The book Arran; - Cook Clan

IMPROVEMENT AND EMIGRATION 233
pensioners, allowing them cottage and land at a nominal
rent of £l, Is. But it is noted that, as elsewhere, the church
collections, hitherto the main fund for support of the poor,
were decreasing, and that the opinion was gaining ground
here too that the heritors were bound to support the poor.
It is the same writer who is responsible for the information
that the people of Arran ' are too poor to purchase spirits,
and make very general use of tea : and it is the custom to
prepare it for every visitor, as the dram was offered formerly
this ceremony is sometimes repeated three or four times in
the day, and is said to be productive of idleness.' ^ Men
like Lord Teignmouth are, at this time, seriously concerned
about idleness in many quarters.
A few statistics may give point to these observations.
In 1793 the population of Kilbride was 2545 and the number
on the Poor Roll of the Kirk 12, supported by quarterly
collections and the interest on a £40 investment. At the
same date Kilmorie, with 3259 of a population, had 40 poor
on its roll, for whom the weekly collections did not suffice,
so that there was recognised begging. By 1835 the Kilbride
population had sunk to 2397, yet the number of poor had
gone up to 50, for whose support there was yearly a fund
of £60 plus interest on a nest-egg of £100. In 1831 Kilmorie's
numbers were 3779 and 75 respectively, dependent
on £52 from collections and proclamation dues, with interest
on £60. Then came the Poor Law of 1845, and in 1850 we
find that Kilbride's population of 2786 included 68 on the
Poor Roll, while Kiimorie's 3455 had 78 ; the former parish
expending on these £178, 18s. 7id. and the latter £185, 3s. 6jd.
Since that date expenditure has increased exceedingly.
Whether or not this is a record of advance the reader must
be left to judge. Any way, it is an important element in
the picture presented in this chapter.
' Sketches of the Coasts and Islands of ScMand, by Lord Teignmouth (1836), vol. ii.
pp. 396, 399.
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