfast, one of the first, and most impressive, properties to be found on what was then known as the Carrickfergus Road, was The Grove - a large house and

estate which was occupied by the Simms family in 1820 after acquisition of the property from the family of James Carson. Carson was a merchant in the town who died in 1807 and

was interred in Carnmoney Churchyard. The inscription on his family burial ground reads: "

... as husband and parent he had few equals, pious towards God, charitable and benevolent

towards men..."

Like many of the demesnes along what was to become the Shore Road, The Grove extended from the waters of Belfast Lough to the Antrim Road and in this case was bounded by laneways which became Alexandra Park Avenue to the west and Skegoneill Avenue to the east

Like many of Belfast's merchants in the early 19th century, the prosperity of the Simms

family was based on trade, not manufacturing (eg, linen) as occurred later in the mid-1800s.

Robert and William Simms commenced business in 1807 as General Merchants and soon

became Commission Agents at Chichester Quay with a small fleet of sailing ships.

By 1831 the successful growth of the firm of William Simms & Son reflected the phenom enal growth which was taking place in the town and port of Belfast In 1785 the Ballast Board had been established to improve the facilities of the port and in 1839 the Lagan was straightened by William Dargan, creating a new channel which greatly benefited the

shipowners of the time.

William Simms died at The Grove on 2nd August 1845 (aged 80 years) leaving the House and estate to his son Robert who outlived his father by only two years, dying in September 1847 at the age of 47. The mortality rate of William's family was particularly high as two of

his daughters (both named Eliza after their mother) died in infancy, whilst another child,

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Anna Jane, died at just 10 years. The family members are interred at Knockbreda Grave

yard.

By 1849, when the property changed hands through purchase to the Sinclair family, The Grove was still well outside the built up area of the town - in fact the Sinclair's were

recorded as being Country Residents in the directories of the time.

John and Thomas Sinclair were provision merchants of 5 -11 Tomb Street, near to the

quays which could import and export their merchandise. Tomb Street also housed the

massive bacon curing plant of Sir Edward Coey of Merville.

John was born in 1809 and his brother Thomas in 1811. They commenced business in 1835 and within a short time they had achieved sufficient financial security to enable them to

purchase residences which were in keeping with their new found position. Thomas moved

out of the town to Hopef?eld House on the Antrim Road (now built over by the houses of

Hopefield Avenue) whilst John purchased The Grove after it was put up for sale by William Simms Junior who was an executor of his father Robert's will. Like the Simms family, the

Sinclairs, in addition to their core business, were shipowners and founded The Seamans

Friendly Society in Pilot Street in 1850. It was John Sinclair who pulled down the original house and rebuilt a magnificent new mansion on the site.

Perhaps the greatest contribution to the maritime community which the family were

responsible for was the gift of Sinclair Seamans Presbyterian Church at Corporation Square which was built to the designs of Lanyon and Lynn in 1857 to serve as a memorial to John Sinclair's death which occurred at the early age of 47 years on 17th February 1856. The

church was built at a cost of ?4,500, the foundation stone being laid by Lord Moncreiff, Lord Advocate of Scotland.

Thomas Sinclair's son, also Thomas, was born on 23rd September 1838 and went on to

achieve remarkable literary, commercial and political status. After being educated at R.B.A.I.

and Queen's University, where he gained an M.A. and Hon. D.Litt, he entered politics as a

Liberal Unionist in 1886, becoming president of the Association during the period 1886 -1890. He was also Chairman of Convocation at Queens and became The Right Hon.

Thomas Sinclair P.C., D.L., J.P. He was a member of no less than three clubs: The Reform

in London; Ulster and Ulster Reform in Belfast.

After John Sinclair's death in 1856, his wife continued to live at The Grove, his only son William Pirrie Sinclair having died at the age of six months in 1836.

Following her death, the house and grounds were sold to William Barlow Ritchie M.D. who

had inherited the extensive Chemical, Felt and Manure manufacturing works of his father

known as Francis Ritchie & Sons at Mountpottinger, Ballymacarrett The Ritchie family's interests also extended to operating the Mountpottinger foundry of Ritchie Hart & Company

and also a brickyard on the Woodstock Road.

Dr. Ritchie was a magistrate for the Borough of Belfast and also a prominent leader of the

business community. He died in February 1887 at Liverpool, leaving the sum of

?116,290.6s.6d in his will.

