1876
Thirty-one of the Cellardyke boats that have been employed at the herring fishing on the Suffolk and Norfolk coasts returned in the course of this week, and the remaining 22 are expected daily. The enterprise has been attended with a gratifying of success, three, if not four crews, having upwards of £500 each for their two months’ absence, seven between £400 and £500, and the others sums ranging downwards to £130. The average over the fleet is estimated at fully £250, which represents a total sum of £13,250. The expenses, of course, fall to be deducted, bat these will not amount to £3000.
1878
We understand that on Saturday last cheque for was received, in aid of the building fund of the proposed Mission Church in Cellardyke, by Mr Thomas Brown, of the Post-office, from Stephen Williamson, of Liverpool, whose name has been so freely associated of late with the representation of the St Andrews burghs. This donation, with others lately received, have, we learn, raised the fund to about £2500, which fully covers the estimated cost of the church, exclusive, however, of the class-rooms or the hall in the rear, which are expected entail a further outlay of some £500.
1879
The Magistrates of Kilrenny held Criminal Court on Friday, when the following cases were disposed of:—A schoolboy named David Boyter, was charged with malicious mischief by wantonly throwing a seashell though the window of Cellardyke Public School. He was convicted, but in respect of his youth and other mitigated circumstances, he was only amerced in the sum of 5s. The proceedings now assumed more exciting character when three wives of Cellardyke to wit Catherine Smith or Gay, Isabella Mitchell Key, and Elspeth Watson or Lowrie—were charged with stealing potatoes from a field near the Urnet Mill Road and on the farm of Kilrenny Mill. They one and all indignantly protested their innocence, when Thomas Moyes, farm servant, and Police Constable Black, deponed to having seen them with a crowd of others lifting the potatoes which had been ploughed up, but not finally gathered from the field. It was admitted that none the crop was found in their possession, and further that they evinced no sign of guilt by running away; on the contrary that they met the constable with the frank explanation that they were guarding their children or friends from the risk of trespassing in the field, on which they knew watch bad been set. Exculpatory evidence was led to this effect at considerable length, but the Magistrates held that the Fiscal had established his case, and imposed on each a fine of 7s 6d, or 8 days’ imprisonment. The Cellardyke Town Hall was literally packed, but though the sympathy of, the audience was unmistakably with the panels, still nothing occurred to disturb the order and respect due to Court of law.
(Another paper describes Boyter throwing a satchel not seashell through the window)
1881
Cellardyke – The effects of the gale were seen here in the overthrow of stacks of straw and corn, while the streets were strewn with slates and debris from the house tops. Information was received on Sunday that one of the Cellardyke boats, on its passage home to Anstruther, was wrecked on the Boulmer rocks, to the northward of Alnmouth. The whole of the crew were saved. The boat was insured by the Fraserburgh club, and, according to the latest reports, there is some hopes that the stores and part of the boat may be saved.
1883
Fully more than a twelvemonth ago the interesting experiment was made in the Cellardyke fleet to substitute what is known as the ketch or dandy rig for the lugsail- The Pioneer—the boat in question—has fished two seasons at Lowestoft and one at the Shetland isles &c. She has thus been tested, to speak, in all waters, and so far it would seem with the most unqualified success. ……….. yielding to the pressing offer of one of the Lowestoft skippers, her owner Mr Robert Cunningham, has sold the little favourite for the sum of £275, he and his crew arriving home by rail in the end of the week. Satisfied, however with the superiority of the rig, several of our KY skippers are to adopt it, are told, on the earliest opportunity.
Sixty Cellardyke boats have been engaged at the herring fishing at Yarmouth and Lowestoft during the past two months, and these have now all returned to Anstruther. The enterprise has been fairly successful, the highest sum realised by one crew being £460, while the average will be about £250, giving a total about £15,000 as the gross amount earned.
1884
INTERESTING JURISDICTION CASE. An action at the instance of John McGregor, carpenter and fisherman, Lybster, against Philip Anderson, fisherman, Cellardyke, for £7 17s, being dispute concerning a fishing transaction in Fraserburgh, came on for disposal. Mr Finlayson, for the defender, urged a plea of want jurisdiction, on the ground that defender, who was only temporary resident in Fraserburgh, had left the town when the summons was served. …….The Sheriff—admitted that the permanent residence of the defender is Cellardyke, in the county of Fife, where he fisherman, and that on the 4th of July last he came Fraserburgh, where he practised his vocation as a fisherman until the 6th of September, being a period of two months and two days. After forty days’ residence in Fraserburgh there was undoubtedly jurisdiction over him in this Court, which under other circumstances might have been made effectual, but it is admitted that on the 6th of September, three days before any attempt to serve this summons was made, the defender had returned to his permanent place of residence, and, therefore, it seems to me that the temporary jurisdiction which had been acquired over him in this county was then lost.
Thomas Thomson, shoemaker in Cellardyke, whose name is so well known as a successful exhibitor on both sides of the Tweed, obtained, in the Crystal Palace Show on Monday, the first prize for his silver spangled pullet, ‘ and the third for a cockerel of the same brood, while the mother was highly commended. The same magnificent young birds carried off the first honours with a silver medal Perth, and in the interval were equally fortunate in the great Dairy Show in London.
No little interest was excited in the west end of Cellardyke over the following little war, which came before the .Magistrates there Saturday—Provost Skinner and Bailie Williamson on the bench. Alexander Blyth, carter, and his wife, Janet Trail, their son David, and their daughters Ann, wife of John McKay, fisher, Janet, wife of Neil Graham, carter, were charged with assault by striking and kicking their neighbour, Alexander Keith, carter; also with breach of the peace. They pleaded not guilty, but after hearing evidence the Magistrates found the father and mother guilty, and fined the one 15s, and the other in 10s 6d, but the verdict in the case of the son and daughters was not proven.
The next case the tables were turned by the complainer, Alexander Keith, being placed at the bar charged with striking Alexander Blyth two or three blows on the left eye to the effusion of blood, committed a like outrage on the son, with dealing two or more blows the mother’s face, and also the back of the daughter, Mrs McKay, so to fell her on the ground, on the same eventful afternoon. He also denied the accusation, and was defended by Mr Cook, but after the witnesses had been examined at great length, the Magistrates found the charge proved, and fewer than five previous convictions being recorded against him he was fined 20s.—
Three juveniles, Henry Watson, Robert Brown, and John Gardiner, were charged with stealing turnips from the neighbouring fields as farmed by Mr Cairns, Kilrenny Mill. Pleading guilty they were each, in respect of their tender age, fined half-a-crown.