Lurgan is a linen and Cambric manufacturing town in the north east of County Armagh. It is situated twenty miles south-West from the City of Belfast, on the line of the Great Northern Railway, and a mile and a half south from Lough Neagh. The population of Lurgan at the 1937 census was 13,766, an increase of 1.266 or 10.1 per cent, over the previous census. The valuation under the Tenement Valuation Act in 1935 was £34.617. Under the valuations act Amendment Act (N.I.) 1932, the figure is £47.336 (subject to appeals). An imposing War Memorial in the centre of the town was unveiled by the Governor of Northern Ireland on May 23, 1928. Lurgan may be said to be the cradle of the Irish Linen cambric industry, and to the success and skill of its inhabitants and those of the surrounding villages in the fine linen and damask manufacture and in later years the handkerchief hem stitching and finishing business, is to be attributed the progress of the town. In all there are 22 factories in the town.

Shankill Parish Church is the largest parish church in Ireland, and Brownlow House Orange Hall (once the seat of the Brownlow family)' is the largest Orange Hall in the world; it is also the headquarters of the Imperial Grand Black Chapter of the British Commonwealth. Lurgan has now two public parks; one of 80 acres in the demesne attached to the old residence of Lord Lurgan; and a second recently presented to the town by Lord Lurgan, in memory of his father, which comprises 23 acres and locally known as Duff's hill, situated on the Lough road.

In May, 1937, a public enquiry was held for the extension of the Lurgan Town Boundary. The additional area covers 500 acres, with a rateable valuation of £3,000. The extension has been approved by the County Council of Armagh.

PLACES OF WORSHIP

Church of Ireland. Parish Church. Church place. Ven. A. G. Hannon, M.A., Archdeacon of Dromore; Rev. B. Adams M.A.; Rev. Geo. Lewis, B,A.; Rev. R. M. Harris, B.A.; organist, Sydney P. B. Smyth, A.R.C.O.
Presbyterian Church. First High Street. Rev. David Porter, B.A. Hill Street— Rev. W. J. M'Clure. R.A.,
Methodist Church, High street. Rev R. J. J. Teasey, Avenue road; Rev Robert Ferguson, Rev. John A. Duke, B.A.
Baptist Chapel, Windsor Avenue—Pastor S. Jardine
Friends' Meeting-House, Queen street 1 Elim Church, Windsor avenue — Pastor Frances.
Roman Catholic Chapel, North street. Right Rev. Monsignor Daniel V. O'Hagan. PP. I V.G., Dean of Dromore; Dr. M. O'Hare, I C.C. ; Rev. B. J. Rooney, B.D., C.C.; I Rev. 8. M'Nulty, C.C.; Rev. P. Campbell, I C.C.
Salvation Army, Union street.

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS

Postmaster—W. F. Brennan

Registrar of Marriages—Isaac E. Bell,

Clerk of Union Registrar of Births and Deaths—Dr. R Pedlow, Dispensary, Union street; assistant, Fred. A. Ferguson.

Muncipal Fire Brigade Station, Union St. Superintendent. Robert Burns.

Lurgan Unemployed Welfare Centre, Alexandra Square—Chairman, W. F. B. Baird; hon. sec., Geo. Moore, Sunnyside,

SCHOOLS

Lurgan. Lurgan College — Headmaster. Mr. V. L Harper. B.A.: headmistress. Miss Frazer
Model School—Headmaster. J. F. Hill; assistants—A. S. P. Lightbody J. Thompson, J. Dickson; Miss Graham, Miss Weir, Miss Sholdis, Miss Wright, Mrs. Uprichard, Miss Harrison, Miss Dunlop, B.A., and Miss Hobbs.
P.E. Schools—King's Park—Principal. S. Morrison; assistants, John Savage, Miss Allen, Mrs. S. Ewart. Miss Bratty, Miss Livingston, Miss Mullen Carrick
P.E. School—Principal, D. M Dowell, M.A.; vice-principal, W. M'Gibbon, B.A.; teachers, George Knox, Miss Baird, Miss Uprichard, Mrs. M'Clure, Miss Long, Miss Simpson, Miss Mahaffy.
St Peter's P.E. School. North street- Manager, Very Rev. Monsignor O'Hagan, P.P , V.G.; principal, Peter Murray; assistants, Thomas Kelly, F. Donnelly, J. K. Lacey, T. J. Keville, and P. Whyte.
Convent P.E. School, Edward street.
Convent Technical School. Church place. School

Attendance Committee—J. S. Carrick; officer, Henry Mahaffy; secretary, H. Jones, jun. Meeting held second Thursday of each month at 8 p.m. in Lurgan Courthouse. Lurgan Technical School, Union Street- Principal, H. O. Armstrong, J.P. Meeting of Technical Committee first Friday in each month at 8 p.m.

