The circa 1890 photograph above shows a corner of Lower Largo that has several connections to a man called Andrew Selkirk. The tallest building in the centre background with the many chimneys is Edina View. In front of that is Alexandra House (dark coloured house with three windows visible) and on the far right is the Crusoe Hotel. Between the hotel and Edina View are some old dwellings whose days were numbered when this image was captured. 

Andrew Selkirk was born in 1836 in the coal shipping port of St David's, east of Inverkeithing to Alexander Selkirk and Elizabeth Berwick. However, his family's roots were firmly in Largo. Andrew Selkirk was the great-great-great-great grandson of John Selcraig and Euphan Mackie (the parents of Alexander Selkirk (1676-1721), inspiration for Daniel Defoe’s ‘Robinson Crusoe’). Descended from Alexander’s eldest brother David, Andrew's grandfather had a 'four loom shop' in Lower Largo at the time when the Durhams were at Largo House. Sir Philip Durham was interested in the manufacture of table linen and frequently visited the shop. Sir Philip married second wife Anne Henderson, daughter and heir of Sir John Henderson of Fordell in 1817 and when he took up residence at Fordell he appointed Alexander Selkirk (father of Andrew and son of the linen manufacturer) as clerk at St David's where coals were shipped from the Fordell colliery. 

However, by the time of the 1841 census, the family were back in Largo where Alexander was now a grocer. A few years later Alexander took over the Steamboat Inn (now Crusoe Hotel). When his son Andrew left school, he initially set out to become a joiner and went to Drumeldrie as an apprentice. Later he worked in Cupar for Robert Douglas, engineer and millwright. When Douglas set up business in Kirkcaldy, Selkirk moved with him. In the 1861 census Andrew was living on Kirkcaldy High Street and is described as an engine fitter.

Not long after this, Andrew Selkirk emigrated to New Zealand with fellow Largo man Walter Guthrie. Accordingly to the Leven Advertiser of 31 March 1909 (reporting on Andrew's death), the pair ended up at the gold mines. They found employment making furniture for the prospectors and built a boat with which to ply up and down the river with their wares. They also tried their hands at house building. However, Selkirk's desire to return home brought him back to Scotland within a few years (unlike Guthrie, who lived out his days in New Zealand). In 1866 he married Largo farmer's daughter Isabella Kinnear in Edinburgh. They settled in Leith where Andrew resumed his occupation as an engine fitter. However, Andrew must have also maintained his links to Largo, as he was elected a deacon of Largo Baptist Church in 1868. In 1871, the couple were living in south Leith with their young sons, Alexander and John. Sadly, the following year Isabella died from smallpox aged 35 years.

Andrew relocated soon afterwards to Largo, where he married Jane Henderson in 1874. He changed occupation again - this time becoming a salmon fisherman (a job he had assisted his father with over many summers). The 1881 census finds Andrew, Jane, Alexander and John residing at Harbour Cottage, Lower Largo, along with a servant, a lodger and a visitor. A decade later Andrew and Jane are at Alexandra House (perhaps this was Harbour Cottage with a new name). They are still there in 1901 (when Andrew is described as a 'salmon taxman'). The Selkirk family leased the salmon fishing in Largo estate for over sixty years.

House building continued to be an interest of Andrew's and he was responsible for the transformation of the sea front to the east of the Crusoe Hotel around 1890 when he built "Edina View",  "Rock View" and "Beach House" on the site of some old and rundown properties. Forming one long terrace, these properties were built by the time of the 1891 census. The eastern most block was built first and some old photos show it standing next to the very old dwellings that were about to be replaced. Below are a pair of images showing the seafront view before and after the building of Edina View (phase one of the bigger development).  The annotated numbers 1, 3, 4 and 5 show the equivalent buildings in each view, while number 2 shows a fairly basic looking sea defence built in front of building 4, perhaps indicating that these old buildings were considered to be at risk from the sea. The replacement buildings were set further back from the tide.

