{"id":4112,"date":"2025-02-01T16:19:41","date_gmt":"2025-02-01T16:19:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drtomstours.com\/?p=4112"},"modified":"2025-02-01T16:19:44","modified_gmt":"2025-02-01T16:19:44","slug":"book-review-tom-hartley-balmoral-cemetery-the-history-of-belfast-written-in-stone-belfast-blackstaff-press-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drtomstours.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/01\/book-review-tom-hartley-balmoral-cemetery-the-history-of-belfast-written-in-stone-belfast-blackstaff-press-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"Book Review: Tom Hartley, Balmoral Cemetery: The History of Belfast, Written in Stone (Belfast: Blackstaff Press, 2019)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tom Hartley\u2019s <em>Balmoral Cemetery: The History of Belfast, Written in Stone<\/em> is an exceptional study of one of Belfast\u2019s lesser-known burial grounds. As the third instalment in his <em>Written in Stone<\/em> series\u2014following <em>Milltown Cemetery<\/em> and <em>City Cemetery<\/em>\u2014this book continues Hartley\u2019s meticulous exploration of Belfast\u2019s social and religious history through the lens of its cemeteries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Balmoral Cemetery, originally known as Belfast Cemetery, Malone, opened in 1855, largely because of Presbyterian ministers Henry Cooke and Joseph Mackenzie being denied the ability to conduct a \u2018proper\u2019 Presbyterian funeral in another graveyard. The book is rich in historical detail, not only chronicling the cemetery\u2019s origins but also the lives and legacies of those buried there. Around 2,500 individuals rest in Balmoral, many with compelling and often tragic stories. From the architect William Batt and suffragist Isabella Tod to Superintendent Thomas Johnston, who lost eight of his sixteen children, Hartley brings to life the human histories lying beneath the headstones. The book also explores figures such as Edward Anderson, lost at sea when the <em>SS City of Glasgow<\/em> vanished in 1854, and Rachel Mercer, who perished in a maritime collision in Belfast Lough in 1900.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hartley, a historian and former Lord Mayor of Belfast, is renowned for his commitment to uncovering Belfast\u2019s past through its cemeteries. His research takes readers beyond the names on the headstones, delving into the social, political, and religious dynamics that shaped the city. However, some readers may find the extensive discussion of Belfast Presbyterianism\u2014including the disputes, schisms, and development of various congregations\u2014a challenging aspect of the book. While this deep dive into religious history is relevant to Balmoral Cemetery, which was closely tied to Belfast\u2019s Presbyterian community, it may not appeal to those seeking a more general historical overview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nevertheless, Hartley\u2019s work remains a remarkable achievement. He has once again transformed a cemetery into a historical archive, using its tombstones to tell the story of Belfast. <em>Balmoral Cemetery: The History of Belfast, Written in Stone<\/em> is essential reading for those interested in Belfast\u2019s past, particularly in the intersection of religion, social change, and the individuals who shaped the city.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tom Hartley\u2019s Balmoral Cemetery: The History of Belfast, Written in Stone is an exceptional study of one of Belfast\u2019s lesser-known burial grounds. As the third instalment in his Written in Stone series\u2014following Milltown Cemetery and City Cemetery\u2014this book continues Hartley\u2019s meticulous exploration of Belfast\u2019s social and religious history through the lens of its cemeteries. Balmoral [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4113,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4112","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-34"],"blocksy_meta":[],"gutentor_comment":0,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/drtomstours.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/81jxs1yo6pL._SL1500_.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/drtomstours.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4112","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/drtomstours.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/drtomstours.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drtomstours.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drtomstours.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4112"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/drtomstours.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4112\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drtomstours.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4113"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/drtomstours.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4112"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drtomstours.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4112"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drtomstours.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4112"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}