'Found on the streets without friends': Belfast Charitable Society and child welfare in early-nineteenth-century Belfast

Abstract

Founded in 1752, the Belfast Charitable Society was established in response to the growing poverty in late-eighteenth century. In 1774, the poorhouse was constructed; its declared purpose was caring for the infirm and diseased poor of the growing town of Belfast. Although the organisation had not originally planned for the admission of children, its role in this regard began in 1775, when it permitted two children to stay in the poorhouse with their mothers. Today, the institution continues to engage in philanthropy and share its history with the wider public at its heritage centre called Clifton House. This thesis focuses on the pauper children who inhabited the Belfast poorhouse between 1800-1851. It will take the early history of the Belfast Charitable Society as a lens through which to explore the role of charitable organisations in the early nineteenth century Irish town. It seeks to ascertain how much of a problem child poverty was becoming in a growing town and how the poor were viewed by the town’s elites. It seeks to understand how the middle classes during this period viewed child poverty and the ways in which they tried to mould these children into hardworking and respectable citizens. This research illuminates the nature of the relationship between the Charitable Society’s work, industry, and the well-being of the labouring classes.

Thesis embargoed until 31 December 2027.

Date of Award	Dec 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Queen's University Belfast
Sponsors	Northern Ireland Department for the Economy
Supervisor	Olwen Purdue (Supervisor), Ciaran McCabe (Supervisor) & Peter Gray (Supervisor)