VINTAGE LUNDIN LINKS AND LARGO
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Hope you will like the view

14/11/2025

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The sender of this 1903 postcard hoped that Miss Allan would like the view of Drummochy. On the reverse, the writer continued... 

Got home all right and found Father and Mother well. Raining cats and dogs. Hope it will fair before morning.

There's certainly lots to like about the view and many details worth highlighting, many of which are long gone. The fishing nets out drying on tall posts, next to the Net House, are marked (1). Feature (2) is the lost buildings of Cellar Brae of which only traces remain today. Detail (3) is a short section of stone wall situated at the turn in Drummochy Road (shown in more detail further below), which presumably acted to control to flow of road users at a blind corner. 

At point (4) you can see the tracks in the sand where carts crossed the burn, alongside a couple of mooring posts. (5) is a gate - a partial barrier to slow movement towards the footbridge at (6). Detail (7) is a very productive looking garden full of a growing crop, while (8) are washing lines and posts. Note that these rear gardens, sitting at a much lower level than Woodlands Road (9) above, would have been cut short when the viaduct (10) was constructed in the 1850s. In the circa 1900 image the viaduct was less than 50 years old. Now it has been out of use for longer than that.
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It's incredible to think that these streets were once completely devoid of motor vehicles. How much quieter and slower the pace of life must have been. It's also interesting to see how patches of land once put to practical and productive use growing food or drying laundry are now used for more leisurely pursuits, such as storage of pleasure boats or benches and summer houses to sit out in. The image below shows a mid-point in that transition, where the nets are still being dried but use of outdoor spaces for relaxation has increased. The wooden footbridge has been replaced by the road bridge and the days of the railway are numbered.

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Reverend William Neve Monteith (1878-1915)

7/11/2025

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The Reverend William Neve Monteith was killed at Loos on 25 September 1915. Only months before, he had married Miss Muriel Cox at Largo Parish Church. Muriel was the eldest daughter of Benjamin C. Cox, the long-term tenant of Largo House. Monteith had been Parish Minister at Elie for seven years before the outbreak of war. He was born at Glencairn in Dumfriesshire on 22nd August 1878 - the second son of Reverend John Monteith and his wife Ellen Maria Neve. William took a BA at the Magdalen College Oxford before studying Theology at Glasgow. After a spell in Argentina, he served as assistant to the Reverend Dr Ernest Playfair (1871–1951) of St Andrews, before getting his own parish in Elie in 1907. 

In early September 1914 the St Andrews Presbytery granted him leave of absence for the duration of the war, he was one of the first ministers (if not the first) to enlist as a combatant. Below from 8 September 1914 Dundee Evening Telegraph, which reported how the minister had "laid aside his cassock and gone forth to do battle for his King and country in the uniform of a soldier". He did not join the army as a chaplain but responded to the call to arms. On the day he enlisted
 in the Fife and Forfar Yeomanry, he also proposed to Miss Cox. Letters sent between the pair after their engagement are held in Fife Archives. 
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William obtained a commission as a Lieutenant in the 6th Battalion Rifle Brigade on 22nd January 1915. Before going on active service, he married Muriel on 30th March 1915. ​The wedding was described in detail in the 1 April 1915 Leven Mail. On a gloriously sunny day, Largo Parish Church was bedecked with plants and flowers from the gardens and greenhouses of both Gilston House and Largo House. Among the display were "Great palms flanked the pulpit, which was garlanded with laurel leaves and white blossoms, while in front and from out the marble font reared stately lilies of the Nile." 
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Earlier in the day, friends and members of Elie Parish Church had gathered in their village to see off the bridegroom - flags flying from every house. Likewise villagers turned out en masse in Largo to catch a glimpse of the couple. The men of B Company, Highland Cyclist Battalion, who were stationed at Upper Largo, formed a guard of honour at the church door. After the ceremony the couple emerged through an arcade of bayonets.

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Initially serving in the 6th (Reserve) battalion, William was transferred to the 2nd (Regular) after that battalion suffered heavy losses at Fromelles on the Aubers Ridge. He arrived in France at the end of May 1915. Lieutenant Monteith was killed in action on 25 September 1915 at the first day of the Battle of Loos. His brother, John, was killed in action at the same just a few days later, on 1 October. Another brother, Hugh, served with the R.A.M.C. and gained the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). William was mentioned in despatches posthumously by General Douglas Haig for his gallant and distinguished service in the field.

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After being widowed, Muriel Monteith gave birth to a son on 31 December at Gilston House, three months after his father's death. He was also named William Neve Monteith and grew up to have a distinguished career of his own. Like his father, he was a graduate of Magdalen College. 

