Water
Supply
Parts of Inverness were supplied with a water supply to the homes
by 1830. This stone at the islands commemorates the Inverness Gas
and Water Company which first pumped water to the up-market houses
along the river banks. Sadly, however, those unfortunate enough to
live on the west side of the river had a much longer wait for piped
water to their homes – and it wasn’t free anyway , so
the poor continued to use polluted water and to tackle their washing
in it.
The General’s well
At one time, Inverness had several healing walls, each of the wells
was visited for a different cure – the General’s Well
being the one to visit for a cure for rickets. After silvering the
water the custom was to bathe the afflicted limbs and also to drink
the water. Being so conveniently near the town it was much frequented
and the number and variety of diseases it could subdue were proportionately
great.
Far and near, children and young persons afflicted with rickets
were brought to it and manipulated upon by its waters . To strengthen
the virtue of the water, silver coins of all sizes, together with
small pebbles, were immersed in the well and various curious ceremonies
were observed. |
