Pauline Barry

[Christopher]

Good Afternoon Steve,

Was there mention in the book of a family called Wallace?
I met a man by the surname of Wallace in Portrush during the mid 1970s.
He told me his family were connected with Barry's Amusements at Bellevue Zoo.

Best Wishes to you,  Chris

[Christopher]

Hiya Steve,

I came across more information about Pauline Barry when I was in the Central Library the other day searching for information about the Taggart family who built the Floral Hall at Bellevue. I was handed a book titled "Bellevue - Belfast's Mountain Playground. Things You Didn't Know or Had Forgotten" Author: Stewart McFetridge.

Pauline and her sister started a specialised dancing act in 1918 and toured the British Isles. She also worked as an accompaniest at the silent movies. Later she took part in a Wall of Death act both as a solo rider and also in a double act. Their father was E. Barry who for many years ran a funfair at the corner of Fisherwick Place and Grosvenor Road in Belfast.

I'll see if the Library have any newspaper cuttings about Pauline or other members of her family.

I'm not sure what their father's christian name may have been so I've looked at the Ulster Covenant 1912 for a few ideas. There's a possibility that he may not appear and he may not appear in the street directories as he could have been living in a showman's wagon on the fun fair site.

Edward Barry, 226, Neds Road, Belfast: South. (I'm certain this should be N'ards Road)
Edward Barry, 226, Newtownards Road.  Belfast: South 

I checked the 226, Newtownards Road address and found five people with the surname Barry ....
Edward, George, J, Samuel and William.

Chris 

[stevenson]

Thanks Chris

I must look out that book again to see what it was called.

Still unsure why our mother would have been interested in Pauline,or it maybe that she knew the family some how.

That would be lovely if you could find some newspaper cuttings

Thank you

Steve

[Christopher]

Hiya Steve,

Can we rule out the possibility that your mother volunteered to do one lap in the Wall of Death as Pauline's passenger? I seem to recall seeing a Wall of Death a couple of times and hearing them asking for volunteers.

Chris

[stevenson]

You can Chris

she was more than likely willing her off the wall of death ,so she could practice her St John Ambulance training...

My mother did her St John's at the Flora Hall...(what a fabulous architectural building ....) could that be the link?

Steve

[Christopher]

It's just struck me that Wales may be the link, Steve.

I met a woman in South Wales almost twenty years ago who told me she was originally from Northern Ireland
and had been a member of a family of travelling entertainers. I omitted to get her name though although maybe
I asked and that's when she mentioned travelling entertainers. Offhand I can't think of too many Ulster families who would fit that description. She may have been one of Pauline's five sisters.

Chris

[stevenson]

Wales.....definitely not a link Chris

We never knew it existed until I moved here...I thought I was going to another country  .

Think the" Flora Hall" is the link....our family never traveled further than the"Church" or ......."Halfway House"......... then

Steve

[JStockley]

"Ernest Barry" was the adopted name of my grandfather's brother. My grandfather was Richard Chipperfield (1875/1959), his brother was James Chipperfield (1872/1935). He took the name 'Barry' when he moved to Ireland.

Caravans, Manchester, 1901
RG13/3755 42 156 42
James Chipperfield, head, 26, travelling showman, Crewe, Cheshire
Louisa, wife, 25, Cheltenham, Gloucester
Louisa Chipperfield, daughter, 1, Biltston
Minnie Chipperfield, daughter, 2, Bristol
Lily Chipperfield, daughter, 2 weeks, Patricroft, Lancashire


"Fun is our business - the story of Barry's Amusements" by Professor James Fairley (ISBN 13 - 978 1 904242 71 0) is a 270 page illustrated history of the Barry Family.

[TF13]

i was denied barry's amusements when i was a child but i'm now making up for it with my own children they have tokens for the rides that they are saving until next summer and i can guarantee, come july, they will know exactly where to find them! it must be amazing knowing that you could walk up to anybody in northern ireland and talk about barry's and they'd know what you were talking about! and with a smile on their face

tony