The Thompson Memorial Fountain

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A red sandstone pinnacle fountain commemorating Thomas Thompson, with central spire, crocketted pinnacles and ornately carved Gothic gables; dated 1885 and constructed to designs by Young & McKenzie. Located at the junction of Ormeau Avenue and Bedford Street in Belfast City centre and flanked by iron lamp standards by McFarlane’s of Glasgow. Set on a grey granite base with three steps, the memorial has a central spire with an octagonal crocketted top surmounted by a small finial; shaft has pointed arch panels with trefoil detail and hood moulds with carved head stops. To either side are crocketted pinnacles and gabled facets. Facets have an ornately carved medallion on ogee arches, with escutcheon bearing a carved wreath and central letter T, and a carved cherub to apex. Octagonal pedestal has ogee arch panels and red granite fountain basin to two sides; inscribed with a Biblical reference that reads “Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again”. Red granite inscription to gable (E) reads “Erected 1885 in memory of Thomas Thompson M.D of Wellington Park who practised as a physician in Belfast for above 40 years Though dead he yet liveth”.

Setting:

The fountain is set on an island between the junctions of Bedford Street and Ormeau Avenue.

Material: Red sandstone

Historical information

The Thompson Memorial Fountain is first depicted on the fourth edition of the Ordnance Survey maps for Belfast in 1931; however it was actually constructed much earlier in 1885 but does not appear on the Annual Revisions or the later General Revaluation of property in Northern Ireland. It was constructed to designs by Young & Mackenzie, an architect’s partnership which was formed c. 1867 and continues to operate under that name (Dictionary of Irish Architects). The red sandstone fountain was inscribed with a quote from the biblical story of Jesus with the woman at the well: ‘Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again ... Whosoever drinketh the water that I shall give him shall never thirst again’ (John 4: 14). The memorial plaque above this inscription reads: ‘Erected 1885 in memory of Thomas Thompson M.D. of Wellington Park who practised as physician in Belfast above 40 years. Though dead he yet liveth.’

The design of the memorial was clearly inspired by the twelve English Eleanor Crosses. These crosses were constructed in the 13th Century by Edward I whose wife Eleanor died in Lincoln in 1290. Between 1291 and 1294 Edward I erected a memorial to his deceased wife at each site they stopped while transporting her body to London for burial (Larmour, p. 50).

The fountain was erected in memory of Dr. Thomas Thompson by his daughter Eliza in 1885; Patton records that the builder contracted to undertake the work was a Mr. Robert Corry who submitted a tender of £280 and was required to complete his work in two months (Larmour, p. 253). Dr. Thompson was a physician employed at the ‘Home of the Incurables’ in Belfast who also fought in navy during the Napoleonic wars; during his time in the navy Thompson travelled the world and gained experience treating soldiers that had contracted exotic diseases (Patton, p. 254). Returning to Belfast after his service in the navy Thompson continued practising medicine and during the Great Famine witnessed horrible epidemics as many people flooded into the town; in the aftermath of the famine Thompson established the charitable ‘Home for the Incurables.’ The 1843 Belfast Street Directory recorded that Thompson resided at 83 Donegall Street (now demolished), however as his memorial indicates he lived in Wellington Park at the time of his death in 1867. The Thompson Memorial Fountain was opened on 15 April 1885 witnessed by Sir. Edward Harland, senior partner of the Harland & Wolff Shipyard and Mayor of Belfast (Larmour, p. 50; Patton, pp 253-254).

The Thompson Memorial Fountain was listed in 1970; however it has long ceased to function as an operational fountain.

References

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/61/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1858
2. PRONI OS/6/1/61/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1901-02
3. PRONI OS/6/1/61/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1931
4. PRONI OS/6/1/61/5 – Fifth Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1938
5. Belfast Street Directories (1843)

Secondary Sources

1. Larmour, P., ‘Belfast: An illustrated architectural guide’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1987.
2. Patton, M., ‘Central Belfast: An historical gazetteer’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1993
3. First Survey Record – HB26/30/014 (1970)

Online Resources

1. Dictionary of Irish Architects - http://www.dia.ie

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
S. Authenticity
U. Historic Associations
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
Z. Rarity
V. Authorship
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A landmark red sandstone pinnacle fountain commemorating Thomas Thompson, with central spire, crocketted pinnacles and ornately carved Gothic gables. Dated 1885 and constructed to designs by Young & McKenzie; located at the junction of Ormeau Avenue and Bedford Street in Belfast city centre. The memorial has an octagonal pedestal with ogee-arch panels, red granite fountain basin to two sides and ornately carved Gothic gables. The fountain is a fixed memorial of high artistic and craft value, commemorating Thomas Thompson M.D. and is of significant social importance and local interest.