While researching the history of South Feus, one name that cropped up frequently in the early history of the street was Hogg. Alexander Hogg (1807-1870) was a village blacksmith for many years. He was the ninth of thirteen children of Alexander Hogg (manufacturer associated with the linen trade) and his wife Elizabeth Grieve. Alexander the blacksmith lived and ran his business at the west end of South Feus and round the corner next to the hotel (see 1854 map below where his blacksmith shop is circled). This was an ideal location for such a business - right on the main routes to St Andrews and the East Neuk from Leven and close to Largo House.

With the horse being the essential means of transport, the blacksmith was a key village craftsman. Aside from the manufacture of horse shoes, the blacksmith's forge would produce a wide range of implements for domestic, agricultural and other use. Many blacksmiths were also wheelwrights. Blacksmith's shops often descended from father to son but this was not the case with Alexander Hogg. His eldest and only surviving son, Alexander, had an alternative career in mind. So after Alexander senior's death in 1870, the family premises passed on to his daughter and son-in-law and were repurposed into a joiner's workshop.

Alexander's middle daughter of three (Elizabeth Hogg) married Peter Broomfield the joiner. Elizabeth had left Largo to become a domestic servant (cook) in Edinburgh's New Town and likely met the Midlothian-born joiner during her time there. The pair relocated to Largo and began the joinery enterprise in Kirkton - the legacy of which continues to this day (there is still a joiner's workshop on the site (see image further below)).

So, what path did Alexander Wallace Hogg take? His career choice led to success but took him away from Largo. However, he never forgot his roots. By the time of the 1851 census, aged 16, Alexander was working as a grocer's assistant in Newburgh. From there he went on to serve an apprenticeship with a grocer’s firm in Perth. Later, he was then engaged by the firm of ‘Messrs John Beattie & Co.’ sugar brokers of Glasgow. In 1856 he married Agnes Turnbull and in 1858, he formed a partnership with John Myles to trade as commission and produce brokers. At the time of the 1861 census Alexander was a 'sugar merchant' living in Hospital Street, Govan, and he had two sons, the eldest also named Alexander Wallace Hogg. When John Myles died in 1867 at the young age of 33, the business partnership was dissolved (see notice below from the Dundee Courier of 30 August 1867).

By 1871, the family had grown to six sons and one daughter and they were now living at Elgin Villas in Shawlands and had three domestic servants. Two years earlier, Alexander had created a new firm in the name of ‘Alexander Hogg & Co,’ based at 60 Virginia Street, Glasgow. This firm would become recognised as one the of the most extensive in its dealing in British and foreign refined sugars. In 1872, Alexander Hogg acquired the Dellingburn Sugar Refinery in Greenock and the business was conducted under the firm of ‘Hogg, Wallace & Co.'. The family home in Shawlands was named 'Largo Villa' in recognition of Alexander's birthplace. Now number 1331 Pollockshaws Road, the house as it is today is shown below.

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Greenock at the time had a number of sugar refineries. Along with shipbuilding and wool manufacturing, sugar refining was a significant employer in the town. Greenock is the birthplace Abram Lyle of Tate and Lyle - which became the most successful of the refineries. Alexander Hogg's firm was successful too and in 1880 he was able to purchase a beautiful marine summer residence known as Ardenlee set in four acres near Dunoon (see advertisement from 28 April 1880 Glasgow Herald). Just like another 'Largo Villa' owned by a native of Largo, this building later became a care home. In the census of 1881, only the youngest child, Agnew, was at home with Alexander and Agnes at Largo Villa, along with three domestic servants. The older children were all staying at Ardenlee with an aunt and other servants.

Over the years, Alexander hadn't forgotten his family in Largo and the place of his birth remained important to him. In 1872, he presented the congregation of Largo St David's Church (then the United Presbyterian Church) with a bell to hang in the small belfry atop the south gable, upon completion of the new church. In 1879, upon the death of Thomas Hogg of Lundin Mill, he had paid back the amount that the Largo Parochial Board had spent on the care of his late uncle (see piece below from 13 March Fife Herald).
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Manderlea is a substantial building on Links Road, Lundin Links, overlooking the 18th green of Lundin Golf Course. The above postcard view shows Manderlea in the inter-war years. Note the many large windows facing towards the sea. Below is a photograph showing the building today (on the far left), next to its neighbours to the east. Like several other large dwellings in the village, it began life as a boarding house, before being restyled as a 'private hotel' and ultimately undergoing conversion into flats.
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Back in 1905, when Lundin Links was experiencing a spell of development, as a fashionable summer resort, a Mr Robb commissioned Walter Horne to build an eight-bedroomed house immediately to the west of Westhall (a villa built in 1894 which had stood alone for a decade). The small insert from 11 August 1905 East of Fife Record below pinpoints the date.

