1930
THE PRINCE AT YARMOUTH
Baillie Brown, Councillor Dunbar and Mr Alex. Tait to Meet the Prince.
Inspection of Industry To-day
The Prince of Wales will be at Yarmouth to-day to inspect the Herring Fishing Industry. Representatives have been chosen from the various branches in proportion to the numbers engaged in them. There are five fishermen, each a well-known skipper, and they are from widely different places. The men with whom the Prince as Master of the Fishing Fleet, will shake hands are : Councillor John Mair (“ Duggie ”), skipper of the drifter Brighton of the North, of Nairn. Mr James George Geddes, skipper of the Blithsome, of Buckie. Mr Alex. Tait, skipper of the Shepherd Lad, of Fraserburgh. Mr David Buchan, skipper of the Elgar, of Peterhead. Martin Gardner, skipper of the Mace, of Cellardyke, Fifeshire.
These five men are typical of their race, and all of them are office-bearers various branches of the Scottish Fishermen’s Association. At the north end of the herring market, the Prince will talk with these men, and also with two English skippers, one from Yarmouth and one from Lowestoft
Prince with Scots at Yarmouth,
MEMBERS OF HERRING TRADE presented to Prince of Wales at Yarmouth—Left to right—Mr John M. Duggie, Nairn; Mr James G. Geddes, Buckie; Mr Alex. Tait, Fraserburgh; David Buchan, Peterhead; Mr Martin Gardner Cellardyke; Mr Adam Brown, Fraserburgh, and Mr John Cowie, Buckie.
PIONEER FIFE BOATS A Buckie skipper yesterday stated to a “Courier and Advertiser” representative that the English herring fishing at Yarmouth was first discovered for Scotsmen by Buckie and Cellardyke fishermen 55 years ago. Then only six Moray Firth boats and six Fife boats took part in the fishing, but the number from Scotland at English ports now exceeds 700.
FIFTY YEARS’ PUBLIC SERVICE.
DEATH OF CELLARDYKE EX-BAILIE. Ex-Bailie Alexander Marr, who was identified with the public life of Cellardyke for half century, has passed away in his year.
He was a popular and highly-respected member of the community.
Going to the burgh over 50 years ago, Mr Marr was immediately identified with public affairs, and occupied a seat on the Old Kilrenny School Board. He then took his place on the Town Council, and in November, 1911 he was appointed a Bailie.
On his retiral from the Council in November, 1920 he had completed 29 years’ service on behalf of the burgh, and the Council lost an active and valuable member. Deceased was an enthusiastic gardener, and was one of the pillars of the East Fife Horticultural Society, both in the old days and after its resuscitation, and, just prior to his last illness, he was able to be going about his garden.
A keen bowler, he was a popular figure on the Anstruther green up to few years ago, and he never lost his youthful enthusiasm in his love for the game and in his attention to public affairs. He was staunch supporter of Chalmers Memorial Church, in which acted in the capacity of elder. In politics the Liberal Party claimed his support. He survived by his widow.
1931
Anstruther harbour
An application from Cellardyke Putting Green Committee for permission to remove 15 loads of sand from the east harbour to be laid on the putting green was granted.
1932
Cellardyke Model Yachting Trophy Cellardyke Town Improvement Committee has received gift from Mr G. W. Wortley, of Falkirk. It is in the form of a silver cup to be named the Sherriff Cup, and to be used for model boat sailing. The conditions laid down in connection with the Sherriff Cup competition is that boats must be made locally and sailed by the builder. Already many hands have been work, and on the return of the fishermen from the south some exciting races are looked forward to. The new bathing and yachting pond at Cellardyke is now completed and is expected to largely patronised both as a model yachting pond in the winter and bathing pond in summer
1934
Mr Mitchell Doig. postmaster of Cellardyke, who retires at the end this month after 27 years’ service.
Wives Who Keep Their Maiden Names
MISS JENNY LEE has decided to keep her maiden name for public and professional purposes after the Bloomsbury Registrar has made her Mrs Aneurin Bevan to-day.
But the Lochgelly young lady is not breaking fresh ground this respect.
Many women writers continue to be known by their maiden names, well as actresses like Sybil Thorndike (Mrs Lewis Casson), and advocates like Miss Margaret Kidd (Mrs Macdonald). But indeed, this is no monopoly of the “intellectuals,” nor is it a custom of recent origin. It is as old as the hills, and is still generally prevalent in such places as the fishing communities of the East of Scotland.
In the East Neuk.
