Folios 686-688. Letter from Mr Salmond, Langton Hall, Pinxton, Mansfield Poor Law...

Folios 686-688. Letter from Mr Salmond, Langton Hall, Pinxton, Mansfield Poor Law Union, to the Poor Law Commission, regarding the election of a medical officer to the fifth district of the Mansfield Union. The guardians have elected Turner who does not reside in the district or in the union, whereas Mr Willis, does reside in the district and was a candidate. The rules maintain that if a qualified medical man resides in the district he would be appointed as medical officer to that district in preference to a non-resident, as in the case of a gentleman residing in Mansfield Woodhouse in the Mansfield Union.

Salmond explains that he is a magistrate in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, and a partner of a colliery firm which employs about 800 men and boys who reside almost exclusively in the parishes of Pinxton and Normanton in which the district in question is situated. His firm pays directly and indirectly about one third of the rates of Pinxton. Mr Willis, the candidate mentioned, has resided here for several years and has attended an average of 300 accidents per year, very successfully. He also attends the accidents of the Portland Colliery and the Butterly works as well as another of Salmond's firms in the neighbourhood. Willis is acquainted with the condition of the workforce and has vaccinated over 200 poor when the medical officer was unable to due to ill health. Salmond asks the Poor Law Commission to carry out the rule and appoint Mr Willis to the medical officers' position.

He encloses an extract from a letter dated February 1863, which the clerk to the guardians of the Mansfield Union sent to Mr Willis, Surgeon, Pinxton, Derbyshire.

'As your being resident in the District, would in case your professional qualification (which you do not specify) such as the law requires, entitle you to a permanent instead of and annual appointment, the guardians respectfully request to you your account to waive the matter until Michaelmas instead of their being under the [auspicity] of calling upon Mr Spencer to resign'.

Annotated: acknowledge. 8 October 1863

Paper Number: 36427/1863.

Poor Law Union Number: 337.

Counties: Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.