Notes

Milliners

Architecturally, no.57 appears to have been built at the same time as no.59. suggesting a construction date of 1735 or 1736.

JMcC research states that John McCook, a Customs Master, lived here in 1814 and his daughter, Rose, had her milliners shop here. They went to Belfast to buy their goods twice a year, in a paid horse and coach, leaving on a Monday morning and getting as far as Antrim where they stopped over and then make their way on to Belfast the next day.

Historic Buildings Record HB05/15/015.

Historic Buildings Record HB05/15/015.

SMcM research based on Griffith’s Valuation registers.

SMcM research based on Griffith’s Valuation registers.

Census – building no. 11.1

John Mitchell, 33, head of family, Presbyterian, shoe maker, married

Mary Jane Mitchell, 26, wife, Presbyterian, married

Annie Jane Mitchell, 2, daughter, Presbyterian, not married

SMcM research based on Griffith’s Valuation registers.

Census – building no. 11

John Mitchell, 40, head of family, Presbyterian, shoemaker, married

Mary Jane Mitchell, 37, wife, Presbyterian, married

Annie Jane Mitchell, 12, daughter, Presbyterian, scholar, single

Mary Mitchell, 9, daughter, Presbyterian, scholar, single

John Mitchell, 6, son, Presbyterian, scholar, single

James Mitchell, 4, son, Presbyterian, single

Maggie Mitchell, 0, daughter, Presbyterian, single

SMcM research based on Griffith’s Valuation registers.

SMcM research based on Griffith’s Valuation registers.

JMcC research states that Henry Hamilton had a second-hand shop clothes shop with Mrs Finlay and her daughter living above the shop.

William Johnston is noted as renting a ‘slaughter house in rere’ and a Benvento Bertucelli renting ‘offices and garden in rere’, Historic Buildings Record HB05/15/015.

According to Linda Craig (15/11/23), the wallpaper store (older outbuilding) to rear was used as a butcher’s and the meat hooks used to be visible.

Historic Buildings Record HB05/15/015.

Historic Buildings Record HB05/15/015.

Craig’s Funeral Directors

funeral directors

Historic Buildings Record HB05/15/015.

According to Linda Craig (24/05/25), Jimmy Craig (b.1931) opened the shop at no.57 in 1960. Linda managed the store for 20 years before it closed in early 2025.

JMcC research states that before James Craig carried out renovations, there was a doorway to the Courtroom from the first floor of his property and, out in the yard there was a set of steps that led down to a doorway with a finely dressed stone arch matching those of the market house only on a smaller scale, below ground level, giving access to a cellar that only extended to the area below the shop.

During renovations in the 1950s Jimmy got the cellar filled in with rubble and covered over with concrete but the doorway and steps still remain under the present surface. Jimmy recalls the upper side of his shop was originally a house, the doorway has always been in the middle and opened into a front porch with the shop door to the left, and straight ahead were steps that led down into the house.

The Craig family bought the old mill from McKeagues, down on Mill Street, in 1960, it had once belonged to J.C. McGuickan, who ran his undertaker business there from 1903 until, his death in 1916. It was then passed on to James McMichael. He operated his business from premises on the Quay Road, the archway beside Shangarry, bearing the name McAlister above the arch. McMichael made all his own coffins from start to finish and it was with him that Jimmy Craig started his apprenticeship, in 1951.

After James McMichael died (1971) the business passed on to Archie McAlister who continued running it from the Quay Road, hence the name above the archway, and Jimmy worked there with Archie for 14 years until Archie’s death in 1985. Jimmy then took on the business and relocated to Mill Street with the more formal part of the funeral business being run from their shop on Castle Street.

Museum

No.57 was purchased by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council to enable the lateral extension of Ballycastle Museum during the Development Phase of the project to restore and refurbish the museum with support of The National Lottery Heritage Fund.