Issue No 10 NEWSLETTER Friends of Perth & Kinross Council Archive

Honorary Presidents: Mike O’Malley, Provost of Perth & Kinross Council and Sir William Macpherson of Cluny and Blairgowrie

Welcome to another edition of the newsletter The next meeting of the Friends will include the AGM (see back page for details) which, marking the end of another session, encourages us to look over our achievements. As you are aware from past newsletters, our volunteer’s projects are coming along nicely - in fact, we have two articles in this edition based on two of the projects. The listing of the OS plans is complete, source lists of Genealogy and World War 1 are continuing, as is the Perth Burial Register database and Name Authority File. Listing an accession of Pullar’s engineering plans is continuing as is the listing of a set of diaries and the records of an alms house at Dunkeld. However, we do have room for one or two more volunteers to come forward and work on the Perth Burial Registers, so if you are free on Wednesdays or Fridays, and would be interested in helping, why don’t you give me a call? Other projects are being considered by the Friends’ committee - hopefully there’ll be more news of this in the next newsletter. Meanwhile, our sincere thanks go the Friends volunteers who have worked so hard on projects over the past year and are continuing to do so: John and Marjory Howat, Jim Ferguson and Gavin Lindsay, Alex Porter, Morag Sweet, Carolanne Erskine, Alan Grant and Graham Watson. We’ve also had a successful programme of outings and speakers, which, as you will see inside, continues into the next session and starts with David Strachan’s talk on the Archaeology of Perth. Our last speaker, Russell Leather, gave us a very interesting insight into the philanthropic activities of AK Bell and the Gannochy Trust. From a wish to provide Perth with fresher water and a healthier sewerage system in the 1920s, allied to the Garden City ideal and the belief that a healthy environment benefited all, AK Bell founded and built a Trust that moved from providing housing and amenities just in Perth to one that is today a major contributor to projects throughout . The Trust is currently involved in Heritage, Education, Health, Social Welfare and the Arts, but AK Bell’s principle that any project should benefit and hearten the people remains constant. Finally, there is the newsletter and we would like to thank those of you who have regularly contributed articles over the past months. We’ve had a very interesting array of subjects, all of them entertaining and interesting. Please continue to send material to the Archive - without the members’ contributions there would be no newsletter! If you have any questions or memories about a place or person, have come across an interesting archive during your own research or would like to share your research with the Friends, just contact Jan Merchant, the Assistant Archivist, at the address in the panel below. By the way, we’ve had lots of positive feedback on the newsletter’s new format, so for the moment at least, it will remain. See you at the AGM in May.

Perth & Kinross Council Archive, AK Bell Library, York Place, Perth PH2 8EP, Tel: 01738 477012, Email: [email protected]

Perth Burial Register 1845-1847 Marjory M Howat

As part of one of the Friends Projects, one which aims to make the Perth Burial registers more accessible, I am currently putting the information from one of the registers (PE1/20/3A) on to the Friends’ computer database. In its original form, a researcher needs to know the date of death before further information can be found, but in the computer the starting point can be family or christian name, occupation, place of birth, cause of death, or address at time of death. At this period, Greyfriars is the town’s burial place, but no location of the grave is given, so it is not possible to locate a site if no headstone survives. In many cases, there would never have been any indication of who was buried where. The register simply notes the prices paid for burial according to the kind of coffin; from 9/6 for a ‘large covered coffin’ to 1/6 for a ‘Session coffin’. However, from the details given on the register, it is possible to learn something about life in the mid 1840s – although caution must be exercised in drawing conclusions from such limited information. The following are some of the thoughts that have occurred to me while working on the Register. It was a surprise to me how many people lived to a ripe old age. Infant mortality was high, but if an individual survived the early years, a long life was a possibility. For many deaths ‘old age’ is given as the cause and this seems to be an acceptable term to use for those aged 66 years and over. The cause of death would be entered according to information given by the person registering the death and 19th century medical terms are not always familiar to us. For example, ‘bowel hives’ is likely to be diarrhoea, while ‘nervous’ equals typhus and ‘mortification’ is gangrene. ‘Rose in head’ may be a contagious skin disease but needs clarification, but ‘consumption’, ‘asthma’ and ‘cancer in heart’ can be understood. Translating the more obscure medical terms is made easier by websites such as www.paul_smith.doctors.org.uk/ArchaicMedicalTerms. Teething is frequently given as the cause of death for a child, but since we now accept that teething itself is nor fatal, the real cause is more likely to have been contaminated food associated with weaning. An epidemic of measles, scarlet fever or ‘hooping cough’, must have been dreaded. For example, 1846 December 23, Hannah, daughter of Robert Stewart, painter, South Street, 4 years, hooping cough 1846 December 26, Jane, daughter of Robert Stewart, painter, South Street, 9 months, hooping cough 1847 January 2, James, son of Robert Stewart, painter South Street, 3 years, hooping cough Each child was buried in a ‘small covered coffin 6/-’ The occupation of each adult male is given, whether as the deceased, the spouse or the parent. Some of the occupations are unfamiliar, either because the job no longer exists or has become industrialised. For example, ‘boot closer’, ‘strolling player’, ‘sawyer’, ‘blockmaker’, ‘heckler’, ‘rope maker’ and ‘weaver’ were all much more common than today. Some occupations need clarification before apparent anomalies become clear. For instance, in the case of James Menzies, waiter, who was buried February 18 1846 in a large covered coffin, valued 9/6. The luxury of his large coffin is explained when one realises that a ‘waiter’ was the man who waited on the tides to collect dues on goods

