Health Boards Northern Ireland

Belfast History 1930-1939

History Of Belfast 1930-1939

The start of the hungry 30s as they were known also had a huge impact on the citizens of Belfast City.  Northern Ireland had been formed for ten years and in 1929, the Wall Street stock market crashed.  (Does that sound familiar?)  40% of the face value of security stocks, some $26 billion were lost in only one month’s trading and this had repercussions right around the world and Belfast was no exception.

The Great Depression In Belfast City

The depression lasted for ten years and in particular Belfast suffered with a severe contraction in trading. At that time Belfast was reliant on exporting and with a world surplus of the goods Belfast was supplying, the arrival of new and cheaper competitors, many world governments drew up trade restrictions and Belfast companies suffered greatly. Belfast at that time specialised in ship building, engineering, rope works and linen.

The population of Belfast had continued to increase and in 1937 was over 400,000 people. The high unemployment and the ever growing population combined to set off what were known as the outdoor relief riots in 1932.  Yet again sectarian division deepened as the depression continued.  Clearly some type of link had developed between unemployment, deprivation, abject poverty and sectarianism.

Living Conditions In Belfast in 1930-1939

The building of homes had stopped and people were packed into small houses and health became a major issue especially when tuberculosis kicked in.  In the middle of this hardship and turmoil for the city, the government carried on and opened up the rather splendid Parliament Buildings at Stormont.  All that succeeded in proving was that a huge gap existed between the rich and the poor.  In Belfast City we had working class people suffering from ill health, unemployment, and social over crowding.  Yet we had the government of the day opening a lavish parliamentary building.

To explain just how bad things were in and around 1932, almost a quarter of the population of Belfast was out of work.  They could claim social security or the “dole money” as we call it. This was a small amount and was usually quickly taken and used up.  People were then forced to turn to the “workhouses” to get some relief.

Belfast, with its Board of Guardians provided the lowest payment in any city in the United Kingdom.  Any payment that was made was done in the form of “chits”.  These could then be exchanged at designated grocery stores.

In a move that only caused further embarrassment, the names of the recipients were posted on the gable walls and in order to qualify for these chits, the recipients had to undertake heavy work such as resurfacing the streets.

A Strange Agreement

Late in 1932 Protestants and Catholics temporarily united to combat the Royal Ulster Constabulary when the government outlawed any forms of civil protest.  Two men were killed by police gunfire during these riots.

Belfast Shipyard

To give you a sense of the unemployment situation Harland and Wolff the great ship builders employed 10,000 workers in 1930.  By 1932 they employed only 1,554.  Not a single ship was built or launched at Queen’s Island between December 1931 and May 1934.

Children were being fed at the Belfast Central Mission and queues of people lined up outside Ker Hall in Glengall Street to try and get some food.  The Belfast Hospital for Sick Children opened in 1932 at a time when 51% of all deaths were caused by infectious diseases, with whooping cough, measles and flu. Pneumonia and tuberculosis also took their toll and it must have been a very tragic time.

For the better off people, or middle to upper class people things actually got a lot better. Prices for goods had fallen and as they were in work or professional jobs life actually got better.  In 1937 one family in every seven now had the luxury of owning a motor car.
It was a strange division as the arrival of the car, along with improvements in the bus services now allowed people the chance to move to the suburbs and so Belfast grew in geographical size.

This strange divide continued to grow.  On the one hand those in employment were clearly better off and getting richer, whereas those unemployed were sick, living in cramped and unhygienic conditions and were watching their children and young people dying.  To explain what I mean, amidst the chaos the Prince of Wales arrived in Northern Ireland in 1932 with a cavalcade of cars down Royal Avenue.  He had come to attend the formal opening of Stormont.  Thousands turned out to see a rather glum Prince open the buildings.  Nationalists stayed away.

Other important things in the 1930s in Belfast.

• Harry Ferguson, the man who invented the famous Ferguson tractors met with Henry Ford in 1938 and made a gentleman’s business agreement that Ford could build and distribute his tractors and parts and sell them across the global market.  Ferguson accused Ford of not honouring his side of the deal and took Ford to court where he won his claim and Ford was forced to pay £9 million in compensation.
• Belfast Zoo – The Belfast Corporation had bough the Cavehill and Whitewell Tramway in 1911 and this had included some 38 acres of woodland.  It had been opened as a walkway with tea rooms and bandstands in 1912 but had lost a lot of money.  The Zoological Gardens was then opened in 1934, the very same year Lord Shaftesbury gave Belfast Castle and the surrounding grounds as a gift to the city of Belfast.
• Belfast Harbour Airport also opened in 1938 and they were opened by Annie Chamberlain the wife of the then Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain.  An air display took place on the day to celebrate its opening.
• The Silent Valley reservoir was completed in 1933 by the Belfast Water Commissioners and the project took ten years and increased the supply to 21 million gallons per day.  This was instrumental in improving public health.
• In 1935 Belfast had 31 cinemas such as the “Winkie” on the Woodstock Road and the “Ritz” in Fisherwick Place which was opened by Gracie Fields in 1936.
• Just for the record Glentoran were the team of the 1930s winning the Irish Cup in 1932, 1933 and 1935 and Johnny Geary scored 48 goals in one season.  I bet they wish they had someone like him now.
• The King’s Hall was opened by the Duke of Gloucester in 1934, costing £60,000 to build and could seat 12,500 people and was the only place in Northern Ireland with a skating rink.
• The first aircraft was built at the Short and Harland factory in Belfast and was a Bristol Bombay L5808 which was a combined bomber and transport plane.  Fifty in total were made and all in Belfast.

About the Author

From Belfast with a love of writing, especially about anything Irish and especially Ireland’s History. Also enjoy online marketing for fun and work as a Sales Manager.  For more information on the history of Belfast visit my blog at http://belfastblog.net/belfast-history/belfast-history-1920-1929/

Judicial Review – Ep09 – How Northern Ireland Works