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He was initially in the colonial service, becoming Clerk Assistant to the Parliament of Sudan. He later changed to the Foreign Service and was at one time Counsellor in Helsinki. He served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War and was a prisoner of war in Italy (1941–43). After his release he joined Training Command. After leaving the Foreign Service he went to St Andrew’s University, taking his BD in 1967, and was ordained a Minister in the Church of Scotland the same year. The notice below is from 5 July 1967 Leven Mail, when William was licensed as minister at Anstruther. He finally retired to Elie to live in the family home.
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Below is the grave at Largo Cemetery where William, Muriel, their son William and other members of the wider family, including Benjamin and Harriet Cox are remembered. William the younger died in 2004, the best part of a century after the father who never knew him. Monteith senior is commemorated on Panel 10 of the Ploegsteert Memorial in Belgium (a memorial to those killed whose bodies were never recovered), on Elie War Memorial, on the War Memorial in Fettes School, on the Memorial in St Columba’s Church, Albert Street, Oxford, on a brass memorial tablet in Elie Parish Church, on the roll of honour at Elie Golf Club House, at Glencairn and in St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh, where he is named as one of the 14 ordained Ministers of the Church of Scotland who were killed in action as combatants.

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Benjamin Connell Cox (1854-1924)

31/10/2025

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Benjamin Connell Cox was born in Clifden, Galway, Ireland in 1854. The son of a surgeon, Benjamin had a twin brother named Joshua John Cox. A couple of years after the birth of the twins, the family moved to Scotland - initially settling in Edinburgh before moving to Innerleithen in the Borders. By 1871, Joshua was studying medicine, while Benjamin had become an apprentice at a woollen mill. A decade later, Benjamin was in Selkirk, employed as a commercial traveller for George Roberts and Co. of Forrest Mill. In 1888 he married Harriet Kate McDowell in Birkenhead, Cheshire and they went on to have four children: Muriel (1890), Elsie (1891), Winifred (1894) and John (1900). 

The family lived at Mauldsheugh in Selkirk and over the years, Benjamin worked his way up within Roberts and Co. to become a director of the firm. He was one of the principal shareholders when the firm became a limited company in 1892. The business went on to prosper, becoming a leader in the Scottish woollen industry by the early 1900s. In 1903, Cox retired as managing director (see Southern Reporter piece below from 5 February 1903).  
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The Cox family relocated to Fife, residing initially at St Andrews. However, by May 1904, they had secured the lease of Largo House, and of the shootings on Largo Law (see St Andrews Citizen of 28 May above). They quickly became prominent in their new community. The piece below from the 17 August 1905 Leven Advertiser describes how a group of Juvenile Templars were entertained by Mr and Mrs Cox. The family appeared to have been supporters of the temperance movement. In a 1907, when seeking a groom to work at Largo House, the advert noted that "abstainer preferred".​
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Benjamin Cox gave talks locally as well, such as the example above on the subject of pond life, illustrated with lantern slides. He had joined the Parish Council by 1908 and held a variety of roles within it over the years that followed. When Largo Miniature Rifle Club was formed on 1 December 1908, Benjamin became Honorary President. The following year, he was elected Captain of Lundin Golf Club (see 18 August Leven Advertiser below). The year 1909 was also when the Cox family collected their new Daimler car.

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Cox's tenure as Captain was an eventful one at Lundin Golf Club. The Club's new 18 hole course was completed later in 1909 and on 29 November he had the honour of driving the first ball, using a ‘Dreadnought’ club donated by Sir John Gilmour. Cox presented the Club with a silver cup to mark the occasion (see 1 Dec 1909 Leven Advertiser snippet below). He also presided at opening of Lundin Ladies new course in April 1910. The photograph further below of Cox seated was taken during his spell as Golf Club Captain.

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In the census of 1911, which was taken on 2 April, Mr and Mrs Cox and their two eldest children Muriel and Elsie, were away in London - residing at the recently-completed Berner's Hotel on Berners Street just off Oxford Street. Younger daughter Winifred (Freda) was at school in St Andrews, while son John was at Ardvreck boarding school in Crieff. This stay in London likely marked the period between the end of their lease of Largo House and their move to Gilston House. Shortly afterwards it was reported (in 29 April 1911 Fifeshire Advertiser item below) that the family had taken up a lease of Gilston House, between Upper Largo and Largoward.

