1880
On Sunday morning, it was discovered that the padlock of the shop of Messrs Sharp & Murray had been tampered with, and a further examination showed that a pane of glass in a window facing the west pier had also been broken. The police were own communicated with, and made a minute inspection of the premises, but it did not appear that the depredators had succeeded in making an entrance, as everything inside was in its usual order. Police-constable Black, however, made sure work by visiting a lodging house in the burgh, but found nothing which could connect the occupants with the matter, and it is still a question to be solved whether it was an act of malicious mischief or an attempt at breaking into the shop.
The fishing may now be regarded at a close for the season. Our district boats have fully participated in the success of the north, and, the opinion of some who are presumably authority on the point, the average is more than £200 a boat—rising in some cases to nearly £500 – being a measure of prosperity altogether new in the annals of the coast. The deep sea banks in the offing of the Forth have yielded well, but in the estuary itself the season has been again a barren one, owing, the old fishers do not hesitate to say, to the steam trawlers who nightly sweep the old familiar track of the herrings. When, notwithstanding the large delivery from the deep sea, the total catch is scarcely better than the half of last year, the heaviest take at Anstruther being the magnificent haul of a hundred and sixteen crans, which were landed the end of last week the Cellardyke boat Catherine Edie, the price being 11s cran. The last of the fleet are expected to arrive on about Saturday, the contracts then come to end. It invites notice, showing the general embarrassment of the trade, that not few our crews are only receiving a payment account till sales are effected or returns come in from the Baltic ports. As a rule, however, the halfdealsmen are being settled with in full, and many a son of toil is hastening homeward with from £20 to £30 for the work of the season. The following is the catch for the week ending Thursday : —187 ; previous catch, 3840; total for the season, 4027.
A Curious Vistitor.—A fine specimen of the locusta migratoria—the locust of the Scriptures was found amongst some old walls in Cellardyke on Friday. It is nearly three inches long, and is beautifully mottled both in body and wings, though when first seen by its youthful captor it was mistaken for a bat. Like other rare finds, it was quickly put into the hands of Dr Woodcock, who attempted to nurse it with tender leaves, but the interesting stranger only survived till Thursday this week. It is a curious coincidence that the mother of its captor, Mrs David Meldrum, at the gas works found one of the very few specimens of the locust ever seen in the East of Fife. This was some thirty years ago, and the situation was an old house in the “Cards Wynd,” into which it came flying through the open window. We remember it was given to Dr Black.
1881
Gale at Wick – The heavy rollers in Wick Bay on Friday morning showed what the state of affairs was outside. Rain had been falling for several hours, and the wind still blew strongly, but it had veered round to the north-east, a circumstance which induced some of the boats to run for the Moray Firth, where comparative shelter would be found after passing Clyth Head. Nine boats lay at anchor on the north side of Wick Bay, and though the crews knew best what was the most advisable course to follow, the spectators on the shore were unanimously of opinion that they ought to have made for the Firth. About ten o’clock a white sail hove in sight, and it was supposed that this boat was proceeding to the sheltered side of the bay to anchor beside the other nine. To the general surprise, however, she made straight for the harbour entrance, a proceeding which was looked upon as extremely hazardous, for besides the huge rollers which had to be encountered, a good deal of broken water had to be passed through. Steadily onward the white sail came, sometimes almost out of sight in a deep trough, and the next moment bounding lightly over the crest of a billow. The scene was full of excitement, and people held their breath, until, to the general relief of everyone, the brave and admirably steered craft, favoured by a lull in the storm, came sweeping into the harbour without the slightest damage having been sustained by boat or crew. She turned out to be the Cellardyke boat, KY. 1593, James Brunton, skipper. This boat has several times been heard of this season in connection with some of the largest takes of herring ever landed in Wick. She had now four crans on board, and had brought away all her nets. It was rather hazardous to take the harbour at that particular juncture; but the crew not being well acquainted with the Firth considered that the course which they adopted was the safest one. The boat belongs to the largest and best-modelled class, and is thus fitted to come through difficulties from which some other craft would be compelled to shrink. About one o’clock, when the gale had slightly abated, the boats at anchor in the bay showed signs of activity. Masts were set up, and one having hoisted sail, made for the harbour. There was still a heavy surf, and it required both courage and skill to steer for the entrance, but the effort was successful, and the achievement, as in the case of the Cellardyke boat, was greeted by the spectators with hearty cheers. This proved to be an Orkney boat, KL 1707. The Pulteneytown boat St Clair, WK. 555, came next, and six others followed in rapid succession. One was still left at anchor, but the crew came ashore in a neighbour’s boat, and thus the exciting episode reached a satisfactory conclusion.
TWO CELLARDYKE BOATS ASHORE AT ABERDEEN —During a terrific south-easterly gale on Thursday night last two Cellardyke fishing boats, which were making for the harbour, were driven ashore on the beach, and the crews would have inevitably perished among the breakers had it not been for the prompt assistance of the Bonaccord lifeboat, which was launched under the direction of Coxswain Paterson, and rescued the men, who were stranding in the water. The names of the boats were the Polar Star, skipper Alexander Gardiner, and the Gladstone, skipper James Watson. They had both crews of six men each.
