The above photograph is a single page from a large album and the caption reads ‘Finaghy House, Belfast, Our home for 4 years. Geoffrey was born in the room with large window on the left’. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to identify who this Geoffrey was though it is likely to be one of the Charley family who owned the house up until about 1885.
The house was then purchased by the Brewis family whose claim to fame is that they bred some of the first Corgi dogs owned by the English Royal family! It is now a nursing home and I think the formal gardens in front of the house have changed considerably.
I reckon that the above image dates from either the 1870s or early 1880s, as the woman’s outfit includes an elaborately draped top skirt and silhouette which was typical of the period. However, as I cannot see the extent of the bustle it is quite hard to give a precise date.
Overall, I like the careful positioning of the figures within the landscape and the caption which shows the importance of this place for one family.
Jacolette: 
Terrific photograph. I’m wondering how big it is. It looks fairly large.
Hello John, The page is about 6×8 inches. Unfortunately, I only have a page from the album. The photograph on the reverse is of Mentone, Italy!