Andrew Selkirk was very proud of these striking new buildings. The Dundee Evening Telegraph of 24 March 1909 noted at the time of his death that "Mr Selkirk owned much property, which was planned and largely built by himself." Andrew was survived by his sons Dr Alexander Selkirk and John Kinnear Selkirk (a marine engineer). The Lower Largo properties were divided between them. In the 1930s, the Fortes bought Alexandra House from Dr Selkirk and created the Rio Cafe. Andrew Selkirk was commemorated with a stained glass window in Largo Baptist Church, shown at the foot of this post.
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Above is a 'then and now' comparison of the roofless ruin of Newburn Old Church, which is located to the north west of Upper Largo, close to Drumeldrie. The east end of the church is of pre-Reformation date and may be part of the original structure, which was dedicated by Bishop Bernham in 1243. The top postcard image above dates to the early years of the twentieth century, when the structure was covered with thick ivy, long since removed. Two very new-looking headstones appear in the foreground on the left, which appear more weathered and less straight today. The chain link has disappeared from the stone posts surrounding this plot. The gravestone on the extreme right above has been removed, apart from its base, while some neighbouring headstones have tilted with the passage of time.

Here's what RCAHMS had to report on the Old Parish Church following a field visit in 1927:

"At the south side of the road close to Little Dumbarnie, half a mile north-west of Balchrystie, stand the ruins of the old parish church, so densely clad with ivy that the external features are not apparent . The rubble walls rise to a height of about 12 feet, and there are east and west gables, the latter with a late belfry. The church measures internally 54 feet 10 inches in length by 12 feet 4 inches in breadth at the east end and 14 feet 10 inches at the west end the widening being all on tile north between the west gable and a transeptal aisle, which projects from the middle of the north wall and is a later addition.

The windows, one of which in the west gable has had a circular head, are now all built up, and other structural changes have been made. The original entrance is probably the round-headed door near the western end of the south wall, but the porch which covers it is later. An equilateral-headed credence in the north wall with roll-moulding and outer checks for a door and a small locker-recess beneath, is a pre-Reformation feature, as is also a recessed piscina, chamfered, with a bowl 10 inches in diameter opposite to it in the south wall. A larger recess at the southern end of the east gable, 2 ½ feet high by 1 foot 10 inches wide by 1 foot 2 inches deep, now closed by a memorial stone, may also be early."

A few hundred yards away is the the early nineteenth century parish church which replaced the old church around 1815. This later church closed when the last minister of Newburn, Reverend Frederick Cox retired in 1958. The Parish of Newburn was united with that of Largo at that time. One of the ways in which the Old Newburn Church was recognised by the united church was by the holding of open air services there on the Sunday closest to midsummer's day. The old ruined church is in a beautiful spot and is filled with interesting features and memorials - well worth paying a visit to.

On 22 June 1904, Isabella Carse Paxton was born at Drum Lodge. She was the third daughter of Robert Carswell Paxton and Margaret Donald Baird. At the time of her birth, her parents were 51 and 41 respectively and already had two daughters - Jessie aged 8 and Margaret aged 2. Jessie had been born in the USA in 1896 and Margaret at Drum Lodge in 1902.  The family had recently settled in Lundin Links, following time in Texas where Robert owned a very successful sheep ranch - Longfellow Ranch.

He was one of the early settlers of Terrell County in Texas, emigrating from Scotland in 1878. Once his family had settled in Fife, he continued to make frequent visits to the USA until the outbreak of the First World War. Robert was the fourth of eight children and was born in Kilmarnock in 1852 to George Paxton.  His father was a brewer, and owner of Richardland Brewery on the River Irvine at Riccarton, Kilmarnock.  He died when Robert was still a child and his elder brother took on the brewery business. Like many younger sons, Robert took the opportunity to seek his fortune elsewhere.