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The advert below from three years earlier in Country Life magazine, describes Gilston House in detail. At the time, the house had 14 bedrooms, 5 public rooms, extensive well-stocked gardens, stables, tennis courts and access to large shooting grounds. The Cox family remained there for around eight years before making a return to Largo House in 1919. During the First World War, Benjamin acted as Chief Special Constable for one of the Fife districts. He was also a member of the Appeal Tribunal for Fife under the Military Service Acts and of the County War Pensions Committee.
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Once the family were back at Largo House, youngest daughter Freda Cox started the 1st Largo Girl Guide Company in October 1920. She acted as the Captain of the Guides until 1924. The 1921 census, records Benjamin, Harriet and Elsie at Largo House along with seven servants (see details below). 
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As well as a stint on the Parish Council, Benjamin became a member of Fife County Council. His involvement lasted for nine years, including a spell as Convener of the County Finance Committee. However, in December 1922 he retired from those duties owing to poor health. Early in 1923, his twin brother Joshua John Cox O.B.E. died on a visit to Largo House (see below from 27 January Fifeshire Advertiser).
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Benjamin himself passed away on 17 March 1924 at Largo House aged 70 years. The 22 March 1924 Dundee Courier piece below details the "large company of mourners" that followed the hearse from the service in Largo House to the cemetery. Further below is an image of the headstone, which is shared with his wife Harriet, who lived until 1956 and to the age of 93 years.
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Motor Car at Largo House

24/10/2025

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The photograph above, which was also published as a postcard, features a striking looking motor car waiting at the entrance of Largo House. The image also features a couple sitting on a bench and another person on the entrance stairs. However, it is the car which particularly catches the eye and back on 18 September 1974, the East Fife Mail posed the question - what was the type and date of the vintage vehicle?

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The answer was quickly forthcoming from Miss Elizabeth Tavendale Sime of North Feus, Upper Largo. The car belonged to long-term tenant of Largo House, Benjamin Connell Cox and it was a Daimler purchased in 1909. Her father, Charles Sime (a joiner by trade who worked for Cox) had accompanied Mr Cox's chauffeur to England to collect the vehicle. The image below shows the same convertible Daimler in more detail - chauffeur at the wheel and multiple female passengers on board (perhaps the ladies of the Cox family). The Daimler was the motor car brand of choice of the royal family at the time and was advertised as "the motor triumph of the Edwardian era". It was a car that was well-matched to the grandeur of Largo House. Further below is an advert for a very similar model of Daimler.

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​Benjamin Cox, along with his wife and four children, then ranging in age from 3 to 13, took up residence in Largo House in the summer of 1904 (see 24 June East of Fife Record piece below). The tweed and woollen manufacturer from Selkirk, had retired to St Andrews prior to taking up the tenancy of Largo House, where the family remained until 1911. Benjamin was Captain of Lundin Golf Club 1909-11. The family moved to Gilston House in 1911 before returning to Largo House in 1919, where Benjamin died in 1924. The chauffeur for the Cox family was George Bell.

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Servants at Largo House

17/10/2025

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The previous post considered the interior of Largo House as a newly constructed Georgian mansion house, focussing on the "upstairs" richly-furnished public rooms. However, the "below stairs", more functional parts of the house are also interesting to consider. Servants in various roles would have worked over the decades in spaces such as the kitchen, scullery, cellar, pantry, washing house, laundry and stables. Historical tax records, recently published online, list the names of thousands of domestic servants across 18th century Scotland, including those that worked at Largo House for James Durham Esquire.

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 male servants were assessed between 1777 and 1798, and taxes on female servants between 1785 and 1792. Throughout all of that time period James Durham (1754-1840) was the owner of Largo House. Shown above is the earliest example of one of his servant tax returns - detailing the male servants at Largo House in 1777. The list comprised three individuals: James Brouster (house servant), Thomas Taitt (coachman) and Thomas Anderson (gardener). Taxes were levied on wealthy households that employed "non-essential servants", such domestic help.  Roles considered "essential", such as farm labourers and factory workers, were exempt from this tax. 

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Over the whole period that these taxes applied (1777 to 1798), James Durham had servants in the following roles at Largo House:

Housekeeper
Cook
Cook's Maid
Laundry Maid
Chambermaid
House Servant
Butler
Coachman
Footman
Chaise Driver
Gamekeeper
Gardener

The total number of servants, and the roles listed, varied a little from year to year. There was of course a clear male/female division of roles, with the females covering the roles of housekeeper, cook, cook's maid, laundry maid and chambermaid, while male servants carried out the roles of butler, coachman, footman, gamekeeper and gardener. 


