1885
Alarming Accident.—As Alexander Donaldson, baker at the East End of Cellardyke was serving his customers in West Anstruther on Friday evening, the pony, a fiery little animal, from some unexplained cause bolted before he had well taken his seat in the van. Dashing full career, it took that most dangerous of all angles, the Buckie House corner, so quickly as to upset the van by the Town Hall. In the meantime Mr Donaldson’s boy of fourteen leaped from the back of the vehicle, and thus escaped with no more serious hurt than the spraining of his foot; but Mr Donaldson, himself was thrown with such tremendous violence against the wall and footpath, as, with other injuries, to break his collar bone and three of his ribs—at the moment, indeed, the impression of the bystanders was that he was killed on the spot, but on being conveyed home and attended to by Dr Macallum, with his assistant, Dr Lynch, his friends had every encouragement to hope well of his convalescence.
WRECKAGE AT SEA. telegram from Vlaardingen, Sept 7, says A vessel’s nameboard, blue, and masked in gilt letters with the vessel’s name, “Cellardyke,” was picked up, Aug. 29, lat.55.58 N, by the fishing lugger Jorge Gerard, has been brought in here (North Shields).
CELLARDYKE. PROPERTY SALE—One of the dwelling houses recently erected by Mr Jas. Henderson, in the new street and adjoining Rodger Street, Cellardyke, has this week been sold to Skipper David Anderson for £345.
THE HALLELUJAH ARMY. The Treasurer reported that application had been made to him by a Cellardyke fisherman for the use of the Town Hall for the Hallelujah Army. The Provost considered that a different charge from last year should be made. It was given cheap last year, as they posted it would only be occupied for a short time. They could not allow it to be occupied for that purpose without being paid for it. He had spoken to several people on the subject, and there was a strong feeling that the Hall should be better paid for than it had been. The Treasurer mentioned that the Cellardyke people were charging 3s 6d each night, with 1s 6d to the officer. Mr Thaw suggested that they should charge £1 for two nights in the week, and for a third night if required, 5s. This was agreed to, and it was understood that the Army were to have the Hall during the pleasure of the Council.
1886
Serious Accident.— On Saturday afternoon, one of the Cellardyke fishermen, David Moncrieff, was sitting on the parapet so well known at the “Man Trap,” at the foot of the opening to the East-green, he lost his balance and fell into the Harbour, The height was little more than 10 or 12 feet, but, his head alighting on a sharp stone, he received such terrible injuries that the cry arose that he was killed on the spot. As it was, his skull was fearfully fractured, and though, on being removed to his home at the Harbour head of Cellardyke, everything was done for his relief, he still lies in very precarious condition. The spot at which he fell has been the scene in recent years more than one fatal accident. The unfortunate man is about forty years of age and unmarried.
PAINFUL ACCIDENT.— Alexander Doig, one of the crew of the Cellardyke boat ” Refuge,” had his hand terribly mutilated by the wheel of machinery upon which he was engaged working. One of the forefingers was completely torn away. Dr Craig attended to the injured man.
BOAT for SALE; Length, 45 feet ; Built in 1874, and in good condition, just as she has been at this Lammas Fishing. Apply to Wm. Gardner Skipper, 59 John Street, Cellardyke.
1887
DUNDEE – AN EVENING DIP.— About midnight last night, while John Walker, a fisherman from Cellardyke, was walking along the West quay of King William Dock he accidentally fell into the water. Being a swimmer he succeeded in reaching the steps at the North-West corner, and was assisted out by a couple of policemen.
ABERDEEN – THEFT OF A WATCH.—,James McVay, fisherman, Ireland pleaded guilty to having on 1st or 2nd September stolen a silver watch from the fishing boat, Evening Star, of Cellardyke, presently lying at Point Law. He was sent to prison for 20 days.
Successful Hatching.— Mr Thos. Thomson, Cellardyke, has just been successful in hatching chickens by means of an incubator of his own design and make. The outer case is square and made of wood with air holes in the sides. The shelves upon which the eggs are laid is placed above a small tank, which contains four gallons of water. The water is heated by a current of hot air, which passes over it from a pipe led in from a paraffin lamp. The cost of paraffin is only halfpenny per day. The work of hatching is going on satisfactorily, one tiny fledgling already having made its appearance.
FATAL CASE OF BURNING IN FIFESHIRE. A lamentable accident occurred in the west end of Cellardyke Monday. About 8 a.m., in the absence of her mother on some domestic duty, a girl named Janet Murray, the daughter of Thomas Murray (Blyth), fisherman, stepped so near thew grate as to set fire to her chemise. A wild scream brought her mother, without the loss of moment to her side. She was enveloped in flames, but these were so speedily extinguished that it was hoped that she had not been fatally or even seriously injured. Unfortunately the nervous system had received such shock that, despite every care and attention, she expired this side of midnight. She was a fine, bright girl of about seven years of age, and much sympathy is felt for her family.
