Summer holiday season is upon us and it got me wondering how many fantastic photos must have been taken over the years by visitors to the Largo area.  Old photographs must exist out there somewhere of the beaches, streets, old cafes, the railway stations, boarding houses, golf courses, tennis, bowling, pier, events, countryside, etc.  Did you holiday in Largo or Lundin Links in the past - or did someone you know?  

If you think you might have access to some hidden gems of images from the area, perhaps you could get in touch and these could become part of this growing collection of local history.  If you don't have photos, then stories and memories are of course welcome too.  Just comment on this post to leave memories or click on the Contact button on the right hand side if you have material to contribute and you will receive a reply. Electronic images can be emailed to us or any hard copy photographs could be sent to be scanned and then returned.  

If you are heading to the Largo area this summer - enjoy!

This view of Upper Largo's Main Street dates to around 1915 and shows the former Free Church on the near left hand side. This building seems to have been erected around 1843, replacing an earlier wooden church on the site. The Fife Herald of 25 January 1844 talked of how "the floor of the new Free Church took fire, owing to the overheating of the stove"and a "great hubbub ensued" although the flames were soon extinguished. However, in 1924 the congregation was dissolved and for some time the church stood empty.  The Evening Telegraph reported on 19 September 1933 that the Kirkcaldy Presbytery had accepted an offer of £150 for the building which was to be converted into a garage by a Mr David Ramage.  Significant alterations and repairs would be required to complete the conversion. It was noted that "slates were falling off and the rones were getting filled up".  The newspaper also remarked that...

"When the congregation was dissolved the members wanted it to be sure that the building would not be used as a cinema or anything which might hurt the feelings of the older members of the congregation." 

Use of the building as a garage was deemed to be acceptable and this remained the structure's use for several decades.  The building has undergone various other alterations over the years - changing in appearance - and is now home to Upper Largo Chandlery.  

The Railway Inn was established in 1749, more than a century before the arrival of the railway in Largo.  Presumably, it was renamed the Railway Inn around 1857 when the line was extended from Leven, through Lundin Links and Largo and on to Kilconquhar.  I mean to find out what it was referred to before that time and more about what happened during the first hundred years of the buildings existence.  If you know anything about the early history of the Railway Inn, please comment.

Anyway, the newspaper archives from the late nineteenth century onwards have the occasional mention of the Inn - usually when it was up for sale or when a license was up for renewal.  Below is an example of a For Sale notice, dating from 1900.  It briefly describes the layout and condition of the premises.  Stables are not mentioned in this particular advert but there were probably stables associated with the inn in the early days.

The Railway Inn was listed in 1984 and the official listing states:

"Mid 18th century with much later alteration. 2 storey, 3 bays with 2 additional eastern bays now 3 Lea-Rig. Harled with painted margins and quoins. Central entrance bay slightly projecting, 2 windows in west gable end, single storey 3-bay rear wing, pantiled roofs; 3 Lea-Rig altered fenestration, slate roof. Out-buildings adjoining to east."

Its historical interest is enhanced by its situation adjacent to Bridgend House and the railway viaduct - together these structures make an attractive grouping next to the waterfront.

This 1980 advert recalls the days when stream trains crossed the viaduct bringing trade to the Inn, which was a stone's throw from Largo Station.  This advert ran 15 years after the station closed but business must have still been brisk enough to have caused the Inn to have run out of ale!  Happily stocks were soon replenished.

The Railway Inn and the Crusoe Hotel are long-time near neighbours, each with an interesting history and long-forgotten previous names.  The hotel dwarves the inn but both have always played important roles in village life.  Situated between the former railway station and the harbour, their location has led to their longevity. However, back in 1896, a double tragedy hit these local landmarks.  

In April 1896 both Hugh Clark of the Railway Inn and John Forrester of the Crusoe Hotel were due to attend the County Licensing Court to renew their licenses.  However, both were to pass away shortly before they were due to appear in St Andrews.  The sitting was adjourned for three weeks until 12 May, when the following was reported (in the next day's Courier)...

"The first application was by Mrs Betsy Clark, Lower Largo, for a renewal of a transferred certificate for a public-house, Mr J. L. MacPherson appeared on her behalf, and explained that Mr Clark had died immediately before the Court and this necessitated adjournment.  This house was the only licensed public-house in Lower Largo, and during the past forty years had borne good character.....The other application was by Mrs Jane Forrester, Lower Largo, for renewal of transferred certificate for an inn and hotel known as "The Crusoe".  The same agent appeared on her behalf and stated that the circumstances were precisely the same as in the first case, Mr Forrester having died before the Court.  The Crusoe Hotel had been licensed since time immemorial, and the house had always been well conducted."

Both licenses were granted and business continued, although both premises were in different hands within a couple of years.  Mr Forrester had run the Crusoe for fifteen years prior to his death (at the age of 75) with great success.  He died on 20 April and left behind five daughters and four sons. Mr Clark had died exactly one week before on 13 April at the age of 53.

