Old photos - Belfast Ropeworks

[annie49]

This picture explains itself. My grandmother, her sister, my mother and her sister are in this photo.
They were the Patterson / Downey girls from Hornby Street.

[Alaun]

What a great photo

[Rob1943]

Awesome photo annie49 thanks for sharing 

Rob

[chi]

great picture!

This picture explains itself. My grandmother, her sister, my mother and her sister are in this photo.
They were the Patterson / Downey girls from Hornby Street.

[sonofshanks]

 
The Rope Walk, Belfast Ropeworks, 1951

[Poppy1916]

This picture explains itself. My grandmother, her sister, my mother and her sister are in this photo.
They were the Patterson / Downey girls from Hornby Street.

Annie that is a great photo. I believe that may be my grandmother 2nd row back in the centre with her hands on the shoulders of the girl in front. Her name was Clara Allison (nee Morrison) and she worked in the ropeworks most of her life. Spent many years living in Edith Street and when she died she was living in Bright Street.

[Harmer]

Annie. Thank you for the photo. My father was a foreman at The Rope Works for 40 years.

[kate.o]

brilliant photos, I wish there was names with it,
I am sure most of us would know or be related to some of them.

[annie49]

The names of my family members in the photo I posted of the Ropeworks are :  Back Row 2nd from left, my mother, Ellen McDade nee Downey. Third row - 2nd from the right, my maternal grandmother, Elizabeth (Lizzie) Downey (nee Patterson). Same row 4th from the right, my aunt Mary Jane (Dolly) Lowry (nee Downey) and the same row 7th from right, one of Lizzie Downey's sisters, either Mary Jane or Margaret Patterson.
So we have the 2 Patterson sisters, Lizzie & Mary Jane (or Margaret) and 2 of Lizzie's daughters, Ellen (Nellie) and Mary Jane (Dolly).  Lizzie married James Downey 1908 and they lived at 90 Templemore Ave.
Another of Lizzie's daughters, Annie Downey, worked in the room next door. She married an American soldier, Bill Nance, and went to live in North Carolina USA.  My mum, Ellen Downey married Alex McDade and we emigrated to Australia 1963.There was one brother Samuel (Sammy Downey) who worked as a young boy in the Ropeworks and then at James Mackie Engineering making munitions before joining RAF. After the war he worked as a conductor on the Belfast trams. He then went to Bushmills Irish Whiskey as a lorry driver. A great Glentorans fan, he died 2010, the last of his siblings. 
Unfortunately, there were no names on the back of the photo, apart from my relations. But would love to hear from anyone who recognises a face.

[carolw]

The names of my family members in the photo I posted of the Ropeworks are :  Back Row 2nd from left, my mother, Ellen McDade nee Downey. Third row - 2nd from the right, my maternal grandmother, Elizabeth (Lizzie) Downey (nee Patterson). Same row 4th from the right, my aunt Mary Jane (Dolly) Lowry (nee Downey) and the same row 7th from right, one of Lizzie Downey's sisters, either Mary Jane or Margaret Patterson.
So we have the 2 Patterson sisters, Lizzie & Mary Jane (or Margaret) and 2 of Lizzie's daughters, Ellen (Nellie) and Mary Jane (Dolly).  Lizzie married James Downey 1908 and they lived at 90 Templemore Ave.
Another of Lizzie's daughters, Annie Downey, worked in the room next door. She married an American soldier, Bill Nance, and went to live in North Carolina USA.  My mum, Ellen Downey married Alex McDade and we emigrated to Australia 1963.There was one brother Samuel (Sammy Downey) who worked as a young boy in the Ropeworks and then at James Mackie Engineering making munitions before joining RAF. After the war he worked as a conductor on the Belfast trams. He then went to Bushmills Irish Whiskey as a lorry driver. A great Glentorans fan, he died 2010, the last of his siblings. 
Unfortunately, there were no names on the back of the photo, apart from my relations. But would love to hear from anyone who recognises a face.

Hi Annie. Great picture, thank you. My Granny is in the second row of this picture (3rd right from the man with the sign in front of him). She was Elizabeth (Lizzie) Craig (nee Graham) and lived in Humber Street. I lived in Hornby Street and remember a Mrs Downey. I used to play with her grandson David Gillespie. Not sure if they are the same family.

[annie49]

Hi CarolW   Thanks for the name, I'm hoping to get some more to fill in the blanks. If you still live in the area maybe you could show it to a few people and get some more names.  We might have to make it a family reunion, as many of the women seem to be related to me in some way or another.
My Mum's Uncle Bill (William Robert Downey ) was married to an Elizabeth Craig. I have her born in 1892 and buried at Dundonald Cemetery in Aug 1982. Is that your Granny ??
Is she 4th from the right in the second row?  Two boys, then a short lady, then a tall lady with a white front ?? The young girl behind her (4th from left in third row) is my mum's sister - so your granny would be my mum's auntie by marriage, and sister-in-law to my granny, (2nd from right third row) Elizabeth Patterson Downey (Lizzie).
Re the Gillespie boy, your granny's daughter Cassie married William Gillespie, so David would have been your granny's grandson, and my granny would have been Cassie's auntie, and great auntie to young David (maybe she babysat him and he called her granny for convenience sake) ??
I would love more info on your granny etc for my family tree, I will contact you privately thru this website and give you my email address.   Annie

[carolw]

Hi Annie. Thank you for all the information you've listed. Unfortunately that isn't my granny . She was Elizabeth Graham married to William Craig. Granny is the one fifth from the right in the photograph, with a girl's arm resting on her shoulder.
Was down at Mums house last night and asked her if she recognised any of the faces in the photo but she didn't. She was only 7 when it was taken. Most of the old neighbours in Hornby Street have all passed away but will ask around . Mum was saying the Mrs Downey she knew had a daughter Kay who married Billy Gillespie. Not sure if it's the same family.
Carol

[annie49]

Hi Carol, I don't have a Billy Gillespie or a Kay Downey (so far) in my tree. But that's not to say they won't come up eventually somewhere, I'm never surprised at what or who pops up in my research, so we may still yet be connected somehow.

[Watso]

My Aunt Sadie Prentice was a forewoman in ropeworks travelled from the Shankill road.My mother May Watson Sadies sister and Edith the older sister also worked there.Sadie is now 93 and often speaks of her time there.

[Robd40]

For information of annie49 and carolw - There's a William 'Billy' Gillespie in my family tree who married a Kaye Downey and they indeed had a son called David. I don't really know too much about Kaye's side of the family but am currently researching the Gillespie side of the family but any information regarding both would be most welcome. Great pic by the way!