5 Governor's Place

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Relatively large three storey terrace town house of probably c.1830 with (undoubtedly later) cement render façade. The house is set within the short terrace of Governor’s Place, just to the SW of Carrickfergus town centre.

The asymmetrical front elevation faces S. To the left hand side of the ground floor is the entrance. This consists of a large segmental headed opening recessed within which is a panelled timber door with plain jambs and lintel and a plain segmental fanlight. To the right of the entrance are two window openings with slight bevels to the reveals (probably added c.1907 or later when the current render appears to have been applied). Both windows are now boarded over. To the first floor there are three evenly spaced windows, much as ground floor but with sash frames with plain glazing to the top sashes and two vertical panes to the bottom ones (which also look c.1907+). To the second floor are three similar but shorter windows. Both the first and second floor windows are linked with sill courses with a similar course between the floors. The front elevation is finished in unpainted cement render.

The W gable is only exposed at second floor level and is blank. The gable has large centre / centre-right projecting chimney breast (though there is no stack). A small square patch near the right hand verge is unrendered- internal evidence suggests this was a window.

The E gable is only exposed at second floor level also. It too is rendered and has a left of centre projecting chimney breast (which does not rise to the stack). Above right of the chimney breast (near the gable apex) is a very small plain sash window.

To the left on the ground floor of the rear elevation is a Georgian-paned sash window (8/8). To right of this there projects -at a squint- a large two storey gabled return (see below). At half-landing level to the left is another, larger sash window with Georgian panes (6/6), whilst to the uppermost half-landing directly above this there is a slightly smaller plain sash window. To right at first floor level there is a Georgian-paned sash window (6/6), whilst directly above to the second floor there is a similar but smaller window (3/3)

To the ground floor of the E face of the return there is a sash window to left (2/2 vertical glazing bars). To right of this is a timber sheeted (tongue & groove) door, then a plain sash window and then another doorway (which does not appear to be original) with recent half-glazed door. To the first floor are three unevenly spaced sash windows, that to left plain, with those to right of this broader and 2/2 (vertical glazing bars). To the W the return directly abuts the return of the neighbouring property, whilst the N gable appears to be blank. Both the rear face of the main section and whole of the return are finished in plain unpainted cement render.

The main roof is gabled and slated with partly tiled parapets. There is a rendered chimney stack to the E gable. The roof of the return is hipped to the S end (where it abuts the main building), and gabled to the N end, where there rises a tall rendered chimneystack. The return roof is slated with a large skylight to the W side, with some slates missing near the ridge. Mixture of cast iron and PVC rw goods.

To the rear there is a small yard enclosed with white washed brick walls. To the E wall there is a small brick-built lean-to shed with slated roof.

Historical information

A building is shown on this site on the OS map of 1832. Unfortunately the map to accompany the 1836-38 valuation has been lost, however a careful reading of the accompanying valuation book shows us that the site was then occupied by a relatively newly-built three storey dwelling of similar dimensions to the present. As a house of identical dimensions is recorded in the second valuation of 1860 and as subsequent valuations mention no major alterations to the property, we may assume that the present building is probably the new-build recorded in 1836, and therefore may date from c.1830.

The valuation map of 1860 shows that the house was then part of a larger property, incorporating a one and a half storey ‘office’ (i.e. business premises of some kind*) to the east side. In 1907 this building was demolished and the present Coal office erected in its place. It is probable that the cement render to the house itself dates from around this time.

The occupant in 1836 is listed as one John Legge. By 1860 the single property of the house and ‘office’ was in the hands of a John Hickman-Daly who held it from Rev William Toland. Between 1863 and 1881 a Jane Montgomery was in residence, but in the latter year the property was sub-divided with a Robert Alexander (who took over the lease from Toland) occupying the office and renting the house to a Charlotte Porter. Porter remained there until 1903 after which the both house and business premises appear to have remained vacant until 1906-07, when the lease was taken up by Charles M. Legg and the smaller building demolished to make way for the Coal office. The valuers’ office notebook dating from this time describes the dwelling as ‘an old house in good order- too good for its situation’.

In early 1909 the house was rented by Rev John Frederick Macneice (or Frederick John Macneice as he was sometimes known), the new Rector of nearby St Nicholas’s and father of the future poet Louis Macneice, then a two year old child. The Macneices remained there until 1911 when the death of the bedridden former rector allowed them to finally take up residence in the rectory itself on North Road. The next occupant was Richard Chamberlain, (the son of the lately decreased former rector), who was followed in 1917 by the family of Henry Smyth, and, in 1935, by James Hamilton. By the latter date the lease [?or freehold] of the property had been taken up by John Kelly Ltd., the owners of the coal office.

James Hamilton was followed in 1943 by Robert S. Todd, who remained there until 1972 at least. The house and the neighbouring coal office are now vacant, with both in the hands of a private owner.

*It too may have been a coal warehouse.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL/1B/187 First valuation, Carrickfergus parish, 1836-38
2 PRONI VAL/2B/1/22d Second valuation, Carrickfergus parish, 1860-61
3 PRONI VAL/2D/1/14a-b Second valuation plan of Carrickfergus, 1860-61
4 PRONI VAL/12B/7/5a-f Annual valuation revision books, Carrickfergus 1864-94
5 PRONI VAL/12E/20/1/1 Valuation plan of Carrickfergus, 1872-98
6 PRONI VAL/12B/7/7a-c Annual valuation revision books, Carrickfergus urban 1894-c.1929
7 PRONI VAL/12A/1/70 Valuers’ office notebook, Carrickfergus urban area, 1907+
8 PRONI VAL/12E/20/2/1-4 Valuation plan of Carrickfergus, 1898-1908
9 PRONI VAL/3B/1/11 First general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Urban District of Carrickfergus, 1935
10 PRONI VAL/3C/1/20 First general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Urban District of Carrickfergus, East Central ward etc.,
1936-57
11 PRONI VAL/4B/1/28 Second general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Urban District of Carrickfergus, East Central ward etc., 1956-72

Secondary sources
1 Louis Macneice, ‘The strings are false: an unfinished autobiography’ (London 1965)
2 Jon Stallworthy, ‘Louis Macneice’ (London, 1995), pp.20-22

Evaluation

Large three storey terrace town house of probably c.1830 with two storey return and (undoubtedly later) cement render façade. Though some of the internal detailing has been altered the property remains relatively untouched. However it is of a type common throughout N. Ireland.There is a historical interest in the fact that the poet Louis Macneice lived in this house for two years during his childhood while his father was waiting to take possession of the rectory.