Notes from Newport Town Council Minutes
These are not full transcripts of the Minutes. They are my own notes.
1888-89 (November 1888 - November 1889) Source: Newport-on-Tay Council Minutes, newspaper reports
| Election results: John McLaggan 266, Robert Hunter 258, Thomas Scott 245, William Anderson 154, James Brown 151. The 3 retiring commissioners were all re-elected. [Membership remains the same as last year: Alexander Scott - Chief Magistrate, John H Walker - Senior Magistrate, J F Millar - Junior Magistrate, M S Carr, L McKenzie, James Thomson, Thomas Scott, John McLaggan, Robert Hunter.] [Courier 7 Nov 1888] |
| [Comment piece] Chief Magistrate Scott to present a gold badge to be worn by the Chief Magistrates of the Burgh. (illustration and description, Queen Victoria plus arms of Newport).[Evening Telegraph 15 Nov 1888] |
| Gift of the gold badge by Chief Magistrate Scott. Senior Magistrate - Walker, Junior Magistrate - Millar. Thomas Congleton clerk and F G Kemp treasurer. [Courier 16 Nov 1888] |
| Assessments for 1888-89: 6d per £ would produce about £450 (on an assessment roll value of £17500). Fully a third of this would be required for lighting the village and providing new lamps. Drainage borrowing is £4800, therefore a separate assessment of 2.5d per £ on owners of land or properties. Probably would be able to set a rate of 4d per £ in later years.[Courier 16 Nov 1888] |
| Gowrie Hill footpath extension eastwards from the station: Mr Perrie [sic, should be Berry] had consented to the extension and given £10, proprietors along the road have given £10, Railway Co have given £60 to cover the costs of the work plus £10 towards erecting and lighting lamps at East & West Stations and on the Gowrie Hill footpaths. This would cover the costs of the work after the Commission itself contributed £10. [Courier 16 Nov 1888] |
| Advert: Assessments within the Burgh - 6d per £ for the Police purposes of the Act on occupiers of land or premises valued at >£4, and on owners of land or premises rented at <£4 (the latter to have a deduction of 25%); also on all owners of lands or premises of 2.5d per £ as a Special Sewer Rate. [Courier 16 Nov 1888 - the same day as the report of the previous evening's decision to set the rates] |
| [Editorial] - In summing up the work of the Commissioners for the year 1888: drainage scheme almost completed , despite different opinions on ways of carrying it out, including unsuccessful attempt to stand for election to Commissioners; causewayed crossings laid down at convenient spots; footpaths rendered comfortable in wet weather; additional lamps erected; a public ashpit has been instituted; but footways in High Street have not yet been cleared of young men who lounge about them of an evening & compel passers-by to go into the muddy road. Newport is indebted to Chief Magistrate Scott. [Advertiser 2 Jan 1889] |
| Gas pipes and drainage works - leading to leakage of gas. Gas Company to charge Commissioners 5s 6.5d. for gas, the same as domestic consumers. Nobody to be allowed to open any pipe or dig into the road without the Commission's permission. [Courier 15 Jan 1889] |
| Sale of burgh manure - several offers received. Mr McLaggan to report to next meeting. [Courier 15 Jan 1889] |
| Street lighting - accounts for erection of 13 new street lamps & alterations to others were submitted and passed. [Courier 15 Jan 1889] |
| Progress on drainage works: since last report, all heavy work is done, contractors now setting the gullies, lifting the pipes from the old drains and connecting the private drains into the new drains. Alterations made to plans: drain in lane east of Kilnburn Place has been made deep enough for the cellars below the houses in Kilnburn Place; a new drain westward from the outlet at Bank Street to Mr Carr's house; the drain eastward from the Bank St outlet has been extended to Mr Smith's house. Re: Mr Gibb's objection to the connection to the new drain - discussions continue. [Courier 15 Jan 1889] |
| Proposed new station at Wormit: Railway Co propose to build a station to the east of the tunnel at Wormit, Commission think that the triangle of ground south of the signal box, between the main line and the Newport line would be better [i.e. to serve both main line and Newport line traffic]. Railway Co were against a stop on the main line 'at such an unimportant place as Newport'. Discussions continue. [Courier 15 Jan 1889] |
