Portsoy poor house? Was there one?

[fireman grumpy]

Hi,
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I have an ancestor who's daughter was recorded as a 'pauper child' when she died in Portsoy aged 4.
The registrant of the death was a Thomas Bell, Inspector of the poor.
The place of death is listed as Church Street, Portsoy.
I can find no record of a poor house or similar in Portsoy. Was there one?
Or was it likely the family were receiving another form of poor relief?

Thanks for any ideas or clues!

[Forfarian]

I have an ancestor who's daughter was recorded as a 'pauper child' when she died in Portsoy aged 4.
The registrant of the death was a Thomas Bell, Inspector of the poor.
The place of death is listed as Church Street, Portsoy.
I can find no record of a poor house or similar in Portsoy. Was there one?
Or was it likely the family were receiving another form of poor relief?

Suggest you try the Aberdeen City Archives. They hold the surviving parochial board records for Banffshire - I do not know whether the Fordyce ones (Portsoy is in the parish of Fordyce) have survived. http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/acc_data/information/arc_collasrecs.asp

Many of the parochial board records have been indexed by the Aberdeen and North East Scotland Family History Society http://www.anesfhs.org.uk/

Not all paupers were 'relieved' in the Poor House. It was also common for money to be paid to poor people living in their own homes, and it could well be the case with your relative. The records can be amazingly detailed, with information like "Allowed 1/6d to buy flannel for a petticoat" which occurs in one of mine.

HTH

Forfarian

[fireman grumpy]

Thanks very much for that. I'll have a poke around and see what I can find.

[Cardineil]

There was a "poor inspector" in Church St in the 1930's/40's - name of Old Jimmy Stewart.   He stayed in what is now the Registrar's office in Church St.  Known to hand out money to deserving cases.

It is suggested by my source (older sibling) that there might well have been a "poor hoose" around that area - as she remembers hearing of the term often enough - but she cannot say where exactly.

(A maiden reply from me)

Cardineil