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Largo Painting by Jonathan Murray Dodds (1858-1935)

26/1/2024

It was a great surprise to find the above painting in a Reuse Scotland shop recently. Reuse Scotland facilitates the reuse of materials which might otherwise end up in landfill. Somewhat battered, a little bit grimy and with a scratch down the middle, the painting initially looked like Viewforth (east of the Temple) with its pair of gable ends facing the shore. However, on closer inspection it actually looks more like the postcard scene (below) of the shore at Lower Largo just east of the pier, where "Edina View", "Rock View" and "Beach House" were built by Andrew Selkirk circa 1890 on the site of the much older properties shown.

The painting is signed J.M. Dodds. This was Jonathan Murray Dodds, the son of a school master, who was born in 1858 in Prestonpans, East Lothian. After moving around Scotland with his father's job, he settled in Edinburgh and married Robina Hunter, daughter of a lemonade manufacturer, in 1877. In 1881 Dodds was described as a 'Commercial Traveller', which was likely supplying artist's materials. By 1891 the family, including six children, were living on Morningside Road in Edinburgh and Jonathan was described as 'Artist (landscape)'. It was probably around this time or slightly earlier that the painting was completed.

This was not the only Fife scene that Dodds captured. The artwork above features old Buckhaven's East Shore. It's a view that at first glance appears similar to the Lower Largo foreshore looking west, however, the photograph below confirms that it is Buckhaven, with its harbour wall in the distance. Dodds seems to have had an interest in traditional coastal activities and industries. Another of his works features Joppa Pans - the site of salt works close to Portobello - see further below.

In 1892 Dodds was declared bankrupt. At that time he was described as an 'Artist's Colourman' rather than an artist, which was a term for someone who supplied artist's materials. After that, Dodds career took a different direction for a spell. In the census of 1901, he was recorded as a 'Ship Steward' living in Leith. His wife Robina had died in 1898, aged 46. However, Dodds went on to remarry, have further children and return to painting. In 1911, he was recorded in the census as 'Painter (Artist)'. In 1921 Dodds was described as a 'Landscape Artist' and was living on Union Street in Edinburgh. Jonathan Dodds died suddenly on 15 September 1935 at the Liberal Club in Leith, where he was club caretaker and a competitive billiards player.

Below is more detail from the Dodds painting along with his enlarged signature. The plan is now to clean and repair the piece and to then reframe it. If you have an old painting of Largo, please consider sharing an image of it, so we can record more about how the place used to look in days gone by. You can leave a comment or select the 'contact' option to get in touch. I wonder how many artworks featuring Largo may have ended up in landfill over the decades, as this painting might have done.

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William Grieve (1838-1912)

19/1/2024

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The above photograph of four generations features William Grieve, the eldest in the image, seated in the foreground (published in Fife Free Press on 14 August 1909). This Lower Largo man found fame as a maker of walking sticks and for his highly-detailed carved models made from parrot coal. His life story, which also included 45 years working for the railway, is well worth telling. Standing behind William in the photograph is his son David. On the far left is his grandson, also William Grieve, and in the centre is great-grandson James Norcross Grieve.

William senior was born in Ceres Parish in 1838, to ploughman David Grieve and his wife Janet Wilson. However, by the age of two, the census of 1841 records William and family at Greenside Bank, within Largo Parish. Greenside Bank was around midway between Montrave House and Teasses House. A decade later, the 1851 census finds the Grieve family at Redhouse within the farm of Chesterstone (shown in the centre of the 1866 map below). Twelve-year-old William was described then as an 'errand boy'.

William married Agnes Cunningham on 12 June 1858. The pair were living with William's parents in 1861 in the 'Cote House' at Balcormo Farm. At this point their son David (pictured in the family photograph above when he was around 50) was two years old. Both William, aged 22, and his father, aged 65 were employed as ploughmen, while Agnes combined work as an agricultural labourer with being a new mother. However, the agricultural life was about to end for William and Agnes. By 1871 they were living at the Temple in Lower Largo. William had found employment as a 'railway plate layer' with the Leven and East of Fife Railway Company. In 1878, their son David, by then a spirit dealer and assistant grocer, married Jessie Gillies, the daughter of Largo fisherman Alexander Gillies.

