1855
Death Notice – May 20th, at sea on board Alexandrine of North Shields – Mr David Thow of Cellardyke, aged 22 – The Pittenweem Register, No 545, Saturday July 21st 1855
VENUS
A Fishing Boat Capsized, and Four Lifes Lost.—lt is our painful duty to have to record another lamentable occurrence, accompanied with loss of life, in connection with the fishing. On Monday night about eight o’clock, a boat belonging to this place left the “Auld Haikes’ to proceed homeward with between seventy and eighty crans ot herring on board. A strong head wind was blowing at the time. The crew comprised the following individuals, viz., Adam Reid, senior, belonging to Cellardyke, and his two sons, Adam and William, the latter boy about eight years of age ; Kenneth McLeod, Isle of Sky ; James Malcolm, Dundee ; and David Laing from Arncroach in this district, halfdealsmen. Adam Reid, senior, was skipper of the boat. Betwixt nine and ten o’clock, when off Crail the boat was struck by two tremendous seas in succession, which capsized her, but she did not sink. The crew clung to different parts of the unfortunate vessel for about an hour, when the skipper and Kenneth McLeod were washed off. The other three men continued to hang on by the wreck for nearly other two hours—the elder brother Reid nobly supporting the poor young boy, his brother—when at last their cries attracted the attention the crew of a St Monance boat, under the charge of William Mathers, who immediately put to their assistance, and when just about so near to be able to give them relief James Malcolm was washed off, and the young boy had ceased to exist. David Laing and Adam Reid, junior, had ropes attached to their persons and were hauled on board, the latter taking along with him the lifeless body of his brother. They were conveyed to Anstruther with all the speed that contrary wind would allow, and the two men saved are now recovering. We believe that the crew of the ill-fated boat had some misgivings, before leaving the “Auld Haikes,” that their cargo was too heavy to allow them to get home with ease, owing to the strong gale. Fife Herald – Thursday 23 August 1855
Lost Adam Reid Snr, William Reid (8) Kenneth Macleod andJames Malcolm
1856
Our Anstruther correspondent mentions the loss of Alex. Dick, a Cellardyke fisherman, the morningof the 30th ult. While securing something about the sail, which had just been set after the hauling of the nets, by some unaccountable way or other he fell overboard. Every exertion was made to save him. The sail was taken down and the boat brought back to where he was, but while some of the crew were reaching to catch him he went down, and was never seen again. He was a steady, industrious young man, and is much regretted by all who knew him. John o’ Groat Journal – Friday 08 August 1856
1859
HEROINE
The Loss of a Boat and Seven Lives. The ‘East Fife Record’ (published Anstruther) reports the loss of one of the Cellardvke fishing-boats on Thursday last, by which seven lives were lost, and five families, with a wide circle of relatives, thrown into deep distress. “The boats had been prevented by stormy weather from going to sea all the early part of the week. On Wednesday night, however, the storm abated considerably, and on Thursday morning the whole put to sea; but before they had done with the fishing the wind again freshened, and continued to increase all the early part of the day, during which they had to make their way homeward over a cross sea, in which numerous hairbreadth escapes were made, from the waves breaking in upon their undecked vessels and nearly filling them. One of the boats, less fortunate, having reached the mouth of the Firth, where they were considered in comparative safety, was suddenly engulfed in huge wave and overwhelmed in an instant. Another boat, about stone-cast distant, seeing the catastrophe, immediately bore up to give assistance, and succeeded in saving one the crew, named Daniel Fleming, but the rest, seven in number, perished. Their names are: Willaim Birrel (43), skipper, married; David Birrel (17), his son ; Thomas Birrel (22), his nephew; William Wood (51), married ; James Davidson (31), married; George Keay (30), married ; and James Reid, lately married. The destitution resulting from this sad event, although sore enough to the bereaved families, is perhaps not so great as sometimes arises from such disasters. As near can learn, twelve children, and five widows, are deprived of support. Within the last thirty years, eight boats, involving about fifty lives, belonging to Cellardyke, have been lost in prosecution of the fishing. Dundee Courier – Wednesday 14 December 1859
1863
Melancholy Occurrence.—On Monday afternoon, a deep and painful sensation was occasioned here by the announcement that young man of the name of David Gellatly, a fisherman belonging to this place (Cellardyke), had been drowned by falling overboard from the fishing-boat “Laurel,” of which Alexander Watson is skipper. The boat, it appears, had sailed with the rest of the fleet from the harbour about one o’clock that morning, and everything had gone on prosperously until she had reached the fishing ground—about twenty miles seaward of the Isle of May—a little before dawn, when, on more sail being made preparatory to casting the lines, the distressing event occurred, under the following circumstances” —Gellatly was assisting to hoist the foresail, and being of active and daring spirit, was standing on the edge of the gunwale, when the purchase-plate or bolt to which the haulyards are attached to the boat gave way, and the tackle in consequence becoming suddenly disengaged, he lost his balance and fell into the water. The boat at the time was sailing quickly before a steady westerly breeze but every possible exertion was at once made by the rest of the crew to render him assistance; and the other Cellardyke boats, which were a short distance astern, were