7 THE SQUARE

The Department's description

Historical information

Buildings are shown in this general vicinity (although possibly not on this exact site), on an estate map of 1767 and all maps thereafter. The first valuation book of 1835 indicates that the present building was in place by that date. It is likely that the property is contemporary with its eastern neighbour and as such may be of c.1800-10. In 1835 the valuers record the occupier as Mrs. Spencer, who held it ‘under Mr. Wright [Matthew Wright the then occupant of neighbouring nos.9-11 – see HB16/06/047A-B] during her own life or 31 years’, with the dimensions of the house noted as 26½ x 28 x 19, with a ‘back room over gateway’ of 10 x 14 x 9 and offices of 9 x 6 x 6, 23 x 8½ x 10, and 17½ x 17 x 13. The same measurements for the house are supplied in the c.1861 valuation book, but with two offices of 5yds x 4 x 1[storey] and 5yds x 5yds 2ft x 2, with the leaseholders noted as the ’representatives of John Gregg’.

In 1863 the lease was taken up by a Miss Houston, who was followed in 1865 by Rev. Patrick O’Neill, Matilda J. McBride in 1867, Rev. W. Logan in 1875. Sarah Jane Jones is named as the tenant in 1893, Sarah J. Gilcriest in 1897 and Jane Armstrong in 1906, all of whom were also consecutive tenants of nos.9-11. Robert Armstrong is listed as resident in 1919, David Moffat in 1924, James F. Sherwood in 1929, Jane and Eva Chadwick c.1933, Alice Fulton 1939, and Olive Swanzy in 1955, who is recorded as still living there in 1972. The building appears to have contained a shop by at least late 1969, although this is not mentioned in the valuation book.

The Square / Church Street
The north-east to south-west line of what is now Church Street and The Square is not depicted on Sloane’s or Kennedy’s maps of 1739 and 1755, appearing for the first time on an estate map of 1767. It is probable that the thoroughfare was established as part of the laying out - or upgrading - of the road (present B25 Kilbroney Road) linking Rostrevor to the new village of Hilltown, which began to be developed by Wills Hill (later 1st Marquis of Downshire) in the 1760s. As its generous breadth - and name - suggests it is likely that it was also intended to act as a marketplace, and it is perhaps no coincidence that in April 1769 Rostrevor’s then landlord, Robert Ross, obtained a patent allowing him to hold a weekly market and quarterly fairs within the settlement.

The 1767 map shows the eastern and western sides seemingly developed as far as the present extent to the south-west and to the site of the current parish church in the north-east. The church itself was completed in 1821, forming a ‘closing of the vista’ of the broader portion of the street. By the time of the the 1834 OS map the extent of development we see today was in place, with buildings shown opposite the church and further along the narrower part of the carriageway to the north-east. The OS Memoirs of October 1836 provide what is perhaps the earliest description of this particular part of the town, telling us that ‘“Main Street” runs northeast and southwest, 620 yards in length, the breadth of that part contained between the new and old church (a distance of 180 yards) being 120 feet broad, the remainder averaging 30 feet in breadth. The houses in this street are nearly all 2-storey high and the greater part of them in good order, a number of them having furnished lodgings for the accommodation of strangers in summer. On coming into the town at its lower or southwestern extremity, this street presents a grateful “coup d’oeil”, the most pleasing and remarkable object of which is the new church, situated at the extremity of the broadest part of the Street and standing in line with its direction, its body and square tower appearing in good relief against the thick and luxuriant foliage of the trees to the north of the building.’

References - Primary sources
1 PRONI T1763/2 Map of County Down by Oliver Sloane, 1739
2 HERoNI Map of County Down by James Kennedy, 1755
3 PRONI D671/M7/2 Map of Rostrevor and surrounding lands, 1767
4 ‘A Map of the County of Down…by James Williamson, (1810)
5 OS map County series, Co Down sheet 54 – 1834, 1859, 1901-02, 1919, 1950
6 PRONI VAL1B/361 (1835-36)
7 PRONI VAL2B/3/61C (1861)
8 PRONI VAL12B/19/21A-F (1865-1929)
9 ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory’, (Belfast, various dates, 1877-1975)
10 Census of Ireland, 1901, 1911 [http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie, accessed 2020.06.30]
11 OS map, Co. Down sheet 54, 1919
12 PRONI VAL3C/4/23, 1936-57
13 PRONI VAL4B/3/81, 1956-72
14 HERoNI HB16/06/047A-C First survey of Historic Buildings in NI, 7-13 The Square, Rostrevor – Dec. 1969
15 OS map, sheet 277, 1979