Reference
X214/12/11
Title
Transcript of interview with Patrick Crossin, born 16 August 1935 in Lower Falls area of Belfast, Ireland
Date free text
23 Sep 2008
Production date
From: 1935 To: 2008
Scope and Content
Grew up in a terraced house. Little narrow cobbled streets. Close communities with plenty of fun and laughter. A lot of poor people and some not so poor, but everyone helped one another.
Family of 5 brothers and 4 sisters, and believes two children died after birth. Father had a good job; mother was a housewife. We were always clean as was the house, and people said we were well dressed as children. Grandmother played a big part in bringing up the children.
Father was a master plasterer. Often the work ran out, but he always provided for his family. He was a gentleman and always well dressed.
Grandmother lived round the corner. She had a little shop. She had nine sons and one daughter (Patrick's mother). She was very religious. Lived to age 84. In the room at the back of the shop was a 40 gallon drum of paraffin oil. People would bring round cans and she would fill them from the drum. She kept chickens in the back yard. Grandmother had worked at a mansion house out in the country; there was a young girl there whom the squire got pregnant and Grandmother agreed to take the child. Grandfather said he would leave if she brought the child home, as they already had enough children. She brought the baby home and Grandfather left and was not seen again. The baby boy became one of the brothers, and as her real children grew up and left home, he looked after grandmother. Because of this, Patrick never knew his grandfather.
Grandmothers sons were all coal men, while Patrick's family were all plasterers.
At one time, father went to America to work, but this was before Patrick was born, about 1926, during the Depression. There wasn't a lot of work so he couldn't send money home. Mother got work in a linen mill.
Parents had a baby daughter called Maisy who died. Patrick recalls her lying in the coffin in the front room. His mother never got over the loss.
Recalls school: the girls were upstairs and the boys downstairs. The teachers were often napping and sent the boys out on errands.
Describes the area 'there were two pigeon sheds at the back of our house on the opposite side so we had mice, rats, cockroaches, lice in our hair, mice in the classrooms and school, damp houses in winter; there were handcarts, bread and coal delivered by horse drawn vehicles, very little work about and because of our religion we were kept down and out.'
Came to England aged 17. Boat from Belfast harbour to Heysham, train to Crewe, change for Euston, then on to Banbury to the American base for work that had been arranged. Has had a good working life in England. Employed quite a few people in time as a contractor, worked at Luton Hoo on and off for 26 years. Retired at age 55. Bought a cottage at Butterfield Green about 1968, but did not have time to do it up. Eventually got an architect to design a house and has spent many years building it which has been very enjoyable.
Left school at 14 and did apprenticeship with father as plasterer. His father took him to the Royal Hotel in Belfast for interview for a job in England. Said he was a master plasterer and his son a plasterer and they were given tickets to sail to England on 12 July 1953. Recalls arriving at Heysham instead of Liverpool.
On the American base lived in huts with a stove in the middle. After working at the American base went to Newbury, where they lived in the American base houses. A brother was living in Stevenage asked Patrick and his father to come and work on a job he had, so they left Newbury and went to Stevenage. Eventually Patrick left his brother's house and got a room in Letchworth with a nice family with small chldren. Later brother had a job in Luton so Patrick came to work for him.
Bought a house in Stopsley at age 20; it cost £1,400 and the deposit was £100. Was then told that legally he could not own it until age 21, so it was empty for a year. Once had house, proposed to girlfriend; she was 16 at the time. Got married 6 October 1956. Has 2 daughters and a son.
Just after marriage got call up papers. Did not want to join army; when he went for interview was told that Luton was very short of plasterers and therefore would not be conscripted.
Once was refused digs in Luton because of being Irish. Also once refused service in a cafe in Liverpool.
Luton has been a good place to live.
Comments about the 'troubles' in Ireland. Had lived in a staunchly republican area.
Has always tried to maintain Irish accent. Has been associated with the church and Irish clubs; likes being around irish people. Is proud to be Irish.
Recollections of the Second World War in Belfast. Seeing buildings damaged by aircraft machine guns; going to the Irish Free State and smuggling butter, sugar and tea; an American plane crashing into Divis mountain; earning money by collecting potato skins etc. to feed the pigs.
Recalls going round the cobbled streets with the gaslight man. Also the first car parked in the street.
Remembers Bramingham being all fields and Farley Hill being built up. Recalls the farm house near Stopsley roundabout and the butchers and shops in Stopsley village. Remembers when the Catholic church on Ashcroft Road was built.
Participant requested restrictions on access. Specific consent required prior to production.
Level of description
item