The previous post covered the origins of the Largo Field Naturalists' Society and the role of seedsman, florist and fruiterer Charles Howie in its establishment. The first decade of the Society's existence was focussed on monthly meetings, regular "conversaziones" and, most importantly, its annual horticultural fete. Contributors to these floral gatherings included several head gardeners, such as Largo House's Colin McTaggart, Robert Adamson of Balcarres, Mr Hunter from Charleton and Mr Christie of Kilconquhar House. The early horticultural fetes were held in Keil's Den (pictured above). The excerpt below from the 20 August 1863 Fifeshire Journal describes how people arrived by train in 1863 and were transferred by carriage to the entrance. Visitors enjoyed the "green slopes of the Keil" as well as the "shade of its lofty trees passing along its winding walks".

The inaugural event left the Society with a surplus of funds, which they used to form a "cottage and garden section". The intention of this was encourage local people to take pride in their outside spaces by awarding prizes for  the produce of cottage gardens. Over the next decade, this section of the fete thrived and became the leading feature of the annual event. A substantial prize fund distributed among winners and special prizes and medals were donated by such individuals as retailer Charles Jenner and Glasgow goldsmith James Mark, who were among the 60 strong membership of the Society. In 1872, a complimentary dinner was laid on for Charles Howie in recognition of his hard work on behalf of the Largo Field Naturalists. The description below from the 22 March East of Fife Record mentions that a photograph of the five original members (Charles Howie, Benjamin Philp, William Wood, Robert Adamson and James Bardner) hung on the wall at the dinner.

The marquee at the revamped fete in 1875 was visited by upwards of 1000 visitors per day, generating a good nest egg for the following year. Largo Horticultural Society (later Largo and Newburn Horticultural Society) continued to successfully run the annual fete every year for decades (in fact the Society still exists today and regularly puts on flower shows and plant sales). The venue for the annual show varied over the years, even returning to Keil's Den on occasion. As Lundin Links developed, the show moved there. The advert below is for the 1898 show held in Homelands Park. This was the first of many shows held in Lundin Links, much to the indignation of the traditionalists of Upper Largo. Sport became a popular addition to the show and over the years this included races, tug of war, treasure hunts, 'pillow fights', the 'slow cycle race' and the mind-boggling 'musical chairs on cycles'!  

While the Horticultural Society had its fun, the Largo Field Naturalists' Society continued its more academic pursuits. After 16 years in existence, the opportunity arose for the field naturalists to acquire the Old Parish School on Upper Largo's North Feus. This was vacated in 1879, with the completion of the new Kirkton School. In fact, it was Charles Howie who purchased the old school building - see 1885 valuation roll extract below. This afforded the Society a proper space in which to display the objects collected over the years and also the potential to expand their collection. The aim was now to build up a collection "illustrative of the Natural History and Archaeology of the county" at the Museum. A plan was also made to turn the garden area into a miniature Botanic Garden. 
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Following a refit, the opening of the museum was marked by a Loan Exhibition (advertised below). On display on two tables in the centre of the hall was a large collection of the flora of Japan, courtesy of Mr Charles Jenner of Edinburgh, who was present at the opening. Also on display were many flora of Fife, dried seaweeds, numerous cases of butterflies, fossils, crystalized rocks, shells, buffalo and tiger skins, a gold nugget and carved models in parrot coal. A star attraction was a flip can used by Alexander Selkirk while exiled on the Island of Juan Fernandez. 

Mr Gilmour of Montrave had loaned many items from Canada including stuffed seals, beavers, lynx and badgers as well as woodwork and oil paintings. Messrs David Russell and Co. of Largo and Burntisland donated samples of Calcutta and Azof linseed, American and Egyptian cottonseed and wild Danubian rape seed, with cakes made from the same as well as bottles of oil in the crude and refined states. Mr Mark the jeweller of Glasgow gave a large collection of coins and medals. 
Mr Jeffrey of Largo House showed a fine Indian shawl, while Mrs Rintoul of Lahill offered an olive wood cabinet which had been made in Jerusalem. Pot plants from the gardens of Largo House tastefully decorated the hall. At this time the Society President was Henry Petheram and the joint-Secretaries were Charles Howie and Benjamin Philp.

