The above advert was in the 1866 Westwood's Directory and describes the establishment that would go on to be known as the Temperance Hotel, as the 'Temperance Refreshment Rooms'. In fact, at that date there were two such ventures in Lundin Mill - one run by David McEwan (who was also a General Dealer) and the other by Alex Pattie. The latter may have been short-lived, as I can find no other reference to it and have no idea where it was located. A little more is, however, known about David McEwan's business. He moved to Lundin Mill from Auchtermuchty in the mid-1860s. In the 1871 census, David was recorded as 'General Dealer and Temperance Hotel Keeper' in the village, assisted by his wife and the eldest of his children. As the 1871 census did not record addresses in any detail, it is difficult to pin-point the location of the Temperance Hotel. It appears to have been somewhere along Largo Road. Potential sites are either at Bridge House (A), where he had a shop, or up-hill close to the junction with the Cupar Road (B) at a house with attached stabling. The annotated photograph below marks these two sites.
The notion of a Temperance Hotel arose from the temperance movement, which had gathered momentum from the 1830s. The traveller who preferred to avoid alcoholic drink could be supplied with 'harmless' beverages such as milk, tea, coffee or water and be accommodated in a 'respectable' house. The idea grew that 'temperate persons' needed beds and stabling in establishments other than the traditional inns. Temperance Hotels sprung up across the country, and Lundin Mill was no exception. The above advert was in the 1866 Westwood's Directory and describes the establishment that would go on to be known as the Temperance Hotel, as the 'Temperance Refreshment Rooms'. In fact, at that date there were two such ventures in Lundin Mill - one run by David McEwan (who was also a General Dealer) and the other by Alex Pattie. The latter may have been short-lived, as I can find no other reference to it and have no idea where it was located. A little more is, however, known about David McEwan's business. He moved to Lundin Mill from Auchtermuchty in the mid-1860s. In the 1871 census, David was recorded as 'General Dealer and Temperance Hotel Keeper' in the village, assisted by his wife and the eldest of his children. As the 1871 census did not record addresses in any detail, it is difficult to pin-point the location of the Temperance Hotel. It appears to have been somewhere along Largo Road. Potential sites are either at Bridge House (A), where he had a shop, or up-hill close to the junction with the Cupar Road (B) at a house with attached stabling. The annotated photograph below marks these two sites. Many temperance hotels were conversions of existing buildings, rather than purpose-built facilities. As well as offering food and refreshment, accommodation and stabling, many temperance hotels provided reading rooms with newspapers, journals and temperance tracts, while some offered meeting rooms. In September 1876, David McEwan "removed his business to the "Buckie House", West Anstruther" which would also "be carried on as a Temperance Hotel" (according to the East Fife Record of 29th Sept). At that time he also advertised the let of the "shop and house at The Bridge, lately occupied by him". As the advert below from the 1877 Worrall's Directory of the North-Easterm Counties of Scotland shows, the Lundin Mill Temperance Hotel was taken over by Newburn-born William Davidson. This advert emphasises that horses and carriages are also for hire and the overall description of Lundin Mill in Worrall's also mentions the hotel specifically. It seems that Davidson continued the venture, in some shape or form for over a decade, as he had a string of 'boarders' at his premises in the 1891 census. So, all in all, the Lundin Mill Temperance Hotel seems to have been in existence for around three decades. Surprisingly, given its longevity, there is little recorded about it. If you know anything of its history or can verify its location, please do leave a comment.
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AboutThis blog is about the history of the villages of Lundin Links, Lower Largo and Upper Largo in Fife, Scotland. Comments and contributions from readers are very welcome!
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