Sir James Haslett Memorial

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Statue of Sir James Horner Haslett of c.1909 by F W Pomeroy in front of the City Hall, set on a tall square grey granite plinth with moulded cornice and inscription on the front face. Haslett is standing, with a beard and frock coat and wearing his chain as Lord Mayor of Belfast. There is an inscription on the front face of the pedestal.

Setting

Set in the grounds of Belfast City Hall (HB26/50/001A), this is one of a number of memorials (HB26/50/001B-001I) set on the grass lawns. Many of the buildings around Donegall Square are also similar in date, contributing to the context of this structure.

Pedestal: Grey granite
Statue: White marble

Historical information

Unveiled by the Marquess of Londonderry on 19th April 1909 and executed by Frederick Pomeroy, this is a memorial to Sir James Horner Haslett MP.

A former Lord Mayor of the City in 1887-8, as well as Conservative MP for North and West Belfast and a leading Orangeman, Haslett was known as ‘Oily Jemmy’ as he had made his fortune through importing paraffin oil. Notably, Haslett had been the Lord Mayor responsible for organising the purchase of the site in 1888, for construction of the new City Hall (HB26/50/001A) (McIntosh).

Following the death of Haslett in August 1905, the commission for his monument was granted to the prominent English sculptor, Frederick Pomeroy in December of that year. Pomeroy had previously designed the bronze statue of the First Marquis of Dufferin and Ava (HB26/50/002) in 1902-06, collaborating with the architect of the City Hall, Sir Alfred Brumwell Thomas (DIA).

Sculpted in 1907, the statue of Haslett was originally located to the west of the Queen Victoria monument (HB26/50/001I), and was designed to compliment Brock’s statue of Sir Edward Harland (HB26/50/001F), which lay to the east (Larmour). Both are stone statues of similar height and form, depicting their subjects in a standing position, while resting a hand on a small table to their side.

During the 1920s the grounds of the City Hall were rearranged and the Haslett statue was moved to its current location. It lies to the east of the Victoria monument, beside the statue of Sir Edward Harland, with which it was intended to harmonize (Larmour). Cleaning and repair work was carried out on the memorial in 1992-93 (HB File).

References:

Primary Sources

1. National Library of Ireland, EAS_0492 “City Hall Belfast” (1900-40) The Eason Photograph Collection
http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/EAS_0492
2. HB File (HB26/50/001J)

Secondary Sources

1. Larmour, P “Belfast City Hall- An Architectural History” UAHS (2010)
2. McIntosh, Gillian “Belfast City Hall One Hundred Years” Belfast City Council (2006)
3. Patton, Marcus “Central Belfast- An Historical Gazetteer” UAHS, Belfast (1993)
4. www.dia.ie - Dictionary of Irish Architects online

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

A formal statue of the former Lord Mayor of Belfast Sir James Horner Haslett, wearing his chain of office, by FW Pomeroy erected in grounds of Belfast City Hall (HB26/50/001A) and unveiled in 1909. It forms one of a group of high quality memorials (HB26/50/001B-J) in the grounds of the City Hall, complementing one another as well as the main building. Pomeroy also designed the bronze statue of the First Marquis of Dufferin and Ava (HB26/50/001B) in 1902-06, and the marble statue of Robert James McMordie(HB26/50/001G) in 1917. There are four similar standing statues of Lord Mayors facing Donegall Place, contributing to the historical significance of the group. This is a fine example of the work of a sculptor of note representing Belfast's civic history.

General comments

Formerly HB26/50/011