The Museum's permanent collection was made accessible to school pupils and the general public. New donations were regularly received and it soon contained "magnificent specimens of nearly all the birds and beasts indigenous to the county". Charles Howie continued his detailed botanical studies and in 1889 published his book "The Moss Flora of Fife and Kinross". A sample of his dried moss specimens, including some from Largo Law is shown below. However, as Howie and many other Society members aged, what would the future hold for the Largo Field Naturalists and their Museum?  More to follow in the next post.
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​The Largo Field Naturalists' Society was instituted on 27 May 1863. The five founders were: Charles Howie, Benjamin Philp, William Wood, Robert Adamson and James Bardner. As the extract from the Society's rules below indicates, its purpose was to facilitate the study of Natural History. The full set of rules can be viewed by clicking here. Arguably the main driving force behind the Society was Charles Howie, the Nursery and Seedsman.

​Howie was born in St Andrews in 1810, the son of a domestic gardener. After a spell in London, Howie returned to St Andrews where he had a house and shop on South Street and a nursery at Lawpark. However, by 1862 his mind was on retirement and he soon relocated to Upper Largo, taking a long-term lease of Eden Cottage. It was from there that he devoted himself to his favourite studies. In his garden at Eden Cottage he had a fine display of different varieties of primroses, collected from Keil's Den.

Charles Howie (pictured below from the 18 December 1891 Dundee Evening Telegraph) was a member of the Edinburgh Botanical Society (established 1836) long before the creation of the Largo Field Naturalists' Society. A fellow member was Charles Jenner, proprietor of the famous Edinburgh department store. A keen scholar of natural history too, Jenner became president of the Edinburgh Botanical Society. Howie and Jenner travelled together around the Highlands and Europe, collecting botanical specimens.

It was Howie that laid out the eight acre grounds of Jenner's home at Easter Duddingston Lodge in Joppa. The press commented that few private gardens in the country could boast such a collection of valuable plants. Botanical experts considered it to be as fine as could be found in Europe. Jenner's garden included a woodland arboretum, a rock garden, alpine beds, a fernery, an iris garden, a kitchen garden and a climber garden. Charles Jenner presented Charles Howie with an inscribed gold watch as a token of his appreciation.

One of the first actions of the newly-instituted Largo Field Naturalists' Society was to plan a grand horticultural fete. The notice below from the 23 July 1863 Fifeshire Journal alerts the public to what would be the first of many annual fetes put on by the Society. The event took place outdoors in Howie's beloved Keil's Den. The public event sought to encourage others to take interest in horticulture and improve the gardens of the district. The 20 August Fifeshire Journal reported that "a number of the nobility and gentry of the district, and from a distance, as well as ministers of various denominations, showed by their presence their interest in the movement".
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Below are the notices of the first three annual Horticultural Fetes organised by the Society. Note how the location is described as the "lower part of the romantic shades of Keil's Den". There was a marquee, a brass band and refreshments supplied by David Ireland the baker from Upper Largo. Tickets could be purchased on the day at the entrance to the Den. At the Society's 1864 AGM, Dr Lumgair presided and the treasurer reported healthy accounts following the successful fete and exhibition at Keil's Den.  Among the new members elected that year was Charles Jenner, Esq. of Edinburgh, who regularly went on to donate prizes to be awarded at the Society's annual fete.  

The Fife Herald of 14 December 1865 covered the monthly meeting of the Largo Field Naturalist's Society.  Henry Petheram of Haworth, Lundin Links was in the chair and the main topic of discussion was the forthcoming exhibition, in which there was much public interest.  The schedule of prizes was agreed  by attendees and printing was given the go-ahead.  Details were then given of several donations received by the Society.  Among them was "a large collection of minerals and specimens of curious rocks" provided by Charles Jenner. The next post will continue the story of the Largo Field Naturalists' Society.
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Back in the 1930s, a competition was launched among the Scottish Women's Rural Institutes to create the best village book produced by a branch. The SWRI were no strangers to competitions, however, this one differed from the more usual cooking, handicrafts and amateur dramatics contests. Largo Institute had a large membership and one of their own, Miss Leonora Rintoul (pictured below), was president of the Fife Federation at the time. She was also already a published author of several ornithological works ,with friend and fellow SWRI member Evelyn Baxter, including 1928 publication The Geographical Distribution and Status of Birds in Scotland. 
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It was a foregone conclusion that Largo Institute would enter the village book competition and a given that they tackle the challenge with ambition. The approach taken was to cover a wide range of aspects of village life - not just to document the history of the place but also to chronicle many aspects of everyday life such as the facilities and clubs available to local people, local customs and of course Miss Rintoul's area of expertise: the flora and fauna found in the area. 

