Remote & Rural Remedies

"Survey return from Simon Frazer"

Kilmorack, by Beauly.

1850.

RCP/COL/4/8/71

Simon Frazer was a church minister to Kilmorack parish.

Kilmorack was a parish in the historic County of Inverness and lay on the river Beauly. It contained the village and valley of Beauly and the Falls of Kilmorack. Large parts of the area were cultivated and there were some tree plantations. The river provided for fishery. In 1831, the population was 2709.

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[[Addressee]]
The Rev.
Simon Frazer
Kilmorack
by Beauly

[[Survey]]
QUERIES

1. How many Medical Men practice within the Parish of Kilmorack?

One.

2. The Names and Addresses of these.

Daniel Cormick Surgeon Beauly -

3. Has the number increased or diminished of late years?

always the same for the last 25 or 30 years - one medical man at a time in the parish. -

4. Have any left the Parish since you became connected with it? If so, for what reasons?

Mr Cormick’s Predecessor left some years ago for the Town and parish of Inverness, for the purpose of bettering his circumstances, plenty of work here, but little pay. -

5. Is there any complaint among the people of inadequacy in the supply of Medical aid?

The present Medical man lives in the village of Beauly, near the east end of the parish, and he being the only one, there must be great complaint among the people, towards the middle & west end of the parish which is about 50 or 60 Miles in length. –

6. Do you know of any cases of protracted suffering, or of injury by Accident, such as might have been alleviated had proper advice been at hand?

I cannot name any at present, but there must have been many such cases, in a parish of such vast extent.

7. To what extent is the deficiency of qualified Practitioners made up by the efforts of other parties?

To no extent at all -

8. Does your experience enable you to suggest any measure – of general applicability – such as would be likely to relieve to some extent the evils (if they exist) of deficiency in the supply of Medical aid?

I would certainly suggest the propriety of having a medical man established at Struy, near the seat of the Chisholm for the accommodation of the population of the west end of the parish. -- or further up the country, say at Cannich Bridge i.e. 20 Miles to the west of Beauly. –

9. What Heritors¹ are resident, either generally or occasionally, in your Parish?

The only Heritors of this Parish are Lord Lovat and the Chisholm - Their Residences are in the parish of Kiltarlity. –

[[Additional Text]]

P.S. I should suppose that the present Medical man, will not agree to my s what I have said in answer to question 8. S. Fraser Revd. of Kilmorack -

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Explanatory notes:

1. A heritor was a landowner, under Scots Law, whose holdings were sizeable enough for them to be liable for the payment of public burdens such as Poor Law rates, road and bridge assessments and the church minister’s stipend.