Site of former no. 30 Townsend Street, Strabane, Co Tyrone

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Site, on the east side of Townsend Street at the junction of Back Row, formerly occupied by a one and a half-storey dwelling of possible pre 1833 construction, demolished some time after 1983 as part -it would appear- of a road widening scheme.

The First Survey description of February 1970 reads:

‘Pre 1833. A one and a half-storey house with harled walls and slated roof. Drop-hung windows with glazing bars flank the entrance, recessed in a semicircular opening. A modern flush door is flanked by three-pane sidelights, the fanlight has radial glazing bars.’

Historical information

This site is shown developed on the OS map of 1833-34. Unfortunately the plan of Strabane, drawn up to accompany the valuation of 1832-34, has been lost, making it extremely difficult to trace any details of the buildings within the town at this date any degree of certainty. A read through the valuation book reveals, however, that the much of Townsend Street was then made up of modest single / one and a half-storey dwellings, some, (judging by the valuers’ ‘quality letter’ grading system), possibly dating from the 18th century and most probably vernacular.*

The plan accompanying the second valuation of 1857 tells us that at that point the dwelling on this plot was occupied by a Michael Kirk, who leased it from a Rosanna Patton. Its rateable value was a very modest £1-10-0, which could suggest a single-storey structure rather than a one and a half-storey one.

Michael Kirk resided in the house until 1867, when a Biddy Murphy is listed as the occupier. Biddy Murphy was followed by a long list of tenants, starting with William Haughey between c.1873 and 1880, Anne Loughrey (1880-85), Annie Glacken (1885-97), Hannah McPhelomey (1897-98), and Ann Foster (1898-99). From 1899 to 1902 the property is noted as vacant, however by 1902 a Catherine McManus was in residence, with a W. Ward following in 1904, a James [?]Carlow in 1907, James Grissen (1909-10), Ellen McDermott (1910-12), James McCrorey (1912-13, 1914-15), Thomas Maguire (1913-14), Mary McLoughlin (1915-18), Bridgit McLoughlin (1918-20) and Jane Haughey (1920).

In 1921 the house is recorded in the valuation book as ‘down’. The use of this word is confusing, for it is employed by some valuers to refer to extensive remodelling or enlarging -possibly involving a partial demolition- rather than a the complete destruction of a building. Judging from the First Survey of 1970, which appears to describe a ‘vernacular Georgian’ dwelling, (which the original surveyor believed to be ‘pre 1833’), it would appear the structure was not completely demolished.* It may have been enlarged in some way, perhaps the roof was raised, however the fact that the rateable value does not change after 1921, indicates that this was not the case.

Whatever actually happened to the house, it was fit for habitation in 1922 when a William John Rankin acquired the freehold. Rankin vacated the property in 1923 or 1924, renting it to a Patrick Rush, who in 1928 was succeeded by a William McLaughlin. By 1935 Rankin and a Mary Love are recorded as living in the house, with an Edward Love listed as the sole occupier, (as well as the freeholder), the following year. In 1956 an Annie Carlin is named as resident with Strabane Urban District Council the lessor. This was still the case in 1972.

The property was demolished some time after 1983, probably to make may for the widening of the entrance to Back Row.

References- Primary sources
1 ‘Pigot & Co’s City of Dublin and Hibernian Commercial Directory (Manchester 1824)
2 PRONI VAL/1B/638A First valuation, Camus parish (1832-c.38)
3 PRONI VAL/1B/638B First valuation, Camus parish (1832-c.38)
4 PRONI VAL/1B/638C First valuation, Camus parish (1832-c.38)
5 PRONI OS/6/5/5/1 OS map, County Tyrone sheet 5 (1833-34)
6 Lewis, Samuel, ‘Topographical history of Ireland’ (London, 1837)
7 ‘Slater’s National Commercial Directory of Ireland (Manchester, 1846)
8 ‘Slater’s National Commercial Directory of Ireland (Manchester, 1856)
9 PRONI VAL/2B/6/41 Second valuation, Camus parish (1857)
10 PRONI VAL/2D/6/18A Valuation town plan of Strabane (1857 [-59])
11 PRONI VAL/2D/6/18B Valuation town plan of Strabane (1857 [-59]) [PRONI also holds a microfiche copy of this plan, catalogued under the ref. T/2933/4/252.]
12 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31A Annual valuation revision, Strabane ED(1860-64)
13 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31B Annual valuation revision, Strabane ED (1864-73)
14 ‘Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester, 1870)
15 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31C Annual valuation revision, Strabane ED (1874-81)
16 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31D Annual valuation revision, Strabane ED (1882-91)
17 PRONI OS/8/25/1/1-17 OS town plan of Strabane (1883)
18 PRONI OS/9/22/2/1-17 OS town plan of Strabane (1883)
19 PRONI VAL/12E/187/1/1-12 Valuation town plan of Strabane (1884 [-1908])
20 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31E Annual valuation revision, Strabane ED (1892-96)
21 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31F Annual valuation revision, Strabane ED (1892-96)
22 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31G Annual valuation revision, Strabane UD (1897-1910)
23 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31H Annual valuation revision, Strabane UD (1897-1910)
24 PRONI OS/8/25/2/1-3 OS town plan of Strabane (1905)
25 ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory’ (Belfast, 1905)
26 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31J Annual valuation revision, Strabane UD (1911-22)
27 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31K Annual valuation revision, Strabane UD (1911-22)
28 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31L Annual valuation revision, Strabane UD (1922-31)
29 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31M Annual valuation revision, Strabane UD (1922-31)
30 PRONI VAL/3B/7/14 First General Revaluation of Northern Ireland, Strabane UD (1935
31 PRONI VAL/3C/7/23 First General Revaluation of Northern Ireland, annual revisions, Strabane UD (1936-57)
32 PRONI VAL/3G/159/1/1-3 Valuation town plan of Strabane (1936-55)
33 PRONI VAL/3G/159/2/1-3 Valuation town plan of Strabane (1951-55) [Sheets 1 and 3 are currently missing.]
34 EHS OS map (1:10,000 scale), sheet 72 (1983)

Secondary sources
1 Bradley, Jim, et al, ‘The Fair River Valley: Strabane Through the Ages’ (Belfast, Ulster Historical Foundation, 2000)

Other
references
1 EHS HB10/14/022 First Survey report (Feb 1970)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Site, on the east side of Townsend Street at the junction of Back Row, formerly occupied by a one and a half-storey dwelling of possible pre 1833 construction, demolished some time after 1983 as part, (it would appear), of a road widening scheme.