Leonora Rintoul intuitively knew how to communicate, being a regular public speaker, writer of ornithological books and organiser of a great many ​community events and fundraising activities. She used language which was articulate yet accessible to a wide audience. She sought to cover topics omitted in other local history works - details of local life that might otherwise have been lost. Another aspect to Largo's entry was the inclusion of six illustrations of the Parish. Drawing upon the Valentine's postcard catalogue, the scenes selected for inclusion were: Upper Largo Kirk, Sir Andrew Wood's Tower, Lundin Tower, the Standin' Stanes of Lundie, Largo Harbour and Largo Law and the Temple from the sea.
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When the result of the contest was announced in the summer of 1932, Dr George Pratt decreed that equal first place should go to Largo Women's Rural Institute and Meigle Women's Rural Institute (in Perthshire). Although the two entries differed in style, he thought that both were of a very high standard (see extract below from 6 July 1932 Perthshire Advertiser). Prizes were awarded but what the prize was is not mentioned in newspaper reports.
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The judge wrote in the Scotsman of 29 July 1932, under the headline "The Countrywoman as Historian", that the Scottish Women's Rural Institutes never ceased to surprise with their "energy, industry, resource and other virtues".  Tasked with deciding the best Village Book, the judge noted that "two volumes, packed with interesting matter, lie on my desk at the moment, and they represent the achievements of two Institutes who tied for first prize. They are Largo and Meigle."

He continued to sing the praises of the handwritten works as follows: "Much labour has gone into the making of these books....Painstakingly, their compilers have collected data from existing records, the aim being to present as complete a picture of their village as possible, its history, its social customs and its people." On Largo Village Book in particular he notes: "Largo Village Book is a monumental work compiled by one pair of hands." in which a "human touch" was added to usual "official records".

The above newspaper report from the 28 Jan 1933 Fife Free Press describes the "energy and resource" put into the book by Miss Rintoul. The reputation of the author and of Miss Baxter is also highlighted as "known throughout Scotland". Such was the quality of the output that it was decided that the handwritten book be printed and published by J. & G. Innes. Priced at 2 shillings, the book ran to  130 pages in length.  A review of the book is shown below from the 4 April 1933 St Andrews Citizen. This comments, quite accurately, that "no doubt all Institutes would not be as lucky as Largo in possessing a compiler with Miss Rintoul's gifts and experience in literary work". 
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Pictured above is Rollo Villa, an imposing three-storey house on the Temple at Lower Largo. This house dates to the early 1880s and is not dissimilar looking to its neighbour to the west, Serpentine Villa. As well as a sea view, Rollo Villa once enjoyed a great view of the railway line to the rear, with steam trains passing just feet away from the back door and garden. The photographs below, kindly shared by Ian Downie, show just how close the railway was to the back porch.

Ultimately James Clark's son, John Clark, a railway surfaceman, became the proprietor of the new villa built upon the site of the cottages. He named the new property Rollo Villa after his mother's maiden name. He and his wife Elizabeth Elder rented out the flatted property to summer visitors for many years. John Clark died at Rollo Villa in 1913 and the house passed on to his widowed daughter Mary Rollo Todd who had lived with him for some time and who had been married in Rollo Villa in 1890. Mary died in 1935 and the property passed on to her children Alexander and Elizabeth.

​Rollo Villa remained in the ownership of the same family until very recently. In the painting above, by John Blair, the rear of Rollo Villa can be seen within a grey and stormy scene. Below are some photographs outside Rollo Villa from the mid-1960s when the Downie family resided in the upper flat and Rollo Villa was owned by David Rollo (whose mini can be seen in one of the photos). One shows Mr Downie working on the retaining wall of the front garden across the road. In the photo of the four male Downie siblings, the neighbouring properties can be seen before the extensive renovation work which makes their appearance today very different.