Official
Criticism of the Registration
Records in Aharacle in 1862
By John Dye
The
report below comprises transcribed handwritten material from the
office of the Procurator Fiscal of Tobermory, currently held in
the Argyll Archive at Lochgilphead.
Items
of inconsistencies and omissions came to light during a periodic
inspection at Aharacle of the local Marriages, Births and Deaths
Registers. The books and duplicates were not up to standard and
this was reported to the Registrar General in Edinburgh. There was
a possibility of prosecution and the Procurator Fiscal at Tobermory
was made aware of the situation.
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On 22nd
July 1862, the Registrar General received an unsatisfactory report from
Alfred List, The Examiner of the Southern District concerning the registers
at Aharacle
From The
Examiner of the Southern District To the Registrar General
Fort William
22d July 1862
Along with
the Duplicate Register Books of the District of Acharacle for the year
1861, I have transmitted the Register Books of Births and Deaths for the
year 1862 that you may be enabled to take cognisance of their condition.
I did not
think it necessary to do the same with the Books of Marriages, as they
are unoccupied. I found, however, two schedules, the first, dated Feb
5th relative to the marriage of Charles McInnes, Dorlin, the second, dated
June 30th relating to the marriage of John Cameron, Shepherd, Gasgan.
In examining
the Registers of 1861, I was much struck with the general shortness of
the interval between the dates of the events and the dates of registration.
I also observed that the marks were in high proportion being above 50
per cent in the case of both Births and Deaths. This I should not perhaps
have deemed of much significance, had I not, at the same time, noticed
a want of correspondence between the marks of the same persons in the
old Books. Such was observed to be particularly the case with regard to
Deaths Nos. 16 & 23, where the marks in the Book left in the Dt. bear
a strong resemblance to those in Nos. 11 & 18 of the Deaths for 1862,
which I here noticed merely for the sake of comparison. The absence of
marks in the unfilled Register Books for 1862 seems to explain the peculiarity.
The general
condition of the Books of 1861 indicate inattention to the Regulations
and the Example Sheets.
Considering
that the summer is the time invariably selected for the examination of
Argyllshire and that intimation is regularly sent sometime beforehand,
the sense of absolute security felt by the delinquents in that County
while under inspection fills me with astonishment.
Signed,
Alfred C.C. List
On 25th
July 1862, WP Dundas, the Registrar General reacted and reported to those
with the power to prosecute on the gross irregularities and clear violations
of the Act in Aharacle
From W
P Dundas, Registrar General, Edinburgh
Edinburgh 25th July 1862
Sir, I enclose
herewith a copy of a letter which I have just secured from the District
Examiner respecting the way in which the business of registration has
been conducted by the Registrar of Aharacle during the present year. The
case is of a much more serious character than that of Kilninian &
Kilmore referred to in my previous communication, inasmuch as the Duplicate
books both of Births & Deaths appear to have been left utter blanks,
with the exception that, in some instances, the signatures of the informants
have been obtained.
This practice
of allowing parties to sign bland entries is of itself a gross irregularity
but it does not fall under the 61st sect. The omission to make the entry,
however, seems a clear violation of the Act. The reports which I have
received from many Parishes in the County of Argyll this season are so
unfavourable that I cannot allow such a state of matters to continue unchecked,
and I think that the knowledge of your having made enquiry into one or
two of the worst cases will have a good effect, whether a prosecution
should be resorted to or not.
In the meantime,
I shall retain the Registers, but, if their production should be absolutely
necessary they can be afterwards transmitted to you.
I am Sir
Yr obedt. Servant
W P Dundas, Registrar General
On 4th
August 1862, a response was made to an enquiry at the Registrar General's
office as to Mr List's current whereabouts
From General
Registry of Births &c., 4th August 1862
Sir,
With reference to your letter of the 31st ult., I beg to inform you that
the Registrar General has not yet been furnished with Mr List's Address
for the current week.
As, however, he appears to be at present working towards Campbeltown,
a letter addressed to him to the care of the Registrar there will probably
be received by him in the course of a few days. His official duties will
likely detain him in Argyllshire 3 weeks yet.
I am Sir¼.
etc (signature indecipherable)
On the
next day Mr List was reported by the Procurator Fiscal in Tobermory to
be contactable at a Poste Restante address at Tarbert
To General
Registry of Births &c., Edinburgh 5th August 1862
Sir,
Referring to my letter of yesterday, I beg to inform you that M List's
address till Saturday next is "Post Office, Tarbert"
I am Sir
Yr obedt. Servant
John Stewart, for Secretary
The Procurator Fiscal
Tobermory
On 22nd
August, a schedule of criticisms and some of the inconsistencies in the
Aharacle Register was produced
At Aharacle
22d August 1862
Examining Registrar's Books
Found no
entry in Duplicate Register of the birth of male child of Mary MacNaughton,
wife of Alex Cameron, Labourer, on 28 Dec. 1861
Do. as to
the birth of male child of Janet Cameron, wife of John Cameron, Arivegaig
on 10 January 1862
Marriage
of Charles Macinnes, Dorlin and Marjory Macdonald, Dalnambreach 5 Feby.
1862
Do. no entry
in Duplicate Book of birth of male child of Ann Macdonald, wife of Dugald
Macdonald, Blain, 23 March 1862
Do. as to
the death of Angus Macdonald, Kinlochmoidart 8 June 1862
Additional
information on a separate sheet:
W Fraser
28 Dec 1861 Mary MacNaughten, wife of Alex Cameron, Labourer - Birth of
male
Duplicate Register - Schedule D
10 Jany 1862
Janet Cameron, wife of John Cameron, Arivegaig - male child
Duplicate Register - Schedule D
5 Feby 1862
Chas McInnes, Dorlin, Marjery M'Donald Married
Duplicate Registers - S.C.
23 March
Ann Macdonald, wife of Dugald MacDonald, Blain Moss(?) - male child
Duplicate Register - S. D.
8 June Angus
McNeill. Kinlochmoidart died - Schedule B - Duplicate Register -
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