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Thomas Bardwell, butler at Woodton Hall, Norfolk in 1774

​The butler was the head of the male domestic staff, whose responsibilities included overseeing the wine cellar, managing the silver and other tableware, and supervising the footmen and other male servants. The butler would also be in charge of setting the table and serving meals. He would tend to welcome guests and be the point of communication between the master of the house and the staff. Supporting the butler would be the footman - performing a wide range of duties from attending doors to serving meals, and from shifting heavy items to running all manner of errands.

The housekeeper was in charge of the house as a whole, ensuring its appearance was always as expected. Other female servants and kitchen staff would report to her. This included the laundry maid who was responsible for washing, drying and ironing fine linen for family and guests, as well as the servants’ linen. Laundry would have been a long and laborious process, involving boiling water over a coal or wood fired stove, using wash boards and dolly tubs. Cast iron irons would also have been heated on a stove.

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The Scullery Maid; Jean-Baptiste Simeon Chardin; Hunterian Art Gallery, University of Glasgow
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A few examples of long-serving staff at Largo House during this period included:

Alexander Norval (or Norvil) - Footman from 1791 until his death in 1797. The record of his burial at Largo is shown above.

George Stein - Gardener between 1786 and 1798

Margaret (Peggy) Lawson - who progressed from Cook's Maid to Cook between 1785 and 1791

James Millar - initially described as a "chaise-driver" but later "coachman" between 1787 and 1795

Thomas Keay - Butler between 1795 and 1797
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If you had an ancestor that worked among the domestic staff at Largo House, please leave a comment.

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Gamekeeper and Cook by David Wilkie; Bradford Museums and Galleries
Read more about the life of a Georgian servant here: ​www.nts.org.uk/stories/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-servant 
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Largo House Interior

10/10/2025

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The grand exterior of Largo House, now sadly obscured by vegetation, is familiar to many, from both images and from memory. The interior of this now ruinous mansion house however remains more mysterious. Photographs taken inside the house while still occupied appear to be non-existent. It's intriguing to imagine how the inside might have appeared when the house was first completed back in the 18th century. So, what can be pieced together from looking at similar grand homes of that era and from the few fragments of Largo House-specific information that survive?

A typical Scottish Georgian mansion featured distinct "upstairs" and "below stairs" areas. The upstairs public rooms were 
richly decorated and furnished - suitable for aristocratic living and for elegant social functions. Conversely, the areas inhabited by hard-working domestic staff were simple and practical. Rooms such as the drawing room, dining room and bedrooms were designed with a focus on symmetry, light, space and comfort. ​A sense of the floor plan of the original core of Largo House is provided by the drone photograph below. Note the central stair hall surrounded by many chimney flues.

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Surviving records suggest a colourful and luxurious interior existed when Largo House was new. One room, described as the "low red room" was "partly hung with arras". Arras is a tapestry hung as a wall decoration, usually with a rich and complex stitched design. The term is derived from the French city of Arras, which was a major centre of tapestry production in the 14th and 15th centuries. There was a "blue room" where the bed was hung with "blue turk hangings" (turk being a type of fabric used in upholstery at the time), as well as a "green room". There was a "mid room" and a "high mid room" (which, unusually for the time, was hung with tartan at the foot of the bed).

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​Accounts dating to 1766, from Young and Trotter, the Edinburgh upholsterer and carpeting merchant, detail that Largo House was supplied with "blue and orange carpeting", as well as "window curtains of cherry" with "yellow tassels". The Drawing Room was furnished with "blue silk damask chairs". Damask is a reversible, woven fabric that features a distinct pattern created by a special weave. Named after the city of Damascus, where it was produced in the Middle Ages, damask was originally made from silk. Used for upholstery, curtains, and table linens, its pattern features a contrast between matte and shiny yarns. 

There were also references to a "bed hung with red cambrot" and an "easie chair covered with yellow silk". A "large fine staircase lantern" was also ordered for the house from Young and Trotter. The image collages above and below are designed to evoke a sense of what the interior of Largo House might have looked like during the late 18th century - incorporating some of the known objects, colours and textures.​

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The advert below for Largo House furnisher Young and Trotter appeared in the 22 November 1750 Caledonian Mercury. Based at the Luckenbooths on the High Street Edinburgh, the firm was established in the 1740s by Thomas Trotter and Robert Young. The sign above their shop, and the eye catcher in the advert below, featured a pelican bleeding from the breast to feed her young. 