When Isabel was three years old, on 15 October 1907, her younger sister Emily Wallace Paxton was born at Elphinstone on Crescent Road. The arrival of their fourth daughter completed the Paxton family. The following year, they bought 'Homelands' as their permanent family home and this is where Isabel would live out the remainder of her life over ten decades. At the time of the 1911 census, Isabel was at Homelands with her mother and sisters Margaret and Emily. It seems likely that Robert and Jessie were on a visit to the USA at the time. Also recorded in the Homelands household were a governess, a cook and a housemaid.

Family life was disrupted when four-year-old Emily developed tubercular meningitis and died at Homelands on 3 April 1912. Isabel would have been 7 at the time and no doubt remembered this sad event for the rest of her life. Life changed again during the Great War years. The family swung into action to support the war effort. For four and a half years, the Lundin Links Red Cross work party was based at Homelands, with Mrs Paxton as convener. Among other things, the group made shirts, socks, pyjamas, etc. This undoubtedly had a huge influence upon young Isabel, who would go on to be heavily involved in the work of the Red Cross and other charities throughout her adult life. At the time of the 1921 census, Isabel, aged 17, was a residential pupil at St Leonard's School in St Andrews.

After his retirement from ranching, Robert joined the rest of the family at Homelands permanently and became very involved in village life. He had already been Captain of Lundin Golf Club 1908-09 and continued to be involved at the Club. Also he served on the Parish Council (chairing it for a time) and was an elder at Largo Parish Church.  He gifted a well-equipped recreation hut to the village and laid out the pitch and putt facility at the Golf Club. Robert, pictured below, died on 8 Oct 1926 from tuberculous.

Only 22-years-old when her father died, Isabel and her two elder sisters stayed with their mother at Homelands. All continued to be active within community organisations, such as the church, the S.W.R.I. and the Lundin Amateur Dramatic Society. The photograph at the top of this piece is of Isabel aged 26, taken from the 9 February 1931 Dundee Courier when she performed in a production of 'Prelude to a Play'. The Fife Free Press review of the play praised Isabel's portrayal of Angela Hamilton as being "very good indeed" and that she "looked splendid in the part".

Isabel was also heavily involved in Girl Guiding. She was Brown Owl at 1st Largo Brownies from 1924 to 1939 but also had spells involved with Guides and Rangers. She even helped to set up new Brownie groups outside of Largo (using Largo as a model that could be replicated elsewhere). This activity was disrupted by the Second World War and Isabel joining the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Services. As part of her role, she drove ambulances. During war time, Isabel's mother, Margaret, died on 7 October 1941 at Homelands. 

Isabel and her diversional therapy work are mentioned in the newspaper archives over many years. Above top is an advert from the Fife Herald of 14 November 1951 for a talk by Miss Paxton at the AGM of the Fife Branch of the Red Cross. Also above is a piece from the 20 May 1959 Leven Mail detailing another talk by Isabel. In the 5 November 1952 Leven Mail it was reported that during that year Isabel and her two colleagues at the Red Cross had "paid 896 visits to 139 patients confined to their homes and gave out 321 articles of work, as well as large quantities of wool for knitting and weaving."  A piece in the 28 October 1959 Leven Mail noted that Isabel said "she loved her work".

During the 1960s, Isabel lost her two elder sisters. First Jessie passed away in 1962 and then Margaret in 1966. Isabel lived for another 27 years, remaining at Homelands - the last surviving member of a remarkable family. During this period Isabel became increasingly involved with the Fife branch of the MS Society and would drive all over the county supporting their work. Homelands had been converted into effectively two houses post-war and a succession of patients stayed in the 'back wing', particularly over the summer months. A mid-1970s view of Homelands with a car parked at the west-facing entrance is shown below.

Ian Marshall (whose mother was a cousin of Isabel's) recalls that:

"The house was always full of flowers, at all times of year.  There was a gardener and his family who lived above the garages which had been stables, next to the public Bowling Green.  There were two big greenhouses and a large and productive vegetable garden between the house and the wall along the Leven Road.  There were well-stocked flowerbeds on the south side of the house, and on the east, and a great variety of trees and flowering shrubs.  Potted plants were prepared in the greenhouses and brought into the living room, which was always scented."

