1875
In the House of Commons on Wednesday, Mr Ellice presented a petition from Anstruther and Cellardyke, numerously signed, in favour of the bill for removing the electoral disabilities of women
(The Women’s Disabilities Removal Bill 1875 was a private member’s bill introduced in the UK House of Commons on February 8, 1875, by William Forsyth. Supported by Sir Robert Anstruther and Russell Gurney. The bill sought to grant women the same voting rights as men, specifically focusing on women who met property and other qualifications. Like other bills of this era, the 1875 bill did not pass, as Parliament was not yet ready to extend the franchise to women, despite significant petitioning and campaigning by suffrage activists.)
The fishing yawl Nil Desperandum, of Cellardyke, was upset during squall yesterday afternoon, about half a mile off Burnmouth. The crew were rescued by another boat in the yawl’s company, and were landed Eyemouth.
1876
DEATHS. At her brother’s house. Cellardyke, on the 10th inst., JEAN CALDWELL. Eldest daughter of the late Alexander Caldwell, Currie, aged 84.
At the Isle of May, on the 12th instant. HANNAH MARGARET, youngest daughter of Mr William Wither. At Cellardyke. on the 12th inst.. ELIZABETH, eldest daughter of James Watson, aged 44 years.
The fund in aid of the widows and children of the Cellardyke and St Monance Fishermen, lost at se in November last now amounts to £7180
(This was the Beautiful Star disaster, when 5 local boats were lost and 37 fishermen lost)
BOAT INSURANCE CLUB.–A meeting of the members of the recently-formed East of Fife Boat Insurance Club was held on Saturday evening —Provost Anderson presiding. It was reported that upwards of eighty owners of boats had joined the club. The rules as drafted by a committee were then considered, and finally adopted. They provide that no boat shall be insured for more than three-fourths of her value as declared by a surveyor, and that for the first year only one-third of the amount insured shall be payable on a boat being lost, the remainder to be paid at the close of the financial year should the funds be sufficient. Six landsmen and six fishermen from Cellardyke, Pittenweem, and St Monance were appointed directors, Captain Keay, Anstruther, being elected secretary and treasurer.
CELLARDYKE FISHERMAN DROWNED.—On the return of the fishing boat Victoria Cross from the fishing ground on Wednesday morning, Skipper John Doeg reported the loss of one of his crew, named David Doeg (Wood.) It appears that they were on their way home with a fresh breeze but calm sea. and when between the Isle of May and Anstruther, a blinding snow shower came on, followed almost immediately by a heavy sea, which swept over the boat and carried Doeg sway, the skipper himself only saving himself by seizing hold of the side of the boat. As soon as possible, the boat was put round and steered back to the spot, but by this time no trace of the unfortunate man could be seen. Doeg, who was a quiet, steady, and inoffensive man, was about 50 years of age, and leaves a widow and one grown-up daughter.
East of Fife Record – Friday 24 March 1876
1877
IMPORTANT TO FISHERMEN JOHN BUTTERS, MERCHANT, Cellardyke, has much pleasure in intimating that he has been appointed by Messrs D. Mitchell & Sons, of Aberdeen, SOLE AGENT in this District for the Sale of DAVIES’ WINCH for HAULING HERRING NETS, and that the Price has been Reduced to £5, exclusive of carriage. Testimonials can be had on application.
CELLARDYKE CONVICTION FOR ASSAULT. —At a Burgh Court held here on Friday last–Provost Martin and Bailie Watson presiding—Ann Graham or Harrow, residing in East Green Street, Anstruther, was charged with having assaulted Mrs William Kirkcaldy in West Forth Street on the 28th February. She pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to pay a fine of 10s.
1878
Disaster to Fishing Boat.-Early on Friday morning, as the Cellardyke boat “Six Brothers,” Skipper John Dickson, was entering the harbour, she was struck with the squall, which threw her so far to leeward at the very instant of weathering the fairway that she came into violent collision with the eastern breakwater. It was a critical moment for boat and crew but fortunately the harbour was gained, though not without considerable damage to the former which in particular, had five or six of ,of her bow planks crushed by the collision.
Sale of Property. -We understand that the well-known fishcuring premises and two front lofts near the Urquhart Wynd Cellardyke, has just been sold by Councillor Robert Donaldson to Mr Andrew Mitchell draper, whose name has been of late frequently talked of in connection with building sites in both Anstruther and Cellardyke. The sale is a private transaction, but the price is reported between £400 and £500. The fishcuring premises are at present occupied by Mr Robert Melville, who, we hear is likely to remove to a more commodious range to be erected at the east of Cellardyke harbour.
