A charabanc was an early form of bus. Initially horse-drawn, these became motorised in the early 20th century. Usually open-topped and typically used for pleasure trips, charabancs had bench-style seating arranged in rows facing the front of the vehicle (see photographs below). The name derived from the French char à bancs - carriage with wooden benches. A canvas folding hood was located at the rear of the vehicle, similar to a convertible car. 

The demise of the charabanc was hastened by its poor safety record (often caricatured in postcards - see end of post). Little protection was offered to passengers in the event of an accident and their high centre of gravity was not helped by the tendency for them to be well-loaded and to travel steep and winding tourist routes. 

​The accident detailed above (from the Fifeshire Advertiser of 28 December 1918) sees charabancs being used in unusual circumstances - in use to transport wartime workers at night in the middle of a harsh winter. Slipping on an icy surface on a steep and winding road, the lead vehicle "crashed into the parapet wall at Mr Adam's painter's shop". The painter's shop is the light-coloured tall building on the right hand side of the road in the image above.

One long-standing family of old Largo (and in particular of the area shown above) were the Rodgers. Multiple generations of this family lived at 'Burnside House' on Mill Wynd - shown above (1) - while other family members lived in the old cottages that once stood where Lundin Links Police Station was built on Largo Road (2). Many of the Rodgers were weavers but once the railway arrived and the village began to develop, some worked for the railway or in shops.

James Craigie Roger (1830-1907) was a weaver and seasonal salmon fisher, as well as the first superintendent of the Lundin Golf Course. His grandson - Rev. Alexander Caseby - wrote about his forebears in 1970 for the Largo St David's Parish Church magazine, In the piece he noted that the long line of Rodgers in Largo "went back 200 years" (in fact records show they they went back further than that) and were among the first members of the church. He proudly claimed that "at one time there were 40 males bearing the name of Rodger from Temple to the Lundie Standin' Stanes, and from Largo harbour to Kirkton of Largo."  He described them as long-lived and industrious people, several of whom lived into their nineties. 

Rev. Caseby's mother was Maggie Rodger, daughter of James Rodger and Margaret Angus of Lundin Mill. She was born in Burnside House - apparently "like five generations before her". Rev. Caseby also shared his family history with the Courier newspaper - the letter below appearing on 9 October 1969.

In his piece written for the church quarterly magazine, Rev. Caseby noted that "of the 40 male Rodgers in the Parish of Largo long ago, not one male issue is left. From the female side of the clan, I find 14 out of 22 married. The married names are: Dall, Barnet, Kinloch, Irelad, Bremner, Wallace, Robb, Moyes, Angus, Burns, Tivendale, Waddle, Scott and Taylor. Their issues are to be found in all parts of the world".

Rev. Caseby (pictured below) was born at Bridge House Lundin Links (marked '4' above) on 19 January 1898. His parents Margaret Rodger and John Caseby had been married in Burnside House in 1886 by Rev David Malloch and had lived in Edinburgh before returning to Lundin Links in 1897 to set up a boot makers shop in Bridge House (4). This was where Margaret Bremner had had her shop before moving to the new Post Office.  The 1897/8 winter had been severe - stormy with deep snow. Ships had struggled to get out of Largo Harbour and local men had worked hard to clear the way through the snow to enable food supplies and other deliveries to get through. Later in life Rev. Caseby became a missionary in Livingstonia in Malawi before returning to Scotland. He and his wife lived at Ernest Cottage for a spell (his son Cyril being born there). He lived in various places around Fife over the years and died aged 93 in 1991.

Burnside House was and is in close proximity to a property named 'Leaside' on Largo Road (marked '3' in the top photograph). A property dispute had broken out over use of the passageway that runs between the two in 1907. The 'eleventh hour' settlement reached between James Rodger and William Adam is described in the 29 January Courier article below.The passageway in question still exists today and can be seen in the detailed image further below. James Craigie Rodger (noted as "being ill" in the article) died on 20 March 1907 - just weeks after this case. 

​Burnside is the area close to where the Largo Road bridge crosses the Keil Burn. The maps at the foot of this post date from 1850s and 1960s respectively. The substantial 'Millburnlea' (marked '5' above) was built between Burnside House and the Keil Burn during the intervening period. 