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Another supplier of interiors to Largo House was William Hamilton, the Edinburgh upholsterer and cabinet maker. James Durham commissioned furniture from him in 1769/70 - including a large mahogany bedstead. Hamilton was a competitor to Young and Trotter, although eventually the two firms combined. While still operating under his own name, William Hamilton is known to have executed commissions for the Duke of Argyll (1758-61), Lord Milton (1764-5), Sir James Clerk (1770-2) and Balfour Ramsay (1768-9), as well as James Durham of Largo (1769-70). 

It is also well-documented that architect John Adam (brother of Robert Adam) supplied a chimney piece for Largo House. The specification on the account (which was dated May 1759), was "statuary marble" (that is marble of exceptional quality - literally meaning suitable for statues). Further details of the piece specified "ogee moulding" (a decorative trim with an S-shaped profile which features a concave curve that flows into a convex curve) and "dentils" (small, tooth-like rectangular blocks arranged in a repeating pattern). 
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No doubt there would have been many paintings on the walls, including family portraits and pieces by favourite Scottish artists. These would have been added to over the years that the Durham family inhabited Largo House, which was up until 1868, when the Largo estate was sold to William Johnson of Lathrisk. If you have further information on the interior of Largo House in its heyday please do get in touch or leave a comment. 

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Genesis Creations

3/10/2025

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The previous post looked at the building above on Mill Wynd in Lundin Links, which was built in 1973 as Scotland's first custom-designed silversmith studio. When it was vacated in the late 1980s, a new creative enterprise moved in -  Genesis Creations Limited - makers of hand painted figurines. The origins of that enterprise dated back to 1986, when St Andrews-born sculptress Carol Lynn Penny (pictured below) and her partner Neil Campbell, began to make Nesslets (dragons hatching from eggs). They initially sold these through a couple of outlets, including the Loch Ness Centre in Drumnadrochit. Successful sales there led to the establishment of Genesis Creations in August 1987.

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Support from North East Fife Enterprise Trust and others enabled Genesis to purchase the studio in Lundin Links, which they moved into in May 1988. Over the next few months, the company grew from 3 to 15 employees. The article above, from the 19 October 1988 Scotsman, charted the story of the company's growth. At the time the workshop's capacity was several thousand pieces a month, with a range of 23 different models. As well as selling through a growing number of stockists within the UK, Genesis sent products to Germany, Japan, Canada, the USA, Norway, Spain, Austria and Switzerland.

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Nesslets (hatching dragons), to Draglets (fully grown dragons) and Mins (tiny animals in shells), as well as a heritage collection, which included models of real life castles. The Nesslets became the best known range and were produced in red and green. Carol Lynn Penny acted as Creative Director for the expanding business. The Dundee Courier of 9 November 1988 also covered the growth of Genesis Creations. The photograph below of Carol and Neil inside the Lundin Links studio appeared, along with the news that orders totalling over £80,000 had resulted from a trip to the recent Highland Trade Fair in Aviemore. 

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By 1990, with large numbers of people calling into the studio, and a lack of display space to show the wide range of products, the Mill Wynd premises underwent extensive alterations. A new Dragon Showroom (seen above) opened to the public and trade. Collectors from around the world would write or phone asking to visit the studio - keen to watch the creation of a piece that they already owned or were considering buying. The showroom also offered retailers looking to stock products an opportunity to view the full range of designs (which at the time numbered around 100 options). The office also held a list of approximately 1000 stockists in the UK and the showroom was open seven days a week between 09:30 and 17:00.

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According to the 6 December 1990 Dundee Courier, the sculpting was often undertaken in wax, which was used to create a silicone mould. From the mould, a figurine was cast using various powdered rocks, including marble, limestone and other ingredients. Afterwards, there were a number of finishing stages, before the pieces were hand-painted by a team of artists. Carol explained that new ideas began with a sketch and that there was much experimentation with colour and material before a new piece was finalised. Neil provided the expertise on the technical side, including innovative casting methods. By the end of 1990, it was reported that there were around 50 employees.

The new designs being created for 1991 were known collectively as the Geomites - with individual characters named Orbit, Cubit, Tribit and Tubit - each creature locked into a different geometric shaped base. Other products available included gargoyles, fantasy castles and dragonets in a range of poses (on rocks, candles, oysters, books, etc.). A short mythical backstory tended to accompany each piece. 

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Unfortunately, the early 1990s was a period of recession and the business hit financial problems. Genesis Creations folded in 1991 but some of its products were taken over by Clarecraft, another company which produced fantasy figurines. Some dragons continued to be made by Clarecraft until its closure in 2005. Do you have a Genesis creation? Did you visit the workshop? Comments welcome.

