Dundee Society in the 19th Century

19th Century - The Sheriff Court and Dealings
Regarding the Poor.

From the Poor Law Magazine for Scotland 1838 to 1868

Dundee Parochial Committee

Mr. Molison’s addition of a Hospital to the Dundee Poorhouse

On Thursday, 23^rd May, a meeting of the Acting Committee was held at the Parochial Board Office, Charles Guthrie, Esq., of Taybank occupied the chair.

The Chairman said - Gentlemen, you will have learned from the article which appeared in the Dundee Advertiser of yesterday - if you had not known previously - the object of our meeting here today; but to put it more fully before you, Mr. Hay will not read the letter from Mr. Molison on the subject.

Mr. Hay read the following letter from Mr. Molison: -

“Naughton, 18^th May 1961”

“Dear Sir, - I have seen for a long tome how desirable it would be to have some separate accommodation at the poorhouse for certain of the inmates who afflicted with disease and infirmities of body which render them most unfit to be associated with patients in the ordinary sick wards.

“After consulting with the Governor and Matron, I had the advice and opinion of Mr. Charles Ower, C.E. on the subject. The result is that I have caused plans to be prepared by Mr. Ower of the buildings which are suitable for the purpose above referred to “Be so good as lay these plans before the House Committee on Wednesday, and if approved of, and they shall authorise you, please have a special meeting of the Committee of the Board called as speedily as possible, so as to lay the matter before them to confirm the approval of the House Committee, and to authorise you to submit the plans to the Board of Supervision for their sanction to execute the work, so that the underlay may take place..

You will at same time inform the Committee that I take upon myself to execute the whole buildings, and to put them in workable order, without putting the Board or parish to any expense whatever, - I am, dear sir yours faithfully

F. Molison

“William Hay, Esq”.,

Secretary, Dundee Parochial Board”

The Chairman. --The plans were laid before the Poorhouse Committee on Tuesday at the House, and Mr. Hay will also read the minute at the meeting.

Mr. Hay then read the following minute: -

“Excerpt from minute of meeting of the Poorhouse Committee, held on 21^st May, 1861, - Charles Guthrie Esq., of Taybank, in the chair,

Present also--Messrs. A. Easson, Yeaman, Cunningham and Morison

“The Secretary laid before the meeting the following letter from the Chairman, Mr. Molison, offering, at his own expense, to erect a hospital in connection with the poorhouse, for the treatment of the sick and diseased poor. (Letter as above)

“The meeting having considered the communication, and the plan the proposed buildings, on the motion of Mr. Alexander Easson, resolved unanimously as follow, Viz;-

“1. That the meeting accepts the magnificent gift which Mr. Molison, in his regard and consideration for the necessitous and afflicted poor, has seen fit to grant, and while doing so, the Committee would, at the same time, especially record their high appreciation of his unwearied labours for the Alleviation of the suffering and deserving poor, and also of his continued and valuable services to the Board.

“2 The meeting approve of the plan of the buildings exhibited, and instruct the Secretary to lay same before the Board of supervision, and the Acting Committee of the Board, for there consideration and approval, and to do what may be necessary to have this most valuable and timely donation made available for the humane purposes for which it has been so generously granted.

(Signed) “Chas. Guthrie, C”

“The chairman.--At our meeting on Tuesday, Mr. Molison expressed the desire that the thing should be gone into as speedily as possible. The Committee therefore authorised Mr. Hay to proceed immediately to Edinburgh and get the plans laid before the Board of Supervision, which meets weekly every Thursday. That Board will have the plans before them today for their approval--at least, I have no doubt they will approve of them. Not that you have all seen the plans, it will be for the present meeting to see whether they approve of them or not.

Mr. Hunter --I rise with great pleasure to propose that what the sub-Committee have done in relation to this matter, and the communication they have made to the Board of supervision be approved; and in doing so I would take occasion to make one or two observations in regard to the gift itself. Mr. Molison our respected Chairman has shown, since I have had a seat on this Board, and I believe previously a very great amount of anxiety for the benefit of the parish- for the part of the population that are dependent chiefly on the labours of this Board. He has shown this in a variety of ways both in regard of the management of this office, to the collection of the assessment, and to the distribution of it. His attention to the inmates of the poor-house in all their variety of circumstances, has been exceedingly praiseworthy. The way in which he gives his time and attention to the House is really beyond praise-admirable.