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coming into Perth by boat. But occasionally there remain apparent anomalies about which one can only speculate, as in the case of John Gilbert, who was a ‘travelling hawker’, but enjoyed the luxury of being buried in an expensive large covered coffin costing 9/6. In work like this project, the personality and prejudices of the data inputter should not be apparent; but in making a choice between filling in ‘n/k’ (not known) and ‘n/ a’ (not applicable), perhaps my prejudices are showing. The occupation of adult women is never given, but I refuse to believe that they did not make an economic contribution to the family. In the case of home textile production, the whole family had to help with the various processes to make the work viable as a means of support. This is an obvious instance, but there must have been other occupations where there was little division between work and home, so I always opt to state that the woman’s occupation was ‘n/k’, rather than assume that she was not economically active in addition to running the household.* Another type of entry, which I find difficult, is that of a stillborn child – and these are not infrequent. The child has a surname noted, but no christian name; there is a date of burial but no date of birth; the child is assigned a gender but existed zero hours. Unbaptized children who have died are also listed without a christian name. Where the child has survived for only a few hours, this is understandable, but what do we make of a case like that of the unbaptized son of Margaret, who died at 5 weeks old, cause of death unknown? Had Margaret being trying to conceal her son’s birth? The death of a child is always heartbreaking, and some entries indicate a very

PERTH BURIAL REGISTER, 1832

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lonely existence. For instance, on February 7 1846, Robert Pitkeathly, aged 11 years was buried. He had died of consumption and no relative’s name was noted. Robert was buried in a Session coffin at the cost of 1/6. Many of the addresses of the deceased are still familiar. According to the number of entries, South Street and High Street must have been densely populated. Some names have disappeared as addresses, for example, ‘Clay Holes’. The places of birth are mostly Perth or the surrounding villages, but some are evidence of wider travelling. For example, Cornell Whitehead, who had died of consumption at George Inn, had been born in America. A labourer, killed while working on the building of the railway line, had been born in Ireland. There was also James Grant, 42 years old, of the East India Company Service, who had been born in Bombay, while the birthplace of Isobela Hay, daughter of Lieutenant Hay, had been Calcutta. Most of the surnames are within a limited range and still familiar today, but a few uncommon ones appear, derived from occupations. There is, for instance, ‘Shewaster’, which is an upholsterer, and ‘Pitblade’, a seaman. The latter name also appears as ‘Pitblado’. Women are usually given their maiden surname, as in the case of Revd. Thomas Manson, whose spouse was buried as Jessie Sinclair. Occasionally, they are buried under their married name, as in the case of Duncan Forbes’ wife, buried as Cathrine Forbes. Childbirth was a hazardous event, witnessed by 1846 January19, unbaptized son of Hector Maiben, saddler, 1 day old 1846 January 23, Jean Galletly, spouse of Hector Maiben, childbirth There are several examples of ‘killed’ being given as the cause of death, but ‘accidental death’, would be more accurate for some. The local press gave an account of the death of William Simpson, plasterer and vintner, of Methven Street, in May 1846. He had been in the act of taking water from a barrel sunk in the ground, lost his balance and fallen in head first. Unable to extricate himself, he had drowned. Contemporary accounts reveal that others who had been deemed ‘killed’ had died as a result of inebriation. For example, William Richardson, pensioner, was ‘instantly ushered into eternity’ when his wife locked him out of the house because he was the worse for liquor and unable to avoid a passing gig which knocked him into the curbstone of the pavement. There is one mystery for which I have not been able to find an answer. It is the matter of middle names, i.e. more than one christian name. In most cases the deceased are entered with one christian name and the surname; but in cases where there are middle names, the deceased is either very young, for example in the case of 6 month old Betsy Lilias Drummond, daughter of a pensioner, or belongs to a family which would be literate, as with Henry Atwood Skeete, Minister of the Episcopal Chapel. One conclusion is that middle names were given at birth, but, because they were not in regular use, they were forgotten by the time the person died. If they were not written down, younger family members who were responsible for the burial would have no knowledge of them. Maybe someone can enlighten me?

