1843 Poor Law Commission

Has been twelve mouths session clerk of the parish of Carnock. The mortifications mentioned in the return consist principally of two years and a half vacant stipends about the year 1700, of the presbytery of Carnock, left by the Countess of Kincardine, then patroness, to the minister and elders, for the use of the poor of the parish. There is £200 of that money now invested in gas shares in the town of Dunfermline. The heritors assess themselves voluntarily yearly, for what is necessary for the maintenance of the poor in addition to that sum, and the collections at the church; and they decide what persons shall be admitted to the roll of paupers, along with the minister. There is no kirk-session at present. They have only one stated meeting in the year; but the minister calls occasional meetings by a notice from the pulpit, when required, and when applications to be admitted on the roll are considered and disposed of. All the persons upon the roll now are old infirm people, and the allowance to them varies from 3s. to 6s. a month. Some of them get their house rent paid. He does not know if there are any bed-ridden people on the roll. The session also give an occasional supply of coals. There are not at present any children receiving education at the expense of the session. Last year there were some small sums paid on that account. There were a good many people out of employment last year. Some money was got from Edinburgh to relieve them,—about £20 witness thinks. There was no fund received for them within the parish. There are several persons in the parish out of employment now, owing to the partial failure of trade in Dunfermline. There has been no subscription raised for them as far as witness knows.