1888
A young Cellardyke fisher, Thomas Tarvit, was accused of throwing a big stone so as to strike Police Constable White on the heel towards the midnight of Thursday. He explained that it was a bit of brick—he did not mean to strike the constable, but a Pittenweem man who had injured him. He was fined in 7s 6d
THE HERRING HARVEST. INCIDENTS OF THE SEASON, &c. After a pleasant spin over Rattray Briggs, the last comers arrived in the first of the week. But there is no holiday in the fisher home; in fact, the one voyage nowadays runs into the other that the shore will continue as bustling as a fair till the big wing is again spread for the south. The veterans are, of course, fighting the battle over again at the bulwark. We caught the echoes the other evening, and so we learn that the king fisher, not of Cellardyke only, but of the Forth, is the son of a brave old race, Skipper David Watson, of the Providence, fished no less than £350 at the Dee between the 10th July and the end of August, so that, after paying the expenses—that is, the victuals account, &c.—he divided all but six-and forty pounds to hand, or three-and-twenty pounds to a half deal. Buttoning such sum in the tobacco pouch, do you wonder at the grin of delight and the exclamation, “Hech, it’s worth the fechtin’ for.” Skipper David Parker, of the Thistle, Cellardyke, fished £340, but perhaps a third it was in the early days of the season at Shetland. The skipper of the Prospects Ahead, of Pittenweem, reported in with £300, but if you believe the greybeards at the Braid stepping up the Bread Wynd the other day we were told the best o’ oor folk is Willie Reekie o’ the Lavonia. They say he has £250, but our venerable informer assured us that it was one of the poorest draves he ever remembered at ST Monance. ” Maist o’ oor folk, like the Dykers,” he went on to say, with a sorrowful shake of his head, “lived in the boat to save lodgings, but they havna a’ pairted twa or three notes tae a hand.” In the course of the week the engines have been again busy pulling boats to the green, but many skippers prefer to winter them at such points as Leven Dock and the fine bight at Ferry-Port-on-Craig. The brilliant weather of the week is most opportune for drying the tackle previous to stowing it in the attics, well as for getting the big boat in trim, though there will be little, or rather no breathing time, in order sail with the first fair wind the long and hazardous run to Yarmouth. Two of the Cellardyke fleet, the Onyx and the Twins, sailed on Thursday to Scarborough, from which they will return at the close of the season, but many of the Fife boats will only tarry there for a week or two on their way to the south. Thus in ten or twelve days the Fife coast will be again be as deserted as ever ; indeed, not a single deep sea boat will be left for the time being between Cellardyke and St Monance. The number, so far as we can learn, will be scarcely fewer than 150, in consequence of the little encouragement with hook and line the Forth. In referring to the close of the herring campaign, in which about 1000 landsmen assist our hardy skippers, it is pleasant to dwell on the fact that there have been exceptionally few commitments by the police. Here and there, it is true, a luckless wight has acted the principle of allowing “the tow tae gang wi’ the bucket,” but as a rule the strangers left with the first train, when it was so agreeable to observe the cordial handshaking by way of farewell. No doubt there was case here and there of vile ingratitude—for instance, when the skipper and the mate were left wash the nets and steer the boat to land, while big lubberly half-dealsmen looked sullenly on with folded arms. As a set-off to this, hundreds have left all the happier that they are return, if spared health and strength, as to old friends on board the herring fleet of Fife.
Marriages.—lf the whisper is true in the milliner’s shop, the bridal song will not be in full chorus till the return of the boats from the south, but on Sabbath there were no fewer than four proclamations in the Parish Kirk of Cellardyke, Thera was time when such an announcement would have fired Fiddler Easson with ecstasy. The forty or fifty couple, every fisher lad in his spruce sea jacket, and his rosy partner like a ship about to launched, with ribbons of every hue, passing along to fill the streets with a gush of sunshine, and then the feast and dance, so to make the rafters dirl with the joy of the young heart. But, alas ! for all that has come and gone, like a tale of long ago, seeing that in these degenerate days the event passes without even the next door neighbour always knowing of the occurrence.
1889
Yesterday morning at 6 o clock the body of a man was found washed ashore at Arbroath, a short way east from the harbour. It was dressed in fisherman’s clothes, bluish trousers, with a large patch on the left knee, fisherman’s boots, extending well up the thighs, a worsted jersey, stripped shirt and oilskin coat. The body must have been a considerable time in is the water, as on the head nothing remained but the skull, and the flesh of the hands was also gone, No one is missing from Arbroath. On the 6th August last the crew of the Cellardyke boat, Black Prince, which arrived at Arbroath that-day, reported that one of their number, James Brodie, a native of Stonehaven, was lost overboard a quarter of a mile north of the North-of Carr Lightship.
SALE of FISHING TACKLE &c.—The outfit for sea of Skipper James Cunningham (Doig), who is about to leave Cellardyke for Australia, was exposed for sale on Saturday. Some eighty nets realised from 12s to 22s. Other tackle was also in fair demand. The first-class boat, “Isle of May ” was exposed for sale. This tidy little craft was built by Mr Miller some ten or twelve years ago, but she failed to get an offer at £40.
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