*Editor’s note: It is now recognised that women have always played some kind of economic role within the family unit. By the nineteenth century, it may well have been within the confines of the home, such as childminding, or doing laundry or ‘homework’ for the local industry. Because much of women’s work was part-time, casual or within the home, it remained ‘hidden’, and was mostly ignored by officialdom. On the other hand, by the 1840s, one definition of being middle-class was the ability to keep wives and daughters ‘unoccupied’. Being the ‘angel in the house’ was the aim; the ability to run the home, preferably with the physical work being done by servants. Perhaps by looking at the occupations of male relatives and the addresses of the deceased, we could work out how many of the ‘unoccupied’ females were ‘angels in the house’?

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More Shades of the Past Donald Abbott

Something of Isabel Alison is written in A History of the Scottish People by Rev. Thomas Thomson (1887?), Volume V, p.184. It tells of the trial of ‘Isabel Alison, a young unmarried woman in Perth and Marion Harvie, a maid-servant in Borrow- stouness’ [Bowness]. Isabel’s alleged offence was for uttering remarks about the severe treatment meted out to , and Marion’s for being ‘found on the highway while repairing to hear a sermon’. Both were young, Marion Harvie being scarcely 20 years old. The only proof against them was their own honest answers to questions put to them. Some of the Jury expressed a view that there was no proof. Sir George Mackenzie, the trial Judge, known as ‘Bloody Mackenzie’, told the Jury that this view was Treason and he ordered them to ‘decide according to Law, otherwise he knew what to do with them’. They were obviously thus overawed, manipulated and cowed by Mackenzie. Both of these young women were consequently found guilty and condemned to be hanged at the Grassmarket of , which sentence was duly carried out on 26th January 1681. The Episcopal Bishop of Edinburgh interrupted their final devotions by instructing one of his Curates to commence a Service. This caused a response from both of the condemned women, who, raising their voices and singing loudly the 23rd Psalm, drowned out the voice of the Curate. They sang several psalms and prayed on the scaffold and submitted themselves to death bravely and almost in triumph. This synopsis of mine does no justice to what is written, but gives some indication of the disgraceful trial and unjust sentence perpetrated on these women. There is a further reference to this affair in Dane Love’s Scottish Covenanter Stories - Tales from the Killing Times (2000), p.231, in a fairly brief paragraph. Most of the information I have read tends to portray Marion Harvie, otherwise Hervey. She is mentioned in The Scots Worthies by of Lochgoin, as revised in December 1870 by Rev. WH Carslaw, DD of Helensburgh. Essentially this relates to the Covenanting Minister, Donald Cargill, born c.1610 at Rattray. He had been invited, by forged letters purporting to have been written by known Covenanters in Fife, to attend and preach at a to be held at Hill of Beath in October 1680. Cargill was living quietly then at the Nether Bow, Edinburgh, although apparently the authorities were anxious to actually catch him in the act of even journeying to a Conventicle. He set off on horseback with a companion, but far in front of him was a small party on foot comprising ‘Mr Skeen, Archibald Stuart, Mrs Muir and Marion Hervey’. At Muttonhole, three miles west of Edinburgh, the advance group were ambushed by troops and all were captured save Mrs Muir who was able to run back and warn Mr Cargill. He escaped back to Edinburgh with his companion.. This corroborates the part of the earlier synopsis above, as to how Marion Harvie was ‘found on the highway while repairing to hear a sermon’. I cannot easily find any indication of what happened to her companions but wonder if there was an element of spite and frustration in her unjust condemnation? Was she condemned simply because Donald Cargill escaped? Cargill was caught eventually, having preached at a Conventicle at Dunsyre Common, Lanarkshire on 10th July 1681, and he and two of his companions, were hanged in Edinburgh, his head thereafter being displayed on the Netherbow Port. There are many books about the Covenanters and particularly about their leaders and details of their many trials and tribulations and often bloody deaths, but not so much is recorded about the ordinary members of the Covenanting Presbyterian Church. Dane

