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First Presbyterian Church
This building in Rosemary Street belongs to the First Presbyterian Church. It’s quite ordinary looking by any standards but yet represents in historical terms at least one of Ireland’s finest cut diamonds.
It was built on the site of an earlier church dating to 1695 and as such is Belfast’s oldest surviving place of worship within the old town boundary.
Just inside the doorway is this 1922 War Memorial by the famous sculptor Rosamund Praeger.
The present building was designed by Roger Mulholland between 1781-1783 at a cost of £2,300. It’s particularly noted for its unusual oval shape and originally continued uninterrupted around the church. When the current organ was purchased by the Riddel sisters and installed in 1907 it completely ruined the elliptical shape and thus also ruined the unique character of the building. It is nonetheless, only one of three of these Lewis organs still in existence today.1
The interior furnishings are for the most part authentic. Intricate wooden carvings and notable stain glass windows commemorate prominent local families and past members of this parish like Dr. William Bruce, Riddel family, John Holmes Houston and Robert Patterson.
This beautiful pulpit dates to 1783 and was paid for by ladies of all denominations costing just over £39 at the time.
The congregation is Non-Subscribing Presbyterian. In fact, John Wesley founder of the ‘Methodist revival’ preached from this pulpit in 1789 and wrote of it at the time that “It is the completest (sic) place of worship I have ever seen…beautiful in the highest degree.”2
An elegant serpentine gallery stands on Corinthian columns underneath which are adorned by traditional box pews, made of Irish Oak which were all numbered and rented. It’s at this point that the history of this First Church begins to weave an incredible tale of real-life fantasy, for it is here that politicians, radicals, leading businessmen and scholars all mixed under the same roof during mass services. Families and people who rented pews here included: Ship builder Edward Harland, Heron co-founder of Ulster Bank, Montgomery co-founder of Northern Bank, William Tennent prominent businessman and United Irishman, Thomas McCabe watch-maker and United Irishman, Samuel Martin, the Riddel and Batt family, Thomas Andrews designer of the Titanic, William Bruce and Dr. Crombie to name but a few.
Throughout the years the church experienced several renovations, the first extensive one taking place in 1832. The next major work projects occurred after the Second World War and then during the most recent Troubles in 1974.
At the back of the upstairs gallery is this small vestry or Session Room as it’s sometimes called. This room is home to many historical relics, paintings, religious books and artefacts some dating as far back as the 1700’s. Seated at the table is Raymond O’Regan – a local historian. Actually the table was previously the sounding board that hung over the pulpit but removed in 1862.
This large portrait depicts Rev McBride and dates to the 1700’s. It’s actually damaged in the centre. When the Sovereign came to arrest him for refusing to take the Oath of Abjuration Mc Bride had escaped to Scotland. On learning of this and seeing the painting the sovereign stabbed it out of spite.
On the back of this small painting of Rev. Thomas Drennan is a letter written in 1776 by his son Dr. William Drennan – patriot and rebel born in the Manse on this site in 1754. His father preached here and is credited with the idea of uniting Catholic, Protestant and Dissenter.3
William Drennan, however, was one of the earliest advocates of inoculation against small pox and of hand washing to prevent the spread of infection. He was also a founding member of the Society of United Irishmen.
The true worth of this First Presbyterian Church though is sorely underestimated as these stories are only the tip of the iceberg.
References
1 O’Regan, Raymond, First Presbyterian Church of Belfast 1644, Belfast 2006, p20.
2 Introductory information outside church.
3 O’Regan, Raymond, First Presbyterian Church of Belfast 1644, Belfast 2006, p9.
External Links
http://www.nspresbyterian.org/churches/church05/churchdetail.htm
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