Notes from Newport Town Council Minutes
These are not full transcripts of the Minutes. They are my own notes.
1889-90 (November 1889 - November 1890) Source: Newport-on-Tay Council Minutes, newspaper reports
| Nominations have closed and only three candidates, therefore no election. Mr Edward Moir, manufacturer, Craighead; Mr Alex. Robertson, builder, James St; Mr Andrew Leitch, shipowner - all elected. [Courier 1 Nov 1889] |
| Pavements - several of the back streets are badly in need of the Commissioners' attention. Lighting - several double burner lamps placed at important points. [Advertiser 1 Nov 1889] |
| 11 November 1889 - statutory meeting. [Courier, 12 Nov 1889] |
| Kirking of the Commission - Chief Magistrate Scott, Senior Magistrate Walker, Junior Magistrate Millar, Commissioners Thomas Scott, John McLaggan, Robert Hunter, Andrew Leitch, Edward Moir, Alexander Robertson; clerk John Scrimgeour, collector Fred G Kemp. [Advertiser 19 Nov 1889] |
| Letter - offensive nuisance of dung being imported and unloaded at East Newport has again begun. Can the commissioners & N B Railway not insist that the unloading stance be moved … ? [Advertiser 20 Nov 1889] |
| Letter - complaint from John Hampton about drains being blocked and causing offensive smells. [Advertiser 7 Dec 1889] |
| Some of the concreting of pavements found to be defective - contractor to rectify.[Courier 14 Dec 1889] |
| Report on drainage - completed, in operation satisfactorily for a year. Some improvements will be made - eg more gullies. An accumulation of gravel, sand & mud removed from the sewer at the pier, and from the sewer at Tayport Road near the foot of Cupar Road. Blamed on severe thunderstorms in August last and settling of the ground around the pipes. Do not anticipate such deposits to occur in future - the first year is always the most difficult. Contract for maintenance expires on 31st Dec and then the contractors will receive their final payment. Chief Magistrate Scott said there had been a great deal of talk about two or three parts of the system but these defects were known about. [Courier 14 Dec 1889] |
| Purchase of new fire hose about 600 yards long & capable of being divided into 2 sections, cost about £35. The kind of carriage on which the hose would be placed had not yet been decided. [Courier 14 Dec 1889] |
| Newport is an electoral division of Fife County Council and the ratepayers have to elect someone to represent them on the Council. The Commission propose recommending Chief Magistrate Scott as a candidate. [Advertiser 14 Dec 1889] |
| The Board of Supervision has stated that the Newport drainage scheme was one of the best in Scotland. [Advertiser 14 Dec 1889] |
| Further letter from John Hampton about the drains, especially the one at the ferry pier, and implying that the bottom of the sewer there had been knocked out allowing the discharge to find its own way into the river. [Advertiser 16 Dec 1889] |
| Letter from a long-time resident, 'Forgan', about the state of Kirk Road, stating it didn't all belong to Tayfield and that the Commissioners should consider sorting it. Also comments about the historical roads in the area.[Courier 17 Dec 1889] |
| Another letter from J Hampton about drainage … but also stating that additional pipes are being installed to take the surface water [Advertiser 1 Jan 1890] |
| Donation of £100 from Andrew Carnegie, New York, towards the equipment and extension of the library (communicated via John Leng MP). [Evening Telegraph 14 Jan 1890] |
| St Andrews Road Trustees to restrict their claim against the Newport Commissioners to £24-10-0. [Advertiser 14 Jan 1890] |
| Advert: Police Commissioners are prepared to receive offers for the burgh manure for the year 1890. … Offers stating the price per cubic yard to be lodged on or before Tuesday 28th. [Courier 21 Jan 1890] |
| Alexander Scott is the sole candidate for the County Council to represent Newport (568 electors, no poll required) [Courier 22 Jan 1890] |
| New fire hose cart for Newport: The police commissioner have just had delivered a neat horse cart for use in case of fire in the village. There is ample accommodation inside the cart for the hose, & on the outside connecting pipes, hatchets etc are strapped to the sides, while brackets have also been provided for carrying ladders. The cart is covered in with a door at each end & will be drawn by the firemen. It is very light, set on springs & the wheels are of medium height. Tomorrow afternoon the commissioners will meet at their yard at 1.30 when the new appliance will be inspected and tested. Mr David Bennet, cartwright & vanbuilder, East Henderson's Wynd, was the maker. [Evening Telegraph 1 Mar 1890] |