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Silversmith Workshop

26/9/2025

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Did you know that the first custom-designed silversmith studio in Scotland was built in Lundin Links at Mill Wynd back in 1973? This blog will tell the story of how that came about and the man behind it. Alistair Norman Grant, pictured below, was born on 18 November 1943 in Forres, Moray. After school, he attended Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen, where he studied under silversmithing lecturer David Hodge, who Norman later credited with fostering his "interest in nature in its many forms as a source of designs". Leaving in 1966 with a D.A. in Silversmithing, initially Norman took a teacher training course in Dundee, followed by a teaching job at Auchmuty High School in Glenrothes. Continuing to make jewellery in his spare time, in 1967 he started his own business, from his garden shed. 

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Image above from 1 March 1969 Scottish Field

Early in 1968 a house named Largo Lea was advertised for sale in Lundin Links. Accessed from Emsdorf Street and backing onto Hillhead Lane this 1907-built semi-detached dwelling was adjacent to its mirror-image Highclere. The "large basement" and and proximity to the sea must have been especially attractive for Norman, who bought the house, set up home there with his wife and young daughter and created a workshop in the basement. In fact, the seller and previous occupant of the house had been another artist - James Hardie, a painter and poet.

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Largo Lea was renamed Silverwells and from the house Norman ran a summer school programme from the workshop each July, from 1969 for seven years, which attracted students from around the world. The advert above appeared in the Scotsman newspaper of 3 May 1969 and the one below in the same newspaper on 13 February 1973. The latter notes that Norman appeared on a BBC1 programme called Scope that same week (a monthly BBC Scotland arts TV series that began in 1970). 
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In an interview in 1969 for Scottish Field Norman explained "enamelling really is my first love. I'd be perfectly happy to concentrate entirely on this but obviously to produce a wide range I must include pieces which are wholly silver with some half silver and half enamel." Silver was preferred to gold as its white light qualities showed through the enamels better that the yellow hue of gold. Having always lived near the coast, many of Norman's jewellery designs reflected the natural shapes and details seen by the sea, as well as in the wider natural environment - from flowers and petals, to seed heads and microscopic plant cell structures, from seaweed and driftwood to fish and waves. 
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The piece above appeared in the 16 October 1970 Dundee Courier. In this article Norman jokes about being destined to be a silversmith because his initials were AG - silver's symbol in the periodic table. He also talks about his efforts to establish his fledgling company, having to work seven days a week and having more requests than he could cope with. In the early 1970s interest in contemporary jewellery was flourishing and Norman's work in great demand. He took on two apprentices - Don Beaton and Robin Mackie. Soon he was in need of larger premises for the team to work in.
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Norman's father had retired to Lundin links and it was upon a plot that he owned (which had previously had garages on it) that a new workshop was built. Working closely with a local architect on the design, Norman ensured that the new workshop was perfectly suited to the needs of his business. Being located where it was on Mill Wynd, it was handily located close to Silverwells - a couple of minutes walk away.

In the planning for around a year, the workshop was completed in April 1973 and became Scotland's first custom-built silversmith workshop. The premises had a practical and efficient split-level design. This comprised an upper gallery level which incorporated an office, and a showroom. From there, visitors could browse designs, while also viewing members of the team at work below in the workshop, which had large south-facing windows. The new facility cost £8,000. 


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The above item from the 18 July 1973 East Fife Mail an early silver and enamel design made in the Mill Wynd workshop, which was taken down to London to go on display at the Design Centre. The new workshop and growing business went from strength to strength - employing 15 people by 1975. The following year, 1976, saw the founding of 'Dust Jewellery' - a joint venture between Norman Grant and John Flegg. In 1977, the firm designed and made the silver match box from which came the match that Queen Elizabeth II lit the first of a nationwide chain of 102 beacons to mark her Silver Jubilee.
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'Dust' combined the traditional skills of the silversmith with new technology and a new range of titanium pieces was developed. The firm's workspace expanded into the buildings across the street and elsewhere in the village. As the above insert states "the colours on the titanium are achieved by causing an electric current to pass through the metal creating an illusion as changeable as a peacock's feather or as subtle as the iridescence from oil on water".​

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In the early 1980s, Norman Grant left to work for DeBeers, however, Dust Jewellery continued. The 6 September 1986 Dundee Courier item above reported on their imminent move to a new 10,000 square feet factory  on the Eastfield Industrial Estate in Glenrothes. Meanwhile, the workshop in Lundin Links was taken over by Genesis Creations where dragon egg ornaments were produced by Carol Lynn Penny from May 1988. More on that in the next blog.