| [Comment piece] Newport Drainage Works: now nearing completion. Main sewers formed through all the streets in E and W Newport and manways, ventilators, gulleys and other sanitary appliances, according to the latest & most approved construction, have been provided. Existing drains from houses have been connected. Occupants of houses without drains will be told to form drains and connect to the new sewers. Sewage discharged at 4 points: at Fishers Road [Riverside Lane] near the West end of the village, at the Old Pier near the gas works, at the projecting point near the foot of James Street and at the foot of Bank Street, the last 2 being for the sewage of E Newport. At the outfalls, drains have been continued with iron pipes to the low water mark and the sewage is discharged where there is a strong current so that it is carried into the sea. Means provided for flushing the drains: in W Newport this will be by flushing water in wet weather, in dry weather the Lintrathen water supply will be used; in E Newport water will be obtained from the Tayfield burn in the Cupar Road. This burn can be turned through nearly all the sewers in E Newport & discharged into the river at any of the outlets. Where the burn cannot be carried through the sewers other means of flushing have been provided. In one or two instances the old drains remain & are now connected to the new system. The length of these old drains is about 300 yards, the total length of the new drains is about 10,000 yards. Some sewers carried through private grounds - all without objections. Work has been carried out by Messrs George Mackay & Sons, Broughty Ferry, and Mr William Strachan, East Wemyss, has been the inspector. Engineers: Robert Blackadder, Dundee & John Young, Perth. [Advertiser 8 Feb 1889] |
| Death of Mr Harry Walker - Special meeting held - Expression of the sincere and profound regret of the Commissioners and their sense of great loss sustained by the community of Newport. Acknowledge the great services he has conferred on the burgh, the parish & the district round about. He came to Newport about 35 years ago when it was a comparatively small village. He was chairman of the Parochial Board for many years, he was the first chairman of the School Board. He was a Road Trustee, assisting in improving the roads & footpaths … when it was proposed that Newport become a burgh he most actively assisted and has been well represented by his son Mr J H Walker … [Advertiser 19 Mar 1889] |
| Discussions in Parliament: Mr Congleton, being Sheriff-Clerk of Forfarshire, is prohibited from holding any other paid office and will resign as Clerk to the Commissioners of Newport, which he held through a misunderstanding of the terms of his appointment in Forfarshire. [Advertiser 12 Apr 1889] |
| Resignation of Mr Congleton as Clerk - accepted most reluctantly. Mr John Scrimgeour, solicitor, appointed. [Courier 18 Apr 1889] |
| Two applications received for Burgh Clerk - Mr James Gold, solicitor & Mr John Scrimgeour, solicitor. Mr Scrimgeour appointed unanimously. [Advertiser 18 Apr 1889] |
| The whole of the rates assessment have been collected, both general purposes and drainage, except for 8s.6d. This was generally considered satisfactory. [Courier 18 Apr 1889] |
| Drainage scheme: sum borrowed to complete the scheme - £4800; prospective expenditure - £4770 - considered very satisfactory. [Courier 18 Apr 1889] |
| Drainage scheme: Sum borrowed - £4800; contract sum £4200, extra work £50, expenses already paid £150, engineer's commission & allowance £220, payment to Road Trustees & other expenses £150, total £4770. Although adding a little taxation to the proprietors, it would greatly increase the value of property in Newport. [Advertiser 18 Apr 1889] |
| New properties: plans submitted by Mr Tait - approved; by Mr Christie - meet him about the placing of coal sheds towards the front. [Courier 18 Apr 1889] |
| Drainage system complete - a thorough inspection yesterday - everything in order. Flushing apparatus was successfully employed - no sediment left in the pipes. It is now desired that any houses not yet connected to the system will do so at once. There will be full & periodic flushing of the drains so that the full benefits of the system will be obtained. [Advertiser 1 May 1889] |
| Drainage Scheme - Thanks to ex-Provost Robertson on behalf of the community of Newport. Mr Robertson had been asked to be arbiter of the plans for the scheme and he readily agreed. He gave the 4 plans a full examination and reported to the Commissioners. He had great difficulty in deciding between the first 2 plans. Since neither of these two plans fully met the Commissioners' requirements, the gentlemen who had submitted the leading two plans jointly prepared a new plan which included the best portions of both, in consultation with the Commissioners and Mr Robertson. Mr Robertson emphatically declined any fee or reward for his efforts in connection with the drainage scheme. [Courier 22 May 1889] |
| Advert: Paving of footpaths - Commissioners will call on proprietors to pave the footpaths along the main roads fronting the river, and as the Commissioners may accept concrete of a substantial description in place of pavement, they hereby invite offers for the laying of the footpaths referred to with concrete in terms of specification which may be had from the Commissioners' Clerk. Offers to be lodged by Monday 10th. July. [Advertiser 1 Jun 1889] |
| Annual accounts. Including: sale of burgh manure £68-14-0; payments for emptying of ashpits £128-11-6; payments for lighting £98-12-8.[Courier 9 Jul 1889] |