He not only makes himself thoroughly acquainted with all its internal working, but at certain seasons, as you all know, his bounty is distributed among the poor there, once a year st least, in a very conspicuous and distinguished manner, for which I believe, a great amount of gratitude is cherished in the House towards him. With regard to this present, when I was told of it, I was struck with some astonishment, not only at the munificence of the gift but at the well-timed and judicious nature of it. Those who are acquainted with the House, who know the condition of the inmates, and the inmates diseases many for them labour under when they as sent there, must have seen the necessity there is for a separate establishment for that separated establishment, was the question. To go on the parish for the means of doing it would perhaps be more than we would have been warranted to have attempted, but what public means has not done by might have failed to do, has been done now, or is proposed to be done by private munificence, and I am sure the way which our Chairman carried out the conception--and I believe it was his own, in a great measure--is grand. He has looked to the fact that the males and the females required to be kept separate, he has, therefore proposed to erect a separate establishment at each end of the main building and contiguous to the dwellings of the males and females so that no intermix can take place, while the patients can be attended to with the greatest ease and facility. Thus, so far as the conception is concerned our chairman is shown in to be a man of discretion as well as of benevolence. The sanitary considerations are also of great importance. Our own doctors and guardians can superintend these infirmaries, and by the patients being under our own special attention, there will be secured for them perhaps even better attendance that they could have got in other infirmaries--perhaps, too, at considerably less charge to the public. Hence, we are indebted to the Chairman of this Board, not only to the magnificence of this gift; we are indebted to him for the wisdom of the plan which he has drawn up. I would just say further that we should look around us in this town, and see what private munificence has done. There is, for instance, the People’s Park, given to the community by a wealthy family--by Mr. and Misses Baxter - whose names will ever be associated with the public benefit. The name of George Duncan, too, will stand indissolubly with our Industry Schools, and keep in remembrance his services as a public man and his private benevolence. And I would say in regard to this, perhaps even more distinguished act of munificence, that the name of Francis Molison will stand connected with it as a lasting memorial of his liberality with a quarter where munificence is really beneficial. The name of Francis Molison will go down to the latest posterity connected with this constitution as a memorial both of his benevolence and Christian feeling. I am exceedingly happy to have this opportunity of bearing testimony what our chairman has done; and while public men and men of wealth feel inclined to use part of their means in the way these individuals have Done, it is pleasing to see that the spirit of Christian benevolence. Which is so much wanted in a community such as this, displays itself in the way it has done in this case. With regard to the present act, I am sure the Committee has only one feeling, and it is, of being deeply impressed with a sense of its value, of its importance, and of the charitable and gentlemanly spirit in which it has been given, and that as representative of the public, who stand in need of charitable aid, we are exceedingly grateful to that gentleman for what he has done to relieve misery and destitution. I hope Mr. Molison with his family will long live to enjoy the honour which belongs to such deeds of kindness.

Mr. Young-- seconded the motion. He did not think it was necessary to add anything to the able statement of Mr. Hunter

Mr. Cunningham-- I may remark, Mr. chairman that there seems to as an impression out-of-doors, that this gift is so made as to be only a saving to the pockets of the ratepayers. Now that is quite a mistake. The fact is, no assessment could be laid on for at least ten years to me, for such a purpose as the extension of the Poorhouse. You are aware that present debt on the House must be cleared off before an assessment can be levied for any such extension; and it will take ten years to do that. The fact, therefore, that this gift was one which could have been provided by an assessment greatly enhanced its value.

The Chairman - Consequently we would have wanted that accommodation all that time.

The Secretary confirmed the statement made by Mr. Cunningham and said that was additional proof of its value--as we could not borrow any more money for the Poorhouse until the present debt be paid off.

The Chairman - That certainly enhances the value of the gift immensely.

Mr. Hay - It takes away that objection to which Mr. Cunningham referred. It is not generally known what Mr. and Mrs. Molison do for the poor of Dundee. Mrs. Molison, on innumerable occasions, had visited the Poorhouse, administering to the wants of the poor, when she was residing at Maryfield. In fact, the matron says--’the gifts and attention given unostentatiously by Mrs Molison to the poor inmates have been very considerable, and of which few knew anything.’

To Mrs. Molison’s liberality to the poor generally, Mr. Jack will be in a better position to bear testimony.

Mr. Jack--I can confirm everything that has been said by Mr. Hay. I do not come so much in contact with the Poorhouse as the Governor and the Poorhouse Committee necessarily do, but I fully corroborate so far as I know, what Mr. Hay has said. This I can testify that Mr. Molison’s gifts are not confined to such things as this, which are publicly known, for I can bear testimony, to his private charities which is largely bestowed on the poor of the parish and on may who are not legally entitled to parish relief. His attention to the poor may not be generally known, but I know, and some of the members of this Committee know, the great trouble, Mr. Molison takes in regard to the management of the poor, and also his private liberality to the poor. There are legal objects of relief, no doubt, but still Mr. Molison’s donations are not the less praiseworthy. His eyes are ever upon the deserving poor, and his pockets are ever open to them The chairman---I can add little to what has been already said but this I may say, that it is not the large amount which is given, but the spirit in which it is given, which makes the gift most valuable.

Mr. Hay mentioned that, as another proof of the necessity of the proposed hospital, that at present the diseased poor were placed in the large rooms of the house, and mixed with all kinds of inmates, in this way great inconvenience arose; and from the nature of some of the diseases, it occasioned great injustice to the other inmates, and sometimes the rooms were scarcely inhabitable. By the proposed erection, all cases will be taken to the Hospital; and besides adding to the comfort of the poor--both the sick and those in health, it will so condense the management, that less or at least no more expense will be occasional, and there will be more room in the House for the ordinary poor.

Mr. Hunter-These are very necessary and desirable results. My experiences, from the nature of the diseases of many of the poor in the House, the other patients and inmates cannot live in the same room, and in every point of view I agree in what has been said by Mr. Hay. After some further conversation as to the great value of the proposed addition to the Poorhouse building. Mr. Hay said, when seeing the secretary of the Board of Supervision in Edinburgh yesterday in regard to the plans, that gentleman had said that the Board of Supervision feel that the neighboring parishes of Liff and Benvie, Monifieth and Mains should, if possible, take means to use the Dundee Poorhouse for the in-door poor, and that such a combination would be for their mutual benefit. Although this was not connected with the present question before the Board, yet by all the diseased patients being treated in the proposed hospitals, more room could be given to the house in the event of any such arrangement being gone into, as suggested by the Secretary of the Board of supervision.

The Committee unanimously resolved to accept Mr. Molison’s gift consisting of Messrs. Guthrie, Yeaman and Hunter, to convey to Mr. Molison the thanks of the meeting, and their high sense of his munificent gift for the poor.