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Catalogue images above and further images below courtesy of Terence Maguire.
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Robert Carswell Paxton (1853-1926)

19/9/2025

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Robert Carswell Paxton was born on 28 February 1853 in Kilmarnock to brewer George Paxton and his spouse Janet Muir Carswell. As the Old Parish Register extract below states, he was their fourth child and third son. His elder siblings were Ann (born 1849), George (1850) and John (1851). Four younger siblings followed - Isabella (1855), Jessie (1857), Mary (1860) and James (1862). Robert's father George was a second generation brewer. His father, also George Paxton, was a partner in William Wallace and Co, a company which operated from the Richardland Brewery on the River Irvine in Kilmarnock before taking the business over in his own right. George Paxton senior (1780-1856) married Isabella Carse in 1811 and built Richardland House, adjacent to the brewery, as the family home in 1820. His son, Robert's father, George Paxton (1815- 1868) took over the Richardland Brewery in 1846 and married Janet Muir Carswell in 1848. 

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The 1861 census finds George, Janet and family at Richardland House (shown on the 1857 map above). There were seven children, including an 8-year-old Robert, in the household at the time plus three servants (a nurse, a house maid and a cook). Robert's father George Paxton died on 13 July 1868, from the effects of sunstroke, while in Salisbury. By the 1871 census, Janet was recorded as a widow, with four of her children still living with her. Robert was not among them and must have been elsewhere, either working or studying. In 1875 Robert is recorded as being in the 1st Ayrshire Rifle Volunteer Corps. While his elder brothers George and John took forward the brewery, an alternative option presented itself to Robert and his career took a completely different direction.
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In the 1870s, in Texas USA, the expansion of the railroad facilitated a boom in farming and ranching. Adverts such as the one above appeared in the press in the UK. Such an opportunity appealed to Robert Paxton and on 17 August 1878 he set sail for the USA, along with John Railton and David Sturrock, who were also from well-established Kilmarnock families. The three men had resolved to quit their native land and establish themselves in Texas. On the eve of their departure from Glasgow to New York, they were entertained for supper at the town's George Hotel, seen below. 
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Robert Paxton travelled onwards to West Texas and the Trans-Pecos region, becoming one of the early settlers of Terrell County. From its beginnings the economy there was dominated by cattle and sheep ranching and the area became one of the biggest sheep and wool producers in the US. Robert had arrived at a time when the new railroads were beginning to ease the shipment of livestock to markets. Within another couple of years the first successful refrigerated train cars hit the rails. Robert succeeded in his endeavours and remained in the US for many years.   

On 25 October 1894, Robert married Margaret Donald Baird, daughter of an ironmonger, at her family home in Kilmarnock. For many years following their marriage, Robert travelled between his ranch in Texas and Scotland. Margaret must have accompanied him on some occasions, as their eldest daughter Janet Hamilton Paxton (known as Jessie) was born in the USA in 1896 - in San Antonio - a larger settlement which was reachable by railway from the ranch. The land that Robert settled is now the Longfellow Ranch and here is an excerpt from the ranch’s history:

“The Longfellow Ranch, now owned by Malone Mitchell III, comprises 250,000 acres in Terrell County. Of that total, some 10,000 acres is leased land. The ranch varies from an elevation of 5000 feet on the west side to 3000 feet on the east side. In the late 1800s the southern part of the ranch was consolidated by some of the first settlers in Terrell County, Charles Downie and Robert Paxton, immigrants from Scotland. In the early 1920s the majority of the ranch was consolidated by the West family of Houston, who were in the oil and gas business. In the late 1950s it was split between the West brothers. Mitchell bought the ranch in 1995.”

Now with a wife and young child, Robert Paxton began to look for a family home in Scotland. The census of 1901, records him on a stay in Scotland with Margaret and Jessie, residing in Edinburgh with his sister Mary. His occupation was noted as "ranchman in Texas". It would appear that this was, in part, to search for a place to put down new roots. Although Robert and Margaret's main family ties were in Kilmarnock, they also had connections to Edinburgh.  Robert's paternal grandmother was from Edinburgh and other relatives lived there. At the time Lundin Links was a fashionable place among Edinburgh folks for summer vacations and second home ownership. Golf was also a strong draw and drier climate on the east coast made it a popular place to retire to.
 
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Testing the Largo area out, Robert rented Drum Lodge, where second daughter Margaret Baird Paxton was born on 17 February 1902, followed by Isabella Carse Paxton (known as Isabel) on 22 June 1904. The family subsequently rented Elphinstone on Crescent Road, where fourth daughter Emily Wallace Paxton was born on 15 October 1907. Now a family of six, Robert and Margaret bought 'Homelands' pictured above in 1908 as their permanent family home.

