Remote & Rural Remedies

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"Survey return from Alexander MacColl"

Durness, Golspie.

1850.

RCP/COL/4/8/99

Alexander MacColl was a church minister to Durness parish.

Durness was a parish in the historic County of Sutherland. It extended along the coast and one of the main industries was fishery. Much of the parish area was converted into sheep farming land. In 1831, the population was 1153.

[[Addressee]]
The Revd
Alexr MacColl
Durness
Golspie

[[Survey]]
QUERIES

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

Not one resident practitioner in the parish – Dr Black Tongue 32 miles from here occasionally visits the parish

2. The Names and Addresses of these.

[no text]

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

[no text]

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

[no text]

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

Many -

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 know of cases of fever and other diseases of which persons died without being once visited by any medical practitioner

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

Three persons are dead within parish at this moment and none of them has been visited by a medical man during the period of their illness -

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?

A resident medical practitioner would supply this deficiency -

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

The Duke of Sutherland is the only Heritor – The Country is occupied by large farmers and a vast number of poor people -

[[Additional Text]]

Alexr MacColl
Durness Manse 25 Nov 1850

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.

"Survey return from Alexander MacColl"

Durness, Golspie.

1850.

Alexander MacColl was a church minister to Durness parish.

Durness was a parish in the historic County of Sutherland. It extended along the coast and one of the main industries was fishery. Much of the parish area was converted into sheep farming land. In 1831, the population was 1153.

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.