To mark the exact Bicentenary of the Belfast Natural History and Philosophical Society, a medical event had been planned. Because we were then in another Covid lockdown, enthusiasm for the event had waned. We therefore turned our attention, at the suggestion of William Roulston, to the possible refurbishment of the Drummond grave in the Old Graveyard, Ahoghill, County Antrim,
The Society has published a pamphlet on the life and time of its founder, Dr James Drummond. You can read it by following the link below.
Our first President, James Lawson Drummond [LINK] died at his house, next door to the Museum, on 17 May 1853. Drummond had married for the third time in 1850, to Eliza O’Rorke, of Ballybollen House, near Ahoghill. She was 20 years his junior and from an ancient Catholic family, but the couple had a Church of Ireland ceremony. Eliza was laid to rest in the same plot, 43 years later.
A visit to the grave in the early spring of 2021 confirmed that their memorial was in urgent need of refurbishment and it was decided that the Society should undertake this work to mark the Bicentenary. As numbers were capped at 30, because of Covid restrictions in force at the time, it was not possible to invite the full membership, so attendance was limited to Council Members, spouses and a few others, such as David J. Johnston, President of Ulster Architectural Heritage, who provided refreshments for the outing in the Maine Medical Centre in Ahoghill.
Professor Pascal McKeown, Dean of the QUB Medical Faculty, and Colin Gowdy, Chairman of the Inst Board of Governors, also were present, as was the Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Council, Peter Johnston. We visited the local Church of Ireland Parish Church, St Colmanell’s, where we saw the fine memorial to Drummond, and also St Mary’s Catholic Church where there is a stained-glass window dedicated to the O’Rorkes.
Alun Evans entered into a three-year contract, on behalf of the Society, with Mid and East Antrim County Council to take over the refurbishment of the grave. On the recommendation of our Council Member, the architectural historian Marcus Patton, we have commissioned Nathan Morrow, of The Rock Stone Masonry in Glenarm, County Antrim. Nathan is a Member of the Guild of Master Craftsmen . Nathan replaced the sub-walls with authentic old bricks, including the badly deteriorated sandstone plinths in fresh sandstone, which has been acquired from McMonagle Stone, Mountcharles, County Donegal.
The railings were basically sound, but the round decorative cast iron collars needed to be replaced entirely. We sought an estimate to recast them, but the cost involved was prohibitive. It was, therefore, decided to replace the collars in lead which is equally traditional. A colleague of Nathan’s, Neal Houston, who runs ‘The Leadman’ at Glarryford, Ballymena, County Antrim, carried out this part of the work.
The Belfast Natural History Museum & Philosophical Society
Old Museum Building
7 College Square North,
Belfast BT1 6AR
Registered with the NI Charity Commission No. 100817
We respect your privacy and do not tolerate spam and will never sell, rent, lease or give away your information (name, email, etc.) to any third party. Nor will we send you unsolicited email.