tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post282570380179206086..comments2023-03-29T12:49:14.244+01:00Comments on The Professional Descendant: A Question of ReligionKirsty F Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05558508787388848119noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-52516642769238441052011-11-08T18:26:37.642+00:002011-11-08T18:26:37.642+00:00A very interesting article - thank you. I am abou...A very interesting article - thank you. I am about to try and locate Poor Relief records for Perth (Scone) and will be very interested to see what they turn up. At this time as well is a huge period of change for Scotland with industrialisation and the loss of common land; the Irish Famine and "Clearances" - you could only imagine some of the odd bedfellows that would be thrown together. For me, 1745 - 1900 is one of the most fascinating periods of Scottish History. Thanks for sharing.Chris O'Sullivanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07218844961044930907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-69594975445776430832011-11-08T18:02:26.347+00:002011-11-08T18:02:26.347+00:00Interesting. I have only ever come across marriage...Interesting. I have only ever come across marriages and burials in OPR records for my folk. Baptism is something they seem to have missed out.Miladysahttp://roydss.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-15187895684152309852011-11-08T12:25:09.730+00:002011-11-08T12:25:09.730+00:00Helen,
I think these answers definitely reflect t...Helen,<br /><br />I think these answers definitely reflect the fact that at this time Paisley was an industrial area with a lot of incomers and a large number of different churches. Under those circumstances it was difficult for the church (or other) authorities to keep tabs on which church people were attending or indeed if they were attending any church. I'm sure you would find very different answers in a rural parish in Scotland.<br /><br />An explanation for this is provided in the 2nd (or New) Statistical Account for Paisley written in 1837 (a few years before these records):<br /><i>“About forty years ago, our people were reckoned among the most intelligent, moral and religious inhabitants of Scotland: and still a great many may be so considered. But various circumstances having concurred in causing a deterioration in these respects... and our population having greatly outstripped the means of moral and religious education, many have been left to grow up in ignorance of the first principles of Christianity; and too many, alas! have had their minds sadly imbued with prejudices against its sacred truths and institutions.”</i><br /><br />Prior to the 1845 Scottish Poor Law Act, poor relief was primarily the responsibility of by the church, funded by church collections and fees as well by the heritors (local landowners). However, due to the size of the town (and probably the size of the poor problem) Paisley seems to have had a more organised civil system and the out-door poor who were not in communion with the Established Church were the responsibility of the Town's Hospital and its managers. Again, a lot of detailed information on the management of poor relief is given in Paisley's 2nd Statistical Account which can be accessed from <a href="http://edina.ac.uk/stat-acc-scot/" rel="nofollow">http://edina.ac.uk/stat-acc-scot/</a>Kirsty F Wilkinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05558508787388848119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-86842070666284678802011-11-07T22:11:03.851+00:002011-11-07T22:11:03.851+00:00Interesting. Quite a difference between there and ...Interesting. Quite a difference between there and in rural England at that time where it was expected that you belong to a church preferably the Church of England attended by your employer. Self-employed and tradespersons were increasingly attending the Non-Conformist churches.<br />I suspect that your people were more independent. Incidentally how was poor relief funded at this time?Helen V Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16418865928294578567noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-56891438046732959032011-11-07T21:22:19.777+00:002011-11-07T21:22:19.777+00:00Another slant which might be worth considering and...Another slant which might be worth considering and which I have come across particularly within evangelicalism in the north of Scotland is that some folk did not consider themselves worthy to be communicants...almost a false piety. Some of this may have stemmed from the conflict between the moderates and evangelicals which eventually led to the disruption.Alasdair Macdonaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14785766742131883380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-21979552396411782552011-11-07T20:45:30.562+00:002011-11-07T20:45:30.562+00:00Very interesting - thanks for sharing that informa...Very interesting - thanks for sharing that information.Judy Websterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02331380147873608965noreply@blogger.com