Scotland > 1882-1915 - Slater's Royal National Commercial Directory of Scotland > 1903, Part 1 - Slater's Royal National Commercial Directory of Scotland ... (Royal National Directory of Scotland.) With ... map, etc

DIRECTORY.]
1877,'' an Esplanade -was made along the
shore, extending nearly to the whole length
of the town, and a pier, 350 feet in length,
constructed ; both were completed in June,
1886; the total cost being £23,089. The
houses are built of a species of grey sand-
atone, which abounds in the immediate
vicinity, and is of great durability. The
town is well supplied with water
brought from Sandy Loch, about 2
miles above the town, in 1871, at
a cost of £4,140, and at the same time
sewerage works were constructed at a cost
of £2,365. The harbour of Lerwick (or
Bressay sound, as it is frequently called)
is very spacious, and is bounded on the
east by the island of Bressay, and on the
west by Mainland, bavins an entrance
from the south and another from the north.
Its extent may be inferred from the fact
that a fleet of upwards of 90 war ships
has anchored in it. In the general coasting
trade of 1902 603 vessels of 117,497 tons and
521 of 105,321 tonB cleared. In the British
trade, 13 entered of 964 tons and 17 cleared
of 2,288 tons. In the Forleigh trade 346
entered of 36,105 tons and 382 of 43,263
tonnage cleared.
The herring fishery is carried on here by
boats coming from the chief porta on
the east coast of Scotland as well
as from the Isle of Man; the bulk
of the herrings are salted and ex-
ported to the continental markets. The
number of fishing boats registered in
1902 belonging to the port was 754, with
a tonnage of 9,760, employing 3,804 men
and boys. The number of vessels regis-
tered in the same year was 37, of 2,096
tons. The value of the imports, 1902, was
£37,387, and the exports, £503,374. Fort
Charlotte stands on a rocky eminence at
the northern extremity of the town, and
commands the whole range of the anchor-
age, from the south to the north entrance
of the harbour. It was originally built in
the reign of Charles II. ; but having been
dismantled and allowed to fall into a state
of dilapidation, it was rebuilt in 1781, and
received the name dt now bears in honour
of the consort of George III. It is at pre-
sent used as a training establishment for
the Boyal Naval Reserve. Lerwick is a
burgh of barony, by charter dated 1818,
and is now, under the provisions of the
" Burgh Police (Scotland) Act, 1892,"
governed by twelve commissioners, includ-
ing a provost and two bailies ; by special
provision of the Act, it has power to ap-
point its own police, separate from the
county. The sheriff ordinary, debt recovery
and small debt courts are held every Fri-
day during the session. The justice of
peace small debt court is held as occasion
requires. The commissioners of supply
and the provincial synod of Shetland also
hold their meetings in Lerwick. The Town
Hall was erected at a cost of about £5,500,
the foundation stone being laid bv H.R.H.
the Duke of Edinburgh, 24th Jan. 1882.
It is an edifice of Orkney freestone, in the
Scottish Gothic style, from designs by Mr.
Alexander Ross, architect, of Inverness,
and was opened on the 12th of August,
1883. In 1887, on the occasion of the
Jubilee of Her late Majesty, Queen Vic-
toria, a clock and a fine peal of 8 bells,
provided by subscription, were placed in
the building, at a cost of about £600. Near
the Town Hall are the County buildings,
erected in 1875, containing a sheriff court
house and offices and a county hall, and
attached to these is the prison. The parish
church, standing above the town, towards
its southern extremity, is a building of
stone, with columns of the Doric order,
hewn stone ; but in consequence of the
flatness of its roof, and the want of a
spire, its external appearance is somewhat
ponderous. The Shetland Literary and
Scientific Society have a library and
news room in Commercial street, which
is open to the public; the library
â– contains about 4,000 volumes. The
Anderson Institute and the Widows'
Asylum, the former erected in 1862
and the latter in 1865, are at the south
end of the town. Both were founded by
the late Arthur Anderson esq. a native of
Shetland and founder of the Peninsular and
Oriental Steam Navigation Company,
who represented Orkney and Shetland in
parlaamfnt during the session of 1817. The
Institute, which consists of a higher school
or academy and an elementary school, is
now under the Lerwick school board. The
Widows' Asylum, erected for the indigent
widows of fishermen, for whom a pension
land has also been provided, consists of 12
houses, containing from three to six
THE SHETLAND ISLES.
