Printed: 2024-11-22
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Stornoway Parochial Board
Identity area
Type of entity
Corporate body
Authorized form of name
Stornoway Parochial Board
Parallel form(s) of name
- Parochial Board of the Parish of Stornoway
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
1845-1894
History
The Poor Law Act of 1845 established a Parochial Board in Stornoway answerable to a central Board of Supervision. The Stornoway Board was made up of representatives from the Kirk Session, local property owners and elected members. It assessed land and heritages to levy a poor rate on owners and occupiers.
An Inspector of the Poor was appointed to manage poor relief. Criminally liable for the death of any pauper death if they had been refused relief, brought reasonable applications before the Board which then determined whether aliment (relief) was to be given and how much. If relief was refused, the applicant could appeal to the Sheriff; if the relief was considered inadequate, the applicant could appeal to the board of Supervision.
Definition of the person entitled to relief was carried over from previous poor and vagrancy laws. Generally this was the non-able bodied (later relaxed to include able-bodied destitute) and children and those born in the parish or who had resided there for a certain number of years. Determining settlement (i.e. whether an individual was the responsibility of the parish or another parish) gave rise to detailed record keeping.
The Act enabled the construction by parishes or combination of parishes of poorhouses. Pressure put on Stornoway and other local Boards by the Board of Supervision was resisted in the Islands until the building of the Lewis Combination Poorhouse in Stornoway in 1894-6.
The Board were also responsible for dealing with those with mental illness with Stornoway sending individuals to the mainland asylums. “Harmless lunatics” were later sent to the poorhouse in Stornoway from 1911.
From 1886, the Public Health Act made the Boards of Supervision centrally, and the Boards locally, the sanitary authorities responsible for the control of infectious diseases, removal of nuisances, food safety, water supply and the provision of hospitals and public conveniences. A sanitary inspector and a medical officer could be appointed.
The Local Government Act 1894 abolished the Board of Supervision and the Boards, transferring their functions to Local Government Board centrally, and to Parish Council locally.
An Inspector of the Poor was appointed to manage poor relief. Criminally liable for the death of any pauper death if they had been refused relief, brought reasonable applications before the Board which then determined whether aliment (relief) was to be given and how much. If relief was refused, the applicant could appeal to the Sheriff; if the relief was considered inadequate, the applicant could appeal to the board of Supervision.
Definition of the person entitled to relief was carried over from previous poor and vagrancy laws. Generally this was the non-able bodied (later relaxed to include able-bodied destitute) and children and those born in the parish or who had resided there for a certain number of years. Determining settlement (i.e. whether an individual was the responsibility of the parish or another parish) gave rise to detailed record keeping.
The Act enabled the construction by parishes or combination of parishes of poorhouses. Pressure put on Stornoway and other local Boards by the Board of Supervision was resisted in the Islands until the building of the Lewis Combination Poorhouse in Stornoway in 1894-6.
The Board were also responsible for dealing with those with mental illness with Stornoway sending individuals to the mainland asylums. “Harmless lunatics” were later sent to the poorhouse in Stornoway from 1911.
From 1886, the Public Health Act made the Boards of Supervision centrally, and the Boards locally, the sanitary authorities responsible for the control of infectious diseases, removal of nuisances, food safety, water supply and the provision of hospitals and public conveniences. A sanitary inspector and a medical officer could be appointed.
The Local Government Act 1894 abolished the Board of Supervision and the Boards, transferring their functions to Local Government Board centrally, and to Parish Council locally.
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Description identifier
C0061