| Testing of new fire hose and appliance - considerable number of the public in attendance - also James Stewart plumber, David Lickley & William Walker. Commissioner John McLaggan had organised the purchase. Tested at various water cocks with 5/8 and 3/4 inch nozzles. Results most satisfactory - jets on average about 50 feet in height. At the back of Kerr Street the pressure was very creditable; at the Provost's house it was equally satisfactory. At the Royal Hotel 2 jets were attached to the same pipe and the water was thrown right over the building - reaching an estimated 70 feet height. Morris's patent used in the couplings. Arrangements being made for organising a local brigade, Mr Bennet of Dundee Fire Brigade invited to give a series of lessons. [Courier 3 March 1890] |
| Proposed to form a new street running from thr south end of Youngsdale Place through the existing railway bridge to form a means of access to the newly erected houses behind the railway. Meeting of Commissioners shortly to decide the levels of the street, which will be 40' wide. [Advertiser 17 Mar 1890] |
| Extension of Burgh Boundary: Resolved to apply to the Sheriff for power to include within the area of the burgh a portion of feuing ground, 35 acres, lying to the westward [sic, should be eastward] of Newport East station on part of which Mr Robertson is erecting several villas. [Advertiser 26 Mar 1890] |
| Additions to Blyth Hall (with drawing & plan of interior) - thanks to Mr & Mrs Blyth Martin - adding a flat to the old small hall and a new wing to the south of it. On the ground floor, the old small hall is divided into 2 rooms - to be used as retiring rooms in connection with the large hall and also as Library and Reading Rooms. The Newport Public Library, now housed at the Independent Church, is to be transferred to one of them and arrangements will probably be made to have a reading room open during the day. In the new portion of the building is the hallkeeper's house on the east side, & two new rooms in connection with the hall on the west. One of these is to be equipped as a kitchen with service lift to the upper floor. On the upper floor - the new small hall & a series of public offices. New small hall measures 44' x 21', 3 feet wider than the former small hall. Access to it from Blyth Hall by a staircase behind the platform or from the corridor between it and the public offices. This corridor opens out onto the street behind a flight of 5 steps. Public offices - rooms for the clerks of the School Board, Police Commission, and Parochial Board, andd a Provost's room. They are 16' in depth and 12' to 17' in width. Suitable lavatories provided on each floor. Additions to be completed during the summer. Architect Alex. Johnston, Dundee. Plan of interior of upper floor shows Provost's room on extreme right of the entrance, Parochial Board office next to it, then a lobby leading from the street to the small hall, on the left of the lobby is the Police Commission office, and to the left of it the School Board's office. [Advertiser 17 Apr 1890] |
| Extension of the Burgh boundaries: to include about 35 acres lying to the east of East Railway Station. Sheriff Mackay at Cupar approved the extension. [Advertiser 30 Apr 1890] |
| Mr T M Cappon, architect, has been appointed Burgh Surveyor for Newport. It may now be confidently anticipated that the roads in Newport, about which a good deal has been said, will receive proper attention. [Courier 4 Jun 1890] |
| Alexander Scott [Provost of Newport] gives notice of motion at the Fife County Council Meeting 'that a commitrtee be appointed to confer with the Commissioners of Newport in regard to their application to have certain streets of that burgh place on the list of roads maintained by the Road Board, or alternatively to consider what pecuniary arrangement could be made with the burgh in connection with their maintenance'. [Advertiser 4 Jun 1890] |
| Advert : Wanted, Hallkeeper for the Blyth Hall - The hallkeeper & his wife will take entire charge of the Hall, rooms & offices ... keeping them clean, lighting the fires & giving their personal attendance to the occupants when required. A full time position. Emoluments are a comfortable free house, coals, gas, and a salary of £40 per annum. Applications to Honorary Secretary of the Blyth Hall, Newport. [This is not actually a burgh commissioners' appointment but rather is made by the Trustees of the Blyth Hall.] [Courier 19 Jun 1890] |