His successor and eldest son William Barry Ritchie continued to live at The Grove and

although he remained as a director of the company he also embarked on a distinguished

military career, rising through the ranks as Captain (1890), Major (1902) and finally Lieutenant Colonel, a position which he held until his death at The Grove on 8th April 1906.

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His sister Catherine Hay Ritchie, who was unmarried, remained resident at The Grove until

1910, after which the house became vacant The Ritchie family business survived at Mountpottinger until 1913 when the extensive site was taken over by Davison & Co of the

neighbouring Sirocco Works.

The Grove remained vacant until 1914, when, like so many other large houses, it was

acquired for institutional use, becoming a babies home and training institution for nurses of

the Children's Aid Society. A contemporary guide tells us that "50 infants who are deprived of their mother's care are permanently maintained'1 so it can be assumed that as the house

was 'always full' it was a fairly noisy place!

The House remained in use as a Babies Home until 1922, when the Northern Ireland State came into being, and the building was requisitioned as the District Headquarters of the newly formed Royal Ulster Special Constabulary. The District Inspector was a Mr JM G reeves with his Constable In Charge being Mr J Blackwood. The RUC stayed in their new home until 1926 after which time it became vacant and remained in the hands of a caretaker until 1932 when it was finally demolished.

Much of the land which made up the estate of The Grove survives today as The Grove

Playing Fields and has not been built over. The site of the mansion house is now occupied by the Grove Primary School and the period of time during which the Ritchie family lived there is commemorated in the name of Ritchie Street which is to be found off York Road just opposite where the main entrance and gatelodge to the estate used to stand.

PARKMOUNT, Greencastle

Paramount was originally a hunting lodge or occasional residence for the Donegall family, probably the first Earl, who also enclosed the Deerpark on Cavehill with a wall in 1666.

The Parkmount estate was situated on raised land at Greencastle and comprised of some 108 Irish acres, the house being a long low building, not far from the Carrickfergus Road. The demesne contained much timber of old growth and extended from the shore of the lough to what is now the Antrim Road.

Just before the return from England of the Donegall family to their new home at Ormeau, the estate was leased to the Cairns family, initially for 61 years in February 1796 to brothers Nathan and Hugh Cairns, but later for lives renewable forever in May 1823.

The Cairns family were well established in the Parish of Carnmoney, the earliest gravestone being found in the Churchyard recording the death of William Cairns in 1775 (aged 69) and his wife Agnes in 1785 (aged 62).

William Cairns was the father of Nathan Cairns who spent much of his time on business in

Dublin, whilst his brother Hugh resided at Parkmount from 1796, remaining unmarried until his death in 1806. It was during this period that the old house was pulled down and a new

mansion house erected.

Nathan's son William was born in Dublin in 1789 and subsequently inherited Parkmount

upon the death of his father, to whom it had passed after the death of his brother Hugh. William's first marriage in 1806 to Roseanna Johnson took place when he was a youthful officer in the British Army at only 17 years of age, and produced a large family, the

youngest son being Hugh McCalmont Cairns who was born in December 1819 at the

family's temporary home in Donegall Place (then almost entirely residential), their usual residence being Rushpark between White ho use and Whiteabbey.

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Hugh McCalmont Cairns was called to the Bar in 1844, and entered the Imperial Parliament

as Member for Belfast in 1852, eventually becoming a QC in 1856. He obtained the Honour of Knighthood as Sir Hugh McCalmont Cairns in 1858, the same year as he became Solicitor General. He subsequently became a Privy Councillor at Westminster, was created

Lord Chancellor and finally in February 1867 he accepted an Earldom (with the financial assistance of the McCalmont family of Abbeylands) becoming Baron Cairns of Garmoyle. ft was only ill health which prevented him from reaching the ultimate goal of Prime Minister.

Although his rise to fame was almost meteoric, it should be remembered that the Cairns

family eminated from a very high source, being introduced in Ireland during the reign of

James I.

The ownership of Parkmount passed from the Cairns family in 1829, when the house and estate was sold to John McNeile DL, JP, banker of Belfast

John McNeile was born in County Antrim in 1785, the son of Alexander McNeile of

Ballycastle. He spent a considerable portion of his early life in South America engaged in

commerce and as a result acquired a large fortune. He subsequently became the owner of

considerable landed property situated at Craigs, Cullybackey and also in the neighbour hood of Cushendall.

Returning to Ireland in the early 1820s, he joined as a partner in the private bank of Orr, McCance, Montgomery & McNeile, one of three which had opened in 1808/09. A Deed of

Co-Ownership signed on 1st August 1824 established his bank into a new business renamed The Northern Banking Company which was the first joint stock bank in Ireland.

