| Administrative History | Turriff became a Burgh of Barony in favour of William Hay, 5th Earl of Erroll in 1511-12. Adoption of the Police Act of 1850 led to the creation of an elected Council of Nine Police Commissioners on 25 October 1858, ' ..to make more effectual provision for regulating the Police of Towns and populous places in Scotland and for paving, draining, cleansing,, lighting and improving the same'. John Hutcheon was the first junior magistrate and the offices of town clerk and town treasurer were first held by Charles Brodie and John Rose respectively.
The Burgh Treasurer bore the additional responsibility of 'collector' of assesment rolls, the office being later renamed Burgh Chamberlain. A Burgh Police Court was also established for the trial of petty offences. It would appear that responsiblity for public health and sanitation was initially under the supervision of a separate committee as reflected by a distinct volume of minutes which exists for 1873 - 1900. In accordance with the Town Councils Act for Scotland (1900), the Police Commissioners for the burgh immediately assumed the new title and responsibility of Town Council. The positions of Town Clerk and Chamberlain were merged in 1949, with Adam Simpson becoming the first incumbent of the joint office. The town council was abolished in 1975 following re-organisation of local government. Its powers were assumed by Grampian Regional Council and Banff & Buchan District Council. These in turn were replaced by Aberdeenshire Council in 1996 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1994 (c. 39). |