Belfast Charitable Society facts for kids
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The Belfast Charitable Society is the oldest charity in Belfast. It started way back in 1752! This group still helps people today from a building called Clifton House. They opened Clifton House in 1774. It was first used as a place for people who were poor or sick, like a hospital.
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History of Helping Others
In 1752, some important business people in Belfast decided something big was needed. They saw many poor and sick people in the town. They wanted a "poor-house" and a "hospital." A poor-house was a place where poor people could live and find work. A hospital was for those who were ill.
Starting the Society
Belfast was growing fast because of its port and textile factories. Many poor workers and their families came to the town. The local leaders, called burgesses, didn't do much to help these people. So, the Belfast Charitable Society was formed to make a difference.
The society raised money in different ways. They had a lottery, which is like a game where people buy tickets to win prizes. They also collected money from people who wanted to help. In 1774, after getting official approval, they opened Clifton House.
Clifton House Opens
Arthur Chichester, a wealthy landowner, gave the society land for the building. Clifton House was built on the northern edge of Belfast. It had space for 36 people in the poor-house. It also had a 24-bed hospital for sick people.
A Time of Change
In 1786, some members of the society had a big disagreement. Two of the founders, Waddell Cunningham and Thomas Greg, wanted to start a business that traded enslaved people. This was a very serious issue. However, many people in Belfast, including another society member named Thomas McCabe, were against slavery.
A famous writer and former enslaved person, Olaudah Equiano, visited Belfast in 1791. His visit helped the people who wanted to end slavery. Their efforts were successful, and the slave-trading company was not started.
Political Unrest
In the same year, 1791, Thomas McCabe and other society members formed a group called the Society of United Irishmen. They wanted people of all religions to work together. They hoped to change the government in Ireland to be fairer.
Because of these political ideas, the government saw the Charitable Society as a group that might cause trouble. During the Irish Rebellion of 1798, a time of fighting and unrest, the government took over Clifton House. They used it as a place for soldiers to stay. The society didn't get their building back until 1800.
Medical Progress
Doctors working with the poor-house also made important medical discoveries. In 1782, Dr. William Drennan tried a method called variolation. This was an early way to protect people from smallpox, a very dangerous disease. It involved giving a small amount of the disease to healthy people to make them immune.
Later, in 1800, the poor-house became very full again. Dr. William Haliday was allowed to try a new, safer method called vaccination. This was developed by Edward Jenner. It used a milder disease, cowpox, to protect children from smallpox. Parents had to agree first for their children to get the vaccine.
Helping Children and Women
In 1827, a social reformer named Elizabeth Fry visited Belfast. After her visit, Mary Ann McCracken (whose brother was a rebel leader) started the Ladies Committee of the Belfast Charitable Society.
Thanks to this committee, a school and nursery were set up for the children in the poor-house. Mary Ann McCracken made sure the teachers were very good. She also believed children should have free time to play. The committee also helped young people learn skills for jobs through apprenticeships.
Modern Day Charity
As Belfast grew, other charities were started to help people. By 1882, the last child had left the Poor House. For much of the 20th century, Clifton House was a home for older people.
In 2002, the Belfast Charitable Society celebrated its 250th birthday! They decided to build a new home for older people nearby. This allowed them to update Clifton House. Today, the historic Clifton House has apartments for older people. It also has a special center for visitors to learn about its history and for meetings. The society runs this center to help fund its work.
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