The "Mars" training ship was part of the landscape of the Tay for sixty years from 1869 until 1929. Serving as a training place for boys, sent there to remove them from circumstances of poverty and/or crime, with the intention that they would learn new skills, equipping them for a better life - potentially in the navy. The Mars had been built in 1848 at Chatham and had served in the Crimean war. But twenty years on it had become outdated and so had been relegated to the reserve fleet. 

In fact it was exactly 150 years ago this week (May 1869) that orders were given for the 'Mars' to be brought forward from the reserve at Sheerness as a training ship for boys. There were already a number of other training ships dotted around the country at the time and Dundee was selected as the location for this latest addition. Following a two month refit, the Mars arrived in Dundee in August of 1869 to much anticipation. It could accommodate 400 boys.

The daily routine on board involved being awoken by a bugle call at 5 am in summer (6 am in winter), before stowing away the hammocks and assembling on deck for prayers. Then a wash in cold water followed by an hour of deck scrubbing before breakfast. An inspection took place before the boys dispersed to either a schoolroom or workshop for the day - with a break for dinner at 1pm and then for tea at 5pm. At 6:30pm there was time for such activities as reading, swimming, football, boxing or draughts. Supper was served before bed at 8:45pm. Skills such as carpentry, metalworking, blacksmithing, shoe making, tailoring, rope making and sail making were taught on board.

Boys from all over Fife, other areas of Scotland and further afield spent time on the Mars. Above is the case of two brothers from Lundin Links who were sent there for theft (Dundee Courier 20 Jan 1915 and Dundee Evening Telegraph 19 Jan 1915). While running messages around the village, the boys - who resided at Paradise Place - had stolen various items including clothing, household linen, shaving equipment, hens and game, and a bicycle. At the time George Dewar was aged just eleven (James presumably either slightly older or younger). They were to stay on the Mars until they turned 16.

Another local case, three years later saw a 12-year-old Leven boy sent to the Mars after taking 16 golf balls from the golf club house at Lundin Links. This offence, together with his previous convictions, saw him also being sent there until he reached the age of sixteen. His three friends were let off much more lightly. 
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For many years, the Mars boys spent a month in the summer at Elie, staying in the granary building.  More on that here:

http://www.eliehistory.com/explore/mars-training-ship-elie-gordon-douglas/

On at least one occasion, they made it to Largo. The Dundee Courier 16 August 1895 reports that Mars Training Ship Band played at the Largo Flower Show, in the grounds of Largo House. ​Music was a big part of life on the Mars and competition to get into the band was fierce. Performances were given all over Scotland. When the Mars reached the end of its life in 1929, before it was taken to Inverkeithing to be broken up, an auction was held to dispose of various stock and equipment. Many of the brass band instruments were purchased for use on HMS Unicorn and some are still in use to this day. 
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A model of the Mars is on display at the McManus Galleries in Dundee along with other memorabilia.
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For more about the Mars Training Ship see "We'll Send Ye Tae the Mars" by Gordon Douglas (2008) and "The Mars Training Ship" by Linda McGill (1996). Also the website 'Sons of the Mars: ​http://www.sonsofthemars.com/

Comely Bank is situated directly opposite Largo St David's Church on Main Street, Lower Largo. It is shown above from the beach (to the left of the church). It was under construction at the time of the 1881 census as it was recorded as '1B' (i.e. house being built) next door to Balfour Cottage (the lower height house to the right of the church in the top image above). The builder appears to have been Andrew Masterton who was involved in the construction of several properties around that time. 

By the time of the 1891 census, the head of the household at Comely Bank was John Watson. He had been made a widower earlier that same year when his wife Magdalene (nee Simpson) had died aged 40 of tuberculosis. John was living in the house with his nine children, ranging between the ages of 2 and 17. However, the family did not stay much longer and by 1895 Miss Ann Jeffrey Smythe was tenant at Comely Bank. The Watsons moved to Edinburgh.
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In 1900 Comely Bank was advertised for sale (see 12 May Scotsman above) and it was purchased for £508 by Mr Jenkins of Stirling 'for clients'. The clients were the trustees of "The Stirling Children's Home" - a home founded by Annie Knight Croall (1854-1927) (pictured) in Stirling, which was looking to establish a branch home by the sea. The Children's Home was officially opened by Sir John Gilmour of Montrave on 17 May 1901. The institution was "intended to serve as a convalescent retreat and a place where boys trained in Whinwell - the Home in Stirling - can finish their education and be prepared for their life battle in the world." (18 May Dundee Evening Telegraph). The opening ceremony was held in the U.F. Church and had a large attendance including General Briggs of Strathairly, Colonel Anstruther Thomson of Charleton, Rev. Atkinson of the U.F. Church and Rev. Pulford of the Largo Baptist Church. Musical entertainment was provided by the children and a tour of the home was given.


