Some Extracts From Reports By The Inspector Of Nuisances To The Commissioners Of Police, Thurso. Compiled by G. WatsonThe Inspector Of Nuisances developed over the years into the post of Sanitary Inspector, he was employed by the Commissioners of Police to improve the cleanliness of the town. In addition he maintained the roads, constructed sewers and drains, looked after the water supply, and street lighting. 14th September 1874"The Burgh Fiscal Mr James Gunn has laid down a large quantity of Stones on the public road opposite his feu in Ulbster Terric (i.e. the upper part of Princes St near the Station) and Inspector called upon him to have it closed in according to Act. And as it is in a part of the Town where their is so much Trifac after dark owing to let Trains comming in it is very dangerous. But as yet he had done nothing to it.As instructed at last meeting I have gauged the spring at Bloody moss and found it to yeald 11520 gallons in twenty-four hours."14th December 1874"Inspector .... has exammend the Byres belonging to Mr Robert Inas and they are kept in a very filthy state. Being a publick nucance and ask liberty to hand inn his name to burgh fiskel for procecution.The Inspector would call the Commissioners attention to sewer from Mr Garry's house (now Viewfirth) as he has made it down to upper corner of reservoir and left it open there.A cart belonging to Mr. Andrew Swanson came in contact with lamp post in Campbell Street and brock the glass and as their is no glass in Town, Inspector craves instructions."8th March 1875"Seeing Messrs Stewart's account today for gass I find he has been charging for 55 lamps when there is only 54 Publick Lamps in Town and only 53 before March 1874."8th May 1880'The Dyke in Durness Street between Mr Macdonalds property and the old church is in a dangerous state and would require to be taken down." (The old church was the Original Secession Church founded about 1766-7, it was situated on the north side of Durness St and to the west of the short street which runs between Durness Street and the Esplanade.)13th December 1880"Wilson Street. The Cooperative Society pavement wants to be relayed.The pavement in front of Police Office relayed."8th January 1881Water. There is a great waste of water in frosty weather. Nearly all those that has it in their houses lets the water run to keep their pips from fresing."August 8th 1881Custom. The sum of 16/4 custom collected on the Petermas market was handed to the clark."13th February 1882Mr. Leitch Balliemore is to build a dick behind the stone at the Braehead - known as Craig Stone, the ground to be enclosed is Public Property, I therefore call the attention of the Commission to it."June 11th 1883"There is 37 streets and lanes in the Town that is named but in the Old Town there is some lanes that is not named .... ".December 8th 1884"The shade proposed to be built behind the Hall will cost about £10 to build it with bricks and a slate roof. And corrugated Iron about f7 10/-. And to be put up with Flagstone with sawn edges in front with shadeover roof about £5. And to put up with wood £3:15. The clothes postes proposed for the Island, Iron 11/- each, wood 3/- each. The palls will cost 2/3 per foot or 18/- per pall."March 9th 1885"I inspected the common Lodging Houses in Town and find them in a very fare state of cleanliness. William Hart has accommodation in his house for 17 lodgers. William Farquhars house will accommodate 5 lodgers. The rules will require to be reprinted as some of them is woren out and disfigured."13 July 1885"The inside of the Meadow Well is cleaned out and gravel from the beach put in the bottom.""Mr Peterkin has recommended that some parts in the Old Town should be lime washed such as Mrs Smiths property in Wilson Street, the dick at Mr Smith of Olrigs property, the dick behind the well in Shore Street and such like places."August 30th 1890"I must report to the Commissioners that the horse is still lame and is unfit for works?"The old flagstone sawmill belonging to Mr James Gerry at the braehead is in a dangerous state as a part of it has fallen and it is dangerous for children and others that is passing under the Brae."Oct 11th 1890"Notice must be given to Dr Smith to get his dunghill removed and to put proper drains into his stable and not alow the filthy water to run down upon Mr Dicks cotch house." (Is this the same Dr Smith whose memorial fountain can still be seen on the Esplanade?)"The old Tolehouse Olrig Street is very filthy and dangerous."10th January 1891"The old tolehouse will soon be all removed, we are carting, the stones down to near Mr. Hatfields property some of them for mettle and others for building purposes." (The Scrabster Toll was located in the private garden behind the telephone box in Olrig Street.)7th March 1891"Water. There is a grate dale of wast at the street pumps by children. 