Go round the ports that fringe the East Neuk of Fife and you will find in Cellardyke, Pittenweem. and St Monance how tenaciously the maiden name of a woman adheres to her all through her married life. Take a fictitious example. Jean Watson may become Mrs Thomson, but Jean Watson she will remain to her townsfolk till “the end of the chapter.” Her family, indeed, will be known as “Jean Watson’s bairns.”
How Problems Are Solved For the Postman.
Even her husband, if his name happens to be duplicated in the town, will be referred to as ” Jean Watson’s man,” to distinguish him from some other John Thomson. There is an interesting sequel to this last-named fact which is well worth mentioning. In many of our fishing towns a number of men often bear the same Christian names and surnames, and in order to differentiate them they are referred to in any legal document concerning them, as well as in the address of their letters, by their wives’ names enclosed brackets after their own.
Sufficient Indication.
For example, the postman going his rounds might get a letter addressed “Mr Thomas Brown (Davidson),” and another to “Mr Thomas Brown (Smith),” or yet third addressed, “Mr Thomas Brown (Anderson).” But the wife’s maiden name in brackets is sufficiently clear indication to the postman of the proper destination of the respective letters, even were the names and numbers’ of the streets are omitted from the addresses. This peculiar but interesting practice, moreover, is not just East of Fife custom. For there would seem to some affinity in this matter between East fisher folk and the people of the Channel Islands, and even with certain native races in tropical countries. The women of Alderney. Guernsey, and Sark retain their maiden names after marriage, and a similar privilege is claimed the women of some African tribes, notably one in East Africa, where is superstitious belief that spirits would cast an evil spell over who exchanged her own name for that the man she married. There are some other tribes which have law providing that, although a wife may choose be known her husband’s name in private, that nam , must on no account substituted for her own in public.
“Erroneous Signal from Pedestrian.” An accident which was said to be due to an erroneous signal by a pedestrian resulted in a Cellardyke man being fined in Cupar Sheriff Court on Tuesday. He was David Brown, bus driver, 55 Toll Road, Cellardyke, and he admitted that, on 28th September, on Main Street. Colinsburgh, he drove a motor bus without due care by failing to keep a proper look-out when emerging on to Main Street. Colinsburgh. Whereby the ’bus collided with motor lorry driven by David Martin. Sutherland Street, Kirkcaldy.
1935
EAST FIFE EXHIBITION SUCCESS 3000 Visitors Nearly 3000 people visited the East Fife Industrial and Agricultural Exhibition at the Corn Exchange, Cupar, which closed on Saturday after three days. Large crowds toured the stands during the day, and mannequin parades and demonstrations were much in favour. The bulk of the attendance was attained on Saturday, the visitors for the first two days numbering over 1000. The prizes won in the competitions were presented by Mrs Anstruther-Gray of Kilmany before a large attendance on Saturday afternoon. A piece of embroidered linen was then handed to her by Miss Joan Fortune, Cellardyke, who was becomingly attired in a fisher girl’s costume.
1936
Several cases of damage caused by the high wind last night were reported in the Anstruther district. A house in James Street, Cellardyke, occupied by Mrs Myles and family, was extensively damaged when the tiles were stripped off the roof the fierce gale. The damage was confined to the roof, part of which fell in. None of the family was hurt.
At Billowness, Anstruther, a refreshment hut belonging to Messrs Brattesani was swept away. It landed amongst the rocks on the shore and was totally wrecked.
Anstruther lifeboat was called out to the assistance of trawler in the firth, but soon after launching the lifeboat was recalled, the trawler being out of difficulty.
KILKENNY SCHOOL COST.
It was revealed by Mr Izatt that the school at Kilrenny, which has only seven pupils, costs the Education Committee £350 per year. The Schools sub-Co.mmittee had had this matter under consideration, and they agreed to report the matter to Anstruther School Management Committee and to ask their reconsideration, the Schools subcommittee being strongly of the view that the school should be closed and the pupils transferred to Cellardyke School. At Monday’s meeting, Mr Izatt said that at the present time it was costing £7 per week teach these seven children. “I stand ‘for educational progress in every sense,” said, “but I think this is a charge which cannot justified. We can drive the children much cheaper to another school, and I am quite sure it will be for the good of the children.”
Six months ago they had made a promise to the local Committee that they would not reconsider this question for a year, but they did not anticipate at that time that the roll would fall.
It had since fallen from nine to seven, and In view of this they asked the goodwill of the local Committee in closing this school. The average expense of an elementary pupil was £15 per year, while in the case Kilrenny each pupil was costing £50, sum that must be regarded excessive. The minute of the Schools subcommittee was thereupon approved.