The Lord Pirrie Book.

This highly decorated, leather-bound book is a priceless artefact of great Historical value.

The Lord Pirrie book was gifted to Lord Pirrie by the employees of Harland & Wolff to mark the moment he became the first Viscount Pirrie in 1921.

The prime purpose of the Book was to display, in ornate fashion, the illuminated script of an Address, to The Viscount Pirrie KP, from the Employees in the Queens Island Shipbuilding and Engineering Works in Belfast. 

It includes praise from Shipyard workers on the Businessman’s new Title, and several passages of the workers Names, with those names ordered by means of their department, within which they each worked. 

Lord Pirrie’s own Address, to the Workers, is also included, in illustrated form, and is Signed by Lord Pirrie himself. 

The book is completed with a Note from Viscountess Pirrie, Lord Pirrie’s Wife. 

The Book’s pages are festooned with Illuminations and Watercolours on Card which are bound together in the padded book. The Book itself was gifted to Lord Pirrie in an Engraved Wooden Case with a Wooden Lid. 

The Book was created by W & G Baird Ltd, Belfast Print makers - who are still in Business today.

The Book itself has a tasselled length of Purple Fabric to aid the removal of the Book from the wooden case.

The book was last exhibited in Belfast, in what was once Lord Pirrie’s office, in what is now Titanic Hotel Belfast, in 2019. 

In wonderfully coloured and Gilded Lettering the Book opens with a wonderful dedication to its intended recipient Lord Pirrie:

“Address 

To The Right Honourable The Viscount Pirrie KP From the Employees in The Queen’s Island Shipbuilding and Engineering Works Belfast 1921”

It Continues:

“ Dear Lord Pirrie

The High honour conferred upon you by his most Gracious Majesty King George V when he visited Belfast recently provides a much desired opportunity for conveying an expression however inadequate of the high regard entertained for you amongst the thousands of your employees at the Queens Island Shipyards

We Offer you our utmost congratulations upon the further and well merited mark of appreciation given by your Sovereign for services rendered to the Empire”

The above dedication is illustrated with a drawing rendered of Ormiston House, in East Belfast, the home which Lord Pirrie occupied at the time. 

Amongst other ornate decorations the Coat of Arts of The City Of Belfast which is also pictured with the City’s Motto “Pro Tanto Quid Retribuamus”. 

This is taken from Psalm 116 Verse 12 in the Latin Vulgate Bible (Quid retribuam Domino pro omnibus quæ retribuit mihi?) and is literally "For (Pro) so much (tanto) what (quid) shall we repay (retribuamus)" The verse has been translated in Bibles differently – for example as "What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me? It is also translated as "In return for so much, what shall we give back? 

Lord Pirrie’s own Address, to his Workers, is included verbatim within the Book:

“Queens Island
Belfast 

11th March 1922

Dear Fellow Workers

I am unable to express in words the feelings that would convey to you all the thanks of my wife and myself for your laudatory remarks about our united efforts on behalf of the City we belong  to in the country dear to our heart of every Irishman and Irishwoman.

The magnificent illuminated volume which you have handed me today will be treasured most highly and I am indeed grateful for the kind sentiments expressed within its pages. 

Reference has been made in the Address to my appointment as Controller- General of Merchant Shipbuilding. I need hardly say that I was offered that position very largely because of the enthusiastic way in which the Queens Island men tackled the work placed with Harland & Wolff by the Admiralty in…”

Lord Pirrie was one of Harland & Wolff’s most influential chairmen, starting his career in shipbuilding in Harland & Wolff as a sixteen year old gentleman’s apprentice in 1862. 

He became chairman following the death of Edward Harland and went on to make the company the largest shipbuilder in the world.

Lord Pirrie served as a Harbour Commissioner, was Lord Mayor of Belfast in 1896 and in 1898 was made the first Honorary Freeman of Belfast. 

Lord Pirrie and his wife, Lady Margaret Pirrie, were also instrumental in raising funds for the development of the Royal Victoria Hospital.

Lord Pirrie passed away in June 1924 while on a sea trip to Buenos Aires. His body was brought back to Belfast on board the RMS Olympic, his favourite ship.

 He is buried in Belfast City Cemetery.