Statistics of grave-yards in Scotland / by John Webster.

  • Webster, John.
Date:
[1855?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Statistics of grave-yards in Scotland / by John Webster. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    1 ® Within the now over-crowded churchyard adjoining the celebrated Pictish round tower, one of the greatest curiosities throughout Great Britain, and which has given rise to much learned controversy, the gravestones show that many persons of advanced life have been interred. In this romantic looking precinct, ages betwixt 70 and 80 are frequently recorded. From 80 to 85 were not un¬ common, considering the aggregate monuments. Several ranged from 85 to 87, which were the highest figures observed. In addi¬ tion however to the above statements, it deserves to be mentioned that, although no monumental stones yet record the various facts, five persons from 82 to 85, one 86, another 87, one 88, one 89, and lastly one 93 years of age respectively, have been recently interred in this ancient cemetery. Besides the above facts, there is now living a female aged 96, and another not much younger, who are said to be the oldest living persons at present in Brechin. According to these different data, the inhabitants of this city seem therefore to enjoy above an average, if not rather a high position in the scale of longevity; fewer persons apparently being cut off during middle life than occurs in crowded manufacturing localities, especially those lying on the sea-coast. 5. Montrose. This town is a seaport with about 16,000 in¬ habitants; it occupies a neck of land, chiefly of sand. It has the ocean on one side, a tidal river on the other, an equally large stream on the northern quarter, but at some distance; and lastly, an extensive natural basin or lagune of several square miles in ex¬ tent on its western boundary. The town is not very favourably placed as to salubrity: for the muddy bottom of this large marine lake being exposed to the action of winds and sunshine, damp ex¬ halations, with other injurious malarious influences, are liable to arise, and affect visitants. To make matters much worse, an ex¬ tensive manure manufacturing establishment has been lately, by magisterial sanction, allowed to occupy a ground lying between this lagune and the high street of Montrose ; from this manufactory most offensive stenches often exhale, which are felt over great part of the town, especially when westerly winds prevail. I can speak on this point from personal experience ; for, on the day of my visit to the lunatic asylum and graveyards, I passed this manure depot, at the time a west-wind blew from over the mud encumbered marshy basin, then uncovered by sea water, and ex¬ posed to a burning sun’s rays. The odour produced was so strongly unpleasant, that, like Faraday going down to Greenwich by the steamer, I was constrained to put a handkerchief to my nose, to avoid smelling the putrescent effluvia. This is really no exagger¬ ation, for others have made similar remarks respecting this sterco- raceous magazine; and the subject is here mentioned, since the evil might be easily remedied, if only to the public good the paltry annual rent received from lessees was sacrificed. To talk of promoting sanitary measures on one hand, and to allow these noxious proceedings on the other, is altogether inconsistent.