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Am Bratach No. 215
The introduction of the poor law in 1845 brought a major change to the way the poor were assisted. The management of the new system was entrusted to parochial boards who were empowered to raise money by levying an assessment on the rents, draw up a poor roll, appoint inspectors and build poorhouses. A central Board of Supervision in Edinburgh provided guidance and exercised control where appropriate. The boards were under the controlling influence of the landlords, or their factors. However, there was a real opportunity for local merchants and the larger farmers to voice their opinions which were not necessarily in line with landlord views. Although the overall aim had been to increase the amount of relief given to the poor in Scotland, boards not surprisingly kept a keen eye on expenditure to ensure that assessments were as low as possible. George Dempster of Skibo, who was taking a very keen interest in the introduction of the new arrangements, told the Board of Supervision that “generally we are inclined, (tho’ we have not yet come to any resolve) to an assessment in each parish, & two work houses at Dunrobin & Tongue — the former for the paupers of 8 parishes, the latter for those of five.” The “we” of course comprised the landowners and factors. The other point to bear in mind is that Dempster owned an estate with a significant crofting population. The question of providing a poorhouse appears to have receded into the background. In Ross-shire, however, a poorhouse was considered to be essential. The Easter Ross Combination Poorhouse, near Tain, opened in October 1850. It was the first poorhouse in the Highlands (and one of the earliest in Scotland under the new arrangements). It was Dempster who raised the matter before the parochial boards of Creich and Dornoch in August 1851. As he explained to George Gunn, factor at Dunrobin, the boards had agreed to the establishment of a poorhouse to cater for all the parishes on the east of Sutherland, including Lairg and Rogart. “This, in the unanimous opinion of every member, of every degree, in the Boards of Dornoch & Creich is now indispensable, & the example of the Union in Easter Ross is most encouraging. It will save money to the rate-payers, give more comfort to the really deserving paupers, & prove an invaluable check on pauperism.” Dempster drew particular attention to the cost of providing lodgings for the poor. “All who have laboured as you & I have done in these matters are well aware of this, & I look on its speedy establishment as essential in many ways to the well doing of the industrious classes in Sutherland. The building Shd. be quite plain, costing some £2000, which spread over 10 or 12 years will fall very lightly on the Parishes”. Dempster reported that James Loch, commissioner for the Sutherland estates, shared his opinion. Dempster was optimistic that the Duke of Sutherland would see the advantage of a poorhouse. The duke, however, was cautious. He asked for “full particulars regarding the Poor House of East Ross Union. How many can be admitted. How many it has contained at a time.” The duke also wanted to know “in what other Counties, more particularly in Highland districts it has been tried. I am against making an Experiment of the Sort & therefore desire to be sure of the effects elsewhere. I think it may be a great hardship on many old or disabled people to be taken to a distance from their family & neighbours.” The duke could see that it might be “very well in a populous district or Town where instead of such a house Lodgings have to be provided, as is stated in Mr Dempsters note to be the case in Dornoch & Creich!” A survey was quickly undertaken in response to the duke which showed that the landlords in the parishes of Dornoch and Creich did indeed provide a very high proportion of houses for paupers. In other parishes the situation was different. In Rogart, for instance, there were on the one hand thirty-two aged and infirm and twenty-seven capable of earning a portion of their subsistence and on the other hand only seven houses provided by the duke and twenty-eight by the parochial board. To be continued |