Portadown Streets

[Lyttle]

A interesting project would be to find the many 'custom named ' sections of streets.   In bygone days these names would have been applied before the street name when addressing letters.
 
Since the Royal Mail Post Office organised the addressing system with post codes their usage fell out of fashion.  Many of the names would have been of family members of the developers or land owners family or a place that conjured happy memories or hopes for the future.

A few that come to mind;
In Church Street from the Fergus Hall (the old Church Street School) to just before the old Labour Exchange, now TNT offices, the section is called Millicent Terrace.  This name comes from a Miss Millicent Sparrow who married Lord Mandeville in 1822, who later became the 6th Duke of Manchester.  As it happens, to this day the ground rent of that row and most of Church Street and other parts of town is paid to the Duke of Manchester's Estate which is managed by appointed trustees.
 
Part of West Street on the right hand-side before the junction with Charles St./Brownstown Rd./ Loughgall Rd.;  'Sunshine Villas'
Part of Armagh Road on the left before Kingsway Drive;  'Bellevue Place'
Part of Obins Street opposite Abicoil Springs factory;  'Bognor Terrace'
Part of Garvaghy Road, opposite the old Achesons Weaving Factory.  'Victoria Terrace'
Part of Garvaghy Road, row set-in off main road to the left of the People's Park entrance, now demolished; 'Parkmount'
Part of the Tandragee Road, (the Annagh) just after the entrance to Carrickdale Gardens;  'Hopefield Terrace'
 
There are dozens more, mostly forgotten, a few still have a plaque mounted with name visible, sadly most of the name signs have disappeared.
 
Hope this gives food for thought and maybe preserve another piece of disappearing old Portadown.

Cheers, Jim.

[Lyttle]

Portadown like many other towns had some streets with 'nicknames'  Thought it would be fun to record these before they are forgotten.  If you know any others in Portadown let me know.

Here I list what I can remember;


Wilson Street;  'Jam Row'  At one time there was a jam making factory located at the end of this cul-de-sac.
 
Annagh Hill;  'Bucket Row'  The row of houses did not get mains water supply until around the 1960's, water for householders use was drawn from a well by a single pump at the end of the row of houses.
 
Watson Street; 'Railway Street'  Easy one, street where the railway station was located.
 
Upper part of Bridge Street close to Seagoe Road junction;  'Guinea Row'   When the houses were built weekly rent was twenty one Shillings, very expensive then!
 
Part of Armagh Road opposite Prentice's Garage;  'Rheumatism Row'  At times of flooding the waters reached the rear gardens of this row of buildings and lay for a long time, the houses were permanently damp.
 
Part of Obins Street; 'The Tunnel'  The road entering the street was dug out to a depth to allow the railway bridge to be built.
 
Fowlers Entry;  'The Orange Cage'  During the July 'Twelfth' celebrations the street was bedecked with bunting and flags, more so than any other part of town.
 
William Street;  'Chapel Street'  The location of St. Patrick's R.C. Church.
 
Charles Street.  'Charlie's Wall's'  One of the earliest house's in the area was built by Charles Wakefield  'Corcrain Villa' (next to Shillington's Alta Villa')  Charles built a high boundary wall which extended past Alta Villa.
 
Woodhouse Street.  'Dungannon Street'  Main street out of town towards Dungannon.
 
Garvaghy Road.  'The Walk'  The return route of the annual Orange Order parade from Drumcree Church to Carleton Street.

Cheers,  Jim

[leprechaun]

Hi Lyttle,That is very interesting. I have a good friend's that live in Portadown I will have to email now and ask,if they remember or if they know any more.
                                   I will do it now and let you know.

[Lyttle]

Hello Leprechaun,

appreciate your interest, lets hope your friends can source a few more forgotten 'Nicknames'  I doubt if there are many others to uncover.

On another topic I started, looking for 'custom names' on Portadown Streets, these were numerous but very few are remembered.  Sometimes the custom name only covered three or four houses.

A story my parents used to tell, a local man whose name I forget always dreamt that he would have made it in life if he managed to build a couple of houses for renting.

Early in the 1900's he emigrated to USA and made good, later he returned to Portadown to settle with a comfortable bank balance.  He built a row of there or four houses on the outskirts of town at Selsion, just at the entrance of Selsion Moss on the Moy Road.  On completion of the dwellings he had to give them a name, as he always wanted to 'Own a row of houses' he called them 'Iona Terrace'

So there is always a story behind a name.

Cheers,

Jim.

[leprechaun]

 HI Jim,
    I will pass on this also for I know they will be most interested.
            I will get back to you.
                           Lep

[aljepeka]

Hi Jim,
Printed off all these pages to show to my Dad. Whenever I find what I call something interesting(my hubby calls me an "anorak"   ) I print them off to show him.  It sparks off many memories from both my Dad and Mum  - it is lovely listening to them reminisce!! when he read your explanation for Guinea Row he said that he thought they were called that because there were 21 houses!!! Mind you he said he had never counted them so  he said that next time he passes that way he will!!!

Aljepeka