Butchers.....
Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2006 5:17 am
Hi all,
Do you have any butchers/fleshers in your tree? If so, do you know about the great debate about tuberculosis in meat, and how it may have affected your butcher ancestor's livelihood?
After doing quite a bit of research about tuberculosis in meat, I have found that a lot of the blame for the spread of tuberculosis fell on butchers, rather than on the farmers who raised the cows, mainly because eradicating herds was seen as too expensive a measure! There is plenty about it on the net, just search tuberculosis+ meat history. It was rather fascinating.
I have Thomas Carson, a butcher from Irvine Ayr, my great great grandfather. Some time ago I searched the NAS and found reference to a Bill of Suspension for him. Here is a little of the information I received:
Transcription of Bill of Suspension against Thomas Carson, butcher, Irvine, 1892.
Order for the destruction or sale of unwholesome meat etc, Section 26.
Irvine, Feb. 15 1892
On the order of John Wyllie the sanitary inspector for the Royal Burgh of Irvine whose signature is accordingly hereto subjoined, and being satisfied that the carcass of a cow seized by him on Saturday the 13th day of February 1892 and to have been found in the possession of or on the premises occupied by Thomas Carson Flesher at Montgomery Street Irvine is unfit for human food, hereby, in virtue of Section 26 of the Public Health (Scotland) Act 1867, Ordain the said Sanitary Inspector to destroy the same or otherwise dispose of the same in such a manner and with such precautions as to prevent the same being exposed for human food or used for such food.
Judge: (unreadable signature)
Inspector: John Wyllie S.C., N.B. Green, M.R.C.V.S, Veterinary Inspector
Certificate by N.B. Green
13 July 1892 (probable date of presentation to court)
Irvine 17 Feb, 1892
I hereby certify that I examined a carcass on Saturday the 13th, found the property of Mt Thomas Carson, Butcher, Halfway, Irvine.
I found said animal had been suffering from Tuberculosis and in my opinion unfit for human food.
N.B. Green, Veterinary Inspector.
* * *
The documents go on to ask for Mr Carson to be heavily fined for his having the meat in his possession, and also to imprison him!
The court documents begin in 1892 and continue until 1911, but I only have those for 1892, as the rest would have cost me a LOT of money. One day I may get to the NAS and have a look at the two hundred page document that is still there. I would like to find out whether he won in the end, as during this whole time period, the authorities were still trying to determine if bovine tuberculosis could be spread to humans in the first place!
I found it necessary to research this topic deeply because I actually think my gg father was set up! The documents I have include a statement from my gg grandfather who maintains he received delivery of the diseased meat from Ayr a mere few minutes before Mr Wyllie entered his shop and confiscated it. Seems a bit of a coincidence to me! By 1907 my gg grandfather had left Irvine and his butcher's shop behind, but the court case dragged on...
And why would he have been set up? Well he was Irish...I know the Irish were not well-liked at that time, but not only that, he had done very well for himself; his own butcher's shop and a big house with at least one servant in Montgomery Street, the huge monument in Shewalton cemetery for his family grave. I may be off the mark, but I do think there was a little bit of malice in these precedings, and to get the real feel for it, you would have to read the 30 pages I have in my possession.
Anyway, I just thought I would share some of what was going on in the background of my gg grandfather's working life. It is amazing what you can find out!
Nina
Do you have any butchers/fleshers in your tree? If so, do you know about the great debate about tuberculosis in meat, and how it may have affected your butcher ancestor's livelihood?
After doing quite a bit of research about tuberculosis in meat, I have found that a lot of the blame for the spread of tuberculosis fell on butchers, rather than on the farmers who raised the cows, mainly because eradicating herds was seen as too expensive a measure! There is plenty about it on the net, just search tuberculosis+ meat history. It was rather fascinating.
I have Thomas Carson, a butcher from Irvine Ayr, my great great grandfather. Some time ago I searched the NAS and found reference to a Bill of Suspension for him. Here is a little of the information I received:
Transcription of Bill of Suspension against Thomas Carson, butcher, Irvine, 1892.
Order for the destruction or sale of unwholesome meat etc, Section 26.
Irvine, Feb. 15 1892
On the order of John Wyllie the sanitary inspector for the Royal Burgh of Irvine whose signature is accordingly hereto subjoined, and being satisfied that the carcass of a cow seized by him on Saturday the 13th day of February 1892 and to have been found in the possession of or on the premises occupied by Thomas Carson Flesher at Montgomery Street Irvine is unfit for human food, hereby, in virtue of Section 26 of the Public Health (Scotland) Act 1867, Ordain the said Sanitary Inspector to destroy the same or otherwise dispose of the same in such a manner and with such precautions as to prevent the same being exposed for human food or used for such food.
Judge: (unreadable signature)
Inspector: John Wyllie S.C., N.B. Green, M.R.C.V.S, Veterinary Inspector
Certificate by N.B. Green
13 July 1892 (probable date of presentation to court)
Irvine 17 Feb, 1892
I hereby certify that I examined a carcass on Saturday the 13th, found the property of Mt Thomas Carson, Butcher, Halfway, Irvine.
I found said animal had been suffering from Tuberculosis and in my opinion unfit for human food.
N.B. Green, Veterinary Inspector.
* * *
The documents go on to ask for Mr Carson to be heavily fined for his having the meat in his possession, and also to imprison him!
The court documents begin in 1892 and continue until 1911, but I only have those for 1892, as the rest would have cost me a LOT of money. One day I may get to the NAS and have a look at the two hundred page document that is still there. I would like to find out whether he won in the end, as during this whole time period, the authorities were still trying to determine if bovine tuberculosis could be spread to humans in the first place!
I found it necessary to research this topic deeply because I actually think my gg father was set up! The documents I have include a statement from my gg grandfather who maintains he received delivery of the diseased meat from Ayr a mere few minutes before Mr Wyllie entered his shop and confiscated it. Seems a bit of a coincidence to me! By 1907 my gg grandfather had left Irvine and his butcher's shop behind, but the court case dragged on...
And why would he have been set up? Well he was Irish...I know the Irish were not well-liked at that time, but not only that, he had done very well for himself; his own butcher's shop and a big house with at least one servant in Montgomery Street, the huge monument in Shewalton cemetery for his family grave. I may be off the mark, but I do think there was a little bit of malice in these precedings, and to get the real feel for it, you would have to read the 30 pages I have in my possession.
Anyway, I just thought I would share some of what was going on in the background of my gg grandfather's working life. It is amazing what you can find out!
Nina