1870
There is as yet very little to report of the fishing off this coast, and this has arisen not so much from want of fish as to the continued absence of our boats at the northern stations. All the boats fishing here since our last report have obtained herrings to a more or less extent, with the exception of a few on Wednesday night, and some of them have had pretty fair shots. One boat on Friday last had no fewer than 30 crans, and others have had takes of 8, 10, and 12 crans on the other days, which indicates that the fish are on the ground, and that, if our whole fleet were now here, the fishing would be good. The weather was uncommonly thick or misty from Monday night till Wednesday morning, which greatly hindered operations; and there being at the same time little or no wind to carry the boats up from the month of the Firth, the quantity landed is much less than it would have been had these unfavourable circumstances not occurred. As compared with the last two years the quantity landed here up to this date is considerably in advance, or three times as great as in 1868 and 1869. Considering the still uncertain and risky nature of the trade by the war breaking out, prices here are keeping up well, but this in a great measure has been owing this week to the most of the herrings being bought for retail fresh. Very little of them have as yet been cured in this quarter.
The following is a statement of the take at Anstruther and Cellardyke for the week ending yesterday (Thursday).:—
Boats out. Highest. Total crans. Prices.
Friday, 70 30 90 16s to 27s
Saturday 90 12 80 18s to 27s
Tuesday 30 8 18 25s to 27s
Wednesday, 8 7 17 24s to 34s
Thursday 14 12 35 24s to 27s
Total for the week, 240
Previous catch, 160
Total for the season, 400
At same date last year, 15
Year 1868, 86
DOG-FIGHTING. – A burgh court was held here yesterday—Bailies Sharp and Watson on the bench. John Scott, carter, Cellardyke, was charged, at the instance of the burgh fiscal, with committing an offence within the meaning of the Act 13 Viet. c. 92, entituled “An Act for the effectual prevention of cruelty to animals (Scotland) 1860,” by encouraging and inciting a dog in his charge to fight with another dog belonging to George Henderson, Cellardyke, on the evening of Monday the 18th of July, near the town hall, in consequence of which both dogs fought for a considerable time and injured each other, whereby he rendered himself liable to a penalty not exceeding £5. The panel pled guilty, and he was sentenced to pay a fine of 10s or go to prison for ten days. Bailie Sharp said the bench had mitigated the penalty in order to allow the panel an opportunity of paying the fine, but should he appear again before them on a similar complaint, it would be more serious for him, as the Magistrates were determined to put an end to the practice.
1871
On Monday afternoon a lamentable accident happened near the Bell Rock, by which a young man named Andrew Carstairs, one the crew of the Cellardyke fishing boat ” Planet,” No. 22 (Skipper Duncan McRuvie), lost his life. He had gone to the side of the boat to draw some salt water with the “peggin”—a wooden vessel fitted with a long handle —when in attempting to lift it on board he was dragged overboard by the strength of the current, owing to the speed at which the boat was going through the water. This circumstance, however, enabled the boat to tack with the utmost readiness, but promptness and activity were all unavailing, as before the drowning young man could be reached, his boatmates, looking with feelings not to be described, saw him throw his arms into the air, and then sink into a watery grave. Carstairs was about twenty years of age ; but however short his lifetime he had been peculiarly the child of misfortune and sorrow. In early youth he was deprived by death of both his father and mother, and some years ago melancholy calamity having overtaken his maternal grandmother, who lived in comfortable circumstances in Crail, he was sent into the world all homeless and friendless growing up without any steady employment, and open to every snare and temptation around him ; and now that his brief blighted life is over, leaving few if any to mourn his untimely fate
1872
Several French fishing vessels have arrived Anstruther harbour this season for the purpose buying the old nets of the Cellardyke fishermen, with which to prosecute the herring fishing in the North Sea. These vessels are lugger rigged; but, though clumsy in appearance, they are good sea boats. They have crew of twenty men and boys, who, when compared with our fishermen, have few if any of the comforts of life. Sleeping, in their clothes on the hard planks, and using cider only instead of hot tea or coffee, where for dinner they have a miscellaneous diet of fish, flesh and vegetables, which they devour out of the cooking pot, in the same way that country urchins sup their porridge out of same bowl. Notwithstanding, however, the many discomforts such a life, they maintain all the gaiety and flow of animal spirits so characteristic of French men; and on an evening they land from their vessels and dance and caper and sing with all the glee children, drawing around them large numbers of the town folks, who enjoy many hearty laugh over their fantastic manoeuvres. The French luggers, though fitted out with gear which the Scottish fishermen regard as useless, are frequently very successful in the North Sea; but they are the dread of our home crews, who have not only reason to fear a collision with their stronger tackling, but who also not suspect then wrongly of pirating their nets and herrings.