However, the Texas connection was not entirely severed. At the time of the 1911 census, while Margaret and her three youngest daughters were at Homelands, it seems likely that Robert and Jessie were on a visit to the USA. Also recorded in the Homelands household at the time were a governess, a cook and a housemaid. 
Family life was sadly disrupted when four-year-old Emily developed tubercular meningitis and died at Homelands on 3 April 1912, aged four. In 1913 Robert was recorded making another voyage to the USA, where he was still described on the passenger list as a cattle rancher, aged 60. The First World War appears to have finally brought his Texas connection to an end.
 
The Paxton family all became active members of the Lundin links community. Robert was Captain of Lundin Golf Club 1908-09 and can be seen on the far left of the front row wearing a dark suit in the 1909 photograph below, taken to mark the opening of the new course. He also served on the Parish Council (chairing it for a time), gifted a well-equipped recreation hut to the village and laid out the Pitch and Putt facility at the golf club. He was a keen photographer and captured many historic local images including the first cars crossing the new road bridge at Lower Largo Harbour in 1914. He also became a local Justice of the Peace.
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In 1923 Robert gave a talk at the Literary branch of the village social club, entitled "The Cowboy" which provided an insight to his earlier strenuous occupation as a rancher (covered in the 8 February Leven Advertiser). He described a "young fellow from this country who wished to become a cowboy" and noted the "pleasure of crossing the Atlantic". Robert went on to talk about those out to "entrap and rob him" upon his arrival in New York, the difficulties in learning to ride a horse, the "tricks of all kinds" played upon him and the lively events which occurred at brandings and round-ups. Dangerous stampedes, loss of cattle over steep precipices and the destruction of wagons by out of control animals were also among the tales told. Robert noted that, even once the great cattle drives were replaced by rail transportation, the task of ensuring live cattle did not topple trains on journeys lasting several days was a challenge. Clearly, young Robert had sought adventure in his life - and had found it in abundance in Texas.
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In 1926, Robert contracted tuberculosis and over that summer he went to Kingussie in Perthshire, known for its clean air. The Grampian Sanatorium, where he stayed, had opened in 1901 and had been built specifically for the treatment of tuberculosis. Sited 900 feet above sea level, patients' beds were routinely taken outside to maximise the perceived benefits of the fresh air. On 8 Oct 1926, Robert died there, aged 73 years. The reporting of his death in the Leven Mail highlighted his "charm of manner and unostentatious generosity" which had "won a place in the heart of the parish".

Robert Paxton was buried at Kilmarnock cemetery with his young daughter Emily. A striking monument, known as the Paxton Memorial Cross had been erected in 1921, designed by Robert's youngest brother James, an architect. Robert's wife Margaret died on 7 October 1941 at Homelands and is also buried at Kilmarnock. Daughters Jessie (1896-1962), Margaret (1902-1966) and Isabel (1904-1993) all had remarkable lives and the family's legacy continues to this day through the Homelands Trust in Lundin Links.
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Largo Law from St Andrews Road

12/9/2025

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Above is a 'now and then' pair of images showing the St Andrews Road just outside of Upper Largo. The black and white postcard image dates to circa 1900 and features a well-established hedge which has long since disappeared, replaced by a fence. The field beyond the fence was once subdivided into smaller enclosures. The buildings of Chesterstone Farm can be seen in both images, just in front of the gentler slope of the Law on the right. The farm buildings of course have been altered and modernised over the decades. The road itself is far more engineered today, with its tarmac surface, kerbing and painted road markings. It is no longer a place that would encourage you to take a gentle stroll to admire the view across the fields.

The postcard's caption incorrectly states that the view was captured "a mile north of Upper Largo". In fact it was only just outside the edge of the village, taken from where the field marked "glebe" on the map below borders the road. The glebe field was later subsumed into the larger field on its right. Field sizes generally grew as mechanisation advanced, with many hedges lost. The village of Upper Largo has expanded along the St Andrews Road since the time of this map and the postcard view. Much of the area named "Willow Park" is now developed.

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Tenant farmer at Chesterstone Farm back at the turn of the century was John Duncan, as the 1901 list of the Largo Estate tenant farmers below states. Collessie-born Duncan replaced James Houston at Martinmas 1897 and remained at Chesterstone for a decade. He retired at Martinmas 1907, to be followed as tenant farmer by James Ochiltree.

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