The Cellardyke Echo – 11/4/2024 – Issue 437

1875

SALMON FISHING-LOSS A YAWL —While the tacksmen of the salmon fishings alone the shore are busy girdling the coast with their long stretching nets, the adventurous fishers who prosecute the drift on the Northumbrian shore have also been taking their departure for that distant rendezvous. St Monance as usual sends the majority the crews and notwithstanding the risk and danger a voyage of a hundred miles in the little craft so employed, one brown sail after another has merrily sped the Forth. Skipper Alex. Davidson, of Cellardyke and his young companion, the son of Skipper William Watson Jack, had, however, a narrow escape on Thursday, for while scudding past the romantic cliffs of St Abbs a violent squall struck the sail, and next instant threw the yawl on her beam ends, filling her at the same terrible juncture gunwale deep with water. Providentially a friendly boat was soon alongside, and the gear and nets were saved, but the yawl named the ‘Nil Desperandum,” was totally lost. William Davidson was landed at Burnmouth, where he purchased another yawl, and has once more sailed to resume the fishing at the Tyne

SAD RELIC OF THE SEA.— On Wednesday evening the Cellardyke deep sea going boat “Advice,” Skipper George Watson, arrived the new harbour, having in tow a derelict yawl, which had been found all adrift in the North Sea. The yawl is about twenty-four feet long, and is lettered “P. D. No. 523,” the initials being those of Peterhead; but the identity of the boat is fully established by the names painted the stern, “The Band Hope, Inverallochy, Andrew Ritchie,” thus proving the derelict to be the unfortunate boat which was swamped in the offing of Kinnaird Head on Saturday morning, when five out the six crew were drowned. Four wives were made widows and twelve children left fatherless by this sad calamity, which is all the more distressing as a similar catastrophe occurred only a month before to another boat belonging the little fishing hamlet of Inverallochy, the near neighbourhood of Fraserburgh. The boat was seen by the crew of the “Advice” in the forenoon of Tuesday, floating keel up and ever and anon washed by the mournful waves, some forty miles seaward of Peterhead. The melancholy spectacle told its own sad tale of sorrow and disaster, and with full and subdued hearts Skipper Watson and his crew secured the boat; but in the act of righting her some of the fittings floated away. Mast and oars were gone but the sail was still fastened to the boat, which now is in the charge Mr Keay of the customs, as receiver wrecks for the Anstruther district.

CELLARDYKE. DEATH OF AN OLD MAN-OF-WAR’S MAN.—On Sabbath last there died at Cellardyke, in the person of David Wilson, probably one of the last of the veterans belonging to this district who were engaged in the great wars which terminated with the final overthrow of the great Napoleon on the field of Waterloo. David was born in St Andrews, and sometime afterwards his father was foreman on the farm of Brownhills. When a young lad, he went to the whale fishing, and while on the voyage home from Davis’ Straits, they were hailed by a war ship. Knowing full well that if caught he would lose the best of his crew, the captain endeavoured to escape by flight; but as soon as this intention was discovered, the ship of war commenced firing with a view to bring them to. With the exception of Wilson and another, who were at the wheel, the crew were all ordered below to avoid being killed or wounded. While pressing on with all sail, the balls came sweeping over the ship every minute, and one of them actually broke one of the spokes of the wheel which Wilson had in his hand, but without injuring him. The upshot was that the vessel was soon taken, and the greater part of the crew pressed. Wilson, however, for the prominent part he had taken in the vain attempt to escape, was put into irons, and on his arrival at London was taken before the authorities on a charge of mutiny. After a trial of four days, however, he was acquitted, chiefly in consequence of the advice he received from the captain’s clerk, who had been superseded from his office, and in order to have revenge, instructed Wilson to such effect that the captain was deposed from his command. Wilson, who was at this time little over seventeen years, served in several sloops of war, and in a privateer during the eventful years from 1809 to 1816, and on one occasion was captured by the French. Along with about 150 other captives they were confined at first in a church, but one of the tars having set fire to the building while cooking his food, they were, as a punishment, put into a dungeon, where Wilson remained until the capture of Napoleon and the occupation of Paris by the allied armies put him at liberty. He afterwards entered the merchant service, and after a short time married and settled in Cellardyke. He was able to go to sea until about three years ago, and although in his 83d year he retained the use of his faculties until the very last.

