1880
On Friday Mr Jarvis launched from his building yard on the west quay a beautifully-modelled carvel-built fishing boat, 49 ½ feet long, for Skippers James and Adam Watson. The boat was named the “W. E. Gladstone”, in honour of the Premier. Mr Jarvis has another boat ready for launching, and also one building, both of very large size. On Monday, Mr Millar, West Anstruther, also launched a strong and excellent carvel-built boat at West Anstruther harbour. It was made to the order of Skipper Thomas Smith, Cellardyke, is 47 feet long, and named the ” Olive Branch.”
THE NEW BENEFIT SOCIETY CELLARDYKE. The Society was formed the other week, under the name of the Fishermen’s Union and Benefit Society.
1881
ESTIMATES WANTED, for the JOINER, PLASTER, PLUMBER. and GAS-FITTINGS of TWO DWELLING HOUSES to be Erected in Forth Street, Cellardyke. Plans and Specifications to be seen with Mr WALLACE, Builder, Anstruther, with whom offers will be received up to Wednesday, 18th. The lowest offer may not be accepted.
The Cellardyke Young Women’s Missionary Society, – in connection with the “Hall” Sabbath School, held their first annual sale of useful articles in the Town Hall on Friday last. This Society was formed in November last, with a twofold object- 1st. That the members might meet together once a week for sewing, knitting, &c. and for mutual and pleasant intercourse, one of their number, during the time the others were working, reading something interesting and instructive, suitable for their improvement, interspersed with singing with harmonium accompaniments. Materials are provided for the members free, which are deducted from the proceeds of the annual sale. The Members number about 40. 2nd. That the proceeds of the sale, after deducting expenses, should be devoted to some missionary object. The sale on Friday last amounted to upwards of £9; and after deducting the price of the material they had upwards of £4, which they have voted this year, one-half for building mission premises among the Jews at Breslau, and the other half for the native pastor aid fund, under the charge of the Rev. Narayan Sheshadri, India. Great credit is due to the members for their patient and persevering efforts in this good work, and so hope that the success which attended the sale on Friday will prove a stimulus to greater and yore extended exertions next winter.
The Shetland squadron is at last doing well. The “Jessie” of Cellardyke had eight tons at a take the other day; but more than one half of the boats from the Scottish main had lost heart and gone home ere the favourable change in the weather, which was and is alone needed to make the harvest complete. The herring fishing at Howth is not to be deserted by our East of Fife crews, on the contrary, two boats, are being fitted out from Cellardyke, and three from Pittenweem, but no departures are spoken of for the Hebrides.
1882
BOOTS AND SHOES. ROBERT GRAY respectfully announces to his Customers and the Public that he will offer the Whole of his Large Stock of BOOTS and SHOES at the Lowest Prices. All repairs done on the shortest notice. 3 SHORE STREET, CELLARDYKE.
WANTED, a Smart Active lad as an Apprentice to the Drapery Trade. Apply to R. WATSON & CO.. Cellardyke.
WANTED, an APPRENTICE to the GROCERY Business Apply to John Butters, Cellardyke.
1883
The International Fisheries Exhibition at South Kensington – opened By the Prince and Princess of Wales with the rest of the Royal Family in attendance
…………The platform, when the Royal party had got seated, presented a brilliant spectacle, the gay uniforms and decorations harmonising well with the crimson background of the dais, the sides of which were draped with fishing nets supplied Messrs Sharp & Murray, Cellardyke. These formed a very attractive and graceful drapery, and their colour contrasted well with the elaborate decoration the throne, bearing the Royal cypher, the outer framework being constructed of tridents with trophies of flags, while overhead was a canopy of nets of a very fine mesh, suspended from “Neptune’s” crown. The seats were elaborately upholstered in crimson and gold, and the flooring was covered with Turkey carpet, the groundwork of which was garter blue. All the surroundings were filled in with profusion of tropical plants and flowers in full bloom, the scent of the roses overpowering all else. From here, too, the best view could be got of the brilliant decorations of the promenade with its suspended bannerets and trophies, its flowering palms and plants, and the expectant and interested crowd with their many coloured dresses.
Another correspondent
…I noticed how elegantly the nets, furnished by Messrs Sharp and Murray, Cellardyke and Aberdeen, lent themselves for the purpose of decoration indeed, their effect was equal to that of real old lace, and was more in keeping with the nature of the Exhibition.
