The Poorhouse and Poverty in Crieff in the late Victorian Period

The stigma of social and physical handicap

Poorhouses in Scotland

Scotland  has  had a different Poor Law system to that of England . In 1579 the Scottish Parliament legislated enabling individual  parishes to remunerate the impoverished  living therein .It established a system which was not just an enumeration of the destitute but an examination  of whether these individuals could find alternative  means of support from other individuals or family members .They made begging and vagrancy public nuisances The Act intended  to remove the responsibility for the support of the poor from the church to the parishes .

Magistrates were ordered to build Correction Houses or workhouses so that beggars could be made to work. In 1843, a Commission of Enquiry was set up to suggest improvements to the Scottish Poor Law system. Proposals suggested included:

Setting up a Board of Supervision and Parochial Boards ,the levying of a poor rate and joint poorhouses in urban areas. An Inspector of the Poor who could examine requests for relief.

After 1845, parishes in Scotland could choose to set up workhouses or, as happened in a large proportion of cases, just to give out-relief. The parishes or Combinations (Unions) of parishes that did operate formally constituted workhouses — more usually called poorhouses or poor's houses. Note that where a Combination includes parishes in more than one county, its placement is based on the location of the poorhouse.

More than a hundred Scottish parishes also operated a variety small local establishments variously known as almshouses, parish lodging houses, or parish homes

The Upper Strathearn Combination was formed in 1863 and initially comprised the eleven parishes of Auchterarder, Blackford, Crieff, Dunning, Forgandenny, Forteviot, Fowlis-Wester, Gask, Madderty, Methven, and Trinity-Gask. They were later joined by Ardoch. Callander, Comrie, Kilmadock, Monzievaird, and Muthill. The total population of the member parishes in 1881 was 27,337.

The Upper Strathearn Poorhouse in Auchterarder

The Upper Strathearn Combination poorhouse was erected in 1863-4 on a site located to the south-west of Auchterarder. The architect was James Campbell Walker. The site location and layout are shown on the 1860s Ordnance Survey map .

After 1930, the poorhouse became known as the Strathearn Home. In 1946 it provided 71 beds including 14 chronic sick, 2 maternity, and 8 for certified mental cases, with the rest for destitute persons.

Crieff had its own small Poor house  which was located  to the rear of what is  now Baird Buildings in East High Street , to the  west of  the Thistle Pub directly opposite  what is now the Crieff Hotel .

Listed  below is the Registered Poor List of Crieff Parish Council published in 1899 .

It numbers nearly some eighty persons and although  many are listed   simply as suffering from “ debility “ there are nearly twenty listed as “ insane “ . The  system was devised  to make sure that although individuals may live outwith the town the town had the obligation to  pay their Poor Law allowance if they were deemed  to be Crieff citizens .

Money was paid in “ old “ money . For example 2/- ( two shillings ) was  the equivalent of 10 pence and 10/- ( ten shillings) was 50 pence .

Name                                          Age Residence Age of Dependants Wkly Allowance Condition Cause of Chargeability

Helen Hepburn                          61   Poorhouse       -                             -                          Single              Debility

William Gilchrist ( lunatic)      58  Perth D Asylum  -                         10/-                      Single              Insanity

Isabella Gow                             76  Commissioner Street          -      2/- and 20/- rent     Single               Debility

Alexander Murie (lunatic)        55  Milnab Street               -             7/- and clothing      Single               Insanity

Elizabeth Buchan                      87  Water Wynd                  -             2/6                        Single              Debility

James Dougal ( lunatic)           59   Perth D Asylum          -              10/-                        Single               Insanity

Alexander Cramb ( lunatic )   61    Perth D asylum          -               10/-                        Single               Insanity

Margaret Allan ( lunatic )        34   Gartmore                   -              7/- and clothing       Single               In sanity

Margaret McIntyre or Clink ( lunatic) 62 Perth D Asylum                10/-                       Widow             Insanity

Mary Lyons or McAndrew     74   Commissioner Street                 2/6 and 20/- rent     Widow              Weak health

William McInness                   66   Poor House                  -                  -                         Single              Sore hand etc

Ann Brough or Christie           88   Water Wynd                -              10/-                        Widow              Debility

George Drummond                 35   Poor House                  -               -                             Single               Weak minded

Jean Robin                              31   Poor House                 3                -                            Single               Deafness & young family

Jean Haggart                           63   Gallowhill                   -                2/-                         Widow             Young family

John Forbes ( lunatic )            47  Gilmerton                   14,13         3/- to family          Married             Insanity

Alexander McIntyre (lunatic)64  Gilmerton                     -                8/- &  clothing      Single                 Insanity

Jean Nicol or Clark                 45  King Street                 10              1/6                         Widow               Young family