Meanwhile, William's talent for carving parrot coal developed. Parrot coal (also known as 'cannel coal') is more compact that ordinary coal. The term 'parrot' coal apparently came from the noise it made when burned - like the clicking sound a parrot makes with its beak. This type of coal, which occurred in Fife among other places, was easy to work and could be highly polished. It was durable and had an attractive marble-like finish. Coal carving had long existed in many places but particularly flourished in Fife in the second half of the nineteenth century.

Sometimes, large items such as pieces of furniture were made from the material. An example can be seen today at the Kirkcaldy Galleries - the parrot coal chair pictured above. This chair was made in 1855, by West Wemyss stonemason Thomas Williamson. It was part of a set of two chairs and a table made by Williamson for the Wemyss family. It features the Wemyss family motto 'Je Pense' and a swan, which features on the family crest. Below is a garden seat also made by Williamson which was commissioned by Prince Albert. It was exhibited at the Great Exhibition in 1851 and can still be seen at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight.

William Grieve's parrot coal creations were of a smaller-scale and more intricate form. The above from the 17 August 1876 Fife Herald describes his model of Sir Walter Scott's monument. This piece took two years to complete and it was hoped that it would find a place in a museum. That same summer, Mr Grieve exhibited his work at flower shows in both Largo and Kennoway. One model displayed was a pasteboard and floral design of the Coventry Cross but it was the Scott Monument parrot coal piece that won first prize.

By the end of 1876, the East of Fife Record (1 December above) reported that William intended "disposing of his numerous works of art by lottery". His "miniature productions in parrot coal of several of our most celebrated classic works of art" had become well-known by this time. Other subjects depicted in coal by Grieve included busts of Sir William Wallace and Sir Walter Scott, a statue of Oliver Goldsmith and a representation of St George and the Dragon. Mention is also made of a wooden model of Scott Monument decorated with shells. I wonder who acquired these pieces and what became of them. Newspaper archives tells us that, three years later, in August 1879 when the Largo Museum opened, some examples of Grieve's parrot coal models were among the exhibits.

In the meantime, the railway (William's employer) had transferred from the Leven and East of Fife Railway Company to the North British Railway Company. The notice below, from 1 February 1877 Fife Herald, advertises a Special General Meeting of the shareholders to discuss the proposal. It was unanimously agreed to and the transfer took place on 1st August 1877.

In 1881, William was described as a 'Railway wire fencer', his wife was a 'Railway gate keeper' and they had a nine-year-old daughter, named Agnes. Their son David was now a grocer in Kirkcaldy and had developed a keen interest in model yachting. David and his wife Jessie had three young children, including William junior. Ten years later, in 1891, William senior was described as a 'Railway surfaceman' and was living in Railway Cottage at the Temple with his wife, daughter and niece.

William's wife, Agnes, died in 1899 but he continued to live in Railway Cottage and to work for the North British Railway Company. In 1901 he was described as a 'Railway fencer' and was living with niece, who acted as housekeeper for him. In 1905 William was a 'gatekeeper' for the North British Railway Company. In the 1911 census, William Grieve was still living at Railway Cottage, aged 72, a widower and was described as a 'retired railway foreman fencer'. His niece continued as act as his housekeeper. William died on 27 May 1912 at Railway Cottage, Temple, Largo aged 73. I wonder what other subjects he carved from coal during his lifetime. Surely train engines must have been among his works? Or perhaps a depiction of Robinson Crusoe? Or some simple objects like the shoes featured below? If you know more about William or his carvings, please leave a comment.

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Neighbouring Salmon Fishing Stations

12/1/2024

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Above is a photograph of Lundin Shore taken by keen photographer, Lady Henrietta Gilmour, circa 1900, held by St Andrews University Collections. The image captures the Lundin salmon fishings - one of three such stake net fishing stations in the parish at the time. The other stations were Strathairly and Largo. However, these three were not the only salmon stations located in Largo Bay. To the west, in Scoonie Parish, there was the Leven Station owned by Durie Estate, and beyond that a station in Wemyss Parish. To the east in the Parish of Newburn, there were the Balchrystie and Dumbarnie stations. The map below shows the parishes of Scoonie, Largo and Newburn from west to east across Largo Bay. In 1899, there were 26 stake nets in the Firth of Forth as a whole.

