Ayrshire > Volume 1

324 HISTORY OF AYRSHIRE
drinking of spirituous liquors," says Mr. Alton,
" continues to be the leading vice of the people of
Scotland. It has ruined many families and involved
immense numbers in misery." The county abounded
in low inns. There were no fewer than 649 licensed
alehouses, and 650 with licenses to sell spirits — no doubt,
in the vast preponderance of cases, the two went together
— besides " some hundreds more " that dealt in liquor
without any regular license whatever. These houses
had, of course, an enormous share in fostering the
abounding poverty, and in taxing the resources of the
Church and of that portion of the people upon whom
fell the duty of caring for the poor. With the " stent,"
or tax, imposed under the Act of 1740, " the virtuous
feeling of decent pride, which prevented many from
applying for public aid, gradually diminished, and they
came to claim a share in the stent as a matter of right."
The only poorhouse in Ayrshire was a small one in the
county town, and practically nothing was done by the
community to prevent the downfall of the large class
who were only too prone to lapse into pauperism,
vagrancy, and crime. Mr. Aiton urged the starting of
" bridewells " in Ayr, Irvine, and Kilmarnock for
reformatory purposes, in the case of vagrants and persons
who had committed petty offences. We need hardly
feel any surprise that his suggestion was not acted upon ;
for, nigh a century after the day when he was engaged
writing his report, the vagrant still remains a serious
problem for the authorities.
The records of the parish of Ayr contain a list of
the inmates of the poorhouse in 1756, with a detailed
narrative of their belongings. We subjoin half a dozen
of the entries, which are curious in their way : —
James Blair, aged 74 — he has brought to prhouse a
feather bed and bolster, 3 pr. of blankets, a chest,
2 chairs, 4 shirts, an old coat, the clothes he has
on, a chimney and tongs, 3 stockings. He has some
title to the rents of houses in the Sandgate, which he
declares himself willing to make over to the prhouse.