The Belfast And Province Of Ulster Directory 1858-1859 lists Stroud Street with this detail: "Off Sandy row Four small houses". The original Stroud Street, which was shorter than the present-day version, ran between Sandy Row and Kensington Street, crossing Combermere Street and Wesley Street along the way. Combermere, Wesley, and Stroud Streets were all laid out within a few years of each other dating from the mid-1850s. While the names are all of English origin, there appears to be no direct connection between them, nor any clear link to textiles or other local industries.