1885
Aberdeen – HERRING BARRELS. —For Sale, a Quantity of First-class New Pickle BARRELS, Birch wad Spruce. Apply to Thos. Cormack, Cellardyke.
1886
THEFT. — Burgh Court held Cellardyke Hall, on Monday, Mrs A. Ramsay, or Thomson, Cellardyke, was charged with the theft, from John Hodge, carter, Cellardyke, of £10. The accused pled guilty to the charge, and was sentenced by the presiding magistrates. Provost Skinner, and Bailie Smith, 60 days’ imprisonment. The case, which fortunately, is a rare one in the district, created a great deal of interest, the Court Room being nearly filled.
On the Aberdeenshire coast not a few of the Fife crews were only to begin this week, but several have already fished 50 to 100 crans. Indeed, the preparations for the fleet are so far complete, that by Saturday as many as 130 ” fisher women.” as the entry runs, had left Anstruther station to serve as cooks, &c., to the Cellardyke crews fishing between Foot Dee and Fraserburgh.
FISHING BOAT ACCIDENT. Last night, while the boat Vivid, No. 98, belonging to Cellardyke, was fishing off Peterhead, one of the crew named John McKibben was engaged taking in the jib sail, when the jibboom swung round and struck him the right leg, breaking it a little above the knee. The man was attended to at Peterhead and removed to the Infirmary, Aberdeen, this morning.
1887
The Late Sea Disaster.— The Relief Committee in connection with the loss of the ill-fated boat Sisters, of Pittenweem, announce the subscriptions at £433 9s 2d. It deserves to be remembered, how- ever, that, at the loss of the Cellardyke boat Helen, in the spring of 1865, Mr David Murray of St Ayles raised, all but single-handed, the sum of £380 within two months of the disaster.
Lerwick
The heaviest shots were the Cellardyke boat Carmi, with 96 cran, and the Lerwick boat Dauntless, with 94 ½ cran. Some boats from Mid Yell delivered herrings at Lerwick. At the Bressay stations heavy fishing were made on both days. The quality of the fish landed, although variable, was very good, some stations having about one-half full. On Thursday the boats came in with a good regular fishing, shots ranging from 10 to 50 cran. The quality was rather poorer than on the previous day.
FISHERMAN DROWNED AT WICK. On Saturday morning Donald Sutherland, belonging to Skerray, in the parish of Tongue, was drowned off the Ord of Caithness. Hs was a hired man on board the Cellardyke boat Jeannie Wood, at present fishing at Wick, and when engaged about the jib he was struck bs the sheet and thrown into the water, and sunk before anything could be done to save him. He was 21 years of age, and unmarried.
The Cellardyke boat Young Alexander, Skipper Keay, is the king fisher of Fife, with 200 (£). He had little of any luck at Shetland, but earned £150 at Wick by selling his fish from day to day by the bell. He landed a tidy haul at Fraserburgh while on his way to the Forth. WE Understand that Messrs Sharp and Murray have just received a large order for Scotch Herrings to Australia, no fewer than 150 cases or as many Barrells. They are made up of ‘reds’ after being twenty to thirty days in the kiln, so as to be thoroughly cured for the long and critical voyages. Curios to tell there is not a more relished tit bit in the bush, coming as they do as a change to the endless round of beef and mutton. The Yarmouth bloater has also been tried but by no means with the same success as when cured by Maggie Lauder.
EAST COAST FISHING.—The reports from the north this week are anything but encouraging. Prices keep much at one thing, although it is said one boat sold as many as 70 crams at is per cran, and had to scoop other 30 crane overboard. Heavy destruction to gear has also taken place during the gale of Tuesday night—one Cellardyke boat losing the whole fleet.
Remembering the Poor. —In the course of the week no fewer than forty poor householders in Cellardyke had a ton of coals put down at their door by their townsman, Mr Peter Murray, now on a visit to the old home. Murray, who is a son of the late Bailie Thomas Murray, emigrated some thirty years ago to Australia, where he has since developed one of the most extensive stores in Williamston. “Whatever ye gie, gie weel” is old Fife saying, and one that imparts special value to Mr Murray ‘s considerate gift.
1888
ACCIDENT TO A SOMNAMBULIST AT ABERDEEN. —A rather peculiar accident occurred on Monday morning to Chapman Smith (22), fisherman on board the Medium, K.Y., 841, at present fishing from Aberdeen. Smith belongs to Cellardyke, and was lodged at the Middle Row, Footdee. About half-past twelve in the morning he rose from bed while asleep, and fell down a stair, a distance of fourteen feet. When picked up it was found that he had sustained severe injuries to his left shoulder blade, and less severe injuries to the scalp. He was taken to the Royal Infirmary.
1889
The herring boat Black Prince, of Cellardyke, KY 1169, arrived Arbroath yesterday morning, and reported that one of her crew, James Brodie, a young man twenty-four years of age, had been lost overboard on Monday night when near the North Carr Lightship. David Wilson, the master, states they left Anstruther harbour Monday forenoon, but seeing that they could not reach the ground that night they lay all day under lee of the Isle of May. , About midnight they set out, under easy sail, for Aberdeen to be in readiness for Tuesday night, and when as above stated deceased, who had all his clothes on, sea boots, &c., was assisting at the sail it bulged out suddenly, and knocked him overboard. The accident was seen, and the boat put about, but by this time he was fifty yards astern. He shouted several times for assistance, which could not be rendered, then threw up his arms and sank. It was all the work of a minute two. The night was very dark. The unfortunate man had disappeared before the boat could reach him. He was a native of Stonehaven, but had joined the Black Prince last year at the herring fishing, and went home with her at the close of the season, and has resided since in Cellardyke, lodging with the master. He was unmarried, his only relatives being two sisters, one of whom at least resides at Torry, Aberdeen. After that event the boat proceeded to Arbroath, from which the sad intelligence was conveyed by telegraph.
While assisting his grandson to start a cart-load of barrels in Councillor Melville’s yard, the old Cellardyke skipper, William Brown, fell and broke three or four of his ribs in the region of the lungs. His life was despaired of from the first, but he lingered from last Wednesday until Saturday, when he died. He was in his 80th year, and leaves many children and grandchildren to mourn his melancholy fate.