1 think that the teachers of the schools should get notice to provent it opsite there schools, which there is an aful lot of wast at the pumps."9th May 1891"There is need of a larger cart for the Newtown distric of the Town because the ashes and refuse is incresing daly and the present cart is not able to contane all the stif and to have all the town clened in the mornings and puting out the cart for clening away ashes in the afternoon is away with the time that 1 cannot get any other work done with the men and the men has given notice that they intend to leve the service unless they get 1/- added to there weeks wages."6th June 1891I have called upon Mr. McKay the harbour contractor concerning the water that he uses for the boring apratus and steem cran at the Brounhill quarry without paying water rates and he informed me that he was willing to pay a reasonable sum for the water but if not he would take the water from the river.9th January 1892I have fixted utlizers on a few of the street lamps for a trial for improving the light and I see that it makes a grate Improvement but it would cost about £2:10 to apply them to all the lamps.11th February 1893I have to report to the Commissioners about the state of one of the horse belonging to the Commissioners which is very much don up on the lags with resting of the one on the other the whole of his legs is gone and with the pain of his leags it has reduced him in condition. I am afraid that very soon he shall not be able to do the work. Before the Commissioners had taken the road in hand he used to get a half day of rest very often but since then he has no chance of a rest because I could find plenty of work for 3 horse now between clensing and metaling and gravel for so many walks and carting so much mud of the streets and roads.6th May 1893The drain in Durnes St is finished and is conected to a drain that comes along the side of the road to the boundary dick between the Gleeb and Pennyland and I have conected this drain into the dick so that the water from the pennyland dam shall come down into the sewer in Durnas St and give it a flush.8th July 1893The water is keeping up better since the Fishing season is over but there is a great dale of water carried from the pump at the Braehead for the engines at the harbour and a great dale of it applyed in watering gardings ete and cattle and horse washing and washing machines and 10 engines pipending on it and since three years there has been 33 pipes conected with the main water pipes in the streets and 78 branches taken of that pipes closets washtubs urinals laundarys sinks and actmatic flushes which discharges itself when it is full and still the water doe as well yet as it did 3 years ago and the population is more in the town than was at that time.11th November 1893Victoria Walk is terrable cut up with carts carting material for the buildings at the battry. The artillery officers promises to put it in repare. There should not be allowed any more carting along the walk as it shall cause the embankments give away and make a land slip....6th January 1894The sinks and strands is daly disinfected with clorida of lime and the scafengers cart is sent twice a day through the streets and lanes in the old town to keep it as clen as possable.I have called into a good many houses and a few of the houses I found them not in a clenly state and I gave directions to the parties to have there houses clened within 48 hours and if not that it would be done at there expenses. I beg of the commissioners of police to grant me the service of two weman for a week or so to give a througha clening to some of the houses in the lower end of the town.8th December 1894I made into the workshopes which was reported by Miss Paterson. First, Miss Bakie Roterdame St measurement of workshops 20 feet x 12 feet hight 7ft. There is no water closet and ventlations from 2 windows and is very clen and airy. Miss Bakie employee 5 hands and there is a speace of 260 cubic feet for each person and the average of hours for each day is 8 hours.(There are similar entries for five other workshops).The Fever patients in the Hospital is improving and two of them shall likely be taken across to ther own house this week.Dena Dick which lived in Coopers lane had died and was intered at the expences of the town but as her son is expected here shortly he might be asked to bare the expences of his mother interment.9th March 1895The blankets at the Hospital requires to be washed as it has not been don since the Hospital was last occpyed owing to the stormy weather.7th April 1895The washing of the blankets at the Burnside Hospital has not being don owing to the weather being so unsettled and the washer woman being unwell.8th June 1895As directed by the commissioners..... to inspect all the lodging houses within the Burgh and have all the sleping compartments measured, Mr. Coghill Burgh Surveyor and myself went and inspected and measured the compartments which we were doubtful of. We found them all clen healthy and satisfactory and according to the measurements of the compartments in which they lived in it shows that there is not over crowding in the lodging houses.(There follows a table giving compartment dimensions and number of occupants.)6th July 1895There is one nuisance which requires to be don away with and I hope that the commissioners shall consider it necessarily. It is dicks (ducks) which puddles away in the water in the street strand from morning to night intil they become black and dirty with sewage water and even obstruct the way of people on walking the pavements. I called on several of the owners of the dicks and asked them to keep the dicks of the streets. They did so for a few days but they still continue the practice of alowing there dicks on the strs.7th September 1895Miss Banks High St wishes the commissioners to remove the gass lamp which is fixed on to the corner of her property as it is causing the wall to give way when the lamp is shaken with high winds. I was called by Miss Banks