1912
A wine bottle, tightly corked, with a paper inside, has been washed up from the sea and found on the beach at Mapleton by Mr T. Whvlie during the week. The paper is in good state of preservation, and contained the following: list of names Peter Murray. Peter Carstairs, William Smith, Tom Tarvitt, George Tarvitt, James Barclay. Angus McRay James Murray, Harry Seely. James Smith. 41, James, Street, Cellardyke, Fifeshire, Scotland; the crew of the Venus. August 16th
1916
A sudden death occurred in Cellardyke yesterday morning. Mr David Keith, fish merchant, James Street, was going about on the previous evening apparently in his usual health, but on going home he became ill, and passed away in the morning, death being due to heart failure. He was 63 years of age, unmarried, and was well known throughout -a wide area.
Reported Wounded
Black Watch, Wood, 2559, R, Cellardyke
Mr William Smith, skipper the steam drifter Olive Leaf, Cellardyke, received telegram stating that his son, Second -Lieutenant Thomas Smith, Royal Scots, was missing. This was followed shortly afterwards another telegram stating that it had been ascertained that he had been wounded in action, and was now in a Red Cross hospital. Second-Lieutenant Smith is only 19 years of age, and an old Waid pupil. He was attending classes at St Andrews University when he enlisted into the Royal Scots and obtained a commission. It is only about a month since he went to the front.
1918
Killed
Pte Alex Bissett, (21) RH third son of Mr Alex Bissett, cabinet maker, Kilrenny, formerly a grocer with Mr Fowler, Cellardyke.
This Afternoon. The Rev. Dr Ogilvy, moderator of the Church of Scotland, opening a bazaar at Anstruther this afternoon aid of the endowment of Cellardyke Parish Church, said in these war days it required a courageous people and a courageous minister to hold such bazaar. During the time he had been Moderator he had only once before opened a bazaar for purely Church objects. They were trying to raise the endowment from £120 to £160. There were a good many different ideas about what a minister’s stipend ought to be. It was a marvellously moderate request that was being made by the people of Cellardyke. The endowment should not be so large as to make a minister altogether independent, and it should not be so small to make him entirely dependent upon his people—a sort of modified independence and a qualified dependence.
That being what the people of Cellardyke were rightly trying to secure, he thought a sale of that kind had got a vast deal to do with the war, because they were trying to secure for all future time, however Cellardyke may progress material things, that they should also progress in the things that were spiritual.
Local Patriotism.
Dr Ogilvy paid high tribute to the patriotism of the people of Cellardyke and Anstruther, and to the progress made by that marvellously progressive congregation and church.
Mr Harry Watson, solicitor, honorary treasurer of the bazaar, announced that he had received £10 from Sir Ralph Anstruther, the convener of the county, and £5 from Sir Joseph Mac Lay, the Shipping Controller.
The sums in hand at the opening of the bazaar amounted to- £250. The congregation is promised £250 from the Baird Trust on condition that they raise £500 before the end of this year.
1922
The sad intelligence of the accidental death of Mr John Brown, marine engineer, was received in Cellardyke’ during the weekend, and cast a gloom over the community.
Deceased was third engineer on the steamer Onega, belonging to a Leith firm. This vessel left Hull recently for America, and from the meagre details supplied in letter from Newhaven, Connecticut, it appears that the young engineer met his death 0n the high seas as a result of a valve in the engine-room bursting.
A bright young man of only 27 years of age, Mr Brown was well-known as an enthusiastic member of Cellardyke Y.M.C.A. and also of the Temperance Association. He was an engineer of much promise. A native of Cellardyke, he was the son of the late Mr Leslie Brown (Smith) and of Mrs Brown, Fowler Street.
Much sympathy has been expressed to the widowed mother of deceased, his brother, and to his fiancée, to whom he was about to be married.
1923
CELLARDYKE HONOURS THE DOMINIE. LITTLE GIRL MAKES PRESENTATION Cellardyke School staff and scholars honoured their Mr R. M. Munro, yesterday by presenting him with a handsome travelling-case on the occasion of his leaving to take up the headmastership of Aberhill Public School.
Rev. J. R. Lee, convener of the School Sub-Committee, presided, and referred to Mr Munro’s worth as a headmaster, and also to the big interest he took in matters outside the school. He was a member of the Parish Council, the Town Council, and took a keen interest in the Literary Society. He had also been a great help in the work of the Church. (Applause.)
Mr J. Gardiner voiced the regret of the staff at Mr Munro’s departure.
In a happy little speech, Miss Aggie Gardner, the senior scholar, handed over the gift to the headmaster. We regret very much, she said, that you are leaving us, “but at the same time we wish you all success. As a token of the appreciation for what you have done both for the school and for Cellardyke, ask you to accept this gift. (Applause.)
