1890
Another familiar face has passed away from Cellardyke Bulwark in Mr Wilson Birrell who died on Monday in his 82nd year. The family name is one of the mist numerous today on the coast, but his great grandfather, a seafaring man, at Kinghorn was the first to settle in the east of Fife. By his mother’s he belongs to a race of old sea captains in Anstruther. He inherited all the strength and resolution for which they were famous, being noted in his day as one of the most energetic skippers of the Forth. I his boyhood only fifteen Drave boats sailed from Cellardyke. He himself fished at Wick with three nets at hand, but at the tiller of the Lavinia, flying like the curlew through the spindrift, he was one of the first – like the brave old skipper of old – to lead the way to the untold wealth of the North Sea. He was one of the few who steered safely through the foam when Wick bay was so strewn with wreck and the dead. It is such as he who are the fathers of the coast, being kindly remembered as much for their quiet and honourable life on shore as for their enterprise and daring at sea.
1891
By the death of Mr George Gourlay, stationer Anstruther, which took place at his residence, High Street East, Anstruther, the East Neuk of Fife has lost one of its best known and respected inhabitants…. After serving an apprenticeship as a shoe maker he began to contribute to the press, and the weekly penny newspapers then beginning to grow popular, the idea struck him that he might ass a little to his income by selling them, meeting with good encouragement in that line, he conceived a novel idea. He had a small wooden house constructed, and set on wheels. This he fitted up as a book and newspaper stall. Every morning he took up his position at the pier, and vended his literary wares amongst the fishermen, and at night the stall was wheeled back to his house and stored safely away. He was now in his real element. He found ample leisure to read and think, and, besides mingling daily amongst the fishermen, he became familiar with their habits of life and peculiar traits of character. Old salts whose life voyage was drawing to a close would come down to the pier and sit in the sun, and there they would spin their yarns, and recount the adventures and hardships they had experienced listener.
About this time he began to contribute to the local press. His first essay in literature was a series of stories and traditions of the Fife Coast. He afterwards became local correspondent for the Dundee Courier and the Weekly news, a position he filled with painstaking ability until his death. The business carried on in the ‘house on wheels’ never rose to be a very paying concern. After two years he took a shop in the high street.
Mr Gourlay was a keen antiquary and a lover of history, and in regard to all that pertained to the history of his native county and he was looked upon as an authority. In 1879 Mr Gourlay published his first work ‘Fisherlife or the Memorials of Cellardyke and the Fife Coast’ the book was well received by publicly and press. At the Edinburgh Fisheries Exhibition Mr Gourlay had a stall which he sold all the remainder of the edition. The fisher people crowded round the stall, crying to one another, ‘Here’s Geordie Gourlay’s book, man, we maun buy it.’ The book is now out of print……. His last book Anstruther or Illustrations of Scottish Burgh Life’ was published in 1888.. His works are highly interesting, and are full of quaint and pawky stories, old legends, and the reminiscences of the hardships and dangers of life, to which the hardy fishermen of our coasts are to be subjected…….
1892
Two sad drownings accidents occurred at Peterhead harbour on Saturday night. A boy named David Hughes 10 ½ years of age, son of Alexander Hughes Pittenweem was sent to his father’s boat KY 103 with bread about 4 o clock in the afternoon. As he did not return his mother went to the harbour about 5 o clock to look for him. She saw the loaves floating in the harbour and thought the boy had lost them and was afraid to come home. Between 9 and 10 she became anxious and got several fishermen to drag the harbour. It was not long before grappling irons brought the body to the surface. It was supposed the boy had slipped his foot passing from one boat to another – on Sunday Morning some fishermen walking along the quay near the blubber box were horrified to see the body of a young man floating in the harbour, this turned out to be the body of John Muir (19) son of David Muir, Cellardyke, Skipper of the Mayflower KY46.
1893
At a High Court at Aberdeen held before Lord Young John McMullen (32) fisherman a native of County Down was charged with having assaulted George Cormack, fisherman, Torry< and did stab him of the left side of his chest and in his stomach and did murder him. Prisoner pleaded not guilty. A special pleas was tendered for the panel to the effect that he acted in self-defence. David Watson, master of the fishing boat Invincible, Cellardyke, was the first witness called. He stated that on the evening of Monday 31st July, he and McMullen went to Stephen’s public house at the foot of Market Street. One of the men, whom witness understood was the deceased Cormack, said to McMullen ‘you have got an awful dirty face, you are a half caste. ‘Witness made answer to the effect that Cormack had better mind his own business. They all left the public house at 11 o clock and when they got on the street, witness saw McMullen and Cormack fighting. Witness was himself knocked down at the public house door. Subsequently McMullen made a complaint to the policemen, and he and the witness went home. Witness and Mc Mullen went to the sea the day following the assault, and McMullen told him that he had used a knife and left his mark.. McMullen did not say anything to irritate or annoy Cormack, it appeared that Cormack was anxious to get up a quarrel with McMullen. Witness did not see McMullen strike Cormack. Watson further stated that he had known McMullen for a month previous to the assault and he appeared to be a man of quiet and peaceable disposition, he was not given to quarrelling and fighting. William Cressey , Fisherman, Aberdeen said he was at the foot of Market street and saw someone strike Watson. The later said he did not want to fight. Cormack came up and struck McMullen six or seven times on the face with his fists. McMullen went backwards on his heals as if to get away. He ran against a lamp post and fell. Cormack also fell, but as he was rising the accused struck him in the chest. His lordship – ‘it was then the knife was used?’ Witness – ‘ I never saw no knife’ McMullen seemed to be very hard pressed. Cormack was attacking him very furiously. There was blood on Mc Mullen’s face and he seemed to be very frightened….. after several more witnesses were called… the Judge summed up and the Jury retired for 8 minutes returning a verdict unanimously finding the prisoner not guilty.
1894
Robert Keith, fish cadger was charged with allowing his horse to stand on the road at Leuchars longer than necessary for loading and unloading, he was fined 20s with 8s expenses or 10 days.
1895
Fatal accident enquiry at Aberdeen to find the cause of death of David Moncrieff a Cellardyke fisherman who was killed aboard the Providence KY263 of Cellardyke, on 13th August while at sea, about 20 miles off Aberdeen. David Watson master of the boat explained how the accident was caused. The crew had been engaged putting out the jibboom when suddenly it swung round. Deceased was knocked violently against the stern post and killed, while other two men were knocked overboard, but managed to hold on, one of them by his feet. The evidence of the rest of the crew was to the same effect. Deceased father said he knew perfectly well how the accident must have occurred. They were all liable to make mistakes and he thought there must have been some neglect somewhere. The Jury found that Moncrieff died of a fracture of the skull, caused by being accidentally struck against the stern post by the jibboom swinging round while he was engaged with the rest of the crew in setting the big jib.
While the herring fishing boat Mizpah KY 398 was about 10 miles off Aberdeen on Tuesday afternoon, a young fisherman, George Watson fell overboard and was drowned, Watson belonged to Cellardyke.