The original partners became directors of the new concern and John McNeile, at the age of

39 years, was appointed for life at a salary of ?900 per annum.

John McNeile later became a Magistrate (JP) for the County of Antrim and took an active

part in the work of the Grand Jury ofthat County. He was also created a Deputy Lieutenant

(DL) for Antrim later in his life.

In 1856, John McNeile's daughter, Mary Hariet, married Hugh McCalmont Cairns (1819 -1885) whose family had previously owned Parkmount from 1796 to 1829. John McNeile DL, JP, died in London on 18th May 1855 aged 70 years as Chairman of the Northern Bank and

upon his death his son Henry Hugh McNeile succeeded to the Estate of Parkmount At the same time his place as director of the bank was taken by William Valentine of Glenavna.

Henry Hugh McNeile thus acquired the great wealth which his father had amassed in trade and banking, and he too remained in banking, becoming Chairman of the Committee of the

Northern (an overseeing body) during the period 1863 -1865. He also invested much of the

family wealth in railway development becoming a director of several railway companies. Like his father, Henry Hugh McNeile also held a position of great importance in Ulster society, becoming firstly a Magistrate and later a Deputy Lieutenant for County Antrim. He

died on 6th July 1904 - also at his London residence - leaving the enormous sum of

?140,582.16s. 8d to his son Major John McNeile of the Coldstream Guards and his sister Charlotte (unmarried).

Upon his death, the Parkmount estate was put up for sale by the executors of his will and

was subsequently purchased in 1905 by Sir Robert Anderson. Robert Anderson was born in

Bally bay, Co Monaghan, on 8th December 1837, his father James being in the linen business and also the owner of the local coaching inn. After serving his time in Belfast with

Millar, Boyd and Reid, Robert and his brother Alexander opened the partnership of Anderson & McAuley at Donegall Place in 1861 as Silk Mercers and Shawl, Mantle and Dress retailers. John McAuley was an older man who died in 1881. The business expanded

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rapidly and culminated in the opening of their magnificent new emporium in 1895, competing with the 'Royal Irish Linen Warehouse' of Robinson & Cleaver which had opened at the other end of Donegall Place in 1886.

In 1889, Robert Anderson married Wilhelmena Long, the daughter of a Presbyterian

Minister, the Rev. Andrew Long MA of Monreagh, Co Donegal. His bride was only 29 years of age, whilst he would have been 53!

As a successful businessman, Robert Anderson was in a position to move to a new

residence which would be in keeping with his success, and in 1894 he purchased The Park' - a large mansion at Dunmurry

- from E Jones Bristow, whose father was the

Chairman of The Northern Bank at that time. After taking up residence he took the first steps into a career in politics.

In 1897 Robert Anderson was elected to represent the people of Belfast on the Corporation of Belfast as a Conservative Unionist for the St Anne's Ward, which he held until 1903. In 1901 he was created an Alderman on the Council, and became High Sheriff for the City in 1903, the year he was also knighted for his services to the City. In keeping with his elevated position in Ulster society, Sir Robert and Lady Wilhelmena

again moved residence, this time to Parkmount in 1905. At the time of his move to the Village of Greencastle, Sir Robert was not only a director of Anderson & McAuley, but also of six other major companies in Belfast such as Arnott & Company in Bridge Street; The Milfort Weaving Company on the Falls Road; Vulcanite Limited and William Ross & Co Ltd (Spinners) to name but a few.

The zenith of Sir Robert's political career came in 1908 when he became Lord Mayor of the City of Belfast, presiding over the City Council in the newly erected City Hall (completed in 1906) until 1909. He also served as Chairman of the Tramways and Electricity Committee (1901) and of the General Purposes Committee (1912).

Sir Robert also owned property at Mullaghmore, Co Monaghan, and it was as High Sheriff of that County that he attended the Coronation of King Edward VII.

After retiring from the Corporation of Belfast in 1918, Sir Robert Anderson lived out his days at Parkmount where he died on 16th July 1921, aged 83, having no issue, but being survived by Lady Wilhelmena, who continued to live at Parkmount until 1923. She died in May 1949, aged 89, at her home in Deramore Park.

With the departure of Lady Anderson in 1923, the days of Parkmount being in use as a

family residence came to an end, the house being much too large to maintain, and with

former staff reluctant to re-enter service after the end of the Great War, it became impossi ble for many families to retain such large properties.

