Property and Resident Details

Details of Residents

^* This is the first recorded date for this information.

Tales and Photos from this property in Nutley Lane.

Photos Send us a photo This is an extract from the Licensed Houses & Beer houses returns in 1892 for Surrey and lists The Pear Tree in Nutley Lane(Ruth Al-Sadie) This is an extract from the Licensed Houses & Beer houses returns in 1892 for Surrey and lists The Pear Tree in Nutley Lane(Ruth Al-Sadie)

Tales Send us a story A Man Suffocated - A Woman Seriously Burnt A shocking occurrence took place on Saturday at Reigate, resulting in the death of a man named William Howell, a bricklayer, fifty-four years of age, and serious burns to a woman named Margaret Howell. It appears that the man and woman had been staying at the Pear Tree lodging house, Nutley-lane, and retired to bed about ten o’clock. A labourer named Underhill, going to bed about eleven, noticed a strong smell of burning and saw smoke coming from Howell's room. Assistance was at once fetched and the door, which was latched outside, was burst open. The man was brought out alive, but died soon after and the woman ... was removed to the Infirmary. THE INQUEST The Inquest was held at the Cemetery Chapel ... Mr George Rd. Clarke acted as foreman of the jury. The first witness was Jane Ann Hastings, 25 Bedford-road, Enfield High-road, who identified the body as that of her father. She thought that he was about 54 years of age. Her mother and he were parted. She last saw him about a month before Christmas. He was then in good health. He was a bricklayer, and she understood he had work in the neighbourhood. Walter Underhill, labourer, a lodger at the Pear Tree, Nutley-lane, said he was on the premises on Saturday night. He came from Redhill about eight o'clock in the evening. Deceased was sitting on a seat near the fire. He ws in good spirits, but he had a bad cold. He was not the worse for drink. The Deputy Coroner: He was sober? - Well a man who has had a pint or two of ale isn't sober, is he? The Deputy Coroner: You swear he was sober? - Sober. Capable of doing any duty. The Deputy Coroner: You were with him two hours? - Yes. The Deputy Coroner: What did you have to drink with him? - Nothing. Continuing, witness said deceased went up to bed about ten o'clock with his wife. Witness could not say whether she was sober. She was a very excitable woman. Witness went upstairs about 10:50. He had to pass the room where the deceased slept, and on the way up his wife remarked "What a smell of something burning." There were three landings. They were then on that below which deceased slept. When they got up a few more steps they saw smoke emerging from deceased's room. He sent his wife down for the landlady and tried to get the door open. He could not unlatch it, it was barred inside. He got it open about six inches but could see nothing for the smoke. He was trying to force the door open when Mr. McCarthy came up with others, and they burst it open. Witness was overcome with smoke , and could not make out the situation inside. He afterwards went downstairs and assisted in getting buckets of water. It was not a large room - about 12ft. by 9ft.; there was no fireplace; no ventilation besides the window. Deceased was not dead when he was brought out of the room. The doctor was sent for immediately. It must have been about a quarter of an hour between the giving of the alarm and when the doctor was sent for. Witness was there when the doctor arrived. He had just come down after watching the deceased expire. In reply to further questions from the Deputy Coroner, witness said that they all had to be in bed at 11 o'clock on Saturday night, and no smoking was allowed in the house. Deceased was not smoking when he went to bed. By Ex-Inspector King: The room was on the top landing. By the Foreman: He supposed it was the bed that prevented the door from being opened. He was not able to see inside the room. from Surrey Mirror - o ~ o ~ o - A Man Suffocated - A Woman Seriously Burnt From the Surrey Mirror dated 7th February 1899. Continued ... Matthew McCarthy, proprietor of the lodging house in Nutley-lane, known as the Pear Tree, said that on Saturday night he was called upstairs by the wife of the last witness. He went up. Smoke was coming from under deceased's door in volumes. It knocked him back and he had to go back on the landing to get his breath. He tried to get the door open. The bed and bedstead were up against the door as well as the man himself. When the smoke was out he felt for the man, and they managed to get him out on the landing. He could not say in what position the man was lying. They got some water and washed his face. He was breathing; but he suffered from asthma. With assistance they carried him downstairs and left him on a bed in a room below. They did not then send for a doctor, but went up for his wife. Witness send for the police but not for a doctor. The Deputy Coroner: Didn't you know this man was in a very serious