Isabel certainly loved her garden and its flowers and produce. This gave her much pleasure in the years where her own mobility became restricted and so she developed the vision of Homelands being enjoyed into the future by those who live with disability. Isabel died on 16 January 1993 at the age of 88 and left her home to charity for the benefit of people affected by “MS and other disabling and incurable conditions”. As a result of this generous legacy, the Homelands Trust created four purpose-built, accessible, self-catering holiday lodges, which are designed and equipped to meet the needs of disabled people with a variety of conditions. The East Fife Mail newspaper clipping at the foot of this post shows Isabel centre front as the guest of honour at the 1st Largo Brownies Diamond Anniversary celebration in the mid-1980s. Many still fondly remember this remarkable lady whose legacy will live on for a long time to come.
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The above postcard, sent in August 1903, is significant to this blog, not so much for the image of Lucerne Railway Station, but for the recipient and the short message on the front. The postcard was sent to Master Joe Bennet, Mayfield, Lundin Links. Mayfield (along with Eastfield) is a striking double villa on Leven Road and was written about here recently. The houses were built for John Bennet. Joe was his young son, aged around eight at the time he received this message. Although the family lived in Edinburgh most of the time, they were clearly spending summer at their Lundin Links house at this time. Although it is unclear who sent the card, it was clearly someone who know Joe and Lundin Links well. Here is the message:

Wouldn't Mr Robertson take a fit if he had a station like this to look after at Lundin Links!

This refers to Robert Robertson, the station master at Lundin Links railway station. Lucerne station was of course a grand city station - a stark contrast to the small station at Lundin Links, which in 1903 was still a single building, short platformed affair, largely unchanged since the 1850s (as seen below in a circa 1900 image). Robert was born in Kilconquhar in 1860 - the early days of the railway in the East of Fife. By the time of the 1891 census, he was married with one daughter and working as a signalman at Kingsbarns Station. A couple of years later, he moved to Lundin Links and, by the 1901 census, he was living in the station master's house with his wife, mother-in-law and three children (Magdeline, Janet and David).

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Two years after the humorous postcard message was sent, Mr Robertson's station was given a major upgrade. Perhaps not quite elevating it to Lucerne standards but nevertheless quite a step up for a village station. The report below from the 23 November 1905 Leven Advertiser describes the extent of the changes. The "new group of buildings" included a booking office, a general waiting room and a ladies waiting room. The platform was greatly lengthened. Mr Robertson and his family were given an "improved dwelling house" within the old station building.
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The photograph above shows the expanded station where Mr Robertson would remain station master for the rest of his days. Sadly, the First World War saw the Robertsons lose their only son David at the age of 22. The extract below from the 28 October 1916 Fife Free Press tells of how he was a bright young man with a promising future. As the 28 June 1923 Leven Advertiser further below suggests, Robert never fully recovered from the loss of his son and his health gradually declined until his death in 1923. During his thirty years at Lundin Links Station he was "always to be found at the post of duty" providing "entire satisfaction to the thousands who travelled to Lundin Links". He was a man who didn't need the lure of a huge city station like Lucerne!
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It was 7 years ago today that this blog kicked off. The first post was a very short one featuring Leven Road in the early days of the last century. The photograph used in that post (and for the blog banner) is still one of my favourite images because it's so familiar. And yet the people in it (and the lifestyles they had) are so very different to today. All the buildings in the view were really new at the time. Locals would have still been getting used to the significant changes that had swept through the village. The newly-opened hotel must have been beautiful and pristine inside.

Just for fun, to mark the occasion, I've painted a few rocks from Lower Largo beach with some scenes from around Largo and Lundin Links. Hopefully you can recognise the locations.

If you'd like to contribute an image, memory or snippet of information to the blog, please get in touch. If it's Largo-related, it's of interest. The next post will feature a great little piece of local history recently shared by a reader. Your contributions and feedback make it all worthwhile. Thank you for visiting!