Mr Munro, in returning thanks, spoke of the happy years he had spent in Cellardyke. The boys and girls had, he said, always played the game, and he counselled them to continue to take pride in their school, and always to look on their school as the best school in Scotland.
Provost Mitchell also spoke, and the proceedings terminated with three hearty cheers for the headmaster.
1925
A distressing accident occurred at Cellardyke yesterday, when John Jack, second youngest of the family of four of Mr and Mrs John Jack, James Street, was severely injured. The boy, who is about four years of age, had been playing in the street during the morning, and had apparently endeavoured to cling to the rear of a coal lorry belonging to Mr J. Marshall, coal merchant, Anstruther, and driven by his son.
The driver, who was travelling along the street slowly, ringing his bell to announce the sale of bags of coal, was quite unaware that the boy had become entangled amongst the spokes of the wheel. The noise of the bell drowned the lad’s cries, and the lorry had gone about 100 yards before the incident was noticed Mrs Queripel, George Street. The lorry was stopped at once, and an endeavour was made to extricate the boy but first without result. Realising the need for prompt action, Mr William Woodward, John Street, secured a saw and assisted by Mr George Gardner and others, cut away the spokes, and the unconscious child was carried into his grandmother’s house in John Street.
Although the lad’s head, legs, and body had been entwined in the spokes of the wheel, Dr Wilson, on examination, found that no bones had been broken. The boy’s head, however, had apparently been crushed. The boy was making good progress last night.
While playing the vicinity of Cellardyke harbour yesterday, John McLeod, the four-year-old son of John McLeod, Dove Street, toppled over the pier into deep water. The boy’s playmates recognised the danger he was in, and once informed his uncle, James McLeod shoemaker, Shore Street, who immediately rushed to the scene, plunged in, and succeeded bringing his nephew to safety. . , This is the second occasion on which McLeod has been instrumental in saving life.
1926
Complaint to be sent to Air Ministry
“Anstruther seems to be specially favoured with visits from aeroplanes, and I think that there must be some air pockets hero that attract them,” said Mr Mclvor at a meeting of No. 7 Anstruther district school management committee last night.
The committee was asked by the Kilrenny, Cellardyke, and Anstruther sub-committee to take into consideration the annoyance to the pupils of the public school caused aeroplanes flying over the district and making evolutions over the town.
Rev. James A. Paterson, who presided, said he thought it was a public nuisance and considered that something should be done to put a stop to the practice. Edie, Cornceres, Kilrenny, asked if they were supposed to know where the airmen came from.
Could the committee object to any particular aerodrome?
A Breach of the Peace.
The chairman said it was well known where the airmen came from. They did not know when one of the planes might fall and damage to any the houses in the town.
Ex-Provost Ferguson —It is not the duty of the police to report it? It is breach of the peace.
Mr Lee thought the airmen could easily select the open country for their practice.
Ex-Provost Ferguson—over their own aerodrome, in fact. There is plenty ot room there.
The Chairman said it was a nuisance, and only those who lived in the district knew that.
Miss Mitchell, teacher Cellardyke School and a member of the committee said that on one occasion when Mr Burt, the Fife Education Authority physical teacher, endeavoured to give tuition to the children Cellardyke, he could not be heard because of the noise made by aeroplanes. On that particular day, he said, aeroplanes flew about from nine o’clock in the morning until four o’clock in the afternoon. It was agreed, on the motion of the chairman, seconded Mr Ivor that a complaint sent to the Air Ministry.
1927
Erring Motorists in Fife
For exceeding the twenty miles per hour limit on the St Andrews-Anstruther Road, the following appeared:—John Murray, plumber, 5 Rodger Street, Cellardyke (31 miles per hour), 25/-; John McKenzie Horsburgh, plumber. 1 East Shore, Pittenweem (38 miles per hour), 30/-; Robert Williamson, joiner, 25 East Forth Street, Cellardyke (29 miles), 20/-.
Alexander Hodge, bus driver, 35 Shore Street, Cellardyke, was at Cupar Sheriff Court to-day fined 30s on a charge driving his motor bus backwards in a negligent manner at the junction Park Place and Bank Street, Elie. The Procurator said that in backing his bus accused collided with and damaged motor cycle combination which was stationary. The cycle belonged Robert Simpson, 5 Cowley Street, Denbeath, Methil. It was accused’s duty to look where he was going.
Hon. Sheriff Stark said that the case looked to him to be one of carelessness.
1928
Valuation Appeals Dismissed. Kilrenny Valuation Appeal Court dealt with two appeals. Mr W. Myles appealed against the valuation of £39 on his factory, including shop and house James Street, Cellardyke; the appeal was dismissed. The appeal of Mr A. W. Myles against the valuation on his house at Windmill Road was also dismissed.
