| Administrative History | The Poor Law statutes remained in force until 1948. The Local Government Act (Scotland) Act 1929 saw Public Assistance Departments of County Councils taking over the administration of the Poor Law from Parochial Councils in 1929/30 and continued up to 1948.
In the County of Aberdeen, a Public Assistance Committee was appointed 25 April 1930. They then appointed a Chief Public Assistance Officer, based at 20 Union Terrace, Aberdeen, in July 1930. The post went to John Anderson, governor of Oldmill Hospital and formerly Chief Assistant Inspector of Poor to Aberdeen City Parish Council.
At a meeting on the 27 March 1931 Aberdeen County Council accepted plans to administer Public Assistance in the county through 22 Public Assistance Areas, formed of the following burghs and parishes:
1. Tyrie, Aberdour, Pitsligo, Burgh of Rosehearty (office New Pitsligo).
2. Burgh of Fraserburgh (office at Fraserburgh, administered jointly with 3).
3. Fraserburgh (Landward), Rathen, Lonmay (office at Fraserburgh, administered jointly with 2).
4. Burgh of Peterhead (office at Peterhead, administered jointly with 5).
5. Peterhead (Landward), Longside, St. Fergus, Cruden, Crimond (office at Peterhead, administered jointly with 4).
6. Old Deer, New Deer, Strichen (office at Maud).
7. Methlick, Tarves, Udny (office at Udny).
8. Ellon, Slains, Logie-Buchan, Foveran (office at Ellon).
9. Cruden (office at Hatton, Cruden).
10. Insch, Premnay, Leslie, Culsalmond, Rayne, Oyne (office at Insch).
11. Inverurie, Keith-hall, Kintore, Chapel of Garioch, Bourtie, Meldrum, Daviot (office at Inverurie).
12. Kemnay, Monymusk, Cluny, Midmar (office at Kemnay).
13. Crathie and Braemar, Glenmuick, Ballater (office at Ballater).
14. Aboyne, Birse, Coull, Kincardine O'Neil, Lumphanan, Logie-Coldstone, Tarland (office at Lumphanan).
15. Auchterless, Fyvie, Turriff, King-Edward, Monquhitter (office at Turriff).
16. Belhelvie, New Machar, Old Machar (office at Bridge of Don). Also known as District 1 of the Aberdeen Suburban Area.
17. Fintry, Dyce, Newhills, Kinellar (office at Bucksburn). Also known as District 2 of the Aberdeen Suburban Area.
18. Echt, Skene, Cults, Peterculter, Drumoak (office at Aberdeen). Also known as District 3 of the Aberdeen Suburban Area.
19. Auchindoir, Kildrummy, Glenbuchat, Strathdon, Towie (offices at Strathdon and Alford, administered jointly with 20).
20. Alford, Tullynessle, Leochnel-Cushnie, Tough, Keig (administered jointly with 19).
21. Clatt, Kennethmont, Gartly, Rhynie (office at Kennethmont).
22. Cairnie, Drumblade, Forgue, Glass, Huntly (office at Huntly).
The Council's proposal to oversee Public Assistance in the county through 15 Area Committees was approved by the Department of Health in December 1931. These were later given names (in brackets), and largely matched the areas overseen by the Public Assistance Officers with a few exceptions: Committee 1 (Pitsligo) for area 1; Committee 2 (Fraserburgh) for area 2; Committee 3 (Lonmay) for area 3 ; Committee 4 (Peterhead) for area 4; Committee 5 (Longside) for areas 5 and 9; Committee 6 (Deer) for area 6 ; Committee 7 (Ellon) for areas 7 and 8; Committee 8 (Garioch) for area 10; Committee 9 (Inverurie) for areas 11 and 12; Committee 10 for area 13; Committee 11 for area 14; Committee 12 (Turriff) for area 15; Committee 13 (Aberdeen Suburban) for areas 16, 17 and 18 ; Committee 14 (Donside) for areas 19 and 20 ; Committee 15 (Strathbogie) for areas 21 and 22. Committees 10 and 11 were merged to form the Mar and Cromar Area Committee.