| Statutory meeting of Police Commissioners. Finances Whitsunday 1889 to Whitsunday 1890. Ordinary police purposes - revenue £616-18-7, expenditure £977-16-5. Drainage - revenue £845-8-7, expenditure £771-1-5. Loan with Public Works Loan Commissioners - debt due £4731, payments made £138, remaining debt due £4593. [Advertiser 15 Jul 1890] |
| Agreed to call the attention of the proprietor to a dangerous paling at the shore and ask him to have it removed. [Advertiser 15 Jul 1890] |
| Comment piece: Defects in local government shown by the state of the roads in Newport, formerly famed for being the worst in Fife - but the money for their upkeep is sent elsewhere. £375 per annum is paid by the inhabitants of Newport to the County Road Trustees but of this only £60 has been spent in normal years within the burgh. Since the Police Act was adopted and Newport became a burgh, additional taxation has been levied to d othe work that the County authorities failed to do. The inhabitants naturally object. Chief Magistrate Scott is proposing to the District Roads Committee that the County continues to raise the taxation as before but a reasonable amount is allocated to the burgh commissioners who would undertake the upkeep of all the roads in the burgh, and that a committee be set up to discuss the matter with the Newport Commissioners. We hope the County road authorities agree with Chief Magistrate Scott's proposals. [Advertiser 18 Jul 1890] |
| Meeting of the District Board of the Fife County Council. Chief Magistrate Scott's proposal defeated by 12 votes to 5 - other places in as bad a situtation if not worse, eg St Monance, so the matter should be considered as a whole rather than just dealing with Newport alone. Mr Scott appealed to the County Council. [Advertiser 22 Jul 1890] |
| The Trustees of the Blyth Hall appointed James Dunse, retired sergeant of the Royal Artillery, Constitution Street, Leith as Hallkeeper. There were close on 500 applicants. [Advertiser 2 Aug 1890] |
| Comment piece. There were two accidents to Dundee women who fell from the Braes and broke limbs last week. Scarcely a holiday season goes by without this sort of thing happening. The Newport Commissioners have been reminded that the dangerous places should be guarded to stop people from falling over, but they seem to have done nothing. [People's Journal, 2 Aug 1890] |
| In November 3 members of the Police Commission retire by rotation - Chief Magistrate Scott, Senior Magistrate Walker & Junior Magistrate Millar. A petition is circulating locally urging Mr Scott to stand for re-election. [Evening Telegraph 29 Sep 1890] |
| Commissioner Thomas Scott is seriously ill. [Fifeshire Journal 2 Oct 1890] |
| Discovery of a deep well in the park at West Newport granted by Mr Berry to the Cricket and Football Clubs. The well is believed to be about 30 of 40 feet deep, the water level is 20 feet below ground. The well has long been in disuse and the mouth is level with the ground ... a great source of danger ... to be hoped the Police Commissioners will get a suitable covering for it. [Fifeshire Journal 2 Oct 1890] |
| A petition was presented to Senior Magistrate Scott asking him to stand as a commissioner once again. About 200 householders had signed, including all the present commissioners. Mr Scott said it would afford him great pleasure to again offer his services to the community for another term. [Advertiser 6 Oct 1890] |
| Fife County Road Board - the roads question - a committee has been set up to consider the matter of the inequality of road assessment, their maintenance and management especially in police burghs and villages. [Advertiser 8 Oct 1890] |
| Mr John McLaggan will resign. The 3 magistrates are all retiring but the returning officer had to be a magistrate. They must petition the Court of Session to appoint a returning officer. Mr Scott & Mr Walker both intend to seek re-election. Mr Millar wasn't present but he is believed to also seek re-election. [Evening Telegraph 14 Oct 1890] |
| Death of Commissioner Thomas Scott, Invertay, East Newport, an ironmonger in Union St, Dundee. He had also been a member of Forgan Parochial Board. [Evening Telegraph 15 Oct 1890] |
| Court of Session appoints Sheriff Henderson (Dundee) as Returning Officer at the election of the police commissioners on 4 November. [Evening Telegraph 23 Oct 1890] |
Previous available year Next available year