‘The life of the eighteenth century, so recent, so quaint in our eyes when a glimpse can be recovered, has been pushed into the well of forgetfulness … Another age, other ideas, other pursuits have over-taken us, all but in natural progression to the half-million of human beings who in a century, perhaps in far less time, will dwell together, it is earnestly hoped, in mutual concord, and it is not to be doubted in mutual industry, on the banks of the Lagan.’ George Benn
Blackstaff Press is pleased to announce the publication of A History of the Town of Belfast by the celebrated historian George Benn. This limited facsimile edition reproduces the complete text of volumes I and II, including Benn’s original maps and illustrations, and contains a foreword by Siobhan Stevenson and a revised index.
First published by Marcus Ward & Company, Belfast, in the late nineteenth century, George Benn’s A History of the Town of Belfast is a seminal work about the city. Covering topics such as local topography; the history of Presbyterianism; tenant rights; trade and industry; education; and notable individuals and families, Benn’s lively, accessible and sometimes quirky approach makes this an essential book for anyone who is interested in the history of Belfast, from earliest settlement to the development of the modern city.
This edition is designed by the award-winning book designer Wendy Dunbar and consists of three hundred numbered copies, of which two hundred and twenty-five are available for sale. It is printed by Athenaeum Press, Gateshead, on 80gsm Munken Pure paper, and bound in printed Ratchford cloth boards, rounded and jointed, with matching endpapers and head- and tail-bands. The two volumes are presented in a lined slipcase with a bow edge. Publication supported by Belfast City Council.