No.33 Olive Street

**No.33 Olive Street** was a residential property on Olive Street, over-the-border in Middlesbrough. It was built in 1840s.

It was used as a lodging house divided into several rooms for most of its time.

## 19th Century

In 1861, **Mary Radstock,** 34, from Whitby is living at the property. It says married but her husband is not there and she is living with her children Robert (8), Catherine (7), James (5) and Mary J(3). All children are born in Middlesbrough and are at school. The other room is rented out to Pierce Brien, 34 and his wife Margaret, 30. He works as a labourer in the ironworks and Margaret is from Ireland. They are lodging here with their children Dennis (13), Pierce (9) and Phillip (1). They all would have shared the scullery to cook food and used the yard to access the toilet.

By 1881, Charles Wain, 25, from Glossop, is living here and working as a brickmaker. He is living with his wife Elizabeth, 31 and they have an Irish lodger Mary Wright (54) who is cleaner. The other room is rented out to Rose Cairns, 42, Widow and she is dressmaker living here with her daughter Alice Cairns (20) and Alice is domestic servant.

In 1891, William Houghton (55) is living here, married, but his wife isn't present. He is here with his daughter Mary J(3) and William Jr(4). They have a lodger in their part of the house called William Welks (22) and he is a labourer. The other rooms are being rented out to William and Jane Butler, Ralph/Ralf and Margaret Patterson and Joseph and Mary Douse. Ralph Patterson was blind from childhood however he listed as a labourer. Their son **Henry** (8) and daughter **Isabella "Bella"** (7) is living with them and both at school. It says they occupy 1 room.

At some point they took over the main part of the house and rented the rooms out themselves

In 1898, John Lawler, a lodger, was arguing with his wife when he went to drink carbolic acid. Dr Webster was called and give him an emetic to help.

## 20th Century

1900, one of the rooms is rented out to John Ward and his wife and on Christmas Day, he wakes up to find his child, that lay in bed with them, dead. The child was only 6 days old. Ralph isn't working this time as Margaret probably saw this opportunity to rent the rooms out and make an income this way due to Ralph's blindness. In 1901, they live here with their children, Bella (18) and Henry (16) who is an apprentice moulder. They occupy 2 rooms in the house and rent the others to William Hobson, 19, Shipyard Labourer and his wife Sarah, also 19. They have Florence is only 1 with them.

By 1906, the house is still being ran by Margaret Patterson. It was witness to the murder of Elizabeth Baldwin/Coleman by Thomas Mouncer in one of the upstairs bedrooms. The police and Dr Proud enter the bedroom to find her deceased at the bottom of the stairs. Margaret heard noises that she found suspicious and fighting and confronted Thomas why he was beating her but he dismissed it and shut the door on Margaret. His trial was sent to York with several witness, including Dr Proud. Margaret was too ill to appear at court but Ralph attended. Thomas was found guilty and eventually given the death penalty.

1907 comes around and Bella is now of age and marries Francis "Frank" Duffield at St Hilda's Parish Church. He is a blast furnace fireman.

In 1911, Margaret continues on as landlady although Ralph is now listed as a basket maker, something he could do relatively easy from the living room without his sight. Her son-in-law and daughter Frank and Bella Duffield have taken one of the lodging rooms along with their children Henry (3) and Arthur (1), James and Mary Wilson has another room, Charles and May Campbell, George and Mary Harrison and Charles and Margaret Graham have the others.

On 2nd October 1912, Ralph Patterson attempts to break up a quarrel with two of his lodgers Catherine Darling, 40 and Elizabeth Egan. During the fight, Catherine threw a basin at Elizabeth but it missed and struck Ralph on the head. She was arrested. Ralph dies on the 14th October from his injuries, aged 56 years old.

By the interwar period, the street was demolished and redeveloped within the area of Vine, Princess and Nile Streets.