to Ispect the inside of the wall opsite the lamp and I saw that there was a grate crack into the wall in which I could place my hand inside of it. I have no doubt but that the lamp is helping the wall to give way with some decayed stones which is in the wall.12th October 1895The 7" sluice valve which the Glenfield Co sent has been placed in the main water pipe at the railway station and is working all right. And the 6" sluice valve is sent on to the Glenfield Co in exchange.4th December 1895I called at the house ocpyed by Angus and Barbra McDonald in Carnabyes Lane and I must say that the house is in a most dangerous state for it is just about falling upon them and it is in a filthy state and they wont do anything in regards of clening it. They will have to be removed by the assistance of the Police and given over to the Parish council and sent the poor house. They ar starving for the want of food and clothing and the ajoining house of the same property is in a most dangerous state ......11th April 1896I have tested the fire Hose down in the Cowgate where there were a full preasure of water and I found the hose to stand the full preasure of water and working all right but I entend to improve the hose cart by placing winders on it that it can discharge the hose itself along the street and then that it can be wound up without draging when the streets is weat and muddy ......5th May 1896I had to stop puting the towns manure into the harbour as it was causing nasty smells and papers going with the wind and all the chaff beds had to be put into the sea with the ebb tides as we could not put down at the harbour and Donald Budge flesher has stoped taking any of the manure. I had to send it to the far side of Mountplesat Farm as there were no other place. It is much to far away for the horse with so much uphill and to finish the clensing in the fornoon.6th June 1896I have to report to the Commissioners that I had to undertake to have the remains of Moses Willimson tinker which was killed at Scrabster bridge removed to the place of interment. The remains was left to long without being buried and I had to interfear and have it don. But before doing so I concilted the Burgh Fiscal about the matter, whither it was the County Council or the Burgh Commissioners or the Parish Council that had a right to have the remains buried. The Fiscal asked to speak to Mr W Auld Inspecor and to Mr Robertson sanitory inspecor for the County to see if they would take to do with it. I spoak to Mr Auld and he told me that he could nothing in the case. I then spoak to Mr Robertson and he told me to go on and have it done and to send all the accounts of expenses to the County Council and if the County Council considered that they had a right to pay the expenses of the interment that they would do it.8th August 1896I have called upon all the fleshers in town and asked them to have there slaughterhouses lime washed and clened and they have agreed to have it done as soon as possable and some of them has don it already...I have called upon all the bakers in town and spected ther bakehouses. I have asked them to have there bakehouses whitwashed and clened down and all the bakers has promised to have it done as soon as possable.11th September 1896 There is a passage between the properties of Mr. John Tait and Mrs. Mackays Publichouse in Swansons St which is causing a nuisance to the public as there is a continual run of urine coming down the passage which is made principally by parties which comes out from Miss McKays house. I am not aware whither this passage is public or private or if it dos belong to the properties abuting it. It would require to be shut with a gate at end next to Swansons St. There is an old stone built drain in the passage refared which is broken down and which there is a nasty stanch from it. As I reported to the commissioners the necessiety of having a fresh layer of sand put on the filther beds at the reservier in May last but is time now to have it don. It requires about 30 tons of Murkle Sand. 12th December 1896 Now if the two lamps is put up at the Harbour they will require a meter if they ar to be lighted all night. As the ship captains and fishermen says that the lamps will be of little use to them unless the lamps is left lighted all night and if that is to be done I think the harbour master could have charge of lighting and puting them out in the morning. 9th April 1897 I have gone over all the town and making a specil inspection for to find if there were nuisences anywhere which required to be removed or abated. I find that the town is as clean if not cleaner than at any other period of the year. I must say that the Town is improving year after year in the way of clenliness and there is no infectious diseases in the town at present. I entend to get the flowr plots dressed soon in Sir Johns Squire. I wish to know if the commissioners is to supply flowr seeds for it this season. Sir Tolmache Sinclair supplyed all the flower seeds the last season. 6th August 1897 I have to report that the Town is at present clen and there is no infectious deseases excepting one case of mescels which secured last week. The patient was removed and admitted into the casual poors house Rose St by the concent of Mr Logan chairman of the Parish Council Board, as the Burnside Hospitle is occpyed at present with a patient taken with tifoid fever from the Parish of Bower. As I was asked by the commissioners to give a probably estimate of keeping of Sir John Sqaure for the pas three months. The expenditure for mans time 13 days at 2/6 per day, £1:12:6 and 7 gallons of weed-killer for applying on walks at 2/- per gallon 14/- in altogher £2:6:6. One cutting of the grass will do it this season. 