1876
Aberdeen – HERRING FISHERY COMMITTEE…., there was laid before the Committee the letter date the 7th current, addressed the Commissioners by Mr David Murray, 156 Crown Street, Aberdeen, of the firm of Sharp Murray, fishcurers, complaining that the boundaries of lot first the ground for drying herring nets on the reclaimed land, taken out by him at the roup thereof, as shown on the plan referred to in the articles and conditions, and exhibited at the roup the premises, were not the same as the boundaries which had been pointed out to him at the roup, and requesting the Commissioners to inquire into the matter. “The Committee having heard explanations from Mr Walker, the law agent of the Commissioners (who attended the roup), were of opinion that Mr Murray obtained possession of all the ground which was taken out by him at the roup, and that he has no ground for complaint, and seeing that the judge of the roup, after hearing Mr Murray, had also given the same opinion, they therefore resolved to recommend to the Commissioners that the Harbour Treasurer should be instructed to obtain from Mr Murray payment of the rent due by him for the ground in question.”
….. Mr Inglis, with reference to the first part of the report, begged to enter his dissent from the finding of the committee. The gentleman who took out the lot of ground (Mr Murray) came from Cellardyke, and was one of the largest and most respected curers in the country. He felt confident that in making the offer he did, he was misled, or labouring under a misunderstanding. It was very difficult to distinguish the posts defining the boundaries of the lots, and the consequence was that he ran it up to a higher figure than it was really worth. “What he proposed at the committee was that they should let Mr Murray have the lot the average price of the ground in the neighbourhood, and perhaps a little more. It comprised only two net grounds, and for that he had to pay £15 17s, and the Commissioners put it up at £2.
The Lord Provost—What was the last bode before Mr Murray’s ?
Mr Cran (Chamberlain) £15 7s.
The Lord Provost —Then it cannot be a great hardship. (Hear, hear.)
Mr Inglis—The others made the same mistake.
Mr Macdonald seconded Mr Inglis’s proposal, and remarked that there was an impression outside that Mr Murray had not got justice.
The Shoremaster vindicated the action of the Committee, which was approved of the judge of the roup and Mr Walker, law-agent. The general feeling of the Commissioners being elicited and found to be in favour of the report, it was adopted without a division—Mr Inglis entering his dissent.
1877
A LUCKY FAMILY.-On Thursday evening some of the boats employed at the herring fishing got good hauls-the highest take being attributed to the craft ‘Father and Son’, marked BF 1160, and commanded by E. Smith, ‘Bo.’ The Father and Son had a – drift of forty nets shot, but when sixteen had been he hauled on Thursday for a catch of ninety-two crans, and every mesh of the remaining twenty-four appeared to contain a fish, the crew did not attempt, to haul the latter, but handed them over to the custody of a crew from Cellardyke, on the understanding that the latter was to take the fish and. restore the nets. Whether the Dvker has succeeded in turning his bargain to account is an unsettled question, as he has not returned to port.
1877
Most of was the boats which have been prosecuting the herring fishing at Aberdeen, belonging to Cellardyke and to other villages in the Firth of Forth, are leaving for home in order to prepare for the Lowestoft and Yarmouth fishing. Very few of the boats have got their complements, but the curers have allowed them to break their engagements before the close of the season in consequence of the continued prospect of a poor fishing.
1878
Fatal Accident.—Anstruther shore was the scene of melancholy accident about five o’clock on Friday afternoon. At that time a number of children were amusing themselves about some travelling booths in the woodyard, when they suddenly sprang out on the street, on which were several passing vehicles. Unfortunately, however, one little foot slipped – that of a fine little girl verging on five summers, the daughter of Mr James White, master of the screw lighter Retriever, and unable to recover herself she fell front of a bread van. Mr Bayne, baker, Cellardyke was himself the driver, but before he could draw up or even observe the prostrate child one of the wheels had passed over her head, causing death almost on the instant, so that was only left for Mr Bayne, the innocent cause of the unhappy tragedy, to bear home a melancholy burthen the bright young existence, singing and dancing but a few seconds before in the beautiful sunshine. The afflicted mother had arrived from Dundee but a few hours before to find the family full of the joy of her coming, but thus soon and darkly to see the scene reversed in suffering and death, for which, we need scarcely say, the profoundest sympathy has been excited throughout the neighbourhood.
1879
Rescue from Drowning. —With the instinct so lateral to the shore—several urchins were busy with their little fishing lines on board an outlying boat in Cellardyke harbour on Monday afternoon, when one of their number, a lad about seven years old, the son of Skipper James Watson (Coull) tumbled into the water. It was full tide, and the poor child seemed to drop like lead to the bottom, thus intensifying the excitement of his little playmates who could only give vent to their terror in cries of despair which almost on the instant filled the shore with a distracted crowd of women and children, who with the men at the fishing ground could only swell the tumult and confusion the scene. At this critical moment or rather by a striking providence, it so happened that Trinity pilot, Alexander Cunningbame, was within bearing of the cry for help, and only waiting to divest himself of his jacket, he plunged in to the rescue, and happily succeeded in tearing the helpless and all but lifeless boy from the bottom. Restored, however, to his mother’s arms, and with the usual kindly appliances be soon recovered from his long and dangerous immersion. We understand that this the third time that Captain Cunninghame has saved life at the hazard of his own at Cellardyke harbour. On three occasions also his services were no less heroic at St Monance, and he was also the happy instrument of deliverance, in some fifteen or twenty cases of shipwreck in various parts of the world to which duty has from time to time led him; yet strange to say in the face of all that he has suffered and sacrificed in the cause of humanity, his services have never once been recognised by a vote of thanks, not to speak the gold or silver medal which has been seldom bestowed on one so worthy of the award.