Like its neighbouring property, G ray mount, the House became a school in 1924, its principal being a Miss Wasson, but after a period of five years in institutional use it was again vacated and remained empty before being eventually demolished, its beautiful parkland being cleared for the building of inter-war housing for an ever expanding city of

Belfast

Nothing now remains of the estate with the exception of the names of several streets which

lead from Donegall Park Avenue which was itself named after the pathway which led from

Parkmount to the Donegall family Deerpark which was to be found on the slopes of Cavehill

in the Seventeenth Century.

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LISMARA, Whitehouse / Whiteabbey

Travelling further down the Carrickfergus Road (later Shore Road) the last property to which we shall pay a visit is to be found between the villages of Whitehouse Lower and

Whiteabbey and is known as Lismara.

The Lismara estate was created from land previously in the possession of the owners of the

neighbouring estates of Hazelbank (David McTear) and Abbeylands (Hugh McCalmont). They had purchased the property, which was previously farmland, on joint account in 1812

from Captain Denty of Denty Hall.

In 1849, David McTear's son, Thomas, agreed to lease part of the land to John Finlay for the

building of a new residence in an area which had by then become one of the most desirable

areas for the merchants of Belfast to reside in.

Lismara House was built in 1850 for John Finlay, a flax and tow merchant of Police Square

(now known as Victoria Square) and was most likely to have been designed by Charles

Lanyon, the leading architect and engineer of the time. Like the majority of his other

buildings, Lismara was designed in the ftalianate style, but unusually, and unlike other

large houses in the area, it was finished in buff coloured sandstone, which through time

has not weathered well due to its proximity to the sea air.

At the entrance to the estate, John Finlay also commissioned Lanyon to build a magnificent

gatelodge, complete with 'porte cochere' which survived until the late 1970s when it was demolished to make way for road widening.

John Finlay was the son of Alexander (1769-1851) and Elizabeth (1788-1848) Finlay who were Scots Presbyterians. Like many large families of the time, he lost two of his children in their early life - Edith died in July 1859 aged 7 weeks and Lelia Ada in March 1863 aged 7

years 7 months.

His youngest son Percy also died young when, as a Lance Corporal in the Royal Highland ers Black Watch, he was killed at the age of 25 trying to rescue one of his officers at the Battle of Tamisi in the Sudan on 13th March 1884.

The family burying ground is to be found at Knockbreda Graveyard, where a large memorial exists to the memory of the family members.

Upon the death of John Finlay in 1860, Lismara was sold to James Hind who was also

engaged in the linen industry as a flaxspinner and mill owner in Belfast James Hind

(1817-1885) was the eldest son of John Hind (1788-1854) who had settled in Belfast from Manchester in 1811, where his father had been an early cotton spinner. Shortly after

arriving in Ireland, John Hind entered into the employment of Thomas and Andrew Mulholland (this family later became Barons Dunleath of Ballywarter Park) in 1815, as

manager of their cotton spinning mill in Smith field. Later in 1828, after an accidental fire at

their Henry Street mill, he was instrumental in setting up what was later to become the York

Street Flax Spinning Co (incorporated 1864) which was the largest flax spinning mill in the world.

John Hind's partnership with St Clair Mulholland (Andrew's son) was dissolved when Mulholland retired early from business (to Eglantine near Hillsborough) and the flax

spinning concern which they had established at Durham Street was renamed John Hind & Company.

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James Hind entered the family business at an early age and when his father died in 1854 at his residence known as The Lodge at Cliftonville, James took over the running of the

company with his younger brother John. In 1860 he bought Lismara from the Finlay family as his own residence, although his first wife Martha had died at the age of 25 years in 1849.

The business prospered under James's control and by the 1870s the Durham Street mills were considered to be one of the largest and most respected in the spinning trade.

However, a lawsuit which was presented by a lawyer acting on behalf of the children of John Hind's youngest daughter, Francis, in 1878, created a court case which has never

been paralleled in Belfast's business history.

Following the death of John Hind in 1854, his will stipulated that the value of his shares in the company should be divided amongst his sizeable family. His sons, James and John, had agreed a price with the family members, but in 1878 their sister Frances's lawyer claimed that the brothers had acted illegally and as a result went on to claim for her children a share of the profits from 1854-1879, which amounted to several thousand pounds - a colossal sum of money in those days. When the case was heard in 1881, the decision

went in favour of Frances's children and as a result of the proceedings the mighty firm of

John Hind & Company collapsed and went into liquidation.

