1900
At a meeting of the technical education committee held in Cupar yesterday, Mr J Budge, Wemyss Castle presiding satisfactory reports on the Cookery and Laundry Classes were submitted…. Her Majesties Inspector’s report on Cellardyke was as follows ;- ‘Cookery and Laundry work are taught with thorough efficiency. The importance of demonstration should not be underrated’
1901
Anstruther
Launch of a fishing boat – yesterday afternoon, Mr Miller launched a fishing boat which he has built to the order of Messrs James Muir and James Tarvit, Fishermen Cellardyke. The boat was named True Vine by Miss Muir, daughter of one of the owners. She is 68 feet over all with a beam of 20 feet 10 inches and a depth of 8 feet.
The shopkeepers of Anstruther and Cellardyke met on Monday and fixed the holidays for the 10th and 11th of July. The date of the excursion was fixed for the 7th August and the majority decided in favour of the day being held in Crieff.
Owing to so many of the fishermen being away in Shetland, the shopkeepers in Cellardyke observe each Wednesday as a whole holiday and close every night at six o clock. The drapers of Anstruther have decided to close at seven o clock every night except on Saturday, for the months of July and August.
1902
Launch – On Monday afternoon, Mr Miller launched a deep sea fishing boat built to the order of Skippers John and Andrew Watson. The extreme length was 68 feet, and the vessel was named Lily by Miss Peebles, a niece of the owners. The boat has been fitted out for all branches of the fishing, and her workmanship and model has given much satisfaction.
Mr Stephen Williamson formerly Member of Parliament for the St Andrews Burghs and subsequently the representative of the Kilmarnock Burghs, died yesterday morning at Liverpool. He was quite well early in the morning, but he was suddenly seized with apoplexy, and died almost immediately. Mr Williamson who was 76 years of age, was head of the firm of Balfour, Williamson and Company, one of the oldest mercantile houses in Liverpool. Born in Cellardyke, he was educated at Anstruther and St Andrews. His firm did business in Valparaiso, Chili, and afterwards Mr Williamson established houses at San Francisco and Portland Oregon. His business life, outside of Britain was spent in Valparaiso. In 1880 he became Member of Parliament for the St Andrews Burghs which he represented until 1885, when he was defeated by Sir Robert Anstruther, Bart. The first count of the ballot showed an equality of votes, but on a recount the seat was awarded by a narrow majority to Sir Robert Anstruther. In 1886 Mr Williamson was elected to represent Kilmarnock Burghs in Parliament, as a follower of Mr Gladstone, but in 1895 he was defeated by Colonel Denny, the present member. While in parliament Mr Williamson took a special interest in fishery matters and in commercial questions generally. He was a member of the Scottish Fishery Board. On the Disestablishment question, when it was more prominent than now, he held and expressed strong views. His benefactions to his native place have been numerous including the gift of the Memorial United Free Church (Chalmers Church, the manse and a house for the Church officer) which is the leading architectural feature of the town, and along with another gentleman he provided Anstruther with a town hall… (Cellardyke Town hall along with David Fowler ex Cellardyke then of Adelaide… he also invested in steam trawlers, and set up many of the steam line fishing companies.. boats that some may recognise were named after his property, Glenogil, and Copely)
He was the eldest son of Archibald Williamson, his early business training was at Messrs Conolly and Smith, writers, Anstruther and then Mr Thomas Davidson’s , Writer Cupar.
1904
Stock for Shetland
A steamer arrived on Thursday to load stock for Shetland for Councillor Melville, Cellardyke. Mr Melville intends sending out 3000 barrels, besides salt &c to Balta Sound.
1905
A regrettable deadlock has arisen in Anstruther over a proposal to erect a memorial fountain of the Late Mr Stephen Williamson, who is well remembered as MP for the St Andrews Burghs for a number of years after the resignation of Mr Edward Ellice. Mr Williamson, as most people know, was a native of Anstruther and one of its most generous benefactors – as witness the Chalmers Memorial Church and the Town hall in Cellardyke – and a year ago his son, Mr Archibald Williamson, Liverpool, offered to erect a memorial of him within the burgh. The Harbour commissioners granted him for this purpose the site of the horse drinking fountain which was erected at the head of the West Pier by the feuars of Anstruther to commemorate the jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887 and the introduction of a gravitation water supply. The proposal displacing of so important a memorial in order to make way for another has not unnaturally led to a good deal of popular opposition, and at a recent meeting of the Harbour Commissioners, Provost Black, Cellardyke, declared it would be a direct insult to the late Queen’s memory to remove the present fountain and replace it with a memorial to a private individual. On a division, three members voted for and against, and as the chairman declined to exercise his casting vote, matters have been brought to a standstill. Surely, however, Anstruther is not so destitute of sites and common gratitude that another suitable site cannot be formed somewhere for a memorial of one whose heart beat true to the place of his birth.
1907
Trial trip of the S S Primrose
The Steam Drifter Primrose built some time ago by Mr Miller Anstruther, and owned by Messrs Robert Melville & Sons , Cellardyke which has been engined at Leith By Messrs Cran & Co, underwent a speed and sea worthy trial in the Firth of Forth on Tuesday, when in a run from Leith to the Forth Bridge and back a speed of 11 knots was obtained, great satisfaction being expressed by the owners, who brought the vessels down to Anstruther on Wednesday where she is now being prepared for prosecuting the early herring fishing.
Launch of a Steam Drifter, On Wednesday Mr Miller successfully launched from his yard at the middle pier and steam drifter for a Cellardyke owner. The vessel is of the same dimensions as the former drifters launched at Anstruther this year, and as she left the ways the name of Venus was imparted to her. She will be towed immediately to Leith there to be engine by Messrs Cran & Co. Mr Miller has at present another drifter in the process of Completion, which has been built to the order of Skipper Robert Hughes, Cellardyke. As soon as the vessel is launched, keels will be laid for a trawler for the Belgian Government and for Skipper Henry Bett, Cellardyke.