Known as Olof Olson in Hong Kong, he followed his elder brother, John Olson to the colony and became manager of the National Hotel in around 1879, taking over that responsibility when John wanted to retire. The Olson family has so far not discovered when Olof arrived in Hong Kong, except that it was later than his younger brother, Anders. He apparently had no issue and nothing is known about his relationships. Nor is the cause of his death known. <Read more ...>
Charles Lesbirel was proprietor of the British Crown Tavern in 1880 and Assistant at the Liverpool Arms in 1881. Carl Smith gives him as Assistant at the National Hotel in 1882-83 after John Olson snr had retired and after the death of his brother Olof Olson, who had initially taken over as manager. The younger generation of Olsons seem to have remained friends with the Lesbirels and are named among those who gave gifts at the wedding of Annie Lucile Lesbirel in 1912. The daughters of the late tavern owner, CFW Petersen attended the same wedding. <Read more ...>
Date picture taken (to nearest decade for older photos):
2013
I've just dug out this photo of the Rate Book page for a part of Queen's Road in 1883-84 that I must have overlooked when querying the renumbering of Queen's Road and the location of the National Hotel/Inn/Tavern between the 1860s and 1880s. This page shows alternative numbers for eleven of the properties with even numbers all under I.L. 5 Sec. A (not I.L. 95 A as before). So the last two properties, nos. 200 and 200A, which are the Boarding House and the licensed National Hotel respectively, become nos. 222 and 224. <Read more ...>
I wonder if any 1880s/1890s photos of Gough Street Steps exist. Being quite ignorant of Hong Kong’s geography, I don’t know if they connect with Queen’s Road Central. If I’ve understood this entry in the 1885-86 Rate Book correctly, they seem to have been located next to The National Hotel, 242 Queen's Road Central, where my grandmother, Hannah Olson (later Warren) was born in 1880. <Read more ...>
