Scottish Court of Session Decisions

Mrs Catherine Maclver, widow, residing at Croft No. 25, Upper Carloway, in the parish of Uig, Lewis, and county of Ross and Cromarty, presented the following note to the Court:—“My Lord Justice-Clerk—The applicant, the said Mrs Catherine Maclver, is desirous of applying for the benefit of the poor's roll to enable her to carry on an appeal in the Court of Session in which she is the appellant, and Angus Maclver, crofter, 24 Upper Carloway, in said parish and county, her step-son, is respondent. The said applicant is a very old woman and is both blind and bedridden. It would be particularly difficult, if not impossible, to take her to the parish church to emit a declaration of poverty, especially as the said church is twenty miles distant from where she resides and a ferry has to be crossed on the way. At this time of the year it is so stormy that travelling is often impossible. There is a United Free Church minister, the Reverend Duncan Macleod, at Carloway, and quite near to where the said applicant resides. May it therefore please your Lordship to move the Court to remit to the said Reverend Duncan Macleod and to two members of his kirk session to receive the said applicant's declaration of poverty, and, if so advised, to grant her a certificate in the usual form, as required by the Act of Sederunt of 21st December 1842, or to do otherwise as to your Lordship may seem proper.”

There was no opposition, and the Court, without delivering opinions, granted the prayer of the note.