On Monday 6th July 1896, at the Justice of the Peace Court in Hamilton, Mrs Annie McLay (nee Smith) was charged with throwing on the carriageway opposite her home at Larkfield, a “pail of slops”, contrary to the Roads Act.
Sanitation in Blantyre had vastly been improved upon by the 1890s, with proper drains being installed throughout the Parish the decade before. Despite this, the Fiscal reported that the unhygienic practice was still in use and that it should be stopped immediately. It would seem old habits were difficult to break with. Annie was fined 2s 6d or 24 hours imprisonment, this being her first offence. The Justice intimated their intention of issuing fines should it continue to happen.
It is unknown why Mrs McLay felt the need to do this, but it was known at the time that the area around Braehead at Larkfield posed considerable problems for the new drainage systems in Blantyre. In other words, she may not have had much alternative in this area. Such problems were recorded as early as 1880, when the water supply was upgraded.
AI illustrates this scene, cleverly derived from this very story.
