1880
Chalmers’ Centenary.—This celebration took place on Wednesday. The procession, mustering at 2 p.m. at the Lifeboat House, to the number of at least five hundred the seafaring men of Cellardyke, and preceded by the members of the Harbour Board and Lifeboat Committee, walked four abreast to the music of the Volunteer Band to the scene of the ceremony of handing over the life rail and lighthouse, dedicated by the donor, Miss Hannah Harvie, to the memory of Dr Chalmers. Provost Anderson made suitable acknowledgment, and proposed three cheers for Miss Harvie and also to Mr Ellice, M.P., for his interest in the harbour, which were responded to with ringing enthusiasm. All day long the town and harbour had been all in a flutter with dancing streamers. Every fishing craft in particular had their colours drawn up to the masthead, so that what, with the cheers of the assembled thousands, the boom of the signal gun, and the ringing of the fine new fog bell, the scene was perhaps the most stirring and brilliant ever witnessed on the shores of the East of Fife. The afternoon was observed as a holiday by trader and tradesman, and a public meeting was held in the Town Hall of East Anster. Provost Anderson was called to the chair, and a number of addresses eulogistic of the great Free Church leader were delivered in the course of the evening.
On Saturday evening the fishermen of Cellardyke were invited by the beat of the drum to meet with Mr Lindsay Bennett in the Town Hall. On the speakers going to the meeting, it was found that the hall was taken possession of by Mr Watson, Chief Magistrate of the burgh, who backed up by a number of youths, and several supporters of Mr Williamson, who declared they would not allow the meeting to be held, the ground of their refusal being that the Chief Magistrate had not been informed of the purpose for which the meeting was called, that the hall was a public hall, and Mr Bennett had no right to hold any hole and corner meeting there for the fishermen. The latter, who number nearly four to one of the constituency of the burgh, were indignant at this interference with their right to meet and confer together, and with much violent language, accompanied with dangerous jostling and pushing down the staircase leading to the hall ensued. In the end an adjournment was made to the adjoining school room, where nearly 200 fishermen assembled, and where the speakers were allowed to address the meeting without further molestation.
Principle Tulloch, who was received with applause, said he saw no reason why the fishermen should not be allowed to meet and confer with Mr Bennett or and other public man, and trusted that the electors would appreciate the attempt that had been made to prevent their meeting from participating in the free interchange of opinion, for which it was designed. Alluding to the present state of affairs in the burghs, the learned Principle repudiated the statement that he had made a personal attack upon Mr Williamson. He had attacked Mr Williamson’s principles and his tactics, but he had not attacked himself, although it had pleased certain organs of the press to say so. Mr Williamson had said that the vote of any fisherman was as good as that of Principle Tulloch, and why should it not be so? He (The Principle) was the last man in the world to challenge the right of the fishermen to act in this matter entirely as they deemed fit; but he challenged the right of any man to put himself before the constituency, under what he (the Principle) considered false pretences. He knew that Mr Williamson was pledged t Disestablishment; and in proof of this the principle directed the attention of those present to a letter that had appeared in that day’s papers, signed by Professor Baynes of St Andrews, a gentleman who, as an Episcopalian, was of all men in the world quite aloof from Presbyterian differences. In 1878, Mr Williamson had, at a private interview with the Professor made no secret of his opinions on the Church question, and voluntarily assumed the attitude of an extreme and aggressive disestablishment candidate. (Applause) the description of the meeting continues on for several paragraphs explaining why they think Stephen Williamson supports Disestablishment which is separating the Church of Scotland from The State (a bill was eventually passed in 1929). ……………………The Principle said ‘If they wished to overthrow the Church, they would vote for Mr Williamson; but if they had any respect for it, and feeling that it should continue to shelter them and their children the they would vote for Mr Bennett (Loud Applause)
………. At the close a fisherman proposed a hearty vote of thanks to Principle Tulloch for his trouble in coming down from St Andrews and explaining a question on which they on the coast stood in great need of knowledge. The meeting then quietly broke up, but as the carriages of the speakers drove away several youths followed, and well-nigh blinded one gentleman with handfuls of sand.
A letter describing the events
The fishermen of Cellardyke are very much in the position of the often quoted individual who, to his own surprise “awakened up one morning find himself famous.” The other day no fewer than three candidates for Parliamentary honours came “a-wooing” them; and Saturday saw no less a distinguished personage than Principal Tulloch, with’ Professor Birrell and other Andrews friends on the political platform in the interest of Mr J. Lindsay Bennet, who was also present on the occasion. It appears that the Town Hall was asked and granted to Mr Bennet’s friends for a ‘‘public meeting,” but in the afternoon the invitation was limited by tuck of drum the fishermen. In the meantime, however, it had been whispered from east to west that St Mary’s was to send a delegation to the coast, and the hint was not lost on the ardent following the other candidate. Remonstrance and opposition, is true, was offered to their entrance, but Provost Watson defied all such restraint by taking his stand on the top of the stairs and calling out “Come up gentlemen, come up it is a public meeting.’ A noisy and exciting scene followed in the hall, for so completely had the friends of the other candidate stolen a march upon Mr Bennet’s friends that a cheer was raised for Mr Williamson. Eventually, however, some resolute fishermen cleared the hall hurling the Anstruther visitors in no ceremonious fashion down stairs, and the Infant School being also at this time secured an adjournment took place from the smaller building. The fishermen now took the matter in their own hands, and marching up in body, they not only took possession of the schoolroom, but sentinels were posted outside to prevent the entrance of any and all others. Here the chair was taken by the Rev. Mr Anderson, the minister of the parish, when Mr Bennet, Principal Tulloch and the Rev. Murray, East Anstruther, addressed the meeting. Bailie Brown, a member of the Free Church, questioned the Principal about the plebiscite, but on the whole the several speakers obtained an appreciative and even enthusiastic reception. The Principal and his friends then drove to Crail, where they also addressed a meeting, with the Rev. Mr Reid, Parish Church, in the chair; but here the arrangements were such to render it impossible to repeat the ‘rowdyism’ at Cellardyke.