Above notice from 4 June 1863 Fife Herald provides an early reference to the Leven Salmon Fishings. It informs people that no fishing was permitted between the mouth of the River Leven and the Lundin March Wall (now known as the Mile Dyke). The Fishings belonged to the Estate of Durie.

The detail above from a George Washington Wilson photograph circa 1900 shows the Leven stake nets, with Lundin Links clearly visible in the background. A coble boat can be seen on the shore next to the net structure. Below is another view of the Leven Salmon Fishings. The prominent building, standing alone, is the salmon bothy, built around 1880. Between the bothy and the shore there are nets drying. The stake net structure stretches out into the sea beyond that.

Robert Christie of Durie House owned the fishing station and records from both 1875 and 1885 show that it was leased to Alexander Baird. However, by 1895 lease was with large-scale operator Joseph Johnston and Sons of Montrose, as was the lease for the Wemyss Fishings. Johnston retained the Leven lease until around 1920. Valuation rolls show that the fishing station was unlet across the period 1925 to 1940 (see roll extract further below). The salmon bothy building survived for decades after the demise of the Leven Fishing Station. It had various uses in its later life, including as a base for the swimming club, a public convenience, a lifeguard station and a museum.

Across on the other side of Largo Parish, to the east, Newburn Parish also saw salmon fishing activity. The 3 August 1854 Fife Herald above refers to the letting of Balchrystie Stake Net Salmon Fishing. In addition, the 1855 valuation roll shows a salmon fishing associated with Dumbarnie Estate, owned by Charles Halkett Craigie Inglis and leased to George Smith of Johnston's Mill. Smith also leased a salmon fishing further east at Kincraig (in Kilconquhar Parish). George Smith remained the lessee or 'tacksman' until his death in 1874 (see death notice further below from 19 June 1874 East of Fife Record).

The lease of the salmon fishing at Dumbarnie was given to Largo men James Clark and David Ballingall, following Smith's death. The pair had the Strathairly Fishings lease at the time as well. However, following the deaths of Clark and Ballingall, Andrew Greig Anderson, the Edinburgh fish merchant, took on the salmon stations at Dumbarnie and Balchrystie (as well as the Strathairly station in Largo Parish). This continued until Anderson's death in 1904. By 1905 - Joseph Johnston and Sons took over the running of the Balchrystie and Dumbarnie stations and continued to operate both until World War Two. Apparently at one time accommodation was required for ten men at the Dumbarnie Station. The 1912 map below hints at some small bothy type buildings along the shoreline close to Carrick Villa (the house built in 1885 by Andrew Greig Anderson and named after his wife, Mary Carrick).

Above is a painting from 1896 by John Lennie, named 'Landing the Salmon Nets, Largo Bay', which features the east end of the bay. This painting is exhibited at the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther. The George Whitton Johnstone painting below, dated 1893 and inscribed 'Largo, Fife', depicts a similar location and shows nets being tended to in the foreground. The buildings of Lower Largo can be seen in the centre background.

At low tide, the stumps of the stake net structure can still be seen in this vicinity, as the recently taken photograph below illustrates.

As the series of posts on salmon fishing concludes, let's meet some of Largo's salmon fishers. Some appeared on the above circa 1900 postcard image which was entitled 'Salmon fishers landing the nets, Largo Bay'. Below is a photograph from the book 'Seatoun of Largo' by Ivy Jardine. It shows the salmon fishermen of Largo circa 1890, complete with their names. These are just a few of the faces behind what was once a significant part of local life and of the physical landscape of the bay. Although now at an end, salmon fishing remains an important part of the area's heritage. If you know more about Largo's salmon fishing days, please comment or get in touch via the 'contact' option.

