| Administrative History | The Collection is assumed to be part of PD2 donation of material by Gray and Gray solicitors, Peterhead.
The Poor House was sited on the corner of Ugie and King Street (90 King Street). The site was first purchased by the Parochial Board in 1849, and was demolished and rebuilt in 1898. After the poor law system ended it became Peterhead Parish Home. It was renovated in 1954 and reopened as Peterhead Eventide Home for the Elderly, later known as Craigewan Old People's Home. The building was demolished in 2008.
Two pages of notes (author unidentified) in one of the later files from the Peterhead Eventide Home contains a two page history of the Home titled, "Craigewan in previous years." In these notes it states that, "In 1850 the Peterhead Parochial Board bought a building which was previously a glue factory. After some reconstruction this building became known as the Peterhead Poorhouse and at that time was described as a large gloomy building…In early 1861 inmates as the residents were then called were removed temporarily to other accommodation in Peterhead while alterations were carried out. On 15th December of that year a formal re-opening of the home was conducted and all the members of the parochial board were present…In 1893 the Parochial Board was reconstructed and became the Peterhead Parish Council and the Poorhouse became the Peterhead Parish Home."
On an initial look at the minutes of the Peterhead Parochial Board there is no mention of the re-opening of the home in December 1861, however from 1857 to 1869 there are numerous debates about whether the Board should be building a new Poor House just for the town and Parish or taking beds in a combination Poor House for the area. In 1869 the debate seems to come to a conclusion with a motion to add an addition to the existing Poor Lodging House.
On 11th December the resignation of the Govenor John Gordon and his wife , the matron, is accepted and on 12th Jan 1875 the appointment of Peterhead man Richard Noble and his wife, who will work as matron, is noted. On 5th February the Peterhead Parochial Board minutes mention the attendance of Mr Gray solicitor at the meeting and just prior to the start of many of the record books in the collection, on 9th April 1889, it is recorded that the "Committee is to report the result of enquiries into the admission by the Govenor (not named) that he had "touched up" a book belonging to the Board, which might be a reason for several volumes in the collection starting in April/ May 1889. On the first pages of the Peterhead Poorhouse, House Governor's Journal it gives specific directions for the operation of the book including that, "No entry in this or any of the books shall be made in pencil, and no erasures whatsoever shall be allowed." All of the books mentioned as being authorised to be bought by the house committee on 16th April 1889, (1) Journal, (2) Visitors Book (3) Orders and Accounts and (4 - crossed out and replaced with a 5) Register and Record Keeping books are all in the collection.
Later in the two page history, "Craigewan in previous years" it is noted that, "In 1900 a large area of ground was rented from the Peterhead Feuars. Part of the ground was used to rear and feed pigs and another part for sawing up wood, this was bought from Wood contractors, made into kindling and sold round the doors in Peterhead…."
The move to the New Parish Home is noted in the Visitors Book on 30th May 1900. "Craigewan in previous years" continues that, "In 1948 the National Assistance Act came into being and the Parish Home was then taken over and run by the Aberdeen County Council Welfare Department. In 1954 the Home was closed and all the residents were boarded out or hospitalised. Alterations and extensions were carried out and then in 1955 the Home was re-opened as the Peterhead Eventide Home." |