hailed for the same purpose. All their exertions, however, proved unavailing, and the poor fellow was never seen again—the chances of rescue may add, being greatly lessened in the darkness and also the manner which fishermen are attired, their heavy clothing and long sea-boats preventing them, to a great extent, when in the water from doing anything for their own preservation. Nothing further was done that day by the rest of the crew the way of fishing operations, and with heavy hearts arrived in Crail harbour to communicate the sad news, which soon circulated over the district. The unfortunate young man was an only son. He was about twenty-three years of age, and unmarried. He was of very quiet and amiable disposition, and many are there amongst who join with his afflicted parents mourning the untimely fate of one of the most esteemed and promising young men in our community. Fife Herald – Thursday 24 December 1863
1865
HELEN
CELLARDYKE -LOSS OF A FISHING BOAT WITH ALL THE CREW. Another of those terrible calamities to which sea faring communities are exposed from the perilous nature of their vocation, and by which they ar plunged into deepest sadness and mourning, was experienced here last week by the loss of one of our large sea-going boats, with the loss, as there istoo much reason to conclude, of all the crew, eight in number An impenetrable mystery shrouds the melancholy occurrence from human knowledge, as far as regards the manner in which it happened, but the continued absence of the boat after Friday evening then banished every reasonable hope of her safety, and rendered it probable, if not certain, that she has perished during the fearful gale which prevailed onWednesday morning.
The particulars of this sad event, so far as we have been able to glean them, areas follows:— The large fishing boat Helen, of Cellardyke, which was owned by the skipper, Mr Henry Bett, sailed with the rest of the fleet from Anstruther harbour about two o’clock on Monday morning for the fishing ground. There was a fine breeze blowing at that time from a north-easterly direction; but when the boats reached the Isle of May the wind veered round to the southward, and continued from that quarter until about dawn next morning, when it again changed to the north-east, the weather up to Tuesday at noon being very pleasant and tranquil. Like the others, the crew of the Helen cast their small lines, as those used in the haddock fishing are called; but instead of returning homeward like them with their takes, they applied their fish to bait their great lines, and about midnight of Monday proceeded further seaward to engage in that fishing, in which they had been very successful on the previous week. There were only two other Cellardyke boats which were simdarly engaged in the great line fishing— the Unity, Mr Charles Carstairs, and the Vigilant, Mr Thomas Ritchie, the former of which returned to Anstruther about six on Wednesday morning, and the latter about eleven in the forenoon of the same day. The weather, as we have stated, was favourable up to Tuesday at noon; but at that time it underwent a marked change, the wind, which still continued in the north -east, gradually rising in violence until about midnight, when it blew with all the fury of a gale. The gusts, which constitute such a dangerous characteristic of the wind from that direction, were remarkably sudden and violent, and in a short time lashed the sea into fierce and resistless billows. Under these circumstances, the boats were compelled to run for shelter, and several of their crews report that they were exposed to great peril while endeavouring to reach the land. The last that was seen or heard of the missing boat was on Tuesday evening, about dusk, when she passed the Vigilant, which at that time had not completed the drawing in of her lines. The crew of the former boat hailed those of the latter, and enquired of them if their lines were baited for another trial, as theirs were not, from the stormy state of the weather. When the Vigilant arrived in Anstruther harbour her crew expressed their surprise when told that the Helen had not also arrived in the harbour, as she, at least, had an hour’s start of them. This intelligence, in the then tempestuous state of the weather, which rendered the Firth, the most safe and easily reached place of shelter, produced a very general feeling of uneasiness and alarm for her safety; and many an earnest gaze was cast over the foaming waters towards the distant horizon, to watch for the coming of the familiar sail. The arrival of every post and train were likewise eagerly wearied for and waited upon for letter or telegram; but neither came to ease the anxious restless feelings of relatives and friends. As day succeeded day, the fearful conjecture, which had arisen like a terrible dream to make the heart tremble, but which hope had fondly striven to expel, became a general conviction amongst the fishermen on Friday evening, which, however, they seemed to feel more than they cared to express, that the ill-fated crew had perished before daybreak on Wednesday, when no ear was near to hear their death-cry, nor any hand to help them in the hour of their extremity. There can be no doubt that, to the sensitive mind, suspense as to the fate of near and dear ones adds an element of greater bitterness to the cup of affliction, for the mind, filled with alternate hopes and fears, is tossed about in an agony of perplexity, and knows not on which side to turn for consolation. Friends, too, are embarrassed in such circumstances, and are at a loss how to speak and act, for they cannot tell whether it is best to dissuade from fear, or give the sympathy and condolence which are naturally yielded to the bereaved and sorrow-stricken. But the time which has now elapsed without any tidings of the boat, shuts out every ray of hope, and compels the mind, however unwillingly, to conclude