Remote & Rural Remedies

"Survey return from G. Turnbull"

Cunningsburgh, Shetland.

1850.

RCP/COL/4/8/191

G. Turnbull was a church minister in Cunningsburgh.

Cunningsburgh was a parish within the Dunrossness parish on Shetland. Like Sandwick, there was much herring-fishing in the parish with little agriculture. For further information on the whole parish, see the entry for Dunrossness.

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[[Addressee]]
The Revd
G. Turnbull
Cunningsburgh
Lerwick

[[Survey]]
QUERIES

1. How many Medical Men practice within the Parish of Sandwick, including Conningsburgh?

Not one

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?

There has been no medical man within the parish during the 5 years that I have been connected with it –

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

Yes, great complaint.

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 have with extreme pain witnessed many such cases –

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

There is an individual who resides at a distance of 4 or 5 miles from Cunningsburgh, who is reputed to have skill in medicine – He is now however so infirm as to be unable to travel

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 can suggest no measure of the kind referred to but the locating a medical man within the bounds of the parish

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

John Bruce Esquire of Sumburgh – generally resident at Sandlodge – Sandwick
Francis Heddell Esqr Controller of Customs Lerwick – Robert Goudie Esqr Merchant Lerwick – The two latter reside but seldom in the parish – There are other small Heritors

[[Additional Text]]

over^2
3 Mr Turnbull is extremely sorry this return has not been made sooner. The nature of the communication having, in the bustle incident upon the arrival of mail in such a situation, escaped his notice, the paper was unfortunately shuffled aside & did not again come under his observation till only a few days ago.

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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.
2. The respondent has written “over” at the bottom of the survey page and an arrow indicating that there is additional text on the addressee page.
3. Text from this point is on the addressee page.