1929
The Boat Tavern, Cellardyke, for long occupied by Mr Joseph Downey, and at present owned by Mr George Duncan, has been sold to Thomas Kinnear, Cellardyke. Mr Kinnear was formerly proprietor of the Masonic Arms, Anstruther.
Property for Sale. CELLARDYKE, Very Desirable business premises, at 34 James Street. For Sale, Private Bargain, the Premises which, for many years, good business has been carried on by Mr Robert Cormack, boot and shoe merchant.
John Duncan, publican, Boat Tavern. Cellardyke, was charged, before Provost Mitchell and Bailie Carstairs yesterday, with having supplied a glass of beer to two fishermen outwith the regulation hours. After evidence had been led, the Magistrates returned a verdict of not proven.
Extras for Alex
Breadwinner
17 June 1910
Aberdeen Morning
Guerdon 90 Crans
Violet and Pride o Fife 30 crans each
Afternoon
Carmi III 90 Crans
Lilly and Maggie 85 Crans
Breadwinner and Eva 80 Crans Each
Olive Leaf 70 Crans
Scots Greys 60 Crans
29th June 1910
Anstruther
Eva and Nancy Hunham 100 crans each
Maggies 80 Crans
Breadwinner 50 Crans
Herring caught about 40 miles SE
23 Feb 1911
Anstruther
Breadwinner 70 Crans
Refuge 50 Crans
8th July 1912
Wick
Tuesday
Dreel Castle 55 Crans
Carmi III 35 Crans
William Tennant 25 Crans
Wednesday Carmi III 35 Crans
Glenogil 20 Crans
Breadwinner 20 crans
19th Aug 1912
Best fished boats
Anstruther – record catch Plough – Martin Gardner Skipper 165 Crans, previous best Violet 140 Crans
Wick
Breadwinner 50 Crans
Scott 40 Crans
6 march 1914
Jessie Hughes 130 Crans
Families Pride 110 crans
Breadwinner 55 Crans
24 Feb 1915
Majestic 60 Crans
Breadwinner 45 Crans
Snowflight 30 crans
Torpedo boat Destroyer Is Damaged Forth by coming in contact with nets of fishermen
Wholesale Prosecutions at Cupar. Seventeen Fife fishermen appeared before Sheriff Armour Hannay at Cupar to-day charged with contravening the Defence of the Realm Regulations by fishing within the prohibited area in the Firth of Forth, &c. The accused were: —Martin- Gardner, skipper of the steam drifter Vanguard 111, residing at 18 Fowler Street, Cellardyke; John Muir (Keay), skipper of the steam drifter Camperdown, 29 Shore Street, Cellardyke; ! David Reekie, skipper of the motor boat Bounteous Sea, George’s Terrace, St Monans; David Smith, 20 Miller’s Terrace, Monans, owner and skipper of the motor boat Vesper; John Allan, jun., George’s Terrace, St Monans, skipper of the sail boat Johan; Wm. Davidson, East Shore, St Monans, skipper of the motor boat Mary Duncan; Robert Aitken, Braehead, St Monans, skipper of the steam drifter Camelia; Thos. Bett, Fowler Street, skipper of the steam drifter Scot; Henry Bett, Fowler Street, skipper the steam drifter Breadwinner ; Robert Anderson, Burnside Terrace, Cellardyke, skipper of the motor boat Sunbeam; George Davidson, 3 Backdate, St Monans, skipper of the motor boat Ebenezer; Thos. Guthrie, 38 Miller’s Terrace, St Monans, skipper of the sail boat Good Design ; Wm. Wood, 13 George’s Terrace, St Monans, skipper of the sail boat Barbara Wood; Wm. Mayes, Broad Wynd, St Monans, skipper of the motor yawl Sceptic; James Hughes Wood, Pittenweem, skipper of the sail boat Never Can Tell; Thos. Colville, fisherman, South Street, Dysart; and David Colville fisherman, 40 Fitzroy Street, Dysart; David Anderson (Muir), residing at Mid shore, Pittenweem.
Threat to Stop Fishing.
Martin Gardner, who was the first to enter the dock, and who tendered a plea of guilty, said it was not done intentionally. The tides were big. They shot their nets at two clock in the morning. They could not get their bearings at the May Island, seeing the light was not on it.
The Fiscal (Mr Geo. Brander), said that that was a large boat. There had been a great many complaints from the Fishery Board, and the Admiral in charge of Rosyth was urging that a stop should be put to that. About a week ago one of the torpedo boat destroyers was very much injured through coming in contact with the fishermen’s’ nets, and the consequences to that boat were very serious. Intimation had been received that unless the regulations were obeyed the whole fishing in the Forth would be at once stopped. There had been other forty cases reported _ within the last few days.
Sheriff Armour Hannay—l understand they just take in the case of a large boat the skipper?
