‘The lives of those buried in Balmoral Cemetery are intertwined with the bigger, dynamic history of nineteenth-century Belfast Presbyterianism, and that of Belfast itself.’

Balmoral Cemetery is a small cemetery in the heart of Belfast, yet those buried within its walls played a huge role in shaping the city.

Tom Hartley, leading authority on the graveyard, tells the stories of the people buried here, those academics, scientists, politicians and political activists who exemplified the drive and industry of nineteenth-century Belfast – people such as author and philosopher Joseph John Murphy, scientist and agriculturist John Frederick Hodges, and suffragist and temperance advocate Isabella Tod.

Through these stories – and those of ministers such as Revd Henry Cooke and Revd Hugh Hanna, both buried in Balmoral – Hartley uncovers the dynamic history of Presbyterianism: the meeting houses, congregations and schools, many of which were woven into the fabric of Belfast but have since disappeared.

With over two hundred photographs, this is an invaluable guide to Belfast and its people, and the perfect addition to the Written in Stone series.