that, while fond hearts were expecting their return, and while careful hands were preparing for their comfort, the wild winds were singing the dirge of the hapless crew, and the sullen remorseless waves were rolling over their unknown graves. Telegraphic messages were sent to several of the principal fishing stations on the coast, and inquiries have been made in every direction relative to the boat and her crew, but with the same fruitless issue. But while there is nothing to inspire hope, there are some rumours current which go to confirm the worst apprehensions. One of these is a report that a St Monance boat passed the mast of a large boat floating in the locality commonly known as the “reef” one of the banks of the German Ocean over which the sea in a storm breaks in a most fearful manner. A Pittenweem boat, that of Mr William Wood, when returning from the fishing ground about two o’clock on Wednesday, was caught, according to the statement of the crew, by a gust of wind which carried away their mast. Previous to this occurrence, they observed a boat at no great distance astern; and with the view of obtaining a spare mast, they awaited her coming, but she never was seen by them afterwards. Reports of this kind carry with them their own inferences, which words are not needed to interpret. The calamity, as may be supposed, has cast a deep shade of sorrow over the whole community, and on Saturday, the sad and dejected faces of every individual in the town told of a tale of woe to the most careless observer. On that day, the ministers of the neighbourhood visited the homes of the afflicted, for the purpose of imparting spiritual consolation with the sweet promises of Him, who is, indeed, a ” Father to the fatherless, and a Husband to the widow.” Special allusion was made to the solemn event in all the churches during divine service on Sunday. The names of the unfortunate crew, with the number of their families, are as follows : — Henry Bett (36), leaves a widow, who is advanced in pregnancy, and four chddren. Thomas Brown (26), leaves a widow and two children. Andrew Robertson (49), leaves a widow and six children. Thomas Wood, leaves a widow and three chddren. Daniel Fleming, leaves a widow pregnant, and two children. Francis Montidore (20), unmarried. Thomas Muir (26), unmarried. Thomas Reid (19), unmarried. Much sympathy is especially expressed for the mother of the latter, as her trials have been re-markably severe. She has been twice married, and both of her husbands have been drowned, as like-wise a son by the first marriage and by the disaster which we have just related, in addition to her son, she has lost two sons in-law. Dundee Courier – Thursday 18 May 1865 ( The lady in question was Agnes Reid (Birrell) at the time of her death in 1873 at the age of 68 she had lost two husbands, two sons, two sons in law, two brothers and three brothers in law. Her daughter Maggie Reid also lost two husbands and a brother )
Sad News. —The distressing intelligence has this week been received of the death, at Shanghai, of dysentery, on the 9th August, of a fine young man, belonging to this place, of the name of Alex. Smith, son of Captain Wm. Smith, of Cellardyke. The unfortunate young man was a seaman board the ship Neville, of Liverpool, which was then lying in port. The deceased was of quiet, kindly disposition and bore an excellent character ; and the intelligence of his death has been received here with sincere sorrow and regret. – Dundee Courier – Friday 02 February 1866
1868
Sudden Death at Sea.—A very striking and painful instance of the uncertainty of life occurred at sea on Monday evening, in the case of James McRurie, a fisherman belonging to Cellardyke. The unfortunate man was one of eight others who formed the crew of the deep sea going boat Neptune, of Cellardyke, skipper John Montidore, which sailed at an early hour on Monday morning from Anstruther harbour on a great line fishing cruise. The crew had cast their lines on a well known ” bank,” about forty or fifty miles in east southeast direction from the Isle of May, everything went on well until about dusk, by which time the lines had been again drawn in, and the sails set and trimmed for the homeward voyage. Their work being over, the crew went down into the cabin to partake of supper, when McRurie, who appeared to be in excellent health and spirits, ate heartily, and with seeming relish. After his comrades had gone on deck, he remained behind to light his pipe, when in a short interval one of the crew going into the cabin found him lying prostrate and speechless on the floor. All possible assistance in the circumstances was immediately rendered bv the skipper and the rest of the crew; but, notwithstanding all their solicitude and care, the unfortunate man whose case was seen to be hopeless from the first, became gradually weaker and weaker, until he breathed his last, only an hour after his distress had been observed. From such symptoms as the partial turning round of the mouth and the loss of power in one side, the disease which thus ruthlessly cut the unfortunate man off would appear to be paralysis of the worst type. Every effort was made to bring the boat to land, but light and fitful winds prevented this from being done until the midday of Tuesday when the boat arrived in the harbour here. The sad tidings of their unlooked for bereavement was broken to the deceased’s family by Mr John Caldwell, the, senior elder of the U.P Church Anstruther, but it needless to say that the scene which followed was of the most affecting and painful description. McRurie who was about sixty two years of age, has left a widow and several a family all of whom, however, are grown up. He was a most industrious and experienced fisherman, and was much respected for his quiet and inoffensive disposition. Dundee Courier – Saturday 11 April 1868
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