The advert above was run in the East Fife Mail back in 1980, when the Lundin Links Hotel was the place to be.  With entertainment on offer every weekend evening as well as food and drink.  I wonder who or what "Tandem" was?  I could fancy a supper for £1.75 or a traditional high tea.  Let's hope the building is back in action soon.

To close off the series of posts on the life of Largo-born Ninian Beall and the land he owned at the present day site of Washington D.C., a bit of information on how Beall has been commemorated.  At St John's Episcopal Church, Georgetown, Washington D. C. there stands a boulder upon which is mounted a bronze plaque - see the Google Street View image and the photograph below.

Here's the story of how this memorial came about.... 

In the summer of 1909, the line of the Metropolitan Southern railway was being cut.  A large granite boulder was found during excavation work (see image).  It was initially thought that the boulder might be used to commemorate a Colonel Joseph Belt. 

However, when it was discovered that the boulder had been blasted into two equal parts, the other half was ear-marked as a memorial for Ninian Beall, who it was thought was long-overdue to be commemorated.  

Beall happened to also have been Joseph Belt's father-in-law, as Belt had married Beall's daughter Hester.

The unveiling ceremony of Beall's boulder took place on the last Sunday in October 1910 (see image below) in the presence of numerous descendants of Colonel Beall.  Among the words read at the dedication of the memorial was the following description of Ninian Beall:

"Thy servant of strong arm and Christian voice whose works helped to make possible the building of our nation"

It was also remarked that...

"If the name of him whom we honour today has been long in the shadow of dark forgetfulness, let us hope that the deference here paid him may serve to bring that name into bright sunshine of a worthy memory, to be illuminated always."

The remarkable life of Ninian Beall began in Largo in 1625. Some sources say that his name may have been spelled "Bell" before his emigration.  Little seems to have been documented about his early life in Largo although it is recorded that it was on the Fife coast in his youth that he acquired the sailing skills which he would use later in life.  He married his first wife, Elizabeth Gordon, at a fairly young age and they had at least one child - a son, Thomas, in 1647. Thomas would eventually join his father in America (as would some of Ninian's siblings).  Wife Elizabeth may have died even before Ninian fought in the Battle of Dunbar in 1650.  When the English defeated the Scots at Dunbar, between 800 and 4000 Scots were killed (estimates vary) and several thousand were captured. It seems likely that, after being captured,Ninian would have been marched to England. Being given very little to eat, many of his counterparts would have died along the way. 

The large number of prisioners would have posed a problem to the English.  Keeping them would be costly and freeing them would be dangerous.  So many were put to work - some in mines in the North of England.  Ninian, however, was one of about 150 men shipped to Barbados to work on the Dutch sugar plantations.  Many of the Barbados Scots, including Ninian Beall, eventually ended up in Maryland, America.  Still enslaved, Ninian was put to work on other plantations - some of the time as a carpenter.  Around 1657, he was deemed to have completed his obligations as a servant and was freed and granted some land.  This turnaround in Beall's life coincided with the death of Oliver Cromwell.  The English recalled Prince Charles from exile and crowned him as King Charles II.  Ninian Beall now found himself now welcomed in wider society.  

He became First Lieutenant on Lord Baltimore's Yacht of War, Loyall Charles. He also studied surveying and was to become Deputy Surveyor with responsibility for laying out ports of entry and trade towns.  With the fee for making a survey from one third to a half of the land involved, Ninian quickly added to the 50 acres he had initially been granted. At the age of 42 Ninian had married 16 year old Ruth Moore, a lawyer's daughter. Together they would have twelve children.  It has been estimated that Ninian Beall has 70,000 descendants, who can probably be found in every American State!

So what did Ninian Beall look like?  Some say that no image of him exists, yet other sources label the image shown here as begin Ninian.  Other still say that this image is in fact his son George Beall who apparently greatly resembled his father.

The descriptions of Ninian Beall that exist paint a picture of a striking and extraordinary-looking man.  His height was always commented upon - " a six-footer" say some...."six foot seven inches" say others.  His hair was another point of note, ranging from "very red" to "sandy coloured". Other descriptions include his "wide set blue-gray eyes" and "spare but muscular build".  I like the description given in the book "Colonel Ninian Beall" by C.C. Magruder Jr. which states that Beall had...

"a complexion characteristic of his nationality, and an unusually heavy growth of long red hair.  Of herculean build considerably over six feet in height, powerful in brawn and muscle and phenomenal in physical endurance, a description which he sustained by his spirited activity after the age of more than eighty years."


