1870
CELLARDYKE. Crab Fishing.- Although the season for this fishing has arrived, the start, it is expected, will not be made for fortnight yet, owing to the extreme coldness of the weather. The fishermen of Crail and Kingsbarns have commenced, but as yet have caught nothing, The engaged price this year is 1s 4d a dozen, 3d above last year’s rate. There are upwards of a dozen yawls fitted out for here, and as many in Anstruther, all owned by old fishermen whose day has now gone for long sea voyages, but whose failing strength and ripe experience is still utilised in the training of their youthful crews—the fishermen in embryo of a year or two hence.
1871
The Herring Harvest.—In the course of last week no fewer than 2000 barrels of herrings were landed at Anstruther; 1200 at St Monance; and about 500 at Pittenweem, giving a yield for the East of Fife of some 3700 barrels, which, added to the previous take of the season, gives a grand total of 24,000 barrels – a result so gratifying as to make the spring fishing of 1871 by far the best in the history of this fishery. There were only about 150 boats on the coast last week—nearly the whole being local crews – as the Buckhaven men lost the harvest in celebrating the royal marriage. Skipper Thomas Birrell, of Cellardyke, landed last week in three takes nearly 130 crans; indeed, on Friday the harbour, with the many boats laden with herrings that glanced like silver in the sunlight, and with the stir and bustle in packing and carting them to the railway station, presented such a picture life and animation to recall all the glories of the ” Auld drave” that did so much enrich the coast better days. On this occasion, however, the fishermen have gained comparatively little from the large takes ; and if rumour speaks truly the buyers still less, for though the herrings only sold at the pier from 5s to 10s barrel, yet so poor were the sales in some of the English markets that many packages did not realise the cost of carriage. A curious illustration of the fluctuating character of the fishing may here be related. The chief reason for prosecuting the herring fishing thus far in the season is to procure bait for the cod fishing, and last week yielded, of course, an abundant supply, but owing to a severe gale which drove the boats back from the sea on Monday morning, the crews had to dispose of the herrings as being too old and tainted for their purpose, when they were sold for manure 6d the basketful, but next morning the demand was so eager for fresh herrings that they reached as high as £2 10s per cran, while only a few days before boatloads could have been bought for less than a sixth of the money.
1872
Curious Story of Fisher Yawl.—One of the busiest of the little fleet that sunrise every morning swarm like bees from Anst’er pier to gather honey the shape of crabs and lobsters, is antique-looking boat, which has now sailed the seas for nearly 90 years. She was cradled in one of those old grey Norwegian seaports, which a thousand years ago launched those grim red-painted warships that, with an open-mouthed dragon for figure head, and packed full with hungry pirates swept more dreadful than the hurricane along the Scottish seas; but the world had mightily charged, and Mr Shirra’s prayer on Kirkcaldy sands had blown the last pirate visitor, Paul Jones, out of the Forth, by the time the little skiff was cast ashore as the long boat of foreign galliot wrecked at Montrose more than eighty years ago. Dr Tennant describes the folks of Crail hurrying on the Anst’er Fair as:
“Some are flushed with horns of pithy ale,
And some are fierce with drams of smuggled gin;
While to augment his drouth, each to his jaws
A good Crail capon holds at which he rugs and gnaws.”
For the purpose of catching these very capons of which the poet like everybody else was so fond, the skiff was brought to Crail, where, after many a lucky fishing day at the “hirst,” she was sold to “Skimfie” that is the little rock-girt creek of Cellardyke After much rough usage, and being well known for twenty years as the face of the famous town drummer, the boat once more returned to about the time when “partans,” instead of being caught only for fish bait, and when a dozen of “big taes” could be bought for the bairns for a single penny, were beginning to be worth sending the market; but after tarrying for a time in the East Neuk, she came back again to Cellardyke, when curious enough, master and boat were almost of the same venerable age Her owner was Mr Robert Anderson, the Father of Cellardyke – when she became so much of a favourite through the kindly indulgence of worthy veteran, that she was christened the “Boys’ Delight,” though from her peculiar construction she was better known, as sometime happens with well as boats, by the nickname of the “KittlekeeL Here we may explain the usual method of fishing crabs, which in the case of a small boat is done some grey-bearded fisher, assisted by two or three boys who are allowed the produce of their own particular creels. The old fisher thus receives his share, net divided and sub-divided as at the herring fishing, but in full, to use one of the singularly pithy phrases of dear old Robert’s, “It’s my ain pie Jock” After a faithful companionship of twenty years, the skipper, who still rejoices in hale old age at the patriarchal years of 86, sold the boat to Mr Alex. Jack with whom the little ark appears to be lucky as ever, and being in good repair, ” the oldest boat” on the coast is likely “to ride the ford” for years come.
