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"Survey return from Peter Grant"
Small Isles, Arisaig.
1850.
RCP/COL/4/8/142
Peter Grant was a church minister in Arisaig.
Small Isles was a parish in the historic County of Inverness. It contained the islands of Rum, Canna, Muck and Eigg and several smaller islands. In 1831, the population was 1015. The main industries were agriculture and cattle and sheep breeding.
[[Addressee]]
The Revd
Peter Grant
Small Isles
Arisaig
[[Survey]]
QUERIES
1. How many Medical Men practice within the Parish of Small Isles?
1) None for the last 7 or 8 years.
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?
4) There is none in the Parish at present, nor have there been any since I came hereaboutnearly 3 years ago.
5. Is there any complaint among the people of inadequacy in the supply of Medical aid?
5) yes, a great many complaints for want of medical aid which is very difficult and often impractical to1 be got owing to our insular situation especially in the winter season, the distance from the mainland being about 10 miles by sea
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?
6)2 No particular case of this nature has come under my observation- But it is generally believed, there have been cases of severe suffering if not of loss of life owing to the want of medical aid
7. To what extent is the deficiency of qualified Practitioners made up by the efforts of other parties?
(7)3 The Proprietors sometimes have afforded some simple medicines
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?
The4 Parish is divided into 4 Islands, Population nearly 1000 But they are in general so poor that they cannot afford what would remunerate a medical man to stay among them But could we even have occasional visits it would be a great boon,
9. What Heritors5 are resident, either generally or occasionally, in your Parish?
(9)6 There are 4 Heritors non resident except occasional visits.
[[Additional Text]]
I am Sir your Obedient Ser. Peter Grant
Manse of Small Isles 14th Jany 18517
Explanatory notes:
1. Answer to query 5 continues into next box.
2. Answer to query 6 written in box for query 7 and continues into query 8 box.
3. Written in same line as answer to query 6 in box for query 8.
4. Written in same line as answer to query 7 in box for query 8, continues into box for query 9 and in space below last box.
5. 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.
6. Written in same line as answer to query 8 in space below last box.
7. Written at the top left of the document.
Remote & Rural Remedies
