'I can remember the prisoner being found guilty and the judge putting on the black cap for the death sentence'

'I can remember the prisoner being found guilty and the judge putting on the black cap for the death sentence'

Avril Patterson recalls working as a clerical officer for Antrim County Court House in Belfast.

Avril Patterson

Trinity College Dublin

1950

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Avril Patterson

Work and Employment

Life Story

Crumlin Road,Belfast,Northern Ireland

1950's

My memory of my first job was working as a clerical officer in the Antrim County Court House,Crumlin Road,Belfast. My duties was keeping records for the Antrim County Council. My boss then was Mr Houston AMICE. He was a civil engineer for Co. Antrim,looking after road maintenance e.g. Tar macadam,pot holes,keeping hedges clear. He was a very good boss to work for.When I worked in the Court House at that time I had the opportunity to take the job as a Poll Clerk at the time of the general elections for one day. Through the years,until my retirement,I have been out on many elections all over Belfast. We opened the polling station at 7 o clock am until 10 o clock p.m. we had to stay at our post all day. It was a long day but we were very well paid for it. I was also on the writing out of election voting cards prior to the election. We earned Σ1 per hundred cards.At this time a murder trial was held at the Court House. I remember being allowed to watch some of it in our lunch hour. I can remember the prisoner being found guilty and the judge putting on the black cap for the death sentence.Steps went down from the dock in the Court House to the Crumlin Road jail which was just across the road. A corridor connected both buildings. The doors at either end being securely locked.I started work at 9am getting up about 7:15am. Getting the bus from Finaghy to Court House.

Irish Research Council for Arts,Humanities & Social Sciences (IRCHSS)

Dr Kathleen McTiernan (Trinity College Dublin)

Dr Deirdre O'Donnell (Trinity College Dublin)