His health did eventually decline and when he wrote his will in January 1717 was described as "indisposed of body but of sound and perfect memory".  He seems to have died shortly after this, at the age of 91 or 92.  To live to such an age was a rare thing at that time, when average life expectancy was reportedly 35 years.  It must have been in the genes, as it appears that he may have had four siblings that also lived beyond 90 years.  Ninian Beall never returned to Scotland but earned many honours in America where he built his new life and family, not to mention where he brought much of his old family to live with him.

Do you know more about Ninian Beall?  Where in Largo might he have been born and raised? What wider family members continued to live in Largo after his emigration?  Did word get back to Fife of his colourful life and was he remembered back in the place of his birth?  If you think you have any answers - please comment.

How many people are aware that Largo has a strong link to the land upon which the White House now stands in Washington D.C.?  Back in 1980, the East Fife Mail of 26 March ran a story under the headline "Largo man who owned the White House grounds", so perhaps some folk will recall the tale of Ninian Beall.  Born in Largo in 1625, Ninian Beall was a loyal Scot who fought in the battle of Dunbar in 1650.  Captured by Cromwell there, he was sent first to the West Indies before ending up in Maryland Colony as an indentured labourer.  

After serving several years in servitude as a military prisoner, Beall earned the right to 50 acres of land and was freed from his obligations as a servant. Beall's fortunes would change dramatically. Over time the amount of land which he owned increased substantially - into many thousands of acres.  Describing himself as a 'planter', he owned many tobacco plantations - reputedly naming one of them 'Largo' - as well a mill and a foundry.  After the colony became a royal province, Beall rose to become Chief Military Officer of Calvert County. He was one of the most influential men in the settling of the District of Columbia and its surrounding area, and the protection of the colonists from the Indians.  Ninian Beall championed immigration from Scotland and became the recognised leader of the Scottish settlers in the area.   

According to the 1980 East Fife Mail article...

"In 1703 he was granted "Beall's Levels", a 225 acre tract covering the heart of present downtown Washington, nearly all the White House grounds, the Ellipse....all Pennsylvania Avenue from Third Street to the Treasury Building, with several blocks on each side.  Unable to read the future, Beall never cared much for this tract....When a succession of tobacco crops had exhausted its fertility, Beall's Levels was sold."

The States of Maryland and Virginia would later play a major role in establishing the Capital City in its present location. George Washington, a native of Virginia, selected the site of the Capital and the District of Columbia. Maryland and Virginia granted land on each side of the Potomac River.  Although Washington as it is now was not laid out until several decades after Ninian Beall's death, he once owned what would become downtown Washington, including the grounds of the White House (which was built 1792-1800).

In the next post - more on Ninian Beall himself.

A variation on a popular subject for postcard photographers - looking down Leven Road towards the Lundin Links Hotel.  This view is made more interesting by the presence of both people and vehicles. For some reason, despite the obvious pavements, the pedestrians are choosing to walk on the road!  So probably cars were still few and were happy to steer round people walking in their path. The pavements do look a bit rough and perhaps it was less muddy to walk on the road.

The bus is probably making its way to St Andrews, much like it would today.  Even at this point in time there is an absence of driveways.  Rising car ownership would soon make these commonplace.

Following on from the previous post about the Opening of Lundin Bowling Club, a dip into the newspaper archives provides an insight to some events at the Club over the years.  For example, in 1908 a two-day bazaar was held to raise funds.  This event took place at Lundin Mill Public School on Crescent Road which was "tastefully decorated for the occasion", according to the Courier on the 25th of July. The opening ceremony of the bazaar drew a large crowd and the guest of honour was Colonel Sprot of Stravithie.  The Courier described how...

"There was a large and excellent array of artistic and useful articles, which met a ready sale.  A marquee was erected in the playground, in which refreshments were served......Colonel Sprot, in a brief speech, said he had a good record for opening bazaars.  In the old city of St Andrews he had opened a bazaar which was an annual one, and resulted in the largest amount that had ever been drawn.  He hoped those present would help to keep up his good reputation, and by way of good example he would make a purchase at every stall. (Laughter and applause.)"

Colonel Sprot became known as Sir Alexander Sprot (1853-1929), a soldier and politician, who was knighted in 1917.  In 1918, Sprot unseated ex-Prime Minister Herbert Henry Asquith to become MP for the East Fife constituency.  

Anyway, his reputation for bringing good fortune to bazaars held true, as the Evening Telegraph of 28 July reported that the event had raised around £300 (a huge sum for 1908). The newspaper also noted that there were plans to sell left over articles at a supplementary sale in August.

Summer visitors once played an important role at the Club.  Newspaper articles often referred to how the Club had to ensure quick progress through its competitions before the green became congested with tourists.  For example, the Evening Telegraph on 2 July 1929 stated...

"Lundin Links "boolers" are well advanced with their competitions for the various trophies, which are hurrying on, as the green is generally overtaxed during July and August by the visitors."

The visitors were a welcome arrival though and they would do their bit to organise events and raise money for local causes.