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Second Shetland Truck System Report
by William Guthrie
Truck - The payment of wages otherwise than in money, thesystem or practice of such a payment. References/Edinburghenquiry/book/archives/size of original doc. OED.
The Truck Commission Enquiry, 1872, is a major social historysource the Shetland Islands in the 19th century. It followed onfrom an existing Truck Commission enquiry in 1871, after evidencefrom Shetland was heard in Edinburgh. 45,125 questions coveredthe rest of the country, 17,070 for Shetland. Despite this effort, littleeffect immediately resulted in Shetland from legislation followingon the national enquiry.
References
George W. Hilton, The Truck System, including a History of the
British Truck Acts, 1465-1960,
W. Heffer and Sons, Ltd., Cambridge, 1960.
Hance D. Smith, Introduction (to facsimile reprint of the Reportof the Commissioners appointed to enquire into the Truck System(Shetland), Sandwick, 1978.
Hance D. Smith, Shetland Life and Trade, 1550-1914, John Donald
Publishers Ltd., Edinburgh, 1984, ISBN 0859761037.
For further queries, contact Shetland.archives@sic.shetland.gov.uk.
The original documents come in a double column, small print format.Since it isn't possible, or even desirable to reproduce that here, somealterations have been made. Page numbers are indicated within squarebrackets - [Page x]. Tables, which were in even smaller print, havealso been altered somewhat where necessary. In particular, Table I-IVin the Report section have been split up for ease of use, and put after,rather than in the middle of the section referring to them. The use ofitalics has been indicated by means of the following <italics>.
The most obvious typographical errors have been removed, but otherwisethe text is untouched. However, the spelling of place names and personalnames has altered a bit over the years, and the items below cover most ofthe obvious problems, as well as some misapprehensions and errors.
Blanch-now Blance.
ca'in/caain whales-alternative spellings of the same word - for Pilot Whale, usually.
Clunas-now usually Cluness.
Colafirth-now Collafirth.
Coningsburgh-now Cunningsburgh.
Cumlywick-now Cumlewick.
Cunningster-now Cunnister.
Dalzell-alternatively Dalziel, Dalyell, Deyell, and even Yell.
Dunrosness-now Dunrossness.
Edmonston/Edmonstone-now Edmondston.
Eskerness-probably Eshaness.
Exter, Janet-a misapprehension - actual name unknown but possiblyJanet Inkster.
Fetler-now Fetlar.
Fiedeland-now Fethaland.
Flaus/Flawes/Flaws-alternative spellings of the same name now usuallyFlaws.
Garrioch/Garriock/Garrick-can be alternative spellings of the same name.
ghive/geo/gio-gio - an inlet.
Goudie/Gaudie-now Goudie.
Hancliffe-probably Hangcliff.
...