By this time, Miss Croall had already had twenty five years experience of running the Stirling Children's Home. Her work with neglected or orphaned children began when she had found a baby on a back street, left by its mother who had gone into town for a drink and had been arrested while there. The children that stayed at Comely Bank attended Kirkton School in Upper Largo - some of them are shown listed in the admissions book excerpt below. Miss Croall's homes were dependent upon voluntary subscriptions for support. Covering costs was an ongoing challenge. When Miss Croall wrote her memoirs, these were entitled "Fifty Years on a Scottish Battlefield", referencing the struggle to get her home going, keep it going and secure adequate funding. 

The 'Branch Home' at Largo ran until around 1910. Comely Bank was 'unoccupied' in the 1911 census and by 1914 the advert below appeared in the Scotsman newspaper. The house was eventually bought by Margaret Davie who set up a shop and ran it from Comely Bank for many years.

Meanwhile, the main children's home in Stirling continued. In 1917 Annie wrote to the Stirling Observer newspaper (17 July) that, of the individuals that had come to her as babies over the decades, sixteen were "now young men fighting for their King and country; over 100 are married in good comfortable homes with babies of their own; over 100 are in good service, some of them in splendid positions". Annie died on 1 June 1927 at Whinwell House, aged 72 - she was described as 'Superintendent - Children's Home' at the time of her death. The Stirling Children's Home continued to be run by a board of trustees until 1980 when responsibilities were transferred to the Aberlour Childcare Trust.
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Kirkton of Largo Primary School's present building was completed in 1879 replacing the former school (later Scout Hall) further down North Feus in Upper Largo. A comparison of the building as it looks in the present day with old architect drawings downloaded from Canmore (the national record of the historic environment), shows that the school has lost many of its original ornate features including the steeple, chimneys and the barge boarding on the roof apexes. The drawings are dated to the time of the 1910 additions and alterations by Haxton and Watson of 5 High Street in Leven but reflect the original 1878 design by John Melvin & Son of Alloa. The floor plan below shows the separate girls and boys entrances at the front and some detail on the classroom layouts and other facilities.

The building of this school was preceded by years of debate and controversy. A summary of the saga was published in the 15 November 1877 Fife Herald under the headline "An Irrepressible School Board". Pointing out that "school board squabblings" had once been more common but had "long since settled down", aside from "one board which has not yet given up the ghost on contention".  The piece continues:

"During the weary four years of its existence it has been going from bad to worse...In the Largo School Board, which has been the scene of so many wordy warfares, the great topic of contention has been the propriety of erecting a new school or enlarging the old school at Kirkton. With singular variableness the Board, or rather a section, has oscillated from one proposition to the other."

The Education (Scotland) Act of 1872 had made primary education mandatory. This triggered the creation of 1,000 regional school boards and led to the need to increase many a school's capacity. Kirkton School had an average attendance of around 90 pupils around 1874. An early idea was to build a new classroom at the back of the existing school. This suggestion was met with objection from the then teacher who said this plan "broke up and destroyed his garden"! 

A counter proposal of building out at the front of the school was also deemed unacceptable (and led to the board member who suggested it retiring in disgust). It was then resolved to lower the floor (in order to effectively heighten the roof). Some outlay was incurred to do this work but not long afterwards it was concluded that a new school was needed after all. Ratepayers protested at this and much debate ensued about a suitable location. The site eventually chosen next to the cemetery was deemed by many to be "unhealthy".

Other newspaper reports on the proceedings of the Largo School Board around this time talk of "hot words", walk outs and "disgraceful conduct". The Fife Herald piece concludes that "there must be a screw loose somewhere when in a company of representative parishioners things have come to such a pass."

Eventually the new school was built and its first head teacher was Thomas Nicoll who remained in post for 35 years bringing welcome stability. His successor David Low Pye was head teacher for over twenty years. Below is a little snippet from the school's history, telling of a scheme to provide lunch to school pupils in 1896 (21 November St Andrews Citizen). The idea of vegetables from the Largo House gardens being made into soup by a lady that lived in North Feus and given to the Kirkton pupils is a lovely one - local food supplies being put to good use with no 'food miles' or packaging involved.
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