1910
Major Anstruther Gray, Unionist candidate, addressed meetings at Cellardyke and Pittenweem on Saturday night. He dealt with the temperance question, and claimed that the Licensing Act, 1904, had resulted in a decrease in the number of public-houses. He maintained that the introduction of Tariff Reform would give Britain a means of bargaining with Russia, by which that country might reduce her duty in herrings, to the advantage of the fishermen.
The Liberals have greatly improved their position in the coast towns, a considerable number of fishermen in Cellardyke and Pittenweem supporting Mr Millar.
CELLARDYKE FISHERS HOOT AND SNOWBALL ST ANDREWS M.P. Duncan Millar, M.P., visited his constituents in the coast burghs yesterday. Crail, Anstruther, and Pittenweem he was well received, but at Cellardyke was given a hostile reception. A number of young fishermen snowballed the member and his wife, who were 6truck more than once. The cushions and rugs of their motor car were littered with snow, and the crowd hooted lustily.
1911
Harbour lights to be discontinued
At a meeting of the town council held on Tuesday evening -Provost Black presiding – a letter was read from the Northern Light Commissioners in reply to the council’s request for permission to discontinue the lights n the piers. The Commissioners were willing to agree to this on the clear understanding that boats could not be safely berthed in the harbour.
THE BOAT, HENRY REID, KY. 657, for Sale. Apply D. BOYTER or THOMAS REID, Shore Street, Cellardyke.
The Cellardyke branch of the East Coast Fishermen’s Association met on Saturday night, when communication was read from Peterhead branch asking- the co-operation of all fishermen in the east of Fife, both in sailers and steamers, in any steps that might be taken to arrest the tendency to introduce Sunday fishing by Scottish drifters.
Martin Gardner held that the best way prevent Sunday fishing Scotland would put stop the practice in England. The English fishermen had no desire to work on Sunday, but they were merely employees, they had either to acquiesce in the practice or lose their job. He urged that a strong petition should be signed by the Scottish fishermen against Sunday fishing in England, and threatening that if it was not stopped the Scottish fishermen would not engage in it. A threat of that kind would be sufficient to put an end to the English Sunday fishing.
Philip Gardner urged that as a body of Scottish fishermen they should declare unhesitatingly against Sunday fishing and leave Englishman to do as they liked. Before tackling the English practice, they should first appeal to Scottish drifter owners to show an example to England.
It was unanimously decided to support the Peterhead branch in any movement against Sunday fishing by Scottish drifters.
It was also agreed to support the Fishermen’s Rest at Yarmouth rather than the hospital, as, although the Scottish fishermen contributed 10s per crew to the hospital, the Scottish were refused admittance when illness occurred among them.
Miss Davidson, the lady superintendent of the Church of Scotland’s Rest at Yarmouth, having agreed to undertake the management of a small private hospital containing 12 beds, where Scottish fishermen might be received without charge on the crews contributing so much each season it was resolved to ask other branches and the Central ??? in support of this movement.
GREAT LOSS OF GEAR. A fleet about 50 boats left Tuesday mild weather. The nets were shot mostly along the land, on the south side of the Firth Forth. Shortly after darkening a strong north-easterly gale sprung up, with the result that number of crews had to cast their nets adrift, to save the boats going on the shore. One boat arrived home about ten o’clock Wednesday night, having lost 25 nets.
But it was only with the arrival of the boats yesterday morning that the disastrous effects of the storm were realised. About one-third of the boats that had reached the harbour up to noon yesterday had lost, their entire drift, of nets and ropes, and a portion the fleet still had to arrive. The loss to the Cellardyke fishermen alone is moderately estimated at over £2000, and that sum may be greatly exceeded when all boats have been accounted for.
The loss is the most serious experienced by the local fishermen for number of years, and coming as it does at the opening the season, and when the fishing prospects were brighter than for a few years, it will seriously handicap a number of them. The Pittenweem and St Monans fishermen fished farther up the Firth of Forth, and in more sheltered waters, and their loss will not be so heavy. Two local steam drifters, with a large number fishermen on board, left yesterday to make a search for the missing nets, but as there is still a heavy gale and a heavy sea running on the coast, it not considered likely that much of the gear will be picked tip. The Fishery Board cruisers are also to assist the fishermen to recover the lost gear.
Mr Alexander Thomson (boatbuilder) has got an order for a bauldie, 25 feet in length, for one of the local fishermen, and has secured the contract for considerable alterations and repairs in the steam drifter Rothesay Bay, recently purchased by several Cellardyke fishermen from Aberdeen Owners.
Recovery of Fishing Gear.—As reported in last week’s issue, the fishermen of the Fife coast, particularly in Cellardyke, lost a large quantity of nets through the storm of Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Since that time, an active and continuous search has been made; sail craft and steam being engaged. Their efforts have been, so far, successful in that all the ropes have been found, and large quantity of nets, although the latter have been so much injured that it will take hundreds of pounds to cover the damage.
1913
JAMES BROWN and JAMES WATSON beg to announce their thanks towards the FISHERMEN who turned out so willingly and saved their Bauldie from destruction in Cellardyke Harbour on Friday night last.
To-morrow Major Anstruther Gray will ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether claims have been received from George Keay and crew, of Cellardyke, of the steam drifter S.N. 297 Redvers Buller. North Shields, for £4. and from James Muir and crew, of Cellardyke, of the steam drifter S.N. 268 Baden Powell, North Shields, for £5 10s, for nets or gear destroyed on Thursday, July 18. by His Majesty’s gunboats, about 40 miles east by south of the Tyne, and. if so. whether he can expedite the settlement of these claims, which have been pending for six months.
1914
Pittenweem – The weekly meeting of the Gospel Temperance Society was held in the Town Hall on Saturday evening. Mr And. Anderson (Finlay) presided. The musical part of the programme by Mr Wm. Carstairs ; Misses Bett and Carstairs, Cellardyke, and Misses M. Lawson and M. Hughes (Wood). Miss Drummond presided at the organ.
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