| Description | Council meeting, 5 July 1803
[Sederunt given]
The Council approved the Provost's report on the sums of money borrowed for public purposes, particularly for paying off the debts incurred in formation of the new streets, for which the Treasurer had granted the following bonds, for payment at five per cent interest:
Professor Scott, King's College - £1,300
Mrs Isabella Thain - £400
John Clerk - £400
Baillie Galen - £1,400
Mrs Chalmers in Old Aberdeen - £130
Mrs Farquharson in Old Aberdeen - £100
James Rust in Little Clinterty - £110
Baillie Farquharson - £200
Professor Copland - £160
Joseph Moir - £50
Elspet Galloway - £20
Alexander Collie and John Collie - £340
George Christie, shoemaker - £350
Weavers' mortification - £60
James Davidson in Fintray - £160
Captain Lewis Gellie, Greenock - £300
Wrights & Coopers - £100
(125r - 125v)
The Council approved the Provost's report on the sums of money borrowed for the shore work's charge, for which the Shoremaster had granted the following bills, for payment at five per cent interest:
Miss Catherine Innes in Aberdeen - £200
William Ronald in Fingask - £100
Alexander Forbes in Torrie - £100
(125v)
The Council ordered the following action, after observations made at the Visitation of the Inner Marches:
First, the Council ordered the Treasurer to restore the breach in the feal fence and stone dyke made by William Wedderburn, mason, on the west side of the land at the back of the Executioner's House through which he had opened a cart road from the foot of the Castlehill to Garvock's Wynd. (The magistrates had already prohibited the Wrights and Coopers from making a breach or road.)
Second, the Council ordered the Master of Kirk and Bridge Work to pay from the Bridge of Dee funds for a stone dyke or fence to separate the new house on the Craigwell Croft from the adjacent Denburn Bleach Green.
Third, the Council ordered the Treasurer to erect a new march stone at the south-west corner of James Ferguson's houses, opposite the Infirmary, to mark the division between the Lochlands and the Town's Commonty. The previous stone, erected after the excambion agreement between the Town and James Staats Forbes, had been removed.
Fourth, the Council agreed to allow the Police Commissioners to fill up that part of the Town's loch next to Tannerie Street from the sluice of the Mill Burn to its extremity, and to add the land to the high streets in the neighbourhood.
Fifth, the Council directed the Treasurer to effect the removal of the buildings on the grass bank or west boundary of the common Loch, erected by Charles Baird, dyer, and James Finnie, wright.
Sixth, the Council remitted to the magistrates to investigate the blockage of the sewers under the Loch.
(125v - 126v)
The Council visted the Bridges of Dee and Don, and directed the Master of Kirk and Bridge Works to arrange repairs to the Bridge of Dee and the Bridge of Don, to the satisfaction of Mr Fletcher, engineer. [Necessary repairs detailed.] (126v - 127r)
The Council considered the report by Principal Brown, Professors Hamilton, Stuart, Beattie junior and Glennie, the Rev Dr Gordon and Mr James Ross, ministers, concerning the examination of candidates for the post of Usher in the Grammar School, to replace Mr James Cromar who had been appointed Rector of the Grammar School. The Council appointed Mr James Watt, schoolmaster in Fraserburgh, to the post, owing to his superior knowledge of Latin literature. The Council directed the Master of Mortifications to pay an annual salary of £27 6 shillings 8 pence to Mr Watt, from Dr Patrick Dun's mortification, plus £10 augmentation agreed by the Act of Council of 5 March 1798, subject to him observing certain conditions. [Conditions given.] (127r - 128r)
The Council appointed Provost Hadden to be their Commissioner to the General Convention of Royal Burghs, and appointed Baillie Charles Farquharson to be his Assessor. (128r - 128v)
The Council granted the application from William Gibbon, shipmaster in Aberdeen, for an increase in his salary as Berth or Haven Master at the Port of Aberdeen, and directed the Shoremaster to increase William Gibbon's annual salary to £45. (128v)
The Council granted the application from the proprietors of the Aberdeenshire Canal Navigation requesting a further loan of £5 for each share to allow them to complete the canal, to build a lock at the Hangman's house and to erect a temporary basin at the Shorelands. The Council directed the Shoremaster to advance the money in terms of the Act of the General Meeting of the proprietors of 26 May 1803. (128v - 129r)
The Council resolved to sell by public roup the triangular piece of ground lying immediately south of the Lands of Barkmill, following a private offer from Hugh Hutcheon, advocate, for a feu of the land for £5 yearly. (129r)
The Council admitted seven Burgesses of Guild. [No names given.] (129r)
The Council ordered the journal kept by Mr Busby, mineral surveyor, on his investigation into the depth of clay in the bottom of the harbour, to be kept in the Council records, and directed the plan made by Mr Fletcher, Town's engineer, to be engrossed in the Council Register [see folios 131v - 132r]. (129r - 129v)
The Council approved the roup of the following properties: the planted brae below the Craigwell Croft, between the croft and the Denburn, purchased by Alexander Crombie, advocate, for £60; and the lease of the Fishing and Croft of Poldown at the Bridge of Dee, let to Hugh Hutcheon, advocate, on behalf of William Davidson, merchant in Aberdeen, for £25 5 shillings yearly rent. No offers were received at the roup for the tenement of foreland on the south side of the Castlegate, previously used as a guard house. (129v - 130r)
The Council approved the report of the committee appointed to consider the application from James Gibbon & Company for an extension of his lease of the ropery in the Links. The report recommended that the property be let by public roup, and stated that the Treasurer had purchased the buildings erected on the site for £466 19 shillings 3 pence, and that the whole property was then leased back at the roup to James Gibbon & Company for £63 annual rent. (130r - 130v)
The Council approved the report of the committee appointed to consider the application from John Catto, merchant, for a lease of a piece of ground in the Links for a rope works. The report recommended that any property be let by public roup, and stated that a lease of that part of the Links, to the east of George Tower & Company's ropery, had been sold at the public roup to John Catto for £10 annual rent. (130v - 131r)
The Council approved the roup of the following properties: the materials of the stables at Footdee, erected to accommodate the cavalry, to John Catto, merchant in Aberdeen, for £101; a lease of the ground on which the stables at Footdee stood, to John Catto, merchant in Aberdeen, for £10 annual rent for seven years; a one year lease of the buildings at Pocra, purchased from Francis Leys & Company, to Alexander Fraser, merchant, for £22 10 shillings rent. (131r)
"Sections of the Borings in the Harbour, by John Busby." [Plan shows depth of the harbour near the Lime Sheds; near McKenzie's house, the sign of The Ship; near Point Law; upon the Inches opposite Mr Brebner's timber yard; and at the well in Mr Brebner's timber yard. The plan was made by Thomas Fletcher, engineer, using notes in the journal kept by John Busby, mineral surveyor.] (131v - 132r)
The Council walked in the Inner Marches, and considered that the stakes erected on the Links by Mr William Forbes, merchant, and by William Davidson, for the extension of their respective rope works, formed an obstruction. The Council resolved that the stakes could remain, if they did not extend further than fifty feet from each rope works into the Links, and if Mr Forbes and William Davidson each paid £5 annually to the Treasurer. (132v) |