rooms each. The " Gilbert Bain '' Memo-
rial Hospital, containing 8 beds, was pre-
sented to the county by the sisters of the
late Gilbert Bain esq. The poorhouse,
erected outside the town, at a cost of
£5,000, contains 55 beds, and is for the
poor of the whole of the county. Adjacent
is the hospital, built at an expenditure of
£2,000, and containing 10 beds. Branches
of the Commercial Bank of Scotland Lim.
the Union Bank of Scotland Limited and
the North of Scotland Bank Limited are
established here. Two newspapers are pub-
lished here weekly, the " Shetland News "
and the " Shetland Times." There are two
first-class hotels, namely, the " Grand "
and the " Queen's." A considerable por-
tion of the produce of Shetland, consisting
of fresh and salted fish, beef, oil, butter and
hosiery, passes to market through the mer-
chants of Lerwick, who, in turn, import
nearly all the groceries, spirits and
manufactured goods used throughout
the islands. Sheep and cattle sales are held
every Monday during September, October
and November, and the Shetland Agricul-
tural Society hold their annual show here
in August. The area of the civil parish,
10,908 acres; rateable value of landward,
£3,804; burghal, £15,141; population in
1891, 5,757 in the civil, and in 1901, civil
parish, 6,519, including 51 in the Shetland
Combination Poorhouse and 235 shipping ;
ecclesiastical, 5,431 ; police burgh, 4,286
and in the town, 4,541.
A public park waa presented to the town
in 1895 by Robert P. GilbertBon esq. and
bears his name.
Quarff, Mainland, East and West Burra,
Hevera, Holm of Papal and Papa Island,
forming together the quoad sacra parish of
Quarff, were on May 15, 1891, under the
provisions of the " Local Government
( Scotland) Act, 1889 , ' ' transferred from
Bressay parish to Lerwick. QuarfE is
situated on Mainland, about 6 miles
south-west from Lerwick. East and
West Burra are small islands situated
to the west of the mainland, from
which they are separated by Clift sound,
and are distant about 4 miles south from
Scalloway. The area is 5,255 acres ; rate-
able value included with Lerwick. The
population of QuafE ecclesiastical parish in
1901 was 1,088. The population in 1901
was: East Burra, 203; West Burra, 612;
Hevera, 25; Holm of Papal, 2; Papa, 16.
Post, M. O. & T. O., £. M. O., E. D.,
P. P., S. B. & A. & I. O. Commercial
street ; Robert Stout, postmaster. De-
liveries & dispatches, five days a week
in summer & three in winter
Post & T. O. Burra; William E. Morri-
son, postmaster. Letters through Ler-
wick. Deliveries & dispatches, four
times weekly in summer & three in
winter. Postal Orders are issued & paid
* here. Scalloway is the nearest money
order office & Hammavoe the nearest
telegraph office, 3 miles distant
BURGH COMMISSIONERS.
Burgh Court, Town hall, Billhead.
Provost, John Leisk
Bailies, Arthur A. Porteous & James M.
Goudie
Commissioners, nine
Town Clerk, Arthur Sandison
Burgh Fiscal, Leslie E. Mitchell
Treasurer & Collector, Peter Garrioch
Burgh Surveyor, George Cruickshank
Medical Officer of Health, Andrew Ander-
son Maclennan M.B., C.M
Sanitary Inspector, Leslie E. Mitchell
Burgh Police, Leslie E. 'Mitchell, chief
constable ; William J. Gray, constable
SHERIFF COUET,
County bui, lings.
Held every friday during session.
Sheriff, John Wilson K.C
Sheriff Substitute, Alexander Moffatt M.A.,
LL.B
Sheriff Clerk, Archibald Sutherland
Sheriff Clerk Depute, Robert 0. Thomson
Procurator Fiscal, Jas. Kirkland Galloway
Auditor, Archibald Sutherland
Sheriff Officer, Donald Shaw
PARISH COUNCIL.