1884
Several splendid additions that have been made in the course of the last few days to our coast fleet. Two were built by Mr Weatherhead, of Cockenzie—the one for Mr John Ovenstone in St Monance, and the other, the ” Lilias Scott,” for Mr John Gardiner, Cellardyke, who sold a fine boat of the same name the other month to his townsman, Mr Alexander Doig. These craft are after the well-known Eyemouth type—wedge-like in the ends, with a rising floor, which old sailors, used to describe in the famous controversy over the navy clippers as the peg-top bottom. There is no mistake of their witch-like performance when “close hauled” on a summer sea. Opinions, of course, differ; and thus the admiration on all sides over the dashing craft, built with a special eye to the storms of the winter sea, on lines like a lifeboat, by the builders of the East of Fife. We refer to the “Ocean Herald,” built to the order of Mr William Aitken by Councillor Fulton, of Pittenweem, the “Mary Anderson,” of that part, launched on Monday; and the ” Onward,” of Cellardyke, on Wednesday, by Councillor Jarvis, who has now turned out from first to last over a hundred and fifty fishing vessels of the first-class since beginning business about sixteen years ago at Anstruther. The “Mary Anderson,” which is to the order of Mr George King Anderson, is in the meantime, at least, the admiral ship of the coast. She is fifty-eight feet long, but we also note with interest that she is rivetted through and through with half-inch bolts, as in the case of vessels designed for freight or cargo. Her steerage will be used as a kind of store room; the cabin, 16 feet long, being situated abaft the hold, which measures at least four and twenty, fitted up on the most approved principle for the stowage of fish or herrings, as well as the immense sea tackle carried to-day by the boats of the coast. Much has been said of late about the rig of fishing craft; but our fishermen, who are surely the best judges, still cling to the old lug sail, with the addition of mizzen and jib, which, in the case of the “Mary Anderson,” will represent at least 532 yards of canvas.. When our parcel left on Thursday afternoon the boats were only arriving at the pier. The fleet, it seems, had failed to fish bait at the outset, and the baffling winds which followed had thus long delayed the errand of the week. The weather had been bleak and squally, and the trip, as a whole, is one of the mast disappointing of the season, especially in view of the low markets obtained at Scottish ports in the end of the week. The haddock fishing continues to be prosecuted by about a hundred yawls in the offing. We do not know whether the Buckhaven fisher is right or not in his opinion, “No a fin can get leave to soom the sea, freend,” but crew after crew are working as many as five thousand hooks without always getting a hundred fish. It deserves notice, however, that when the herring is used for bait instead of the mussel or the clam, the take rises from perhaps two or three to six or seven baskets, as we saw the other day at St Monance. The crab and lobster fishing is proving less productive, though you can overhear such a message while waiting the arrival of the Crail train, ” Jack Murray has twenty dizzen the day.” The Fife coast between Buckhaven and Cellardyke has now sent twenty-eight boats to fish the herring at Kinsale. The letters thence are all in the same tone—” We have made a good start, but as yet there is no news to send though a large shoal has been seen outside the Bay.” About a score of boats will sail from the East of Fife in the course of next week for Shetland. The white fishing has been rarely, if ever, so successful at the islands. The Cellardyke boat, “Rob the Ranter,” landed cod and ling the value of £50 in one week, and the herring is now likewise so abundant that telegrams are urgent both for nets and men.
SEA LUCK.—The old saying that ” there are as good fish in the sea as were ever taken out of it ” was curiously verified on Anstruther pier the other day. It seems that the ” Benjamin ” on board the Cellardyke boat ” Vivid ” was beguiling the watch while fishing for herrings in the North Sea with the ” murderer “—that is, a long plummet bristling all round with hooks, and worked precisely like the well-known gig on dandy line. It became entangled with what proved to be a magnificent halibut weighing about 70 lbs. The prize, coming, like the rest of the take, under the hammer of our worthy townsman, Mr Bonthron, realised to the youthful captor the tidy little sum of £1 2s 6d.
NEW MACHINE FOR MAKING BARRELS. —Mr Thomas Cormack has just had fitted up this week in his premises at Cellardyke, by Mr Balfour of Ovenstone, a new machine for trussing herring barrels, which will effect a considerable saving of time in the making of them in future. The machine consists of two cast iron halves hinged, and the barrel, after being raised with two service hoops, is put in with the wide end in. The half cone, in which are three iron hoops put into grooves, is then closed by a hand wheel, to which a screw is attached, and the platform on which the barrel stands is forced up with a pressure of six tons. After one end of the barrel is finished, the platform goes down at once and the other end put in. The machine is driven by means of a friction pulley, so that it can be stopped at any moment. A barrel can be trussed in a minute and a half after being taken off the heating cone. At present a cooper is understood to make five barrels a day, but by the aid of the machine it will now be possible to make three times that number. The machine is similar in construction to those used in different parts of England, and is the first that has been made by Mr Balfour. It will be of great advantage in turning out a large number of barrels, and after its merits become known will doubtless come to be generally used in the district. On Wednesday a trial was made of the new machine after it was properly fitted up, and was found to work exceedingly well in every particular, and gave every satisfaction. It bespeaks much credit to the enterprise of Mr Cormack that he has been the first to introduce this machine in the East of Fife, and thereby increase the facilities for turning out work in his rapidly increasing business.