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Love's book does something to redress this. A particular story therein at Chapter 10 refers to Andrew Brodie, a wright by trade and living with his wife and three bairns in a cottage at the gate of Lord Ruthven's Estate of Freelands (Strathallan). In October 1678, he had attended a Conventicle on Caltenacher or Culteuchar Hill, the most northerly summit of the Ochils. A party of Highland soldiers led by Stewart of Ballechan found the Conventicle and fired on this (apparently) unarmed gathering. Brodie fled and hid in a defile, but he was found and shot dead, some 200 yards from the Conventicle site. His friends later recovered his corpse and brought it down the hillside to be buried secretly in the kirkyard of Forgandenny. It is difficult perhaps for us today to realise that during the 28 years of persecution of those of Presbyterian Covenanting principles, some 18,000 souls suffered either death or other hardships. These included some 498 murdered in cold blood without trial, and 362 formally executed; transportation and imprisonment was the lot of many and an untold number fled to the mountains and simply perished. The ‘Killing Times’ had nothing to commend them, but as I have read somewhere, Nec tamen Consumebatur (the ancient motto of the Church of Scotland) is perhaps apposite to these very forebears of the Church: Behold the bush burned with fire and the bush was not consumed

Snippets from Perth City Council Minutes W Douglas Watson

Whilst ploughing through the Minutes of Council Meetings, I came across three items which brought a smile to my face and lightened the tedium. You may wish to share them. In May 1916, somebody had the somewhat bizarre idea that a reduction in gas pressure might be used as an air raid warning by dimming the gas flames throughout Perth. The Gas Committee instructed the Gas Manager to experiment. But the gas pressure varied between districts, for example between Craigie and the town centre, so it was possible to achieve a noticeable reduction in one area, but not in the other. In some areas a reduction would mean that the pressure was so low, that the flame would go out altogether. In any case, to achieve a reduction in pressure would take at least fifteen minutes. No more was heard of the idea. Also in 1916, a house owner in South Inch Terrace wrote to the Council complaining that the cows grazing on the South Inch had strayed into his garden and eaten all his vegetables. Since the Inch was public property he requested that the Council do something about it. The Council instructed that a letter be sent informing him that his problem had nothing to do with them. Believe it or not, but this matter came before a full Council Meeting. How times have changed! Finally, in February 1919, Perth City were offered ‘a captured German machine gun (damaged), with magazine’ by the War Office Trophies Commission – ‘Council to pay carriage’. The Council instructed that a letter be sent to the Commission asking for a gun which would be ‘in keeping with the circumstances of the City’. Although the machine gun was not good enough for Perth, it seems that it was delivered and languished in a council store for some time. Field guns were later obtained which, as older folk will remember, were installed in the Buckie Braes until taken away for salvage during WWII.

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Friends of Perth & Kinroses Council Archive Events Diary 2003-2004

2003 Thursday 29 May AGM Talk: The Archaeology of Perth Speaker: David Strachan, Perth & Kinross Heritage Trust Venue: Theatre, AK Bell Library, Perth Time: 7.30pm

Thursday 24 July Outing to Blair Castle Archive, Blair Atholl Places limited. Book your place using the slip that will appear in a future newsletter Time: 11am Cost : £2 per person A maximum group of 20 members will have the opportunity to tour the Archive, speak with the Archivist and visit the gardens. The cost covers car parking and access to the grounds.

Tuesday 2 September Visit to the Black Watch Museum, Perth Places limited. Book your place using the slip that will appear in a future newsletter. If there is enough interest, an extra afternoon visit may be possible to arrange. Time: 7pm The Archivist will give a presentation to a maximum group of 20 members who will also have the opportunity to view artefacts from the Museum and Archive. 2004 (final dates to be confirmed)

Thursday 22 January Talk: Aspects of Local History Speakers: Margaret Laing and Donald Abbott Venue: Meeting Room, AK Bell Library, Perth Time: 2pm

Thursday 25 March Talk: Isabel Alison and the Covenanters Speaker: Andrina McCormack Venue: Meeting Room, AK Bell Library, Perth Time: 2pm

May AGM Talk: Edwardian Perth (to be confirmed) Speaker: Rhoda Fothergill, Local Historian Venue: Theatre, AK Bell Library, Perth Time: 7.30pm

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FRIENDS OF PERTH & KINROSS COUNCIL ARCHIVE

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING FOLLOWED BY

David Strachan Perth & Kinross Heritage Trust

THEATRE AK BELL LIBRARY, PERTH

THURSDAY 29 MAY 7.00PM ALL WELCOME REFRESHMENTS8 AVAILABLE