street in central Belfast (BT1), in the Town Parks townland.
Recorded as Montgomery-street in the Belfast News-Letter of 1 April 1814, and listed in Bradshaw’s Reference to the Streets of Belfast (1819), indicating an established street in the early nineteenth century; it is also shown on the Benn plan of 1822. This early usage relates to the southern portion of the present street, lying between Chichester Street and Gloucester Street.
Early sources indicate that the modern street developed in separate sections. The northern portion, extending from Gloucester Street towards Victoria Square, appears as George Lane by 1813 (Belfast Street Directory), is listed separately in 1819 as lying off Chichester Street, and continues on later mapping (Ordnance Survey, First Edition, c.1830–35; Beatty, 1838). This section remained distinct from Montgomery Street through much of the nineteenth century, with some plans (e.g. Bradshaw, 1819) showing parts unnamed, reflecting incomplete or uneven development.
On 1 December 1879 the Town Improvement Committee recorded that:
“at the request of the owners of property in Basin Lane they recommend that name be changed to Bismarck Street, and George’s Lane to be called Montgomery Street, it being virtually a continuation of the last mentioned street”.
The present street thus represents the consolidation of earlier southern (Montgomery Street) and northern (George’s Lane) sections under a single name, the junction at Gloucester Street marking the former division between them.
Sources:
Belfast News-Letter, 1 April 1814.
Belfast Street Directory, 1813.
Bradshaw, Reference to the Streets of Belfast, 1819.
Benn, plan of Belfast, 1822.
Ordnance Survey, First Edition map, c.1830–35.
Beatty, plan of Belfast, 1838.
Town Improvement Committee minutes, 1 December 1879.
Irish Historic Towns Atlas, Belfast, Part I, s.v. ‘Montgomery Street’.