Cellardyke. Sale and Exposure Property.
A few years ago a house in Cellardyke was scarce to be had for “either love or money;” and if one happened to be let, it was nothing unusual for dozen inquiries to be made after it, and, as a matter course, the competition for property was equally intense; but of late the tide has very much slackened, and in not a few cases the supply would appear to exceed the demand. This is particularly true with regard to the sale of houses – several of which have been again and again exposed without obtaining a buyer. On Saturday, however, a large old property, consisting of a two storeyed tenement, with small house attached, sometime occupied as a reading-room, and situated to the west of the Tolbooth – which has been for a considerable time in the market – was sold by public auction for £225- being an advance of £15 on the upset price – to Mr James Skinner, merchant. This subject formed the last of the once extensive property of the late Capt. Henderson of Anstruther, the sale of which, within the last three or four years, has led to the erection of so many fine commodious houses on sites either vacant or covered with ruinous buildings belonging to occupations which, as in the case of the maltster, no longer exist in our community. Two new houses belonging to Mr Smith, writer, were also offered their situation in Dove Street at the upset price of £250 each, but offer was made. The fact curious, showing the rapid and rather unparalleled extension Cellardyke, that it was only in 1855 that Mr Smith offered the Dovecot Park, now the site Dove Street, for feuiug purposes, but within the last fifteen or sixteen years accommodation has been provided for about forty families, while in East and West Forth Street within the same period the increase has been more than doubled, though the key to lay open the altered demand is to be found less in the extent of the building, remarkable as this has been, than in the pressure of the times.
1873
…As in so many other cases the boats are advancing in price, though builders appear to think that contracts are unremunerative, owing to the great rise in price for wood and iron. The cost of a first class boat is thus perhaps fully ten percent more than it was last spring; but Mr Jarvis of Anstruther, who is a favourite builder, sold a splendid new boat the other day, to Skipper John Salter of Cellardyke, for the respectable sum of £135 , including, however some iron fittings.
1874
The crew of one of the Cellardyke fishing boats caught a large shark while engaged at the deep sea fishing. The fish measured nearly 14ft in length, and it was sold to one of the local curers for 31s It was afterwards purchased by a speculative Glasgow auctioneer.
1875
THE CELLARDYKE FISHERMEN AND THE ALLEGED DEPREDATIONS FRENCH CREWS.
The fishermen of Cellardyke recently sent memorial the Fishery Hoard, representing that while they were prosecuting the herring fishing on the east coast of Scotland last season, they had been obliged at times to abandon their nets from stress of weather, and that these occasions bad been used by large vessels, especially French luggers, to take possession of the nets by means of their small boats ; and praying that, if possible, the use of small boats by such vessels might be prohibited, and the protecting gunboats ordered to cruise more at sea than they do, A reply has now been received from the Hon. B. F. Primrose, Secretary the Board, in which he says :
I am directed to explain to the petitioners that the use of small boats by vessels sea, especially by the French fishing luggers referred to, cannot prohibited by any statute of the British Legislature, they being foreigners, with their own rights and privileges upon the high seas, and not subject the jurisdiction of Parliament except when they come within the three mile boundary, and then only convention ; but the crews of these vessels are liable to punishment for using their boats for the purpose of theft if it can be proved upon them. With respect the gunboats the commander have instructions to cruise for the carrying out their superintendence, and do cruise; but for them to cruise in bad weather when the fishing boats are driven off the fishing grounds must depend upon the fitness and power of the vessels to cope with the weather, and must in every case be left to the discretion of the commanders responsible to the Admiralty for the safety of their ships, and their conduct of the service committed to them. The Board, however, will not fail to let the commanders of gunboats know before next fishing season what is stated in this petition as to the loss suffered by British fishermen, and the alleged cause of it, and urge them to all in their power to watch against such causes complaint, and check any malpractices at the fishing grounds which exist and can detected It is right that the petitioners should know that last year as in every previous year, French fishing vessels, against the crews of which complaints were made of having stolen nets, were searched by the British cruisers, but none of the missing nets were found them ; and that, besides this, they were also sometimes searched by the cruisers of their own nation, the commanders of which evinced an anxious desire aid in the detection of depredations, and the presence of their countrymen on the coasts of Great Britain should be attended with injury to the native fishermen.