The Local Historian Volume 10 Number 5 February 1973

By R.Paul Hastings

Dispensaries were set up in many towns in the 19th century, on an ad hoc basis by public subscription or private philanthropy. They provided out-patient medical care for the poor and needy, although their rules and procedures varied enormously between institutions. This article focuses on the work of the Stockton-on Tees dispensary and advises on the documentary evidence available. Themes considered include i) the finances of the dispensary, including the role of private subscription and the entitlement of subscribers to recommend cases for treatment; ii) the nature of the treatment which was given, and the involvement of local surgeons and a paid surgeon-apothecary; iii) sources and types of drugs which were used, including those bought from tea dealers; iv) the nature of disease and the response to epidemics, as well as treatment of minor ailments; v) the evidence of the dispensary admission books, which after 1838 give details about patients, including information on occupations and illnesses, and so facilitate a clearer analysis of the social and economic circumstances of the patients; vi) mortality rates; vii) the prevalence and incidence of occupational disease; and viii) prescriptions.

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By C.A. Ramskir

An account of an attempt to trace the origins of the surname Ramsker and to identify the location of the place from which the name was derived. The author shows how investigation of a range of medieval documentary sources allowed him to pinpoint its origins.

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By G.M. Morris

By the mid-19th century most communities had a nonconformist chapel, and many had several, but in the 20th century very large numbers of such chapels closed. The author discusses the activities and work of these chapels, highlighting their relationship with and importance to the local community, and then seeks to identify reasons for their decline. Chapels developed as a second stage of the growth of nonconformity, since early meeting places were almost invariably existing buildings - houses, barns and stables. The purpose-built chapels of the mid-18th century were often discreetly located behind houses or shops. In rural areas the chapel was seen as a sign of independence from a local squire, in urban areas as a haven from the influence of industrial and commercial capitalists. The role of the chapel included not only obvious religious activities, but also the giving and enforcing of moral guidance and discipline, education, and local support for the poor. The evidence suggests that there were often close links with political radicalism, including trade unions, but co-operation between non-conformist churches was often minimal, and indeed fierce rivalries could develop in places with several chapels. The decline of the rural chapels was due mainly to migration to urban areas, the lessening influence of evangelical movements, and the eventual disappearance of small nonconformist groups as rationalisation and amalgamation of congregations took place.

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By Michael Barke

The author suggests that as census data is very unwieldy, successful research can be carried out by focusing on very specific areas within a settlement, and uses the example of the study of Irish migration into Falkirk in the mid-19th century. The Irish community in Falkirk was concentrated in one small area and probably expanded as a result of an influx of labourers during the construction of local canals. The author uses census evidence to analyse several issues: i) overcrowding among Irish families; ii) the persistence of Irish families, in the context of evidence of mixed marriages; and iii) occupations, there being a gradual shift among the Irish community away from unskilled labour. He concludes that the Irish community remained in one area for a long period of time, and that other sources suggest that this population group suffered from very poor health, endemic poverty and high levels of crime.