Mary Ann McCracken
Mary Ann McCracken was born on 8th July 1770 in Belfast to Captain John McCracken, a Presbyterian of Scottish descent and a prominent shipowner and Ann Joy. The Joy family came from a French Protestant Huguenot descent, which made its money in the linen trade and founded the Belfast News Letter.
Mary Ann was given an education the same as her brother, not something every young girl was afforded in those days and she is said to have excelled in maths. This access to education was something Mary Ann valued and sought to aspire for other girls growing up in Belfast. From her earliest childhood she had worked to raise funds and provide clothes for the children of the Belfast Poorhouse, now known as Clifton House, Belfast. Henry and Robert Joy, her uncles, were founding members of the Society.
She established her own muslin business with her sister Margaret employed handloom weavers in their own homes and she was concerned for the working conditions of other employers in Belfast which was experiencing enormous industrial and social change:
Workers ought to be provided with warm coats and cloths so as to be protected against the evil effects of wet and cold, when going to and returning from their work. A very serious responsibility attaches to those who employ children.
Her brother Henry Joy was a leading member of the United Irishmen and in 1798, led combined forces in Antrim against the British Crown. Mary Ann was known to defy curfew to try and find her brother when he was in hiding following their defeat under his command. Henry Joy was arrested outside Carrickfergus, court-martialled and executed in Belfast.
Mary Ann had walked with her brother hand-in-hand to the gallows. General Nugent allowed the body to be cut down quickly and entrusted it to Mary Ann. She arranged for a surgeon to resuscitate her brother but their efforts proved unavailing.
She cared for her brother’s illegitimate daughter Maria after Henry Joy was executed - this would have been highly taboo at the time but the caring nature of Mary Ann shines through.
As treasurer and secretary of the ladies committee at the Poorhouse, Mary Ann and others lobbied the Gentlemen’s Committee on reform and improvements. They had a particular emphasis on hygiene, for example, dormitories were to be enlarged with no more than two children to a bed, bedding was to be regularly washed and personal hygiene to be examined daily and sound footwear to be provided in winter. At that time, many children would have been walking barefoot in Belfast. Sea bathing was also championed three times a week in the summer months. She campaigned for youngsters to be given candles and books so they could read at night.
She also fought to stop young children being made to work as chimney sweeps that was common at the time.
Living in an era when the suffragist movement had yet to begin, she encouraged other women to speak up and have an active role in decision making such as at the Poor House, understanding they see things that men would not. Her commitment to public service was based on strong Christian convictions. Her family were Presbyterian and attended the Rosemary Street Presbyterian Church in the city.
Mary Ann supported the anti slavery movement and in protest, never took sugar in her tea, a product of the slave trade and the West Indies plantations. Even at the age of 89 could be seen handing out leaflets at Belfast’s ship yard warning people to be aware of the evils of slavery in America. She is known to have worn the famous Wedgewood brooches adorned with the slogan “am I not a man and brother”. In 1859 she wrote in a letter:
I am both ashamed and sorry to think that Belfast has so far degenerated in regard to the Anti-Slavery Cause.
She died at her home on Donegall Pass on 26 July 1866 and is buried in Clifton Street Cemetery.
Mary Ann was a woman of courage at a time when women weren’t allowed to play big roles in society. She didn’t let that stop her and her quest for poor children to have access to an education and opportunities was admirable, knowing how much they would help them get out of the poverty trap they were in. She is an example for all those working to reduce poverty today.
In May 2021, Belfast City Council announced they will erect a statue of Mary Ann McCracken on the grounds of City Hall.
I hope the present era will produce some women of sufficient talents to inspire the rest with a genuine love of liberty and a just sense of her value. For where it is understood it must be desired.
I therefore hope it is reserved for the Irish nation to strike out something new and to show an example of candour, generosity and justice superior to any that have gone before.
Quote from Mary Ann aged 26 years old