| Need for municipal buildings - for holding the Commission's meetings but also the storage of papers and 'implements of the burgh'. Sub-committee had examined the vacant ground at Kilnburn Steps. Needed somewhere urgently - but at a reasonable price. Nowhere is suitable. Presently paid £11-4-7 for use of the Blyth Hall for meetings; the feu of the ground at the stair is only £10. They had got some labourers to dig holes to see what excavations would be required - a great deal of expenditure would be needed. They need something cheaper. Look for somewhere at a feu rate of £10 per annum but it all comes down to the costs of excavation. Have another look at that site and at any others that were available. [Courier 9 Jul 1889] |
| Concreting of pavements: today is the last day for receiving offers. Hopeful of a positive outcome by the next meeting. [Courier 9 Jul 1889] |
| At a meeting of the Tay Ferrries Committee of the Dundee Harbour Board Mr Leitch, convener, reported that the local authority at Newport had called upon the Trustees to pave the roadway in front of their property. Mr Cunningham, engineer, reported that to lay the roadway between the pier and the hotel with granolithic pavement would cost £73. Matter remitted to Convener & Mr Cunningham with powers [they agreed to get it done]. [Advertiser 22 Aug 1889] |
| The Blyth Hall Trustees have accepted tenders for the additions to the Blyth Hall - including offices. A 2-storey extension to the south where at present the small hall and keeper's house are situated. On the ground floor - a hall kitchen, a smoking room and the keeper's house. On upper floor the municipal offices and rooms: Collector's Office, Chief Magistrate's room, room for the Clerk to the Commissioners, and the office of the School Board. Also a hall 46' 6" by 21', being 3' wider than the present small hall which will be divided into 2 retiring rooms in connection with the main hall. Also a staircase from upper to main hall. Architect Alexander Johnston, Dundee, architect of the original hall. Mason work - David Mackie, Newport; joiner work - David Latto, Newport; slater - A Storrier; plumber work - David Brown, Dundee; plasterer - Mr Robertson, Newport. [Advertiser 16 Oct 1889] |
| [Editorial] When Mrs Blyth Martin, at whose sole expense the Blyth Hall was originally built, heard of the Commissioners' search for new premises, she told them that instead of building on a new feu there was ample room at the back of the Blyth Hall. The new accommodation comprises room for the Police Commission and Board of Health, the Parochial Board, the School board, the Literary Society, and the Public Library. Mrs Blyth Martin has offered an advance of £1500 secured at a low rate of interest on the rents which the Public Bodies have agreed to pay for a period of 15 years. Not only that, but the accessories of the Blyth Hall itself - Committee rooms, supper room & kitchen will be greatly improved. Newport is very grateful to its benefactress for such a wise application of wealth so quietly and unostentatiously exercised. [Advertiser 17 Oct 1889] |
| Statutory meeting of the Commission. Now the end of their second year. The first year was devoted to the drainage system. The second has concentrated on lighting - much success but even more improvements needed over next 2 years. Also this year, the improvement of footpaths - a start has been made. [Courier 18 Oct 1889] |
| Assessment for 1889-90: 8d per £ for ordinary police purposes in addition to the proceeds from the sale of the burgh manure would allow the repayment of £600 incurred last year and probably pay off part of the additional £200 owed by the Board. Of the 8d assessment, 3d is for lighting (the charge used to be 1d. or 1.5d. by the previous authority). For drainage, they had levied a rate of 2.5d. last half-year and 4d. would be sufficient for the following year. Assessment therefore to be 8d per £ for ordinary police purposes and 4d. for a special sewer rate. [Courier 18 Oct 1889] |
| Retiring Commissioners: Mr Carr (not seeking re-election), Mr McKenzie (not seeking re-election) & Mr Thomson (poor health, not seeking re-election). [Courier 18 Oct 1889] |
| Advert: Assessments - (1) 8d per £ for the police purposes of the Act on all occupiers of lands or premises rented at £4 and above; also on owners of lands or premises rented at <£4 but with a deduction of one-fourth of the amount. (2) 4d. per £ on all owners of lands or premises as a special sewer rate. [Courier 22 Oct 1889] |
| Comment piece: Operations in progress to lay pavements along the front road in Newport. Pavement already laid from the extreme east end as far as the boat pier. Now, the Police Commissioners and Gas Co are making havoc of the roadway in West Newport. Concrete pavement is being laid on a footpath underneath which is a gas main which has to be lifted and placed under the roadway. Nobody objects but the conditions left by the works are disgraceful …no lights at night … [Advertiser 24 Oct 1889] |
| Letter: I am informed that 2 ladies, while walking along the footpath in West Newport tonight, fell into a hole about 2 feet deep … no lights or other protection … Commissioners ought to warn people of the dangers … signed 'Not a Candidate'. [Evening Telegraph 25 Oct 1889] |
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