The Fiscal—Only the skipper. The matter getting very serious, and the Fishery Board and the Admiralty wish severe penalties in order that the thing may be stopped.
The Sheriff—Where did you shoot nets?
Accused—The May Island was bearing about south-west by south. They pulled up foul of another boat at one o’clock in the morning, and they shot away again and ran down a little, as they thought, cast of the May Island, and shot thirty -two nets.
The Sheriff—What was the length of nets you shot ?
Accused-About three-quarters of a mile. .
The Sheriff—You recognise this is very serious and dangerous in inshore water where patrol boats are constantly passing to and fro
Accused—We never got any bearings from the May. When we pulled up the flood tide took us west. We did not see the position we were in when we did shoot.
Regulations Must be Enforced.
The Sheriff said apparently it was not done wilfully, but more by misadventure, and he must take that into account in fixing the penalty. It was very unpleasant to have to impose penalties in these cases. He took it the accused was what he appeared to be, a very respectable fisherman, the skipper of one of those large boats. Owing to the darkness and lack of usual coast lights he had lost his bearings, and the breach of the regulations was unintentional. But at the same time it was quite evident that these regulations must strictly enforced, and apparently the Admiralty and the local naval authority were satisfied they were not being sufficiently strictly enforced, and that some considerable risk was caused thereby both to patrol boats and otherwise, and that if the regulations could not enforced more strictly, then the end would be the fishing would be stopped. It was his duty to have these regulations strictly enforced, but in the circumstances he did not think he would be justified in imposing an exemplary penalty. The penalty, however, would be a substantial one, and accordingly he would have to pay a fine of £3, with the alternative of fifteen days’ imprisonment.
John Muir (Keay) and David Reekie were each mulcted in a similar penalty.
Other Penalties. David Smith and thirteen others, who admitted being within the prohibited area, but not fishing, were each fined £1 or five days. Mr T. W. Davidson, Cupar, who appeared on their behalf, said they had been fishing outside the prohibited area, and were coming in, but in consequence of the state of the tide they had to wait in the prohibited area until after sunrise, so that they could make the harbour. The Colvilles, who lifted their lines off Dysart on a Sunday morning, were each fined 3s, or three days. The Sheriff pointed out that the penalty for a breach of the regulations was £100, and that further cases would be dealt with in a different manner from those which had been before the Court that day.
23rd April 1923
Cellardyke Victim of Storm. During the stormy weather which raged in the North Sea on Saturday morning George Jack, fisherman, member of the crew of the steam drifter Breadwinner (KY 253), fell overboard and was lost. The occurrence was reported by the skipper on the arrival of the vessel at Anstruther on Saturday. The Breadwinner left North Shields for home on Friday evening, and when approaching St Abbs Head, about 12.30 a.m., very stormy weather was encountered.
A heavy sea caught the vessel, and Jack, who was on deck, clutched a lifebuoy to save himself. Unfortunately, the lifebuoy camo away in his hand, and in the next plunge the drifter made Jack was thrown into the raging seas.
Endeavours the skipper to locate the man was impossible owing to the darkness, and after cruising about in vicinity for a time the vessel was headed for home, and arrived at Anstruther about 5 a.m. Deceased, who was the eldest son of Mr and Mrs W. Jack (Doig), Burnside Place, Cellardyke, was 36 years age, and leaves a widow and three young children to mourn his loss.
13 August 1925
Lerwick Highest shot Breadwinner (Cellardyke) 80 Crans
27 July 1927
Oban
Best catches, Lucrative (Burghead) Breadwinner (Cellardyke) 90 Crans
Wednesday 16th Sept 1936
Launch of the Motor Drifter Royal Sovereign at Cellardyke, replacement for the Gleanaway
Provost Carstairs said that, in his opinion, the day of the steam drifter, no matter what improvements were made, was past. Last season the steam drifter Breadwinner had a £445 crop, and the crew’s share was £16 a-piece. The Diesel oil-engine drifter Greenaway had £438 crop, yet the share was £33 5s each. The fishermen’s earnings in the future must come from a saving in expenditure rather than from an increased market, he maintained.
20th Sept 1950
Old folks and Bairns meet the queen
….The siren of the lifeboat, Nellie and Charlie, sounded a greeting at Anstruther. The crew (Hugh Gourlay, cox) lined the deck. On the quay, at The Folly, Provost W. W. Carstairs was presented. A bouquet was given to the Queen by Miss Chrissie Smith, the Provost’s niece.
The fisherwife’s shawl of Mrs Margaret Dunbar, Cellardyke, aged 71, attracted the Queen s attention. She stopped and exchanged a few words.
Fishing fleet pennants—Pride o’ Fife, White Queen, Breadwinner, &c.—were strung from the rooftops.