In the 1930s several changes were made to the Public Assistance Areas: in Oct 1934 areas 11 & 12 were merged to form the Inverurie Area; in Nov 1935 areas 13 and 14 were merged to form the Mar & Cromar Area; in Jan 1936 areas 7 and 8 were merged to form the Ellon Area; in June 1936 Cruden was transferred to the Ellon Area (by then area 7); in April 1939 the Kennethmont area was abolished, with the parishes of Clatt and Kennethmont transferred to the Garioch Area and Gartly and Rhynie to the Strathbogie Area. This left the Public Assistance Areas as follows:
1. Pitsligo: Tyrie, Aberdour, Pitsligo, Rosehearty.
2. Fraserburgh: Fraserburgh (Burgh).
3. Lonmay: Fraserburgh (Landward), Rathen, Lonmay.
4. Peterhead: Peterhead Burgh.
5. Longside: Peterhead (Landward), Longside, St. Fergus, Crimond.
6. Deer: Old Deer, New Deer, Strichen
7. Ellon: Methlick, Tarves, Udny, Ellon, Slains, Logie-Buchan, Foveran, Cruden.
8. Garioch: Insch, Premnay, Leslie, Culsalmond, Rayne, Oyne, Clatt, Kennethmont
9. Inverurie: Inverurie, Keith-hall, Kintore, Chapel of Garioch, Bourtie, Meldrum, Kemnay, Monymusk, Cluny, Midmar.
10. Mar & Cromar: Crathie and Braemar, Glenmuick, Ballater, Aboyne, Birse, Coull, Kincardine O'Neil, Lumphanan, Logie-Coldstone, Tarland.
11. Turriff: Auchterless, Fyvie, Turriff, King-Edward, Monquhitter.
12. Aberdeen Suburban Area: Belhelvie, New Machar, Old Machar. Fintry, Dyce, Newhills, Kinellar. Echt, Skene, Cults, Peterculter, Drumoak.
13. Donside: Auchindoir, Kildrummy, Glenbuchat, Strathdon, Towie, Alford, Tullynessle, Leochnel-Cushnie, Tough, Keig.
14. Strathbogie: Cairnie, Drumblade, Forgue, Glass, Huntly, Gartly, Rhynie.
Further changes were made in the 1940s: in January 1946 a Sub-Committee of the Public Assistance Committee agreed to abolish the Garioch Area on the 15th May 1946, moving Clatt, Kennethmont to the Strathbogie Area and Insch, Premnay, Culsalmond, Rayne, Oyne to the Inverurie Area. The Area Sub-Committee was also abolished, with councillors spilt between the Strathbogie and Inverurie Committees. In September 1946 a Sub-Committee of the Public Assistance Committee recommended moving Monymusk, Kemnay, Cluny, Midmar from the Inverurie Area to the Donside Area from the 16 November 1946 (and equivalent changes were made to the makeup of the Area Sub-Committee). In October 1946 the same sub-committee recommended forming two new areas, Fraserburgh and Peterhead, from the Pitsligo, Fraserburgh, Lonmay, Longside, Deer and Peterhead Areas from the 16 May 1947 (and equivalent changes were made to the makeup of the Area Sub-Committee).
Leaving the following areas in summer 1947:
1. Fraserburgh Area: Tyrie, Aberdour, Pitsligo, Strichen, Fraserburgh, Rathen, Lonmay
2. Peterhead Area: Old Deer, New Deer, Peterhead, Longside, St. Fergus, Crimond
3. Ellon: Methlick, Tarves, Udny, Ellon, Slains, Logie-Buchan, Foveran, Cruden
4. Inverurie: Inverurie, Keith-hall, Kintore, Chapel of Garioch, Bourtie, Meldrum, Insch, Premnay, Culsalmond, Rayne, Oyne.
5. Mar & Cromar: Crathie and Braemar, Glenmuick, Ballater, Aboyne, Birse, Coull, Kincardine O'Neil, Lumphanan, Logie-Coldstone, Tarland.
6. Turriff: Auchterless, Fyvie, Turriff, King-Edward, Monquhitter
7. Aberdeen Suburban: Belhelvie, New Machar, Old Machar. Fintry, Dyce, Newhills, Kinellar. Echt, Skene, Cults, Peterculter, Drumoak.
8. Donside: Auchindoir, Kildrummy, Glenbuchat, Strathdon, Towie, Alford, Tullynessle, Leochnel-Cushnie, Tough, Keig, Monymusk, Kemnay, Cluny, Midmar
9. Strathbogie: Clatt, Kennethmont, Cairnie, Drumblade, Forgue, Glass, Huntly, Gartly, Rhynie |