Vessel Dismasted near the May Island.— On Tuesday afternoon, two fishing boats arrived at Anstruther harbour, having in tow the smack Emu, and from Falmouth to Arbroath, in ballast, which had lost her foremast early the same morning. The master reports that while about twelve miles to the eastward of the May Island, with a fresh breeze blowing, the vessel struck heavy sea, which caused the forestay to snap, and the mast thereafter broke over a little above the deck. About three hours after the occurrence two fishing boats, belonging to Cellardyke and St Monance respectively, made their appearance, and, as above stated, towed the Emu into the harbour. No agreement was made with the fishermen. and the amount salvage will probably be settled arbitration.

On Tuesday, a man named John Gardner, in the employment of Mr Cormack, Cellardyke, met with an accident while engaged in carting wood from Balcaskie. The carts were coming down from the high ground at the wood, when the wheels from which a large tree was suspended swerved to the side, and one of them passed over Gardner’s foot. He was conveyed to his home in Cellardyke and attended by Dr Macarthur, when it was found that although his foot was severely bruised no bones were broken, and he is now in the way of recovering.

1876

INTERESTING CASE TO FISHERMEN. At the Sheriff Small Debt Court at on Saturday—before Sheriff Crichton—23 cases on the ordinary roll were disposed of, but none of these presented any feature of interest. Under the Debts Recovery Act there were four cases, one of which was of considerable interest to fishermen. It was at the instance of John Henderson, jun., Pittenweem, who sued James Watson (smith), boat skipper, Cellardyke, for £17 2s 4d, being wages and earnings to which he was entitled as half-dealsman while engaged at the herring fishing at Fraserburgh in July and August last year, the account showing that it was one-thirteenth of the proceeds of the fishing, and subject to his share of the expenses being deducted. The pursuer, it appeared, was engaged by the defender to fish at Fraserburgh, and did so until they had caught 250 crans, when he became dissatisfied with the price which he alleged the defender had agreed to accept from the curer without consulting the crew, and left the boat, the result being that the defender could not proceed to sea, and had to procure assistance to bring the boat home to Anstruther. The defender maintained that he had engaged the pursuer for the fishing season, and that he was not entitled to leave until the close irrespective of the quantity landed. A large number of witnesses were examined, and it being clearly proved that the invariable practice was to engage half-dealsmen for the whole season and not until the complement only was fished, his Lordship held that a breach of contract had been committed by the pursuer, found that he was only entitled to one-fourteenth share of the proceeds, or £12 2s 8d, and deducted £2 from that sum in name of damages besides finding him liable expenses. This decision ruled another case brought by a half-dealsman who sailed in the same boat.

1877

IMPROVEMENT IN FISHING BOATS. —On Saturday afternoon Mr J. A. Miller launched from his boatbuilding yard at Anstruther a fishing boat for Mr George Watson, Cellardyke, in which several important improvements have been effected. She is 47 feet in length, or two feet longer than those presently in use, has the deck flush with the gunwale the same as a ship, and a bulwark round the sides, two cabins instead of one, and increased accommodation for storing gear. The new boat is to be rigged like a sloop, and in consequence of this the Board of Trade have refused to grant a fishing boat’s certificate, and have classed her as a ship.

On Tuesday evening last, the employees of Messrs Cairns, Ainslie. Co., Leith Walk, Edinburgh, assembled in the house of Mr John McKinnell, Lorne Street Tavern, to do honour to Mr Robert Skinner, of Mr James Skinner, merchant, Cellardyke. on the occasion of his leaving the employment of the above firm, and commencing business for himself. Mr Graham, cashier, was called to the chair, ably assisted by Mr K. McDonald as coupler. After supper and the cloth drawn. Mr Graham in a few suitable remarks presented Mr Skinner with a handsome writing desk, with inscriptions, in the name of the employees. Mr Skinner in a neat reply, remarked how gratified he felt at thus being remembered by his fellow workmen. The usual loyal and patriotic toast, having been proposed and responded to, the toast of the evening was proposed by the Chairman, and responded to with musical honours. The remainder of the evening was spent in a very enjoyable manner, songs and recitations being  given in abundance, conspicuous among those who contributed largely to the evening’s entertainment being Messrs Milne and Taylor. The party broke up at a seasonable hour.