BANKS

Bank of Ireland—J. Morrow, agent; W. Aherne, sub-agent; Thos. Carroll, cashier.
Belfast Banking Co., Ltd.—Manager, Alex Minnis; cashier, G. Grant
Northern Bank, Ltd., Market street—Manager, J. Adamson; cashier, Wilfred Rawle .
ULSTER BANK, LTD., Market Street- Manager, J. F. Griffith; Pro-Manager, C. W. Hoy; Cashier, E. A. M Dermott.

Gas Works, William street—W. Tallentire, manager; David M'Gibbon, clerk; J. W. Pollock, secretary

Electricitv Board (Northern Ireland) Lurgan Area—John E. Jones, B.Sc., A.M.l.E.E.

Newspaper—" The Lurgan Mail," Windsor avenue. 'Phone 40

Railway Station, William street—W. Jefferson, stationmaster

Mechanics' Institute, Market street—Hon Secretary, D. Anderson: librarian, J. Gibson.

British Legion, Ex-service Soldiers and Sailors (Lurgan A. Branch)—J. Donaldson, secretary; (B. Branch)—W. Weir, secretary; office, Carnegie street Free

Library— E. Holywood librarian

Shankill Buildings—Parochial hall and refreshment rooms. Church place.

Lurgan Catholic Young Men's Association, Church place—President, John Gallery, solicitor ; hon. secretary, J. F. Mullin; caretaker, John M'Curry

R.U.C. Barracks, Church place—District Inspector, Capt. W. A. Coote

Lurgan Union—Clerk, I. E. Bell: rate collectors, Robert Jones, John Tavlor, W. H. Stevenson.

Board of Guardians meet on the first and third Thursdays of each month at 11 o'clock Board of

Guardians—John Mooney. James Martin. .T.P.: Felix Lavery, James Campbell, Dynes Gilpin, John M'Alinden, David Geddis, George W. Annesley, John Moffatt, Wm. J. Moffett, Joseph Jackson. jun.; Johp G. Gracey, J.P.; Robert Anderson, J.P., (vice-chairman): Joseph O'Neill, Alfred Gilpin, George Baillie, J.P.; Wm. H. Irwin, Henry Wright, Samuel J. Watson, J.P., (chairman); James Allen, J.P.; James Weir, George Dobson, Edward Lunn, Edward Mullin, Hugh M'Keon, David C. Malcomson, George Johnston, George A. Locke, Patrick Flanigan, Geo. Johnston, Alfred L. Martin, John M. Bannon, John H. Walsh, John Sandford, Thomas J. Robinson, W. G. Wilson, Robert S. Knox, Moses Patterson Relieving Officers—Messrs. J. Sandford, Avenue road, Lurgan; and J. Topley, Portadown. Workhouse porter, W. Johnston.

Lurgan Hospital—W. W. Bassett, F.B.C.S ; Dr. T. B. Pedlow; B.M.O., vacant; matron, Miss Parkinson.

Petty Sessions Office, Courthouse—W. S. Hamilton, clerk

Rural District Councils—There are three Rural District Councils in this union, viz:—Lurgan, Moira, and Aghalee. Lurgan and Moira Councils hold their monthly meetings in Lurgan, and Aghajee Council meet at Aghalee. Clerk of Lurgan and Moira Councils, W. J. Comer; Clerk of Aghalee Council, William Sinclair, Lisburn.

Urban District Council—Chairman. H. C. Malcolm; clerk and registrar of sock, J. W. Pollock: assistant clerk, W. R. Gracey; medical officer of health. Robt. Pedlow, M.B., B.Ch. ; sub sanitary officer, R. Peel; rate collector. Robert Jones, sen.; assnt rate collector. R. Jones, jun : weighmaster, John Magill; water superintendent, Robt. Burns; town eurveyor, J. D. Gordon, B.Sc.

Child Welfare Committee—Mrs. G. Greer (Woodville), chairman; welfare visitor, Sister E. Flack, 186 Union street

Y.W.C.A., High street—President, vacant; acting hon. treasurer, J. Adamson; hon. secty.. Mrs. T B. Pedlow; lady superintendent, Miss M*Hamilton.

Our grateful thanks to Mary Lennon

We make this information freely available to genealogists and Family Historians, but at no time may this information be used on a pay site or sold for profit.