Belfast Corporate Town (IrlCorpTown)

Statistics

Population

Population

Densities and rates of growth. Age structure: concentrations of young people, and of the old.
Industry

Industry

How people made their living: identifying farming communities, pit villages, mill towns and so on.
Learning & Language

Learning & Language

How many people were at school. The distribution of graduates, and of the unqualified.
Housing

Housing

Numbers of houses. Overcrowding: persons per room. Amenities: central heating, baths and WCs.
Birthplace & Religion

Birthplace & Religion

Numbers going to church, and the kinds of churches they went to. The different religions of modern Britain.
Place marker map of Great Britain and Ireland

Notes

In 1851, the County Report for Antrim is clear that the town of Belfast lay wholly within Shankhill Parish, but stated "The town of Belfast having greatly increased since the Ordnance Survey was published, the Census Commissioners have no means of ascertaining its area at present" (p. 35). Although Belfast was treated specially in earlier census reports, it became independent from the surrounding counties of Antrim and Down only in 1898: "Belfast was designated a City in 1888 and in 1892 the title of 'Lord Mayor' was conferred. In 1898, Belfast became a County Borough and the Corporation took over responsibility for all the local services previously provided by the County Councils within the City boundary." (MONTGOMERY, I. (2015) 'The growth of a city. The Belfast Corporation and Council archive in PRONI'. Familia, XXXI, 53–76)

The following alternate names exist for this unit:

Name Status Language Start End Authority
BELFAST Preferred English     UK Government, Census of Ireland. 1851. General Alphabetical Index to the Townlands and Towns of Ireland (Dublin: HM Stationery Office, 1861), p. 952.
BELFAST CITY Alternate English     1891 Census of Ireland, Table 3, 'Area, houses, and population in 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, and 1891, of each barony, also the general valuation in 1891'.
BELFAST MUNICIPAL BOROUGH OF Alternate English     UK Government, Census of Ireland. 1851. General Alphabetical Index to the Townlands and Towns of Ireland (Dublin: HM Stationery Office, 1861), p. 874.
BELFAST TOWN Alternate English     UK Government, Census of Ireland. 1851. General Alphabetical Index to the Townlands and Towns of Ireland (Dublin: HM Stationery Office, 1861), p. 952.
TOWN OF BELFAST MUNICIPAL BOROUGH Alternate English     1861 Census of Ireland, Table [1], 'Area, population and number of houses'.

This unit contained the following units:

Name Type Start End Authority
HOLYWOOD Irish Civil Parish     1891 Census of Ireland, Table 7, 'Area, houses, out-offices and farm steadings, and population, together with the valuation of each parish, townland, and township in 1891'.
KNOCKBREDA Irish Civil Parish     1861 Census of Ireland, Table [1], 'Area, population and number of houses'.
SHANKILL Irish Civil Parish     UK Government, Census of Ireland. 1851. General Alphabetical Index to the Townlands and Towns of Ireland (Dublin: HM Stationery Office, 1861), p. 952.

This unit was part of the following units:

Name Type Start End Authority
ANTRIM Irish County     UK Government, Census of Ireland. 1851. General Alphabetical Index to the Townlands and Towns of Ireland (Dublin: HM Stationery Office, 1861), p. 952.
COUNTY OF THE CITY OF BELFAST Irish County     1861 Census of Ireland, Table [1], 'Area, population and number of houses'.
DOWN Irish County     1891 Census of Ireland, Table 7, 'Area, houses, out-offices and farm steadings, and population, together with the valuation of each parish, townland, and township in 1891'.
Maps Census reports

How to reference this page:

GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, Belfast Corporate Town (IrlCorpTown) through time, A Vision of Ireland through Time.

URL: https://www.visionofireland.org/unit/12850165

Date accessed: 08th April 2026