11th September 1897 I have to report to the commissioners that there has been one case of infectious disease in the town for the last month. A child belonging to a woman from the country. The child has been in the town for some time with a nurse in Wilson Street. It was taken with scarlet fever and it was removed to the Burnside Hospiatle by orders of Dr Smith. I beg to ask the commissioners if they shall grant me a few holydays this year. I could arrange with the clerk at any suitable time for going on leve. I shall be obliged. Your Obedient Servant, John Innes. 9th December 1897 The Addition to shead at the commissioners stable is finished and the ambulance waggan has not into shelter at last. I beg to inquire of the Commissioners if there is any law or by law to prohabit boys and others from fishing sillocks and small fishes at or near the mouth of sewer pipes leding from the WC at the Esplenade and the pipes leding from WC at Swansons Quay in the Harbour. It is considered very offensive and possable that fish is dangerous to humane health after they are eaten. They ar sold through the town and said to be fish caught at Scrabster Roads. ......the contract with Mr William Moore Ormlie is about finished for this year ...... I am of opinion that straw need not be advertised for as the old horse cannot eat straw. I tryed straw this year but he could not eat it so I had to get hay. If good hay could be got for the horse they might get a little less corn than they would require with straw, so the difference in the account would not be much more. 8th January 1898 ... I have been making inquiries from the lowerymen at the Railway station to see how they were feeding there horses. But according to the information that I received from them it would not be possable for the commissioners to feed there horse the same way and it would be more expenses as the Wordie & Co has machinery for cutting the hay and brusing Indian corn. I sent to every town where they have horse working. I will have to dismiss Norman McKay from the commissioners service as he is in no ways suitable for the work for which requires to be don. It cannot be expected that a man between 70 and 80 years of age can be very fit for work and lighting and extinguishing the Towns lamps, which requires to be don with activity. But as he has been long in the commissioners employment I dont wish to dismiss him without the Commissioners concent and approvil. 12th February 1898 Again I have to report to the Commissioners that one of the seats on the Victoria Walk has been ranched out the ground and thrown over the bank head and another one partly broken up and thrown over the bank into the sea by some malicious person or persons. I wish to know if the Commissioners wishes the seats to be replaced by placing new ones. The lengthy report dated 16th May 1898 covers an inspection of piggeries, byres, dairies and milk stores, and lodging houses. There were at least nine pigs and 93 cows in the town. The animals were kept in ones or twos by individual families, the pigs being young animals which were being raised for slaughter or sale. There were five milk stores belonging to milk suppliers who had up to 12 cows each. 6th July 1898 The Thurso gass manager has asked me for permission to empty 8 or 9 barrels of gass liquid at the manure Depot at Oldfield but before granting him permission I beg to inform the commissioners of it as it is poisonous and smells very offensive. But at the same time I beg to say that it will make a splendid disinfectant if it were sprinkled all over the manure heap it would saturate into the manure and disappear. It would save puttong on quick lime for a time. 6th August 1898 .....an agreement must be made with Willim Angus officer of the Established Church for lighting the Town Clock. Mr Eric Manson is quite willing to continue the lighting of the clock if the clock would be lighted at the by pass at the street with a certain amount of gass left burning all day ........ there is three jets burning to alumnating the clock but if a incondecent was put instead it would give as much light if not more and the consuming of gass less. ..... have inquired of the coastguards man if he would take charge of the life buoy and line but has informed me that he could not take charge of it as he had other duties to preform but that he would assist to look after it as much as he could so that it would not be tampered with and he purposes that it should be placed on a peg to the buttress wall of the Esplenade between the bathing coaches and steps at the west end of the Esplenade and he is also willing to give any practice to any gentlemen or ladys which wishes to get information about the use of it at the time of saving persons from drowning. 