1850
Boat Sunk, and Loss of Life
On Saturday week, a pleasure boat belonging to person at Dundee was despatched to Leith in order to be sold. When she started she had three hands on board. Matters went on smoothly until she had proceeded up the Forth as far between Cellardyke and Anstruther, when, in staying, she missed stays, filled by the lee quarter, and instantly sunk. The fishermen of Cellardyke and Anstruther having observed the go vessel down, launched their boats simultaneously, and vied with each other to save the crew, two of whom were clinging to an oar. They brought them on shore with the utmost promptitude, when every exertion was made for their resuscitation. One of them, a young lad, has, however, since died.
1851
WICK, July 10. At last we are fairly caught in the stir and din of the herring campaign. The premonitory sounds are hushed amid the bustle of actual engagement in the turmoil, and everything betokens that we are to have right busy season. The weary Highlanders are arriving in droves, by sea and land; all the South Firth and Moray Firth boats have reached, and by Saturday evening the town will be crowded to overflowing. We believe there will be a considerable increase in the number of boats in the district. Last year there were 800. while it is probable we shall have 1,000 this season. Amongst others, we have 10 from Lossiemouth for the first time, and the number from Cellardyke is about doubled. Added the others, we have upwards of 90 new boats here alone.
Arbroath – Great preparations for the fishing have been made here this year. No less than one hundred and five boats have been built in Wick alone this spring. Some of these are for Cellardyke crews, a fact which certainly is conclusive of the Wick boat-builders now excelling those of Leith and Montrose. There will this year fully an augmentation of three hundred boats to the Wick fleet– making it a grand total of no less than twelve hundred boats.
CELLARDYKE.–Herring Fishing.—There is, and has always been, an unusual bustle preparatory to commencing the “Lammas Drave,” such as mending and repairing and barking nets, hauling of boats, and all the other preliminaries of rigging and fitting-out requisite for pursuing that laborious, yet highly important and exciting occupation. Bustle and preparation have now ceased, and the “drave” has commenced. There were but a very few boats off on Wednesday, it being the first commencement, and the highest take was 5oo at 5s. per hundred. On Thursday there was more general trial, the highest take on that day being 1700, price 4s. Friday the highest take was 500, price 4s. Such has been the first week’s fishing and although it has not been very successful, yet expectations did not run very high, and the fishermen have but to hope for better things. Letters have been received here from Wick purporting that our boats fishing there have had takes as high as from eight to ten crans, price for boats not engaged, 1 per cran.
1853
The quay wall at Cellardyke has been finished and taken off the contractor’s hands. It has perfectly answered the expectations of the fishermen, and supplies them with a very superior landing place for their fish.
SLOOP ASHORE.—The Blossom of Bo’ness came on shore near Cellardyke on Friday night; she had one man and two boys on board. She is much damaged, and is not expected to be got off
BODY WASHED ASHORE – The body of the woman we noticed as sunk by some fishermen in the sea at Crail three weeks ago, was washed ashore on Friday, and has been interred, the boots being preserved for identification.
1854
Cupar – three parties placed at the bar pled not guilty, and will be tried before the Sheriff and Jury on Friday, the 28th inst., viz: —Frederick Wilkie, weaver, Freuchie, for assault; John McKay, stone-breaker, Cellardyke, for assault; and Andrew Berry for theft, breach of the peace, and assault.
1855
Five young men, fishermen from Cellardyke, were tried before Provost Greig and Bailie Paterson on Saturday last, for a breach of the peace, committed on the previous Saturday night. They pled guilty, and were amerced in the sum of 7s. 6d. each, or ten days prison. Four men from the Isle of Skye, also, of whom there are great number here at present looking for berths during the ensuing herring drave, were brought up in custody of the police, charged with a similar offence, and two of them with the additional offence of endeavouring to rescue one of their comrades from the custody of the police officer and those assisting him. It appeared that on the previous night a fight took place between two of them, and one of them was locked up. His opponent, not quailed by this, still continued his outrageous conduct, and was also taken into custody, whereupon there was an attempt made to rescue him by 25 or 30 of his countrymen, amongst whom the two prisoners were most conspicuous, although ultimately the four prisoners were locked up. They pled guilty, and two of them were fined in 10s. 6d. each, or twenty days in jail, the other two in 15s. each, or thirty days’ imprisonment. The fines were all paid.
The Cellardyke, Anstruther, Pittenweem, St Monance, Elie, and Lundin Mill Temperance Societies had their annual demonstration on Tuesday on Charleton estate.
1856
ANSTRUTHER. Herring Fishing – Our herring commenced on Monday last, the 21st inst., with good hopes but, as yet, small success. The highest boat on Tuesday morning was four crans, and during the week the highest boat was eight crans—prices ranging from 26s to 36s per cran; but after eight days fishing the general average will not exceed two crans. The boats are nearly all engaged at from 12s to 12. 6d, and a few at 13s per eras, with of bounty. The following are the number of boats fishing in this locality:
St Monance 54
Pittenweem 51
Crail 10
Cellardyke 122
There are also seven Cellardyke boats fishing at Stonehaven, which will be ready to return soon as they hear of fishing here.
1858
The Montrose Standard reports that the deep-sea white fishing in the neighbourhood of Montrose has been unprecedentedly successful lately. The Ferryden boats brought to the various curers in Montrose, in course of week, upwards of 200,000 haddocks, and those from Cellardyke about 30,000, making total of 235,000. The fish sold in the town have been at price lower than has been reached for the last fourteen years. On account of the calm weather, the boats have been taken in companies to the fishing grounds the Montrose by the steam tug.
1859
The stimulus imparted to fisheries by the rapidity of railways laying the markets of all the large towns open to the coasts for the supply of fresh fish, has raised an urgent demand for deep-water harbours, that the boats may get in at any time of tide to deliver their catch, and which are also most needful to the safety of the fishermen, who, as yet, have no ports of refuge that can be taken at low water. These considerations have stirred the towns of Anstruther and Cellardyke to unite their common interests, and to move the Board of fisheries to co-operate with them in erecting deepwater harbour there. An enlargement of Anstruther Harbour, with the designation given it of the Union Harbour, has been planned by Messrs Stevenson, the engineers the Board, and its design has met with general satisfaction and approval. The erection of a harbour of this description at Anstruther has been recommended by the Harbour of Refuge Commission; but, again, the funds are wanting for its execution. Its estimated cost of £30,000, a large sum to raise; nevertheless, there appear to be means available for effecting a loan, which, with assistance from the Board of Fisheries, may, at no very distant day, enable this work to be executed.
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