"That the York Street Spinning Company be informed that Mr Wilson applied to have a new street off the Antrim Road named Jubilee Street that the Committee did not think it is a suitable name for that street, that in opposition to the Committee's wish Mr Wilson named and advertised the street as Jubilee Street and the Committee do not see any reason to alter their opinion, and must request owners to submit another name". (6th April 1887).
" the Council be recommended to name the new street off the Antrim Road, on the property of Mr. Robt. Wilson, Mulholland Street". (27th April 1887)
“The committee recommend the Council to name the new street off the east side of Duncairn Street ‘Mulholland Street". Belfast News-Letter, 3 May 1887.
JOTTINGS
“There has been a storm in a teapot over the enforced substitution of ‘Mulholland Street’ for ‘Jubilee Street.’ The latter is to be retained for more aristocratic quarters. Could absurdity carry us further? I thought the Town Clerk was too practical to bother himself about street nomenclature, and condescend to be a party to the tomfoolery of the thousand-and-one people who have Jubilee on the brain.”
— Ulster Echo, 6 May 1887.
"Who selects the names of the streets of Belfast? This question is one of some importance. We do not do here as in Dublin. We do not attempt to alter the names of well known streets as the Lord Mayor and the Dublin Corporation do for political objects. Belfast is a very loyal town, if not always so law-abiding as it ought to be.
The names of the Belfast streets generally are significant of loyalty, patriotism, or originality. We have two or three Victoria Streets: we were very nearly having another when some Town Council official—it was not the then Mayor—decided on calling our newest and most handsome thoroughfare Royal Avenue, though an avenue is generally suggestive of trees, and, notwithstanding the most praiseworthy efforts of the Borough Surveyor to provide us with boulevards after the Parisian fashion, there are no trees in Royal Avenue.
The name is an absurd misnomer, whoever suggested it, and nobody, not even the Town Clerk and Solicitor, who knows so much and who does so much, is desirous of claiming the honour. Mr. Robert Wilson is a loyal man. He has built a new street in Belfast, and thought that he had a right to name it “Jubilee Street.” Why not? This is the year of jubilees, and the Belfast Town Council is a loyal, and therefore a jubilee body.
But the Town Council, through some of its officials, especially of the Improvement Committee, objected to the title of Jubilee Street. No reason was given why Mr. Wilson should not call his street Jubilee Street. But one of their officials, Mr. Robert Girvin, was, it seems, sent to pull down Mr. Wilson’s board with the name Jubilee Street upon it at five o’clock in the morning. Such an important official of the Town Council could not condescend to be very particular, and in pulling down the board with the name Jubilee Street upon it he damaged the wall. Hence an action was brought in the Summons Court yesterday against Mr. Girvin. He has been condemned to pay a fine and costs, which have been raised to allow of an appeal.
Mr. Girvin was accompanied in his raid by a man named Mulholland, and it seems that he or somebody else had decided, without consulting Mr. Wilson, that the street should be called Mulholland Street. This is the way such things are done in Belfast. Who is to pay the expense of the appeal on this great question? Who does name the Belfast streets?"
Northern Whig — Saturday 14 May 1887
"Mr E. W. Pim attended as to Mulholland Street, having taken a shop at the corner of the street, he would be glad if an arrangement could be come to about the name, and he was informed, that the Council had approved of the name, but that if another one than Jubilee was submitted the application would be favourably considered". (27th July 1887).
"On the application of the owners of property your Committee recommend that the name of “Mulholland Street” be changed to “Pim Street,” and the name of Castleton Avenue to “Jubilee Avenue.” Northern Whig, Tuesday 02 August 1887.
Robert Wilson, a builder, who came to Belfast from Lame, whether without consulting the City Council or against their wishes, named a street off Duncairn Street as the Antrim Road was known in those days as Jubilee Street, in commemoration of Queen Victoria’s Jubilee. The Council refused to ratify the name as there was already a Jubilee Terrace, but Wilson persisted. The authorities had the offending name removed and put up ‘Pim Street” instead, from Pim Bros, grocers, High Street, who at that time had a branch shop on the comer. This squabble between the builder and the Council created a lot of amusement throughout the city, and the enterprising builder was ever afterwards known as “Jubilee Wilson”. The name Pim Street appears first in the Directory of 1892.