On Wednesday night a company of five fishermen, belonging to Tongue and Orkney, landed at Granton from Cellardyke by the Granton and Burntisland ferryboat. One of them, named Colin McKay being the worse of liquor, was taken in charge by the Granton police, and yesterday morning, when he had become sober, he found he had lost the whole of his money, to the amount of £9. Suspicion falling on one his comrades, named Donald McKay, he was apprehended by the Granton police. On being questioned, he denied all knowledge of the matter, but on being searched the whole of the money alleged to belong to Cohn was found in his stocking. He will be brought before the Sheriff to-day. The whole party were in company to take passage for home from Leith by the North of Scotland Company’s boat.
THE SWARM OF HAWKERS—With the return of the fishermen from the north we have had in Anstruther and Cellardyke the periodical visitation of hawkers. A number of the good house-wives who were induced to purchase are now sorry at making their “cheap – bargains, and will probably in future pay a better price for an article which, if not satisfactory, may be returned without touch trouble. Most of the complaints made are quite unnecessary, for the simple reason that people have themselves to blame.
1883
OPENING ANNOUNCEMENT.—Wm. Lyall begs to inform the Public that he has now Opened a General Store in Rodger Street, Cellardyke, and by keeping Good Articles at Moderate Prices, he hopes to merit a share of Public Patronage.
DR AMERIC FLAXMAN, B.A., Oxon, formerly resident at the East London Hospital for Children, and the Clinical Assistant in the Department for the Treatment of Diseases peculiar to Women and Children. Middlesex Hospital, London, has commenced Practice in CELLARDYKE and ANSTRUTHER at Mr ROBERTSON’S, Rodger Street, Cellardyke. Consultation daily from 9 to 10 A.M. Teeth, etc
A telegram was received in Cellardyke see Friday forenoon bearing the, melancholy message that Walter Peat, the skipper of the fishing boat “Summer Breeze.,” had perished at an early hour that morning in Peterhead harbour. The details are peculiarly touching. The boat had come in gunwale deep on the previous night. The crew had already discharged some sixty crans, which completed their ” compliment” or stipulated number to the merchant, and had gone to their lodgings for some needful refreshments before putting out the remainder—some thirty crams or so. We can easily suppose the pride and pleasure with which the hardy mariners would resume their task, as they were doing about two in the morning when the unfortunate skipper, in the act of leaning over the gunwale, lost his balance, and fell into the sea. The crew, who included his father and brother-law and his own brother—a boy of tender years—sprang to the rescue. Rope and oar were thrown to the spot; but, strong swimmer as he was, he failed to reach them, and as the last mournful wail rose in the darkness he was swept away by the current which reins with resistless force at this part of the harbour. Shipper Peat, who wax thirty years of age, was a native of Pittenweem, but he removed about a twelvemonth ago to Cellardyke, where he leaves a widow and four children to the care of Heaven. His career has been a short one, but he, was from first to last one of the most self-reliant and enterprising fishermen of the coast, trusted and esteemed by all that knew him; and his melancholy fate, has touched, as we have seen before, the regret and sympathy of the fishing communities of the East of Fife.
The body of Skipper Waiter Peat, of Cellardyke boat Summer Breeze, was recovered on Friday evening in the Peterhead harbour, not far from the spot where he unhappily perished just eight day’s before. The boat in the meantime had sailed for Fife, but sympathising neighbours were ready to see to the last sad offices for the dead; when the coffin was taken on board the Pittenweem boat Summer Cloud, David Black master, which arrived there, after a somewhat boisterous passage on Sabbath forenoon. Soon after a little procession was on its way with the melancholy burthen to the house of mourning in Rodger Street, Cellardyke. The interment took place on the following when almost every seafaring man on the coast who could conveniently do so joined in the last tribute of respect to the remains of the unfortunate skipper, as dust was committed to dust by the side of kindreds and friends in the old churchyard Pittenweem.
A movement is on foot to provide a bell for the new Parish Church. The cost, including the expense of suspending it in the tower, is estimated at about £35. Donations are invited, especially from the young friends of the Church. Situated midway between the belfries of Anatruther and Kilrenny, but so far sequestered from both, the new monitor, as it may called, will be a great boon, not only to the congregation but to the community at large, guiding every foot and warning every ear, however the worshipper may turn, with the message never so sweetly, so persuasively, told as by the “Sabbath bell.”
1884
PETERHEAD — Novel Capture of a Fishing Boat.—A proceeding of a somewhat unusual character connected with legal steps taken against the skipper of a herring boat occurred at Peterhead on Friday morning. The boat Pheonix, of Cellardyke was late in on Thursday night, arrested and dismantled at the instance of three hired men, a dispute having arisen between the skipper and the men as to the amount of wages due under their agreement. It appears that the skipper had received payment from the curer for his catch, but had delayed settlement on the hired men’s terms, and was intending to leave on Friday morning. At ten o’clock on the previous night the process of dismantling was effected, the mainsail and rudder taken ashore and deposited in safe keeping. Early on Friday morning the Phoenix was conspicuous by its absence in harbour, as a mainsail having been borrowed, the crew had gone out to sea, The tug Pride of Scotland was sent out in pursuit with Mr James Selbie, sheriff officer, on board, and the boat was duly captured and brought back to the harbour. We understand that later in the day the hired men were settled with. The amount due to them was upwards of £90, and all the incidental expenses have also to be paid by the skipper. This is the first time that an ingenious procedure of this nature was ever adopted in Peterhead for the recovery of a debt. Mr Gray (of Messrs A, & W Boyd solicitors) was agent for the hired men in the proceedings.
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