condition? - Well, sir, I thought he might recover. Continuing, witness said he helped the woman out and she was brought downstairs by the females and put in a bed in the same room. The man was still breathing about a quarter of an hour after he had been taken from the room. The doctor had been sent for when Sergeant Smith came, on his advice. Witness could not speak exactly as to the time because the place was in an uproar. Deceased did not regain conciousness. He saw deceased frequently during the evening. He did not see all he had to drink; he could not say what he had but he should say a pint or two of ale. Deceased was none the worse for drink. Witness did not see him go to bed, and could not say whether he went sober. He last saw him previously about nine o'clock sitting in the tap-room. He saw decesaed's wife during the evening. Deceased gave her some money and she went out shopping. He did not see her go to bed; she was not drunk. He did not know she had been convicted for drunkenness. The Deputy Coroner: What regulations do you make with regard to light? - We give them a bit of a candle and I generally go around about half-past eleven and put lights out. Continuing, witness said deceased and his wife slept regularly at the house for four or five months . He should say the room was 12ft. by 14ft. The length of the bedstead was about 6ft. The Deputy Coroner: I've seen the bedstead and it nearly touches both end. - Oh, no sir. The Deputy Coroner: Supposing the bed were placed in the middle would there be 4in. at each end? - Yes, I should say so. The Deputy Coroner: But that would not make 12ft. - only about seven. What ventilation is there? - The window and under the door. The Deputy Coroner: Then the bed being put up against the door would stop up the ventilation? - Yes, sir. The Deputy Coroner: And then this room being a very small one it would be quickly filled with smoke? - Yes, sir. Did you see the woman yesterday? - Yes, sir. Did you have any conversation with her? - I did not, sir. She was sensible on Saturday night? - I can't say sir. By the Foreman: He could not form any idea as to how the accident happened. They did not see a candle. The Sergeant had looked. Part Three Continues from Surrey Mirror - o ~ o ~ o - A Man Suffocated - A Woman Seriously Burnt From the Surrey Mirror dated 7th February 1899. Continued ... Part Three ... By Mr. King: This room was passed by Dr. Jacob, the Medical Officer of Health, for two persons to sleep in. By another Juror: They did not give all the lodgers candles. Deceased and his wife had been in the habit of going to the room for some time and they did not take much notice of them. He could not say whether they rolled off the bed. Only the palliassewas left on the bedstead. He saw no matches. Things were in disorder in the room. Sergt. Smith said on Saturday night he was called to the Pear Tree, and arrived about 11:40. The Fire Brigate had been called about ten minutes but had not arrived; they arrived just after. He went back to the lodging house, which was at the back and went to the attic floor. He sawa bed which had been burning, but the fire had been extinguished. There was a flock bed on the floor, partly burnt, and flock all about the floor. There was also a man's jacket smouldering. There was no evidence of there having been any blaze. There was a pair of trousers and a lot of female clothing about. There was a wooden chair with candle grease on it - not recent. It was impossible to search the room; it was four or five inches deep with flock and water. The bed had been rolled off the bedstead onto the floor. The room was only about eight feet square with a sloping roof. There was no fireplace, but there was a fair space under the door for ventilation, though that, of course, had been blocked up. He found a broken spirit flask that had had rum in it. He asked the proprietor where the people who had been taken out were , and being told in the room underneath he went down and saw them. The woman was insensible. Deceased was lying on another bed perfectly naked with a rug over him. His right hand had been burned ... as though he had been lying in a fire ... By the Jury: He could form no conclusion with regard to the origin of the fire. Probably the bed caught fire and was pulled off to put it out. P.C. Gadd. coroner's office said he had searched the room and found a candlestick beneath the bed and bedding on the floor. He found 2s 2.5d [two shillings and two-and-a-half pence] in a cap under the bedstead ... In summing up the Deputy Coroner said there was not much evidence of negligence on the part of the proprietor. As to crowding in the house that was not a question for them; that was a matter for higher authorities. The question for them was whether the proprietor could have sent for the doctor sooner. In all probability things were in confusion and he was looking after his house, and did not notice the necessity. The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death." from Surrey Mirror - o ~ o ~ o -