Catherine Drummond or McNab 40 East high Streeet    10,8           2/-                          Widow              Young family    

James McNeil                         10  Industrial School Perth  -             2/6                          Single                Youth

Margaret Edward or Jolly      75  Burrell Street                  -             2/6 and 20/- rent   Widow                Debility  

Elizabeth McNab or Thomson75 East High Street            -              2/6                         Widow                Debility

Heriot Anthony or Wyllie     36   Commissioner Street   9,7            4/-                           Widow               Young family

Margaret Robin ( lunatic )    62   Perth D Asylum             -              10/-                         Single                 Insanity      

Emily Cameron or Wyllie    35   Cornton Place              10,8,6       4/6                           Widow               Young family

Colin Marshall                       56  James Square               44,10,5    4/6                            Married              Ill health & young family

Thomas Duff or Robin         31   Poor House                     -                                              Single                Weak minded

Ann McEwan or McAinsh   79  Commissioner Street      -2/6 in food, Rent 26/- & attce. Widow            Blindness &Debility     

Janet A Miller or McCulloch 42 Ramsay Street        14,12,10 &8   7/6                           Widow              Young family

Margaret McPhail or  Ryder  81 North Bridge Street       -                2/6                          Widow              Debility

Jessie Roy Hay                        41 Water Wynd                -                5/-                           Single                Ill health

Catherine McGregor or Haggart 72 Bank Place              -                 2/-                           Widow               Debility

Christina McNab                    68 Water Wynd              -            3/6                     Single           Debility

Mary McLauchlane or Johnston 55 Falkirk   -             4/-                     Single           Debility

Peter Cramb                 12   Alichmore         -              3/6                     Single           Youth

Louis Don ( lunatic )   22   Bank Street          -            5/-                     Single            Insanity

Ann McPhee or Kelly 40   Dundee            16,14,8      3/-                     Widow          Young family

Mary Dougall              14  Industrial School Perth      2/6                     Single           Youth   

William Syme             10 Industrial School Perth       2/6                     Single           Youth

Catherine Syme            9  Industrial School Perth      2/6                      Single            Youth

John McLeod              81  Poorhouse                          2/6 in food         Single            Debility

Annie McAra (lunatic ) 23 Perth D Asylum               10/-                    Single            Insanity

Jessie Wilson               69 Poorhouse          -              -                         Single             Debility

James Soutar               11 Industrial School Perth      2/6                      Single            Youth 

Isabella McAinsh or McCulloch 79 East High Street 2/- in food & 20/-rent Widow  Debility

James Haldane          72 Mitchell Street   68             5/-                       Married          Debility

Peter J Miller             69 Burrell Street                      4/-                      Widower        Blindness

Christian Christie or Comrie 72 S Bridgend         2/-                          Widow           Debility

Betsy Campbell         77  East High Street            2/6                          Single            Debility

Ann McLaren or Wyllie 74 Cross                         2/6 in food             Widow           Debility

Mary A Meloy          54 East High Street              4/-                          Single            Debility

Helen H Drummond  42 East High Street  11,9,7,4,2  7/6                  Widow           Young family

Catherine P Thomson 45 Auchterarder 11.9         3/-                          Widow           Young family

Jessie Taylor ( lunatic ) 62 Perth D Asylum         10/-                        Single             Insanity

Mary A McEwan(lunatic) 55 Perth D Asylum    10/-                         Single             Insanity

Isabella McEwan (lunatic ) 47 Perth D Asylum  10/-                         Single             Insanity

William Tainsh or Baxter 51 Irregular                 Irregular                 Single             Debility

James Robin     14  Industrial School Perth          2/6                          Single             Youth

James Dow          1  Poorhouse                                                           Single              Youth

Georgina Morrison 8 Assynt                                3/-                           Single             Youth

Jessie Morrison 6  Assynt                                     3/-                          Single             Youth

Wm. Morrison 1 Assynt                                       3/-                           Single             Youth

Barbara Morrison 9 Assynt                                  3/-                           Single             Youth

Margt. D Drummond  63 Ladybank                    3/6                           Widow           Debility

Peter Menzies ( lunatic ) 34 Perth D Asylum 33,9,7,75,3,1 10/- to familyMarried   Insanity

James Routledge  71 Poorhouse                                                         Widower         Debility

Peter Cameron 76 Poorhouse                                                              Single             Debility

Jemima G Morgan ( lunatic) 37 Perth D Asylum 10/-                       Widow            Insanity

Helen  M Don  61 irregular                                                                 Single            Debility

Ann G Craig 17 Poorhouse                                                                 Single             Debility

Cath. McGregor Marshall  62  Alma Place        2/6                           Widow            Debility

Helen MN Duncan  42 Commissioner Street 12, 10, 7,4,2,1   7/6     Widow           Young family