1894
Last night the Gladstonian Candidate for the St Andrews Burghs, addressed a meeting of Cellardyke Fisherman and others in the Town hall.
Provost Martin presided. Mr Paton held that the fishermen should be represented on the Fishery Board; no trawler should be allowed to come within 10 or 12 miles off shore; every trawler should have a certified Captain, and if convicted of breach of the By-laws within enclosed waters, his certificate should be forfeited. The Government should give generous grants of money for the improvement of Anstruther and other harbours in Scotland. After several questions had been answered, a vote declaring Mr Paton a fit proper candidate was unanimously carried.
Leith – Yesterday over a dozen Fife Fishing boats from Cellardyke and St Monans put into Leith for Shelter. The boats were all herring fishing outside the May Island and at 11 o clock on Monday night a terrific SE gale came on. Several of them lost their nets. Some of the boats were clean and others did not catch more than two boxes of herring.
A number of buoys and fragments of nets were washed ashore at the west end of St Monans. By the initials on the buoys they were supposed to belong to Cellardyke fishermen, who have probably either broken or cut them adrift during Tuesday’s gale.
1896
Sudden death – On Monday Morning, James Christie, Carter, Shore Street Cellardyke was found dead in bed. He had been in his usual health the previous day and retired to rest at the usual time. Heart disease was the cause of death. Christie was 59 years of age.
1899
Evening classes – Cookery and laundry classes were opened at Strathmiglo and Cellardyke with a satisfactory attendance.
At a public meeting of Cellardyke fishermen, it was unanimously decided that on the approaching herring fishing at Anstruther no herring or other fish shall be sold or discharged before 7.30 o clock each morning so as to give a fair field and no favour to all the fish buyers and merchants, and to allow of telegrams to be received from other centres before the fish are sold. It is understood that the merchants and curers have acquiesced in this decision, and that stranger fishermen who come to prosecute the fishing will also loyally abide by it.
The winter herring yielded 15, 775 crans and increase of 10 562 over 1898, it was the best season since 1892. The spring deep sea fishing was prosecuted with a fair measure of success by the fishermen, while the Drave at the north ports was peculiar in the respect that exceptionally high prices were realised. Some of the Cellardyke boats were very successful having upwards of £600; while none of the fleet were below £100, the average earnings was close on £200. The boats returned from the Scarborough and Lowestoft and Yarmouth fishings on the last week of November, the season having proved to them to be the best on record so far as the money earned was concerned. The average of the 25 crews engaged was fully £500 and this works out a gross total of £12000. Assuming that the salesman commission and expenses were £2000 this leaves a large sum of £10 000 as having been brought from the south by these crews, some of the members of which have received fully £100 per man as their share. Never before has such a lot of money been brought back, and the result of it is already seen in the orders that are being given for new boats of about 70ft in length..
1900
Mr Fulton (Pittenweem) has just taken an order to build a large sailing liner for Mr William Brown, Cellardyke. Having a good working staff at present, he anticipates having all the orders on hand executed by the first of next Lammas fishing.
1901
The Steam Trawler Lochnagar, belonging to the Loch Line Steam Trawling Company, which left Aberdeen for the fishing grounds on Thursday, returned to the Albert Basin on Friday, and the captain George Gimmer reported having lost overboard on of his deck hands, Robert Dickson, residing at 70 Wales Street. It appears that while the Lochnagar was about 100 miles off Aberdeen, Dickson was struck by the boom of the after mizzen and knocked overboard. The alarm was at once raised, and a search made for the missing deck hand, but in vain. Deceased was a native of Cellardyke, was married and leaves a widow and five children to mourn his loss.
1902
Dundee trawler fatality.
To Anstruther and Cellardyke people the fatal accident on board the trawler Stork appealed very forcibly. Thomas Ritchie was a native of Cellardyke and his early years at sea were on local boats but his skill and intelligence had won for him a place as master. The Stork did well under his command, and only a month ago he was revisiting old scenes and too away a bride from Anstruther. Great sympathy is felt for the widow at such a trying moment.
1904
Fatal accident enquiry……. The last had reference to the death by drowning of John Deas Fisherman and Alexander Gilmour Deas, assistant fisherman, 25 Rodger Street Cellardyke, on Monday 25th July. The evidence showed that the deceased were in the service of their father James Deas, on board the Fishing Boat Thistle KY 372, and on the morning in question were engaged on the Thistle while it was leaving Anstruther harbour for the North herring fishing, and when the boat was fifty yards from the pier. Alexander was accidentally struck by the mainsail, and knocked into the water. John leaped into the water to go to his assistance, and they were both drowned.