1876
The mallet and the chisel is finding a merry echo amongst the fisher homes of the East of Fife. Some notable improvements are course in Cellardyke, in the shape of new dwelling houses, merchant’s store, and a beaching slip the harbour.
On Wednesday (says the Peterhead correspondent of the Daily Review) 400 fishing boats went out, notwithstanding the fact that the wind was blowing strong. Some of them, had got far as the fishing ground before anything arose which made the fishermen think of returning. Before the night was far advanced. however, the strength of the wind intensified. Most of the fishermen who were not far off the shore at once set sail for home and the boats continued to come into port during the whole night. Early on Thursday morning considerable interest was entertained by friends of those fishermen who were still at sea. and many hundreds of men and women kept a constant look-out for the sons and husbands who had not yet returned but nothing a serious character occurred until the forenoon. when the first of the unfortunate disasters began. A boat was seen a good distance from the land, and as she appeared to be unequal to the storm. those on shore made preparations to assist the crew. But their efforts were all in vain. The craft, it was observed, same from Cellardyke, A. Watson skipper, and was now attempting to get into the south harbour. But something about the sail went wrong, and she ran direct on to the rocks, and was smashed to pieces. Four of the crew and a boy managed to jump on the rocks and were rescued, but an old man, who got entangled among the nets, very nearly lost his life while the sea was washing over him. A young man named John Davidson, a cooper, went to his assistance at the risk of his own life, and succeeded in getting him to dry land safely. By this time the shore was crowded by spectators and the excitement was intense, as several other boats were still in sight of land.
1877
Herring Fishery Commission
Mr David Murray, of the firm of Sharp & Murray, fishcurers and net manufacturers, Cellardyke, deponed. I am stationed here at our curing station. The fishing has been improving here. I was a fisherman in my younger days, and my opinion is that the trade should be left free as it is. I would have no legislative regulations whatever. Then is no decrease in the herrings, and so nothing is required. The netting is a simple matter, in my opinion, and could be regulated by the traders. It is done now by the curers, who, when engaging boats, generally look for those wide meshes. I have a large station at Great Yarmouth, and I consider that to legislate only for our Scotch fisheries would be a great hardship to the English fisheries. The net is gradually getting larger, as it pays best. If Parliament restricted the size of the mesh, it would have no effect whatever on herrings!, but would seriously affect the garvie fishing. At Pittenweem Traith, where trawling is carried on, I have hauled up hundredweights of herring-spawn in the latter end of September. Some of the spawn might have been killed; but years after that the herring came back, and were as plentiful as ever, although they had now left it again. In 1804-5 there were no herrings in the Firth of Forth, I have heard my grandfather say, and there was no beam trawling then. They left the Forth for twenty-five years. I never heard any reason assigned for that. I close my ear to all the statements about garvie fishing, and would leave everything free.
1877
LOST AT SEA. —THOMAS WATSON, of the Boat “Scotia,” KY. 1383, Cellardyke, has Lost all his Drift of Nets. Any Person finding them will be Rewarded.
Singular accident to a fishing boat. -Yesterday in the afternoon the fishing boat Violet, of Cellardyke, marked 1346 KY. and commanded by David Keay left her berth at the Upper Jetty, Pointlaw, in tow of the tug Knight Templar, for the purpose of prosecuting the herring fishing. While proceeding down the old channel, the Violet struck against some piles which line the outside of a large bank situated above the ferryboat station. There she became so firmly wedged amongst the stakes that all the efforts of the tug to get her off were ineffectual. The accident happened shortly after full tide, and as the water in the channel receded, the boat settled down upon the stakes four of which penetrated her timbers, and at low water the craft literally hung on the piles. Last night efforts were being made to get the boat out of this position. The craft is a valuable one, and the damage done is very considerable.
1878
Aberdeen Press and Journal – Sudden Death.— On Saturday a lad named John Jack, son of a fisherman from Cellardyke, and residing in Duke Lane, while employed gathering nets in a field the farm of Derbyhall, suddenly put hand to his head and complained violent pain in his breast and want breath. He fell down, and without uttering word expired in about fifteen minutes. Dr Napier was sent for, and stated that death had been caused heart disease.
1879
PONY (Grey) for Sale – 14.1 hands ; 9 years old; quiet every way, and a good worker. William Leslie, Merchant, CELLARDYKE
The Magistrates of Crail held a Burgh Court on Wednesday evening, when John Scott, cadger, Cellardyke, was charged with assault, in so far that he dealt Mr George Morris, fish merchant, a violent blow on the mouth, and being convicted, was fined in the sum of 12s 6d.
FISHING. SPLENDID HERRING PROSPECTS ON THE FIFE COAST. Our Anstruther correspondent writes :—The large herring shoals which have been gathering in or near the Forth have now taken ground, and the most extraordinary harvest of recent years is being reaped by the fishers of the coast. There was stirring luck the offing of the Billowness on Saturday, but the grand rendezvous is now the Auld Haikes,” near Fifeness. The following graphic notes are supplied by a friend in Crail – Herrings in the Haikes being reported on Saturday morning, immediately all was stir at Crail Harbour. Garrets were ransacked for nets, and number of yawls started off as soon as possible for the formerly famous spawning ground. The crew of the regular fishing boat Unity also proceeded the ground yawl with a number of nets, and returned later on with their large-boat and netted 30 crans, which were landed at Crail about nine o’clock, and despatched overland to the fishcuring premises of Wm. Cormack, Cellardyke, to whom the fish belonged by right of engagement, all in time to bring the full engaged price. Some of the yawls landed small quantities in the afternoon, and returning to the fishing ground immediately landed early on Sunday morning takes from 10 to 25 crans, one yawl (Skipper P. Davidson) being fortunate enough to land two takes amounting together to about 40 crans, while the yawl Skipper A. Black landed fully 50 crans between Saturday night and Monday morning. The nets of the crew of W, Jenkins on Saturday night about eleven o’clock were so heavily fished that after taking the herrings from one net and proceeding to haul another which was full of herrings, the yawl unfortunately shipped some water and sank to the bottom, when, in addition to the skipper, the others of the crew—George Guthrie and Alex. Bonthrone —were left struggling in the water. Their cries were heard by the crew of John Spinks, who, having just hauled 10 ½ crans out of one net, immediately cast off from the remainder of their nets, and proceeded to where they heard the cries of the unfortunate men, and, after considerable risk, succeeded in saving the three, and took them to Crail. The herrings—about 80 crans —landed on Sunday were bought by G. Morris, and having undergone the process known “rousing,” were left to gutted on Monday. The body of herrings is very large and dense, and on Monday morning numbers of yawls were hauling large quantities, and landing them at Kingsbarns. Fifeness, and Crail, most them being too heavily laden to venture further with them. The Unity, Skipper J. Watson, landed a second take of crans at Anstruther for Mr Cormack. Large crowds of people visited the East Neuk on Sunday evening to witness the unusual sight of the yawls drawing loads of herrings, and large numbers awaited the arrival at Crail of the several shots. The most energetic preparations are being made by fishers and curers from and St Monance for this windfall to the shore. In particular, the screw steamer Stornoway, belonging the Leith firm of Messrs James Methuen & Co., has arrived at Anstruther with salt from the Merg, and the local merchants are bringing here with all despatch their surplus stock from outlying stations. The price of the herrings is well maintained at from 18s to 20s a barrel, the quality being excellent.
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