James Hind was forced to move from his family seat at Lismara in 1883 and died a broken man at Alexandraville on 6th December 1885, his will being proved by Herbert Owen

Lanyon, the third son of Sir Charles Lanyon who had originally designed the house.

Herbert Owen Lanyon (1850-1890) lived at Lismara after James Hind's death from 1883 to 1890. His father Charles Lanyon (1813-1889), more than any other architect, was responsi ble for the transformation of the changing face of Belfast during the period 1840-1860, becoming Mayor of the town 1866-1868. Charles Lanyon lived just across the road at The Abbey (now known as Whiteabbey Hospital) where he died in 1889. The Lanyon family vault

is at Knockbreda Graveyard, although memorials also exist at St Patrick's Church of

Ireland at Jordanstown, where he was a member of the parish.

Lismara again changed ownership in 1890 when it was purchased by Edward Robinson, one of the most prosperous linen merchants in Beifest at that time.

Edward Robinson was born on 17th February 1849, the son of Alexander Robinson of

Ballymena. He commenced business with his partner John Cleaver in 1870, as a retailer of

Irish linen and tweed products. Within a short space of time the firm of Robinson & Cleaver

had built up an extensive customer list in Britain and Ireland and had to move to larger premises in High Street in 1879. Several Royal Appointments were granted to the firm and

following negotiations to purchase land for even larger premises, The Royal Irish Linen

Warehouse of Robinson & Cleaver was officially opened on Friday, 27th August 1888, featuring the wonders of the age with electric lighting throughout and an hydraulic lift to all

eight floors.

With Royal patronage from all corners of the British Empire, the phenomenal success of the company secured Edward Robinson's move to Lismara, and the house was in turn lavished

with a collection of 'Objects De Virtue' from around the world.

Edward Robinson later became a magistrate for County Antrim and an Alderman of the City of Belfast Edward Robinson JP died at Lismara on 6th March 1906 (aged 57) with probate being granted to his wife Marion and two sons, Edward and Harold, (effects ?133,041).

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Marion Robinson continued to live at Lismara after her husband's death, and her two sons

succeeded as directors of the business in Donegall Place. Edward (junior) married Mabel

Cleaver (daughter of John Cleaver, his father's partner) and moved to Terrace Hill at Shaw's

Bridge, whilst Harold pursued a career in the British Army, rising to the rank of Major and

later moving to Magheramorne House (now an hotel). The Robinson and Cleaver families

controlled the company until 1935 when, after the death of Sir Frederick Cleaver it was decided to sell off the business which then became a public liability company.

In 1915, the house and grounds of Lismara were sold by the Robinson family to Sir Crawford McCullagh the then Lord Mayor of Belfast - a position which he was to hold on numerous occasions throughout his political career.

Having been elected to serve the people of Belfast as a councillor on the Corporation of

Belfast for many years, Crawford McCullagh was elected High Sheriff in 1911, becoming Lord Mayor of the City in 1914,1915 (the year he received his knighthood) and 1916. He was created Honorary Burgess of Belfast along with his wife Lady Margaret in 1916 and

later became Chairman of the Housing Committee during the inter-war years.

As a businessman in the City, he was the proprietor of a magnificent ladies outfitting emporium in Castle Place known as Castle Buildings Ltd (erected 1906) and was also a director of the Classic Cinema, one of the most luxurious 'picture palaces' in Belfast,

having opened on Christmas Eve 1923 at Castle Lane (where BHS now stands).

The undoubted highlight of Sir Crawford's political career however occurred on 24th

August 1945, when as Lord Mayor (again) he entertained the Supreme Allied Commander and future President of the United States of America D wig ht D Eisenhower to lunch at Lismara, posing for photographs on the front steps of the house, after the celebrated

wartime general had received the Freedom of the City at City Hall.

Sir Crawford McCullagh died at Lismara on Tuesday 13th April 1948 just three years after his historic meeting with Eisenhower. His contribution to the City of Belfast is commemo rated in a magnificent stained glass window at City Hall.

Latterly, Lismara has been in use as an Old

Peoples Home (having been re-named

Abbeydene) but was disposed of by the Department of Health in July 1994. The site is currently being developed as real estate for detached villa properties, but the House has survived intact (with the exception of its

Lanyon extensions of 1890) and is soon to be converted to three private luxury

apartments.

It will however remain as a permanent reminder as having been the family residence of some of the most powerful and influential families who were responsible for the development of Belfast into a mighty

Victorian metropolis.

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Families of the Great Houses of the Shore Road

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