Notes from Newport Town Council Minutes
These are not full transcripts of the Minutes. They are my own notes.
1900-01 (November 1900 - November 1901) Source: Newport-on-Tay Council Minutes, B79-1-1C
| Election for commissioners: David Brand, bank agent, Bay House - 251 votes; William Carswell, grocer, Ascot - 255 votes; James McEwen Kay, Kincraig, West Newport - 96 votes; John Petrie Robertson, engineer, Albert Street - 294 votes. Elected: Robertson, Carswell, Brand. |
| Commissioners: Alexander Thomson, elected 1898, Provost; James Young, elected 1898, Second Bailie; Alexander Robertson, elected 1898, First Bailie; George Thom, elected 1899; Robert T Leitch, elected 1899; Thomas Roger, elected 1899; David Brand, elected 1900; William Carswell, elected 1900; John P Robertson, elected 1900. |
| Street crossings: uplift and renew that between corner shop lately occupied by Doig to corner shop now occupied by Mathewson. Also make a crossing across St Phillans Place from gate of parish church to lane opposite. |
| Consider erecting a hospital for the burgh. |
| Acquire gas works from the Gas Company. |
| Sanitary Dept.'s staff (lighting and extinguishing lamps) - staff include Brown, Caird and Marshall (22/- per week). |
| Consider naming of streets. |
| Difficulty of disposing of burgh manure - see Mr Smith, Inverdovat. |
| Appeals against assessment: include Robert Brown (no. 782) - a duplicate entry to the extent of £1-3-10. Several others on grounds of poverty. George D Whyte (no. 782) - a duplicate entry. |
| January 1901. Death of ex-Bailie Lawson. |
| Adoption of Town Councils (Scotland) Act 1900: Commissioners become Provost, Magistrates and Councillors of Burgh of Newport. |
| Continuation of appointments of: John Scrimgeour, Elmbank - Town Clerk and Clerk / Assessor of Police Court; James Husband, Lyndhurst & James Scrymgeour, Elmbank - Deputy Clerks / Assessors of Police Court; Frederick George Kemp, Wellpark Terrace - Treasurer / Collector becomes Burgh Chamberlain; Thomas Martin Cappon, Cliffbank - Burgh Surveyor; John Stewart, Lovaine Villa - Medical Officer of Health; William Walker, Meldrum Square - Sanitary Inspector, Inspector of Cleansing, Lighting, Dairies, etc.; James Allison, Kilnburn Place - Burgh Prosecutor in Police Court; George D Macdougald, Wormit - Public Analyst; James Dunse, Blyth Hall Buildings - Burgh Officer. |
| Plans submitted: Andrew Murray alterations to Ellerslie, West Newport; Provost Thomson - Ravensby, Norwood; Bailie Alexander Robertson - Woodside Cottage, James Street. |
| Naming of streets: Cupar Road - runs from top of High Street to Burgh boundary, any other names presently applied to portions to remain as subsidiary names; Albert Street - change to Albert Crescent (name of Albert Street originated with Mr Berry - does he have any objections? - no objections). |
| ? Electric lighting of burgh: set up a sub-committee. |
| Smallpox epidemic. |
| Extension of burgh boundaries: deputation by Messrs. Adams, Fairweather, Geddes, Peebles, Wears - ? extend Burgh to include Woodhaven and Wormit? Acceptable to Town Council, but ask the Woodhaven & Wormit ratepayers first. |
| Poor water supply in upper part of burgh - shared main with Tayport - scrape the main first. |
| Smallpox - Dundee had previously allowed Newport the use of their fever hospital but not any longer. ?temporary hospital at old toll house on Tayport road? - 'NO' (by Scotscraig estate). |
| Sketch of a temporary hospital submitted - epidemic now passing - delay consideration . |
| Propose to acquire gas works - £10072. |
| Plans: 2 semi-detached cottages Victoria Street (McCulloch & Jamieson, architects, Dundee); John S Stewart, Bellevue Terrace, Queen Street - outhouses. |
| Slaughter house licence - Matthew Morrison - premises at Old Pier. |
| Wormit - result of plebiscite (4 April 1901) - [not given] and ? reaction to Wormit being a separate burgh? Town Council would consider any proposals on the eastern boundary of Wormit but may object. |
| Right of way to beach - newspaper reports of attempts by an adjoining proprietor to shut up a right of way from the highway to the beach to the west of Harris buildings. |
| Gas Co. value their company at £11119-7-6. Town Council to offer £10500 - accepted - to include works and buildings, gas storage station, Tayport Road under-manager's house, board room, caretaker's house and other premises. Railway will enter agreement for construction of railway siding at Tayport Road. |
