V is for Visitations

As mentioned in a previous post, for many years Kirk Sessions had responsibility for maintaining the poor of their parish. As well as administering financial support – often referred to as outdoor relief, in the sense of providing support outwith a poorhouse – some sessions also maintained records of visitations. These involved representatives of the Kirk Session periodically visiting the poor of the parish. Not many of these records survive, but where they do, they can be extremely interesting.

One parish where they do survive is Scone, in Perthshire. Included at the end of the Parochial Board letter book are a series of Notes on visits to the poor. There are 93 entries, so we thought we'd index them.

Visits to the Poor, Scone [NRS Reference CH2/803/3

Forename	Surname	Address
Margt	Alison	New Scone
Jean	Banks
John	Barnet	New Scone
Mary	Bett
Elizabeth	Blair	New Scone
Euphemia	Blair	Quarreymill
James	Blair
Margaret	Blair	New Scone
James	Campbell
Widow	Campbell	Balbeggie
Janet	Carmichael	New Scone
Ann	Christie
Widow	Cochrane	New Scone
Widow George	Cochrane	New Scone
Isabella	Cock
Widow	Cock
Jn	Dewar
Peter	Douglas	New Scone
Widow	Dow	New Scone
Widow	Dow	New Scone
John	Fenwick
William	Fisher
James	Foundling
Widow	Fraser	New Scone
Wid	Gairns	Perth
Widow	Gall	New Scone
David	Galletly	New Scone
James	Galletly	New Scone
Mary	Galletly
Widow	Galletly
Widow	Galletly
John	Gardiner	New Scone
Robert	Garvie
Robert	Gillespie	New Scone
Janet	Halket	New Scone
Andrew	Hill	near Perth
Widow	Hill	New Scone
Thomas	Huchan	Stormontfield
Eliz	Innes
Margt	Jackson	New Scone
Alexander	Lamb	New Scone
Alfred	Lawrence	New Scone
Margt	Mackay	New Scone
James	Marshall	New Scone
James	Martin	Perth
Widow	Mcdonald	Balthayock
Widow	Mcdonald	Perth
David	Mcfarlane
Janet	Mcfarlane	New Scone
James	Mcgregor	New Scone
Jean	Mcgregor	New Scone
Alexr	Mckenzie	New Scone
Daniel	Mckenzie	New Scone
Jane	Mclaggan
John	Mclaren	New Scone
Janet	Mcnaughton	Morningside
Widow	Mcpherson
Jane	Menzies
Orphans	Menzies	New Scone
Widow	Menzies	New Scone
Alexr	Milne
Agnes	Mitchell
Donald	Munrae
Ebenezer	Munrae	New Scone
Andrew	Noble	New Scone
Widow	Ogilvie	New Scone
Margt	Ower	Bridgend
Widow	Pairnie	Balboughty
Charles	Patullo	New Scone
Robt	Peddie
Eliz	Peebles
James	Robb
Widow	Robertson
Widow	Robertson
Ann	Rogers	Perth
Widow	Roup
Widow	Shepherd	New Scone
William	Sime
Widow	Small	New Scone
Widow Peter	Small
Thomas	Smith	Balgarire
Widow	Stewart	Lethendy
William	Strang
Widow	Turnbull
Widow	Waddel	New Scone
Widow	Wallace	Calenden
Cath	Watt	New Scone
Mary	West
Isabella	Whitelaw	Lethendy
Janet	Whitelaw
Rachel	Whitelaw	Lethendy
Peter	Young
Thomas	Young

​One entry – or rather series of entries – in particular, caught our attention. The entries start in 1846:

Isabella Whitelaw’s children, Lethendy Moar
1846
24 July Admitted 4 May 1846 – on imprisonment of mother
24 December – seem tolerably attended to by grandfather
1847
13 July – Removed from Roll 3rd August on release of mother
[NRS Reference CH2/803/3 p. 235]

​Isabella Whitelaw had been arrested and brought before the Police Court, as reported on 23 April 1846 in the Northern Warder and General Advertiser for the Counties of Fife, Perth and Forfar:

​Janet Gall or Cochrane, and Isabella Whitelaw, charged with several separate acts of theft some of which were committed beyond the bounds of Police, were handed over to the Sheriff.

​Her conviction was reported a few months later:

Sheriff Court
Tuesday July 14
Janet Gall or Cochrane, wife of John Cochrane, porter, Perth, and Isabella Whitelaw, Muir of Lethendy; Cochrane and Whitelaw charged with theft of clothes from the person of a girl of weak intellect, and Whitelaw of several acts of falsehood, fraud and wilful imposition; both have been previously convicted of both charges, and Cochrane has been eight months in the general prison; sentenced to twelve months each in general prison.

​[Northern Warder and General Advertiser for the Counties of Fife, Perth and Forfar 16 July 1846]

All seemingly goes quiet for the Whitelaw children for a couple of years, but then we find some more entries in the poor visitations:

Isabella Whitelaw’s two children
1849
17 July. Have been sometime with Aunt, now with Margt Jackson. Well.
1850
3 January. Are well kept with Margt and regularly at school
17 July – both well, mother in Jail
1851
11 January – Both well, and at School. Mother sentenced to 7 year’s banishment
7 August. Ditto
29 December – Nothing particular.
1852
21 July – Oldest girl from school with a slightly burned hand
27 Decr – Both well, and at school
1853
9 July – Much as usual
1854
4 January – Both well, and apparently comfortable.
21 July – Both well and at school
1855
3 Jany – Both well and at school
[NRS Reference CH2/803/3 p. 208]

This time, Isabella’s conviction is reported in the Montrose, Arbroath and Brechin Review

Isabella Whitelaw, Perth, accused of theft – aggravated by previous convictions, was sentenced to seven years’ transportation.

The National Records of Scotland’s 19th century solemn database adds a few more details: that Isabella also went by the name of Helen Panton, that her address was c/o Robert Mills, cadger, Coupar Angus, Perthshire, that she could not write.

We next hear of Isabella as she is transported to Tasmania on board the Aurora, on 22 April 1851. Her arrival in Tasmania is recorded in the Register of Convicts, on 10 August 1851. She is described as a Country Servant, 5 feet 4 inches, age 31, with a ruddy complexion, dark brown hair, brown eyebrows, hazel eyes, and medium facial features. She was a wart on her left arm at the bleeding place.

Her conduct record suggests she wasn’t entirely a reformed character. She was charged for being drunk on October 25 1852. On November 2nd, she was sentenced to 6 months hard labour for being absent without leave. On December 3rd 1852 she was “delivered of an illegitimate child (Mary) at the Cascade Factory”. On 2 October 1854 she was sentenced to 12 months hard labour for absconding. 11 August 1855 saw her being sentenced to 3 months hard labour for being drunk on her master’s premises. A few months later, on 5 November, she was sentenced to another 12 months hard labour for absconding when on a pass. Once more, on 29 June 1857, she was sentenced to one month’s hard labour for being out after hours and absconding.

Shortly after the birth of her daughter, Isabella was granted permission to marry Michael McDermott on 14 December 1852. We have not however been able to find a record of them actually marrying. Things however do appear to have eventually improved for Isabella, as she was again granted permission to marry on 2 December 1856, to William Way, a freeman. They were married at the All Saints Schoolroom on 23 December 1856. William was a cabinetmaker. We have not found any more records of Isabella Whitelaw, and do not know if she ever returned to Scotland or saw her children again.

Isabella Whitelaw's story is an interesting illustration of how one record can lead to another, and can end up telling a fascinating story.