Who are the library men of WW1?
The Library Men
Who were the library men?
'The library men’ were 11 members of staff from Belfast Public Libraries who enlisted
in various regiments of the British Army during WW1.
Between 1914 and 1919 over 200 letters were exchanged between these men
and the Chief Librarian. The letters were written as a condition of employment, in order
to receive the half-pay that Belfast Public Libraries continued to pay to their staff during
war service.
The voices of ordinary men
Through the unique collection of letters 'the library men' have given us their own
individual accounts of the Great War, beginning with life in the training camps,
the brutal reality of trench warfare right through to demobilisation and eventual
return to civilian life.
Read the letters >>
What we know – in brief
|
Name |
Born |
Where they lived in the years before the war |
Library |
|
Belfast |
Edinburgh Street off the Lisburn Road |
Lending Department, Belfast Central Library |
|
|
*killed in action* |
Belfast |
Lichfield Avenue, off the Bloomfield Road |
Lending Department, Belfast Central Library |
|
Belfast |
Dunstan Street, Springfield Road area, later Pisa Street, Grosvenor Road area. |
Falls Road Branch Library |
|
|
South Shields, England |
Springfield Parade, off the Springfield Road. During the war his pay goes to his sister in England and he doesn’t appear to come back to or have a link with Belfast again |
Branch Manager Falls Road Branch Library |
|
|
Belfast |
Greenville Road, off the Upper Beersbridge Road |
Donegal Road Branch Library |
|
|
Ballycastle |
Clonard Gardens, near the Springfield Road/Falls Road |
Lending Department, Belfast Central Library |
|
|
Belfast |
Meadowbank Street, off the Lisburn Road |
Museum and Art Gallery in Belfast Central Library |
|
|
Dungannon (family where originally from Dunmullan, near Omagh) |
Moorfield Street, off Ravenscroft Avenue. |
Lending Department, Belfast Central Library |
|
|
Co. Monaghan |
Clonard Gardens, near the Springfield Road/Falls Road |
Belfast Central Library |
|
|
Belfast |
Canning Street, near North Queen Street |
Oldpark Branch Library |
|
|
Belfast |
River Terrace, near the Ormeau Road |
Ballymacarrett Branch Library |
Chief Librarians
|
Name |
Born |
Where they lived in the years before the war |
|
Newcastle-upon-Tyne |
Holywood |
|
|
Newcastle-upon-Tyne |
Fitzwilliam Street, off Lisburn Road |
If you can supply any information about these men please email feedback@librariesni.org.uk