| Proposed joint hospital - ? on ground at Fordelhill Farm? |
| Letter from Mr Alexander Stewart - would Town Council form wards if Wormit was included? Yes. |
| Plans: John S Stewart 2 semi-detached villas at Gowrie Hill - refused - no roads; Mrs Johnston alterations to Hillbank, Cupar Road; Newport Parish Church - extension of the Church, new vestry, etc; Newport Parish Church - new manse west of church; J & E Shepherd Ltd - alterations to house adjoining John W Shepherd. |
| Joint hospital - at St Michaels - consideration continued. |
| Wormit extension - letter from G Ireland Fairweather - Wormit to ask Sheriff to propose itself a separate burgh. ?eastern limits? - Town Council: 'if Flass Road is the eastern limit, the Town Council are unlikely to oppose'. |
| 1 July 1901. Parish Council of Forgan propose to St Andrews District Committee to form Wormit and Woodhaven into special districts for drainage, scavenging and lighting. |
| Right of way at beach - wait. |
| Electric lighting of the burgh: applications going to Board of Trade by 1. Newport Gas Light Co., 2. John Donaldson & others. Town Council will delay consideration. |
| Blasting - alleged damage to back door and ceiling of Rosendaal, Kirk Road. |
| Right of way at beach: petition in Sheriff Court, Cupar at instance of Robert Thomas Just, West Newport against James, Donald & Jane Harris and John T Middleton (all residing Harris Buildings) and Town Council, craving interdict against trespass by James & Donald Harris on Just's land at The Terrace and removing / interfering with the fence & gate at the east end of his property. Town council want to try to keep open an access to the beach - ? could it be via opening an access to the common green just to the east of what Mr Just claims as his private entrance? Mr Just doesn't want this. Defending the action wouldn't necessarily solve the right of way question. Town Council will back off and not defend it. ? Arrange access to the beach with proprietors to east of common green? |
| Plans: additions to Police Station, King Street. |
| 5 August 1901. Newport adopt Burghs Gas Supply (1876) Act - and take over the Newport Gas Light Co. |
| Wormit: petition of William Cowley and others for Wormit to be a separate burgh - Town Council won't oppose. Flass Road as eastern boundary. St Andrews District - special districts - St Andrews District will oppose any encroachments of the Burgh into these. |
| Plan: James Fernie, chemist - temporary shed near the foreshore west of the Ferry Pier. |
| Wormit: letter from Mr Stewart - a strong feeling locally that Wormit / Woodhaven should be part of Newport, not a separate burgh. Town Council - 'if the proposal is supported by a SUBSTANTIAL number of ratepayers then it will apply for an extension of Newport's boundaries'. |
| Notice on William B Morrison to pave his footpath on south side of High Street. |
| Petition by William Robertson, T M Cappon, Alexander Wood, James Chapman jun., Alexander Stewart, Thomas Turnbull, etc. - over 100 ratepayers in Wormit and Woodhaven - in favour of extension of Newport to include Woodhaven and Wormit. Petition by Town Council to Sheriff to extend boundaries to include 1. Wormit and Woodhaven; 2. east to Forgan parish boundary to include area between the railway and the river (only if Berry agrees). |
| Waterstone Park pitches: Previously there had been an arrangement with cricket, rugby and football clubs. For rugby and football there is room for only 2 pitches. Newport Rugby Club - Mr Gold; Newport Westwood Association Club - John Taylor & Alexander Burns; Newport BB Association Club - Garnet Wilson & Mitchell Kay. The rugby club is to use the pitch at the south-east corner. The other pitch (next to the railway) is to be used alternately by the two football clubs. |
| Plans: James Robertson, Dundee - alterations to Woodbank, West Newport. |
| Retiring: Bailie Alexander Robertson, Bailie Young & Councillor George R Thom. |
| Parish Council elections are also required this year. Joint meeting to be held re parish council. |
| Erect new gas works on site at Tayport Road. |
| 299 ashpits in burgh, some emptied weekly, some fortnightly, some longer. 138 bins emptied weekly. Impress on public the desire to change from ashpits to bins. |
| Plan: Frederick McKenzie, Dundee - alteration to cottage in King Street. |
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