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Largo Salmon Fishing Station

4/1/2024

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Earlier blog posts have covered the Lundin Salmon Fishing Station and the Strathairly Salmon Fishing Station. For much of the nineteenth century there were three salmon stations along the stretch of Largo Bay that fell within Largo Parish. The third Largo station was known as Largo Salmon Fishing Station and was situated between the other two, east of the pier, close to the area depicted in the painting above by James MacMaster RSW RBA (1856-1913). The artwork shows Lower Largo of old, prior to the building of "Edina View", "Rock View" and "Beach House" on the site of these traditional pantiled buildings. In fact, the developer of the site circa 1890 was also the tenant of the Largo salmon station, Andrew Selkirk, whose father Alexander had the salmon fishing lease before him.

Above is an extract from the 1865 valuation roll showing Alexander Selkirk, salmon fisher, as leasing the salmon fishings from then Largo estate owner Mrs Durham. Mr Selkirk was also innkeeper at what would become the Crusoe Hotel. When he died in 1867, his son Andrew, took over the tenancy of the Largo fishings. He held onto this fishing station for decades, even when the surrounding stations were taken on by powerful outside interests in the form of Andrew Greig Anderson of Edinburgh and Joseph Johnston and Sons of Montrose. In 1887, the "largest salmon on record, as far as Largo Bay is concerned" was caught in one of Andrew Selkirk's nets. It weighed 58 lbs, was 4 feet and 4 inches in length and 2 feet 4 inches in girth (see 2 July 1887 Fife News piece below).

Largo-born artist Alexander Ballingall painted "Fixing the Nets", a the close-up view of the salmon nets being tended, around this time. This piece gives a valuable insight to the detail of the stake nets and also to the appearance of the salmon fishermen, including a hint of the colour of their clothing, which is always absent from black and white photographs.

The report above from 3 September 1903 Leven Advertiser tells of an remunerative year for the salmon fishing in the Forth, with some heavy takes recorded at the local stations. In the spring of 1907, the lease of the Largo Salmon Fishings finally left the hands of the Selkirk family, after more than sixty years, when local joiner and contractor Walter Horne took it over (see 22 April 1907 Dundee Courier below). Horne already had the lease of the neighbouring Strathairly Station. Andrew Selkirk died two years later. Horne continued to lease the Largo fishing station until circa 1940, in partnership with Alexander Simpson and later with David Gillies. Walter Horne died in 1941 aged 77.

Evidence of the Largo salmon fishing can still be seen at a very low tide. The comparison images above show a salmon trap in the bay and the remains of the stumps to which the ropes were attached to keep the nets taught. This construction - akin to pitching a tent - made the stake nets sturdier against the wind and the waves. The model below shows a similar arrangement. In the next post, the series on salmon fishing will conclude with a brief look at nearby fishing stations in Largo Bay, within the neighbouring parishes of Scoonie and Newburn.

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Happy New Year 2024

1/1/2024

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Wishing All A Very Happy New Year!

As the curtain closes on 2023, it also closes for a long-standing local business situated not far from Largo - bookseller, stationer, art supplier and gift shop, J&G Innes of St Andrews. When the shop closed its doors on 31 December 2023, it brought an end to 144 years of trading for the business established in 1879. Situated in the iconic 107 South Street 'Citizen Office', it was 1 June 1928 when the reconstructed building with its distinctive oak work was revealed to the public.

The piece below was published in the Fife News Almanac for 1929 and tells of the unique design of what was then a modern shop front done in an old-world style. Those interested in further detail on the design detail, the contractors involved in the work and in the history of the firm, can read the full story from the 2 June 1928 St Andrews Citizen over two pages here and here. Known throughout Fife and beyond, and undoubtedly frequented by Largo folks over many decades, the shop will be sorely missed by many. Hopefully, 2024 will bring a new chapter to the building and it can continue to be admired long into the future.

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Largo Painting by Jonathan Murray Dodds (1858-1935)

William Grieve (1838-1912)

Neighbouring Salmon Fishing Stations

Largo Salmon Fishing Station

Happy New Year 2024

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