Infrastructure in the model village
At one time, Bessbrook linen was among the finest in the world, and the linen mill provided most of the employment in the village. Tenement houses were constructed for the mill workers, many of which were of such good quality that they are still inhabited today. Each house also had an allotment garden for the growing of vegetables, and the area of the village where they were situated is still known as 'The Gardens', although the allotments themselves have been replaced by further housing. Most of the buildings in the village are constructed of granite, which is abundant locally.
In the frequently segregated communities of Northern Ireland, Bessbrook is an unusually mixed village, with representation of Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian and Roman Catholic denominations. The Richardsons sometimes faced criticism that they did not employ enough Roman Catholics, however half of the employees of the linen company were Catholic. John G. Richardson facilitated the worship of Roman Catholic, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, and other communities by providing ground for their place of worship and also showed great attention to detail in insuring that the provided schooling was free of sectarianism.[2] The village also has a Quaker meeting house. This is set in the demesne of The Woodhouse, which was inhabited by the Richardson family until the 1980s, and of Derrymore House – also a Richardson property until it was bequeathed to the National Trust; it was once the home of Isaac Corry MP. The area has been designated a historic park.[4]
By the mid-1840s, when Bessbrook was set up as a model village it was not uncommon for Ulster workers to have housing built for them by factory owners, and Bessbrook was no different. John G. Richardson built housing for his workers and had a policy to bring poor people in, these people were often beggars and unqualified people, to work for him as he felt it would encourage these employees to improve themselves and raise themselves up to a higher standard. Each house had three to five rooms. There was a school in Bessbrook, the pupils of which seemed to be clean, intelligent and eager to learn. This school was funded by the parents who gave one penny to send their child there and by Bessbrook Spinning Co. who gave £100 to supplement government funding. There was a dispensary in the town and the workers subscribed to a medical club which was supplemented by donations from Bessbrook Spinning Co. which supported a doctor. There was a Temperance Hotel which acted as a social centre where English and Irish Newspapers could be bought, draughts and chess could be played, and people could indulge in smoking. The town boasted a Co-Operative store, a refreshment hall for travelling workers, a farm supplying milk, as well as allotments.[2]
Following James N. Richardson III taking over from his father, John G. Richardson, withdrawing from management of the business, John G. Richardson busied himself with other projects which promoted schemes that would improve the life of the People in Bessbrook. These projects included the town hall, which provided a library and a room which facilitated lectures and meetings. These projects were largely funded from John G. Richardson's personal wealth.[2]
The Troubles
Bessbrook saw much of the worst violence in the Troubles. The linen mill was converted by the British Army into a major military base. A helicopter landing area was established to supply other military outposts in the area since road-borne movements of troops and supplies were vulnerable to landmine attack. At one stage the little village was reportedly the busiest helicopter airport in Europe.
Nine of the ten Protestants murdered by the Provisional Irish Republican Army in the Kingsmill massacre were from Bessbrook.[5]
The end of the Troubles, following the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, has led to some recovery for the village. Traffic restrictions have been relaxed and the visible security presence has been reduced. On 25 June 2007 the British Army withdrew their military presence from Bessbrook and closed all of their facilities, marking an end to Operation Banner in the South Armagh region.[6] It was confirmed that the local police station would be disposed of by 2009, one of 26 stations that the Police Service of Northern Ireland announced would be closing due to cost efficiency measures.[7]