1878

The Kilrenny Magistrates had three new applications before them, two for small beer licenses, the one by Margaret Doig, spinster, residing in Dove Street, and the other by Mrs Christian Jack, widow in Shore Street, Cellardyke—the third being for a transfer of the public house the Harbourhead, so long and successfully kept by Mr John Marr, to his new tenant, Mr Richard Webster. Provost Watson and Bailie Brown presided. Margaret Doig’s application, being of the nature of transfer from her father, was granted; but Mrs Jack’s was refused, the Provost remarking that such beer shops were only in too many cases harbour for young men, where they learned those drinking habits which only too often adhered to them for life. Mr Webster supported his application by the most flattering testimonials as to character; but Provost Watson said that he remained unaltered in his resolution of last year, and that as then he thought that the eight licensed houses retained in the burgh was quite sufficient, if not more than sufficient, for the population, which, assumed at 2500, was licensed house to every 300 inhabitants. For these reasons, he repeated, he could not be consenting party to the transfer, and Bailie Brown having concurred, the application was rejected.

OBJECTING TO DELAY. This was an action at the instance of Mitchell Doig, fisherman, Cellardyke, against Robert Allan, fisherman, St Monance, to recover as the price of a shawl left in defender’s house. Mr Oliphant, for the pursuer, produced a medical certificate that one of the principal witnesses was unable to attend, and asked that the case should be continued. The pursuer’s wife, however, on the ground that the witness would not be so able to appear three months hence as she was that day, objected to the delay, whereupon Mr Oliphant said he might as well throw up the case. The Sheriff advised the pursuer to act as her agent advised, and, although with apparent reluctance, she ultimately agreed not to go on with the case that day.

1879

The Herring Fishing. — One of the Cellardyke boats has this week started on a new enterprise that is, to fish the herring at Kinsale, where the success of the other Forth boats in former seasons give, at least, the hope of better returns than what can be expected, if not from the North Sea, least from the low markets at home. The depressed state of the white fishery has also induced number of our local crews turn their attention once more to the Lewis, notwithstanding all the herring slips and hazards of the past. A Berwick firm has some four or five Cellardyke crews under missive, the nature of which is somewhat curious—the contract being for fifty crans in May at 17s and a hundred crans in June at 20s a cran, with £10 of bounty money. Other merchants are also in the field; but several crews are disposed to take the chances of the daily market, if they cannot close with terms to their mind at the island, which is more than probable they will do from the new spirit which has been awakened in the herring enterprise of the North of Scotland.

Household Shadows —The spring months are bringing their own sore tide of suffering and death. On Saturday last no fewer than three households in Cellardyke were weeping over their little ones laid out for the grave. One of these was Mary, the infant daughter of Mr Duncan McRuvie, whose family circle is the less by four little sleepers in the churchyard. Another bereavement is scarcely less affecting, in which a fine child of six summers, Helen, the youngest daughter of Mr Andrew Keay, is the third blossom gathered in the springtime. A few weeks ago, a young couple rejoiced over two fine children, but one was taken, and on Thursday last, just fortnight from the fatal day, the elder brother David, then the only child of Mr James Hodge, also fell martyr to the same cruel malady, in the fourth year of his age. The malady was whooping-cough, through which the arrow of death has struck another of our little ones this week, the victim being David, son of Mr Adam Reid, aged five years. But the turf in the churchyard is being spread over the old well as the young. Thus, on Thursday the remains of an old inhabitant, Mrs Andrew Tod, were laid with kindred dust in West Anstruther burying-ground. She died at Birmingham, from which the body was conveyed by rail, so that the mourners met at the platform. Here it was the usual programme; but at the grave side, after prayer by the Rev. Alex, Gregory, old friends were Invited to embrace the opportunity of seeing the face of the dead, which was done by lifting the visor or shutter from the glass, which had been inserted in the lid of the coffin. The grave holds many a terrible secret; but in this case the venerable octogenarian lay as one in calm and childlike slumber.

26th April 1879. To be Exposed for SALE by Public Roup, on the above day, THE FISHING BOAT ” The Andrews,” No. 106, as it lies in Anstruther Harbour,  Also, immediately thereafter, At the TOWN HALL, Cellardyke, the SAILS and APPURTENANCES of said boat ; and About 18 BLACK NETS, PALLETS, CORK for Boats &c., Roup to commence at the Harbour at 5 o’clock. Mr BONTHRON, Auctioneer

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