Towns > Aberdeen > 1853-1854 - Cornwall's new Aberdeen directory

ABERDEEN.
9. Manufacturing Establishments .—There are,
within the Parliamentary boundary, five large and
as many smaller establishments for the manufac-
ture of cotton, linen, and wool ; three for the ma-
nufacture of combs— one of them the largest of the
kind in Britain ; besides extensive iron foundries,
rope and twine works, &c. An idea of the amount
of the manufactures of the city may be gained from
the list of imports and exports, superadding a large
proportion of the Railway goods' traffic.
10. Commercial Establishments. — The follow-
ing is a mere enumeration of this class of esta-
blishments in the city :— Banks— Aberdeen Bank-
ing Company, established in 1767, incorporated
with Union Bank of Scotland, 1849 — capital,
one million ; Aberdeen Town and County Bank,
1825 — capital, one million; North of Scotland
Banking Company, 1831 — capital, one million.
Branches — Bank of Scotland ; Commercial Bank of
Scotland; National Bank of Scotland ; British Linen
Company; City of Glasgow Bank. Insurance
Companies— Scottish Provincial (formerly Aber»
deen), 1825— capital, one million ; Northern, 1836.
Annual revenue from all sources exceeds £53,000—
numerous agencies of other Companies. Shipping
Companies.— Aberdeen Steam, with 3 steamers, of
about 3000 tons ; Aberdeen, Leith, and Clyde —
Bteam-ships, 3, of 1480 tons— besides a tug, 60 tons,
and one sailing vessel ; Aberdeen and Newcastle, 1
steamer, 280 tons ; Aberdeen and Hull, 1 steamer.
Whaling vessels belonging to Aberdeen, 2, about
700 tons; sealing, 1, about 150 tons. Railway
Companies.— Aberdeen— capital, £1,256,666 (for
traffic tit supra); Deeside — capital, £106,250;
Great North of Scotland — capital, £1,104,440.
Investment Companies. — Michigan ; North Bri-
tish Australasian Loan and Investment ; Galena ;
Scottish Australian. Local Jotnt Stock. — Mar-
kets ; Commercial ; Gas Light ; Lime ; Canal Com-
panies, &c.
11. Post Office.-- -It is to be regretted that the
statistics of this important department are not so
available as to admit of an accurate leturn being
given in figures, showing the extent of its business,
affording, as it would do, an important index to
the progress of trade and commerce, as well as to
that of the social condition of the community. It
is understood, however, that at present the num-
ber of letters delivered in the city, weekly, is some-
where about 30,000.
III.— Institutions.
1.— RELIGIOUS.
Churches, &c— There are within the City Roy-
alty the following number of Churches and Congre-
gations : — Established Churches, 9 (and one unoc-
cupied) ; Free do., 15; Episcopalian, 3; United
Presbyterian, 5 ; Congregational (in Union), 3 ;
not in Union, 1 ; Associate Synod 1 ; Baptist (vari-
ous), 3 ; Roman Catholic, 1 ; Unitarian, 1 ; United
Christian Church, 1 ; Friends, 1 ; various, 4. Of
other Churches and Chapels within the Parliamen-
tary Boundary— Established Churches, 2 ; Free
do., 2 ; Congregational, 1 ; Roman Catholic, 1 ; to-
tal, 54. Besides various Mission Stations. The
attendance at March, 1851, when the census was
taken up, was about 25,000. It is believed to be
at present considerably more. Attached to these
Churches, or conducted by their members, are
about 70 Sabbath Schools, with, it is estimated,
about 800 teachers, and 8000 pupils. There are
various Missionary, Sabbath School, and other As-
sociations, for the promotion of religious objects at
home and abroad.
2.— EDUCATIONAL.
1. The Universities.— Aberdeen enjoys the pre-
eminence of being the seat of two Universities. At
King's College, Old Aberdeen, founded in 1494,
with at present 9 Professorships, and 11 Lecture-
ships, most of the latter connected with the Medi-
cal School, there were in attendance last Session
(1852.3), 270 Students in Arts, 94 in Divinity (at-
tending both Universities), with 52 Students at
the sessions of the Medical School. Attached to
the College there is, besides a Museum, a Library
of great extent, numbering; 50,000 volumes. There
are about 130 endowed Bursaries— a considerable
number of them open to competition — the yearly
value of which is about £1950, exclusive of Several
Divinity and Medical Bursaries, of the value of about
£120 yearly. The number of Graduates in 1852,
was— in Arts, 35 ; in Divinity, 2 ; in Medicine, 24.
The latest returns of attendance at Marischal Col-
lege — founded 1593, and with at present 13 Chairs,
and 9 Lectureships— corresponding to the above are
— at classes in Arts, 191, ; Divinity, 94 (attending
also King's College) ; Law, 1 2 ; Medicine, 87. Bur-
saries, 126 ; present yearly value, £1250 ; many of
them being at low interest. Volumes in Library,
about 14,000. The number of Graduates in 1852:
AM., 21 ; LL.D., lj M.B., 7; M.D., 12.
2. Schools. — At the period of the last census
(March, 1851), there were in Aberdeen and vici-
nity 140 Day and Evening Schools. About 20 of
these are of the superior class of Academies. One
is of the intermediate kind between the ordinary
School and College — the Gymnasium, Old Aber-
deen, started a few years ago — the attendance at
which has been steadily increasing, till it is now
about 90. At the Grammar School in Aberdeen,
the number of pupils now averages 260, and, in the
quarter preceding the College Session, 300. The
West End and other Academies are also numerous-
ly attended. Six of the City Schools, including
the Grammar School, are under the patronage of
the Magistrates and Council. The exact number
of pupils at the Schools in Aberdeen cannot be
given. It probably exceeds 6000,
3.— LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC.
1. Mechanics' Institution. — The number of
members of this Institution, established in 1824,
was, at 30th April last, as follows : — Life, 235 ;
honorary, 15 ; ordinary, 249— total, 499. The
number of pupils attending the classes, last session,
was 244. A School of Practical Art has recently
been established in connection with the Institution,
and under Government patronage, and was attend-
ed, at the above date, by 11 day and 27 evening
scholars — total, 38. The number of volumes in the
General Library is 3087 ; Reading Society, 536=
3623. The number of readers is 350 ; that of is-
sues, during the above twelve months — General Li-
brary, 7303 ; Reading Society, 1700=9003. The
annual revenue of the Institution is upwards of
£500, but there is a large amount of debt.
2. Newspapers, &c. — There are three Newspa-
pers in Aberdeen — the Journal (established 1748),
Herald ( 1832), and Free Press (1853), with a gross
average circulation of about 6500 weekly. The fol-
lowing are Public News Rooms: — Athenaaum, Un-
ion Club, County Rooms, and Mechanics' InstitM-