1875
AN INTERESTING ARRIVAL
On Thursday morning the “ancient mariners” banging on their oars and discussing the land breeze in shadow of the old look out had their attention pleasantly drawn to a beautiful schooner yacht winch dropped her anchor almost within a gunshot of the pier. The interesting stranger, with entrance lines sharp an arrow, and gracefully rounded counter, quite as eloquent, by the way, to a sailor’s eye as an exquisite ankle in the ball-room, with spars tall and tapering to the clouds, might well have served for the “Witch of the Wave” in the pages of romance. She measures about 100 tons, and shone so in varnish and gilding that the honest sailmaker of the port was afraid to board her for fear, as he averred, of making a single scratch on her polished rides. Coppered the bends and manned by ten gallant sailors she might well be a floating home on the sunny waters of the Mediterranean as on the foaming tide of the Scottish shore. But a new interest was felt io the fair visitor when it transpired that she was the property that esteemed native of Anstruther, John Williamson, Esq , of the well-known Liverpool firm Messrs Williamson, Milligan, & Co. Mr Williamson, who is accompanied his family, has been on a summer cruise along the east coast of France, and amongst the bays and headlands of England, and was on the voyage round the North of Scotland to the Forth, he embraced the opportunity to pay a passing visit and receive a cherished mother’s welcome in the old home of Anstruther.
WANTED. TWO Active Stout YOUNG WOMEN to Oil. Wages good. Apply to J. MARTIN, Cellardyke.
1876
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE ANSTRUTHER. THE MANAGERSHIP OF THE GAS COMPANY. The Directors of the Anstruther and Cellardyke Gas Company, at a meeting held last night, unanimously appointed Mr Thomas A. Dalzell manager in room of Mr Adamson, who recently resigned the office.
N.B – Thomas Dalzell owned the Ironmongers in the High Street, Anstruther, He had purchased it from James Readdie. When he sold the buisness it was to two of his employees a Gray and Pringle.. which became the company we know now.
STORM AND LOSS OF LIFE. ‘ EIGHT LIVES LOST AT PETERHEAD. ………. A boat was seen a good distance from the land, and as she appeared to be unequal to the storm these on shore made preparations to assist the crew, but their efforts were all in vain. The craft which came from Cellardyke, Alexander Watson, skipper, was now attempting to get into the South Harbour; but something about the sail went wrong, so that she ran direct on the rocks and was dashed to pieces. Four of the crew and a boy managed to jump on to the rock and were rescued, but an elderly 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 bravely went to his assistance, at the risk of his own life, and succeeded in getting the poor man on to dry land safely. By this time the shore was crowded by thousands of spectators, and the excitement was intense, as several other boats were still in sight of land.
STONEHAVEN. Owing to the storm very few boats reached here on Thursday, and few had herrings, and a number had lost their nets mere or less. A Cellardyke boat, No. 1158. Davidson master, arrived here the forenoon of Saturday from the fishing ground, having remained by his nets since Thursday. He had 113 nets, being his own and his father’s, (who is in another boat, and was driven off by the storm), and also a few belonging to another boat. He reports seeing other nets. Several boats left here on Saturday for the ground in search of their nets.
Aberdeen, One boat has not been heard of since Monday morning. She belongs to Cellardyke, and is named the Six Brothers. Her skipper is named John Dickson, belonging to Cellardyke, and two of his sons are also on board, as well as three hired men — a Frenchman, an Englishman, and Irishman. The boat was pretty well provisioned before she left, and so far as food is concerned it is not believed that the crew would be in great difficulties; but it is doubtful whether they have managed to weather the storm.
Information has been received here that the Cellardyke boat, which had been missing since Monday, arrived at Peterhead all safe this afternoon.
Fraserburgh – About midday a boat belonging to Cellardyke arrived, bringing the sad intelligence that a Buckie boat, George Thain, skipper, had been swamped, and having on board the sole survivor of her crew of seven men. The brief story told is that the craft was struck by a heavy sea while holding by the nets, and was capsized. A thick wet fog prevailed at the time. The crew consisted of Thain, the skipper, his three sons, and three hired men from Ross-shire. The eldest son floated on the oars, and was picked up in an exhausted condition. Two of the hired men were brothers, and the third their cousin.
Charles Bain, one of the crew of a Cellardyke boat, registered at Kirkcaldy No. 2, was swept overboard while sitting on a spar on the side of the boat about 20 miles out. He was 54 years of age, leaves a widow and large grown-up family, and resided in Leven, Fifeshire.
KY2 was the Cellardyke Boat, Catherine Fowler Skipper James Smith Robertson
SCOTCH BANKRUPTS. (From the Edinburgh Gazette of Friday evening) John Alexander Millar boatbuilder, Cellardyke.
HERRINGS FROM THE DEEP SEA.—As many as nine Cellardyke boats returned home to refit their “drifts” in the course of Friday and Saturday last. In crossing the celebrated Mar Bank, or Second Reef, the appearance of herrings was so encouraging that most of crews had cast out their nets, and one case Skipper Keay came into Cellardyke with 58 crans for his merchant, Mr Cormack, though the agreement for the season refers specifically Aberdeen. The ” Black Prince” landed 48 crans at Anstruther pier, when the place of the Aberdeen curer was taken by David Keith at the price of 20s a-cran. By these arrivals 38 crans were brought on Friday, and 125 on the following day, being total of about 175 for the week. The success on the Marr Bank has greatly revived the hope once more establishing the herring trade the East of Fife,
1878
THE LATE CASE OF DROWNING OF A CELLARDYKE FISHERMAN. In our paper of the 12th ult. we recorded the death by drowning, on the 10th July, of John Montador, jun., whilst engaged at the fishing off Stonehaven. He was skipper of the boat Jacobines, and in setting the jib-sail he tripped his foot and fell overboard and was drowned, his body not reappearing at the time. It was only on Saturday night last that his body was found washed ashore at the back of the old quay of Stonehaven, after being twenty-two days in the water. It was immediately landed and coffined by a number of fishermen and others, decomposition not having attacked his body to so great an extent might have been expected. On Monday his corpse was conveyed to the railway station by a large and sympathising concourse of people, among whom were about 300 fishermen, and it arrived here on Tuesday, and was taken to his own home. The funeral took place yesterday, and was largely attended, much sympathy being felt for his widow and children, four in number, the eldest being only seven years old.
ALARMING ACCIDENT AT FRASERBURGH. An alarming accident happened last week at Fraserburgh a young Cellardyke fisherman, Alex. Pratt, while trying to avoid a collision in the fresh breeze with a “scaffie” boat was severely crushed between two gunwales. His mother was telegraphed for home, but with attention and care his friends have every hope of his ultimate recovery
ENTERPRISING FISHCURERS. Mr Thomas Jenkins, fishcurer, Aberdeen and Burghead. and Messrs Sharp and Murray, Cellardyke, hare each engaged tug boat, at considerable sum per month, to be at the service of their boats during the fishing season at Aberdeen.
1879
With one exception, the whole of the Cellardyke boats have been engaged at the stations on the north-east coast, and hence the quantity of herring landed has been very small. Last week. however, a shoal of herring was met with at the mouth of the Forth, a short distance from land. No such large quantities of herring have been caught so close to Anstruther during the summer season for several years, and the fishermen engaged express the opinion that had there been a number of boats on the ground a good fishing might have been made. This week it is expected that a good many crews will make a trial in the Firth.
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