Chairman, John Robertson
Clerk, James Innes
Medical Officer, Andrew Anderson Mac-
lennan M.B., C.M
Inspector of Poor, Lerwick, James Innes,
Union street & James Smith, assistant
inspector for Burra district
LERWICK.
1343
Registrars : —
Lerwick, Robert Stout, Commercial street
Burra & Quarff, William E. Morrison
COMBINATION POORHOUSE,
Scalloway road.
Governor, William Gran
Matron, Mrs. Cran
Medical Officer, Andrew A. Maclennan
M.B., C.M
Clerk, James Innes
CUSTOM HOUSE,
Harbour street.
Superintendent & Superintendent Mercan-
tile Marine, Collector Light Dues & Re-
ceiver of Wreck, L. ' Shaughnessy
(Laurence)
Preventive Officer & Deputy Receiver of
Wreck & Board of Trade Surveyor,
James Kilroy
Boatmen, Charles Gorn & Robt. McKenzie
VICE-CONSULS.
France, Spain, Sweden, Norway & Den-
markjA.Ounningbam Hay, Commercial st
Belgium, John S. Tulloch
Germany, Andrew J. Robertson
Netherlands (The), James Kirkland Gallo-
way, County buildings
Russda (vacant)
HARBOUR TRUSTEES.
Clerk, William Johnson
Harbour Master, George Allison
H. M. PRISON,
Lerwick.
Governor, William C. Allan
Matron, Mrs. Mary Allan
Warder, N John R. Gilbertson
Surgeon, Andrew A. Maclennan M.B., C.M
Chaplain, Rev. Andrew Jas. Campbell B.A
COAST GUARD STATION!,
Fort Charlotte.
Divisional Officer, Lieutenant James W.
Pochin
Chief Officer of Coast Guard & Battery
Officer of Royal Naval Reserve, John
Crocker
Naval Reserve Battery, North Ness & Fort
Charlotte, John Crocker, chief officer
PUBLIC ESTABLISHMENTS &c.
Cemetery, Lerwick, Alex. Murray, caretkr
Combination Hospital, Scalloway road, Miss
Isabella Petrie, nurse
Fishery Office, Garthspool, Robert Hendry,
officer ; Donald Skinner, assist, officer
Gilbert Bain Memorial Hospital, Lerwick,
Arthur Sandison, clerk & treas. ; Mrs.
Helen Stewart, matron
Inland Revenue Office, Town hall, Joseph
Marshall, supervisor; Thomas M. Reid
& George P. Boyd, officers
Stamp Office, Commercial street, Robert
Stout, distributor
Weights & Measures Office, Freefield, John
Brown, inspector
Widows' Asylum, Lerwick, Miss Bruce
Mullay, matron
PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
County Buildings, Hillhead
Masonic Hall, Queen's la. Wm. Johnson, s«o
Slaughter House, Harbour street
Town Hall, Hillhead
VOLUNTEERS.
7th Volunteer Battalion The Gordon High-
landers (attached to 1st Vol. Batt.),
Staff Capt. Commandant, A. Moffatt;
medical officer, Surg.-Lieut. J. F. Robert-
son M.D. ; acting chaplain, Rev. A. J.
Campbell B.A
Lerwick Companies : A, Lieut. T. R. Stove
& B, Capt. J. C. Grierson; Sergt. -Major
j. Watt, drill instructor
PLACES OF WORSHIP.
Established Churches: —
Lerwick, Rev. Andrew Jas. Campbell B.A
Quarff & Burra, Rev. David Johnstone
Episcopal Church (St. Magnus'), Lerwick
Rev. Edward James Hodges B.A. (Oxon)
United Free Churches: —
Burra, Rev. James R. Proctor M.A
Lerwick, Rev. David Houston M.A
Lerwick, Rev John Wiilcock M.A., B.D
Quarff iMission), Rev. William Fordyce
Congregational, Lerwick, Rev. Henry Booth
Aldridge
Baptist, Lerwick, Rev. F. S. Barnford
Wesleyan, Lerwick, Rev. Joseph B. Algar
& Rev. Benjamin Barker
School Board, Lerwick, Robert D. Ganson,
clerk & treasurer, Market street