9th September 1898 .....the manual Fire Engine has come from Perth since about three weeks ago and all its fittings for working it but I have not tryed it as yet but I am certain that it will do its work all right but the shed where it is keept is not good for it as it is very damp nearly everything which is keep in it is destroyed with rust. The ambulance waggon is in a bad state with rust and the pent and the cloths is falling off with rust ..... something required to be done to the old ambulance coach soon or it will be a shame to go out with in when it is required. I have also to state that other two lenths of Fire Hose has come of 6Oft each there is in all 180 feet of new Hose and 150 of old hose. I have to state that a branch coupling for 2-1/2in. Hose for coupling two hoses to the Engine, a fire would be sooner extinguished. This coupling would be very serviceable and it will not cost much. 12th November 1898 ..... I asked Mr. Robert McDonald,, manager of Lightings Department Perth to send me a lighting road or a match stick as it is called for lighting street lamps. I does better than the torch with stormy weather as the torch is often put out with the wind and delayes the lamplighters so that they have to go out to light sooner. But the matchstick will act with any kind of weather. It is a grate benefit because it dos not require oile or wick or triming of any kind. At times the one match will light two lamps. 8th December 1898 I have to bring under the notice of the commissioners the necessity of having a Fire Brigade formed or organized for working The Fire Engine when required as it takes 20 men to make it work with the speed that it requires. But in my opinion the best way would be to get assistance at the fire engine at fires would be to give each man which assisted 1/- per hour and less than one hour 6d and the commissioners to charge the Insurance for the expence if the propertys were insured with any company and I believe that there would be plenty to assist if they were made aware of such an arrangement. 6th January 1899 ..... there is slaughtered swine taken from the country to a Flesher in the Town. Since the Public Slaughterhouse has been used for slaughtering animals and in my opinion if animals slaughtered in from the country is to be continued that the customs taken at the Public Slaughterhouse will be less than may be expected. 9th February 1899 The rules of the Fire Brigade has been printed and I have given a copy of it to each member of the Brigade and a list of names and I expect to begin practice noon. 6th May 1899 I have gone over the greatest part of the Town inspecting the water fittings in houses and presises and as fas as I could see or find the water fittings were in working order exceping 3 or 4 places which had to be repared. But at the same time I am aware that there is a great dale of water wasted at the old fashioned pan water closets which there is a great many of them in the Town still. When they are used they ar often allowed to run for a considerable time and some people puts a bit a wood or other material under the upull lever for allowing the water to run. If there were more of the washdown pedestal closets in the Town it would be a great saving upon water as it only allows about 2 gallons of water to pass at a time. 8th July 1899 On 15th June I had to arrange with Mr Murdo Sutherland joiner for to have the mortal remains of J........ S...... intered at the expence of the Town. He was not on the poors board and his friends did not wish to acknowledge him. 9th September 1899 I beg to give an explanation to the Commissioners of the extra cost for the horse feeding from May 15th 98 to May 15th 99. I have to remind the Commissioners that at a monthly meeting held in 9th Dec 97 it was agreed to advertise for corn and hay only without any straw as the old horse which is past 26 years of age could not eat straw. The contract for corn and hay ..... was as follows corn 18/- per quarter, Hay 1/4 per stone. From October 98 to January 99 was all new hay green and heavy to be compared with the bulk it had, and one bag of bran was allowed for each horse in 4 weeks as corn and hay alone is not very suitable for regularly worked cart horses. In my opinion the Commissioners horses can be compared with any other regularly worked horses in Thurso for there feeding as they have to be at work every day of 6 days in the week. It is no advantage to have an old horse for either his feeding or the work. .....the Town Clock is not lighted yet as a committee were appointed the last year for making a arrangement about the lighting of the Town Clock and as that committee may be still in power to make arrangements as they think proper, I have not interfered in the matter. 7th October 1899 .....I will give the names of places which is the largest consumers (of water) for other than domestic work. Two Posting Establishments .......... Washing Carriages Three Hotels .................. Washing Carriages Six Fishouring Establishments........ Washing Fish Clening One Gass Works ......... Clening Gass The Policy Park ............. Cattle Drinking Sir Georges Park .................... for Cattle and horse Two Steem Engines ............... Turning laythe, sawing wood.Five Farm Steadings ................. Wattering cattle and horse Eight Bakhouses ..................... Manufacture of Bread The Slaughterhouse ................. Manufacturing One water trough ................... Public Trough Railway Station ................ Washing CarriagesBooling Green ...................... Watering green 16th October 1899 Child of Paggie Noulance tinker buried at the expense of the Burgh. ~~~~~~~~~~This sad entry is the final one in a Report Book which gives a clear insight into the developing Burgh of Thurso from 1872 until 1899.
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