A boy named Alex. Martin, ten years of age, son of Skipper Alex. Martin, was drowned last week a little to the west of Cellardyke harbour.
VESSEL ASHORE ON THE ISLAND OF MAY.— During the heavy fog which prevailed on Monday morning a schooner, which was afterwards found to be the “Louisa Henrietta,” Schmidt master, with a cargo of sleepers from Riga to Leith, went ashore on the north-east side of the May, not far from the spot where the Matagorda’ was wrecked. The vessel was observed by Captain McDonald, of the Fishery cruiser Vigilant,’ who went to the island with the view of rendering any assistance in his power. One of the Cellardyke boats, Skipper George Moncrieff, also went in to the island in the afternoon, and brought the captain and the mate over to Anstruther, where they telegraphed for a steam-tug, which arrived on Wednesday evening, and proceeded to the island. Early next morning the vessel was got off the rocks, with the loss of her keel, and other damage. She was taken to Alloa by the tug the same day.
Prosecution Under the Lindsay Act. Magistrates of Kilrenny held a Court on Saturday, under the provisions of the ” General Police and Improvement (Scotland) Act 1862″–Bailies Sharp Watson being on the bench—when the following parties appeared at the bar charged with having contravened that clause of 251st section of said Act.
By which ” every person who causes any public carriage, sled, or barrow with or without horses or any beast of draught or burden to stand longer than is necessary for loading or unloading goods or for taking up or setting down passengers (except hackney carriages and horses or other beasts of draught or burden, standing in any place appointed for that purpose by the Commissioners or other lawful authority)” are to a penalty not exceeding 40s or fourteen days’ imprisonment. James Myles and Alex. Carmichael, two young carters of Cellardyke, were severally accused of having their carts standing unyoked in East Forth Street on the 6th ult., to which they pled guilty, and were sentenced to a fine of 7s 6d or 8 days’ imprisonment. David Keith, fish merchant, was charged with a similar offence in West Forth Street on the 31st ult. He pleaded guilty, and justified his cart being unyoked in the place and time in question, which he said had not been for more than two hours because he had received conflicting orders about the delivery of the first hire. He also complained of the enforcement of this particular section of the Act in place like Cellardyke, where the fishermen, he said, had always been in the habit, and necessarily so, of lying o their nets in the streets, and nothing was more common than to see herring barrels rolled out on the roads during a herring fishing. Under these circumstances he held that the strict observance of the Act impossible, and that the very attempt to enforce might bring any or all, even the most respectable inhabitants, as criminals to the bar, for unless there was to be a respect of persons, what was the case of carter to-day might be the case of the fisher or the merchant to-morrow.” For these reasons Mr Keith adhered to his plea of not guilty, when Police-Constable William Mackay was called, and having deponed to the charge, the magistrates, in respect of the evidence of one or more credible witnesses,” the same proved, and sentenced Mr Keith to a like fine of 7s. Janet Fowler, widow of Mr James Christie, was then called, when her son came forward ,to plead in her defence, but her own attendance being indispensable for the hearing of the case, a warrant was issued for her apprehension, which was at once acted upon by the constable, and the panel was brought to the bar. She was charged with having her cart unattended in the Urquhart Wynd on the 18th ult., to which she pleaded not guilty, and said that the cart, was only so standing for half an hour after coming home from the coals. The police-constable also deponed to the indictment, but in consideration the peculiar circumstances of the case, the magistrates dismissed this panel with an admonition from the bar.
1873
The annual Summer holiday was observed in Anstruther and Cellardyke yesterday. The weather being fine, a large number of persons availed themselves of the special railway excursion to Stirling, where the Highland and Agricultural Society’s show is attracting numerous visitors. The most of the farmers in the neighbourhood, it ought to be mentioned, kindly gave their employees a trip to see the show yesterday.
1874
Storm in the North
Of the boats arrived at Stonehaven yesterday, several had takes of from 10 to 20 crans. A number of the boats belonging to that port report the loss of from 12 to 18 nets each. The skipper of one boat, belonging to Cellardyke, reports the loss of all his fleet of nets, and states that other boats are in the same condition. A North boat, fishing from Aberdeen, was towed into Stonehaven with her mast through her bottom. Several old fishermen who have been many years at sea declare they never experienced such a night.
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