Sad News. — Intelligence reached Anstruther on Sunday that Mr Andrew Thomson, steward on board of the Liverpool ship John of Gaunt, had died of attack of cholera on the 20th of last month while the vessel was lying at Calcutta, where so many of our East of Fife sailors have found a premature grave from the same deadly pestilence. The John of Gaunt is under the command of our townsman, Capt. Lyall. who made every possible sacrifice for the health and safety of his crew, but, as in the case of only too many British ships, no precaution has been able to arrest the swift messenger of death, and the cemetery is like new ploughed field with the mariners’ graves. Andrew Thomson was a native of Dunbar, but his home has been for many years in Cellardyke, where he leaves a widow to mourn his loss. He was between forty and fifty years of age, and being full of kind and joyous sympathies, as well thoroughly experienced in his duties, his sad death is sincerely lamented by shipmates and friends.
Capture of a Shark. —A fine specimen of the basking shark was landed at Anstruther Pier the other day, having been captured in the North Sea by the Cellardyke boat “Advance,” Skipper George Watson. This species is not amongst the “graces of the ocean,” but at the same time it has none of those terrible features which make the blue shark the scourge of the sea. Measuring about fourteen feet long, and entangled, and entangling the fishing tackle by every turn of fin and tail in frantic efforts to escape, its capture was no easy task especially when it came to be hoisted into the boat. These sharks are rather frequently met by the deep-sea fisher, who is usually content to extract the liver which yields a valuable oil. A market was thus readily formed on Monday morning, when it was bought for a dozen shillings or so by Mr John Bonthron, but its history was not to end here, for after evisceration, when the carcase weighed nearly half a ton, it was bought by two English friends, who sent it by rail to be exhibited, we hear, to the sight-seeing public of the north of England, where on more than one occasion handsome sums have been earned in such curious speculations.
On Tuesday Mr John Millar launched from his West Anstruther Yard the fourth of his seven orders for the season. She Belongs to Skipper David Muir, Cellardyke, and is named Triumph, she is to be employed at once in the deep-sea fishery, in which her gallant appearance as she sits in the brine, we may confidently anticipate sailing powers of no mean order, and those other kindly qualities which make a fishing craft the favourite of the skipper and his crew
1879
SALE or PROPERTY Chesterhill House, the residence of the late M. F. Conolly, Esq., was again exposed to sale by public roup within the writing chambers of Mr Jamieson, town clerk, on Tuesday. The reduced upset price was £600 and at that figure the property was knocked down to Mr John Gilchrist, boot and shoe manufacturer, Cellardyke.
Sale of Property.—We understand that Mr Peter Thomson, draper, has just disposed of the corner house in East Forth Street to the adjoining proprietor, Mr Thomas Fowler, at the sum of £675. Thomson bought this property only the other year for £450, so that the incident gives a very favourable idea of the rising value of such subjects in Cellardyke. We further learn that John Ritchie, fishcurer, has sold the house and garden in Cellardyke long occupied by his family to Skipper Michael Doig, for £350
THE SHETLAND COD FISHING.—Two Cellardyke boats, the “Jessie’,” Jas. Brunton, and the “Kate,” George Anderson, masters, are being fitted out, and will sail on Monday, to prosecute the white fishery at the Shetland isles. As in the greet lines of the Forth, they are to fish the herring for bait, and from the known abundance of the cod and ling in these northern waters this experiment is not unlikely to mark a new era in the industry of the coast. In addition to a full outfit of “hook and line,’ each man carries ten herring nets, four of which will be at once in requisition in the search for bait, but the other six are to be held in reserve for the Lewis herring fishery, in which it is purposed to engage in the event of a failure on the fishing banks of Shetland. Centuries ago the fishers of Fife sailed in their stout little creers to the northern isles, but so late as 1712 the natives were indebted to the Dutch not only for a market but also for boats and gear, as they continued to be to their lairds till the enterprise of recent years has developed the extraordinary resources of the islands, and which at the present time have a special value from the unprecedented failure on the banks of Newfoundland.
Do you enjoy and follow the Cellardyke Echo and the work of the Cellardyke Trust?
There are costs behind everything we do, such as, Web hosting fees for this website which provides the weekly Cellardyke Echo and all the other info and research. Public Liability Insurance for our events such as the Sea Queen and the Phone Boxes. These are general operating costs which we cannot avoid.
If you are able to support the work of the Cellardyke Trust – Donations of any size would be gratefully received.
Our Account is called “The Cellardyke Trust (SCIO)”, Sort Code 83-15-08 – Acc No 00128815
Many Thanks