| Description | Council meeting, 5 October 1803
[Sederunt given]
Baillie Duguid, Mr Alexander More and Mr Alexander Pirie swore oaths to King George III, and Mr Alexander Pirie gave his oath de fideli administratione as Master of Mortifications. (141r)
The Council appointed the following Acts of Council to be observed: the Act of 26 September 1791 against granting a prolongation of the tack or a feu of the Mill of Gilcomston to the Brewery Company; the Act of 25 June 1798 concerning the grant of more money from the funds of the Bridge of Dee and the Bridge of Don, except for roads in the vicinity of the town; and the Act of 21 September 1801 concerning the administration of finances by the office bearers. The Council remitted to the magistrates to examine which tacks were close to expiry. (141r - 141v)
The Council resolved that members absent from Council meetings should pay a fine of 1 shilling for each absence, and that members who were more than 15 minutes late for meetings should pay a fine of 6 pence. (141v)
The Council remitted to a committee of the Provost, the four Baillies, the Dean of Guild and the Treasurer, with the office bearers concerned, or any three of them, the following matters:
First, renewed application for a grant of the salmon fishings in the sea off the Lands of Torrie. (No decision had been taken by the Exchequer, as the application had been opposed by the heritors of the Raik and Stell fishings on the River Dee.)
Second, the best use of the water in the Town's Loch, the Mill Burn and the lade.
Third, the processes involving the Council before the Court of Session.
Fourth, disposal of the Treasurer's lease of part of the Lands of Muchals on 19 November 1803.
Fifth, the sale of the triangular piece of ground lying to the south of Bark Mill, and of the piece of ground between Hillton and Forresterhill requested by Mr Still of Millden.
Sixth, employment of a surveyor to make a plan of the boundaries between the Royalty and the Freedom Lands, and between the Freedom Lands and the County Lands, in accordance with the Act of Council of 1 March 1803.
Seventh, the application from James Staats Forbes for permission to erect two stone bridges across the loch in the line of St Andrew's Street and John Street.
(141v - 142r)
The Council remitted to the magistrates to meet with any committee of the gentlemen of the County to promote the bill for building a new turnpike road from Love Lane to the River Don, and for a new bridge across the River Don. (142r - 142v)
The Council fixed the Visitation of the Public Schools to be held on 26 October 1803, and the competition for bursaries at Marischal College to be held on 31 October 1803. The Council appointed the following to be Visitors of the Public Schools for the year 1803 to 1804: the Provost, the four Baillies, the Dean of Guild and the Treasurer, Mr Pirie, Master of Mortifications, Provost Hadden, Baillies Duguid, Lumsden and Murray, and Mr Alexander More, with the four Town's ministers and the Professors of the College, and any other person called by the magistrates. The Council directed the magistrates to procure from the managers of the Trades, a list of vacant bursaries under their patronage, in accordance with the Act of Council of 31 October 1780. The Council also resolved to prevent young men from competing for bursaries who did not require aid to continue their education. (142v - 143r)
The Council appointed the following to be Assessors to John Young, Dean of Guild, for the year ending Michaelmas 1805: Baillie William Shepherd, Baillie Robert Garden, Provost William Young, Provost George More, Provost James Hadden, Messrs Alexander Brebner, late Dean of Guild, Alexander More, Alexander Fraser, Gavin Hadden, Robert Tower, James Young and James Young junior, all merchants in Aberdeen. (143r)
The Council resolved to sell the money feu duties on the following ground: ground in the Shorelands, Marischal Street and Drum's Lane; the Old Hospital house and yard; the gardens belonging to Robert Gordon's Hospital and ground on Schoolhill; and a planted park near Countesswells belonging to Provost George More. The Council also resolved to sell the small feu duties belonging to the Treasurer, and the money feu duties payable from the Lands of Gilcomston. The Council remitted to a committee of the office bearers, or any three of them, to agree terms with feuars who wished to purchase their feu duties. (143r - 143v)
The Council appointed their commissioners charged with building and maintaining a house of correction in Aberdeen, under the Act of Parliament 42 GEO. III: Provost James Hadden, Provost John Dingwall, Alexander Brebner and Alexander More, all merchants and Burgesses of Guild. (143v)
The Council authorised the Treasurer to grant the following leases for seven years: a lease to Messrs James Gibbon & Company for the houses and ground they were using as a rope and sail factory; and a lease to John Catto, merchant, for a piece of ground in the Links to be used as a rope and sail factory.
The Council authorised the Shoremaster to grant a lease for seven years to John Catto, merchant, for a piece of ground on the east side of the Pocra Road where the stables for the cavalry had been erected some years before.
The Council authorised the Master of Mortifications to grant a lease for 7 years to William Davidson, merchant, for the Poldown Fishing and Croft.
(144r)
The Council agreed with the tenor of the letter from the following medical gentlemen: Sir Alexander Bannerman, Doctors William Livingston, George French, William Robertson, Peter Grant, James Bannerman, William Dyce, James Moir and Charles Skene, which stated that the Town would benefit from an institution which performed free vaccination against small pox for the poorer classes. The Council recommended that the medical gentlemen, and any of the magistrates, prepare a plan of such an institution. (144r - 144v) |