Hartwood Asylum, Shotts, Lanarkshire

[djct59]

In the era prior to the Legal Aid and Solicitors (Scotland) Act 1949 that introduced civil legal aid, a litigant in the civil court had to seek to be admitted to the local Poor's Roll. If accepted, which was far from easy, then the basic costs of a court action would be met from parish funds, and the lawyer conducted the case for no fee.

By the 1930s this system was recognised as unworkable, but it was not until WW2 was over that Legal Aid reform, as proposed in 1937, took place.

[Forfarian]

In the era prior to the Legal Aid and Solicitors (Scotland) Act 1949 that introduced civil legal aid, a litigant in the civil court had to seek to be admitted to the local Poor's Roll. If accepted, which was far from easy, then the basic costs of a court action would be met from parish funds, and the lawyer conducted the case for no fee.

By the 1930s this system was recognised as unworkable, but it was not until WW2 was over that Legal Aid reform, as proposed in 1937, took place.

Thanks for that enlightenment, djct59.

[ThumbelinaPM]

Thanks for the information djct59.

So is there anyway to see those records? I'm only getting background text on SP not knowledge of how and if we can access those records.

[Forfarian]

So is there anyway to see those records? I'm only getting background text on SP not knowledge of how and if we can access those records.

No. You cannot look at divorce records as recent as 1934. That is what it means when it says in the National Records of Scotland catalogue that it is closed.

Go to http://catalogue.nrscotland.gov.uk/nrsonlinecatalogue/search.aspx and type CS257/3628 in the 'Reference:' field, then 'Search'.

[Lainemd]

This thread is very interested to us at the minute because a few of us who live in Hartwood have begun to restore the graveyard and rediscover the names, stories and history of those buried. As for Patrick Tierney he is recorded as being a service personnel on the records and along with the other 5 we honoured them on 11/11 at 11am this year.  I have begun to catalogue the names and the grave numbers which we are slowly uncovering. If anyone had any further information we would gladly receive and vice versus
Loraine 

[Lodger]

As far as I know the burial register for the Hartwood burial ground is with North Lanarkshire Council but I wasn't aware that the site is marked by headstones, very interesting. Good luck with your work Lainemd.