​The work on this house kept Mr Horne's men busy all through the following winter and an update appeared in the 15 February 1906 Leven Advertiser (below) as the work neared completion. This specified that the house was to be a boarding house to be run by Miss Robb. In fact, the establishment was run by sisters Janet Dall Robb and Mary Ann Robb. They were the daughters of ploughman James Robb (who was born in Kilconquhar but whose mother Janet Dall was from Largo).

​The sisters had previously worked in domestic service in Edinburgh but some change in fortune seems to have enabled them to establish their own enterprise. Manderlea was ideally situated, close to the station, the golf links as well as the beach. The Misses Robb remained at Manderlea throughout the First World War, although it was unclear how the boarding house was used during that period. Perhaps the premises were used as accommodation for soldiers, as was the case at nearby St Catherine's and Fir Park. However, soon after the war ended, the boarding house passed into new ownership.
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Interestingly, the electoral register of Fife for Spring 1920 shows both Mary and Janet Robb and future owners of the boarding house, John and Jane Balmer, living at Manderlea. After this brief handover spell, the Robb sisters moved on. John Balmer and his wife Jane (nee Short) became long-term proprietors of Manderlea. The advert below appeared in the 1925 Post Office Directory.

The Balmers had married in 1904 at Coates House in Newburn, where Jane had been born in 1880. Her Dorset-born father William Short had long been the gardener there. John Balmer was born in Westmorland Cumbria and it was there that the couple initially settled there after their marriage. Eldest daughter Nora Jane Fernie Balmer was born there in 1907, followed by second daughter Phyllis in 1909. At the time of the 1911 census, John was a 'confectioner' in Cumbria.
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Several years later, the family returned to Jane's Largo roots, where John and Jane ran Manderlea for the rest of their lives. Over the decades many visitors enjoyed their hospitality and the view from Manderlea. During the Second World War Polish soldiers were billeted at Manderlea, as they were at other large houses and boarding houses in the village, such as Lindisfarne. The Misses Balmer became regular attendees at the Scottish-Polish Association events, held from the 1940s onwards.

John Balmer died at Manderlea on 17 November 1954 aged 75, with Jane passing away just two months later, also at Manderlea, on 14 January 1955 aged 74. While daughter Nora went on to marry in 1956, to Robert Gemmell, younger daughter Phyllis remained at Manderlea and was still living there when the large house was converted into five flats and renamed 'Manderlea Court' around 1974. Phyllis died in a car crash on the Leven to St Andrews road on 5 August 1989, aged 79. Nora had died in 1984 aged 76. A few years ago two of the Manderlea Court flats were combined back together. Below are images of the building from the 1970s (in black and white) and as it is today, looking very fresh and modern for a building that is now well over a century old.

Last year, this blog ran a series of posts covering the history of Largo Baptist Church. At the time, the church was out of use and its future seemed uncertain. Since then, an exciting new chapter has begun for this 1867 building. So now, let's bring the story of Largo Baptist Church right up-to-date, and introduce those of you that don't already know about it to - The Aurrie!

First, a quick recap on the story of the church from its eighteenth century origins until its final days as a place of worship - click the links below to view the earlier posts:

lundinlinks.weebly.com/blog/largo-baptist-church-beginnings
lundinlinks.weebly.com/blog/largo-baptist-church-part-2
​https://lundinlinks.weebly.com/blog/largo-baptist-church-part-3
lundinlinks.weebly.com/blog/largo-baptist-church-part-4

In December 2020, it was formally announced that the Largo Baptist Church building had been secured as an arts venue and café. Carol and Andy Duff had purchased the building from the Baptist Union of Scotland in order for it to be used for the benefit of the community. The building was renamed "The Aurrie" which is the old Scots name for "area" and is regarded as the root of the many spellings of the slipway road adjacent which runs down to the beach. Over the years this space has been used for various purposes (including boat storage and car parking) and has been referred to as the Orry, Orra, Orrie and Awry, among other things. Given the range of spellings over time, it feels appropriate that this building references the original auld Scots word "Aurrie" from which all the variations of spelling stemmed. 

Located at 68 Main Street Lower Largo, a stone's throw away from the beach, the century and a half old building is flourishing in its new guise. Having undergone essential repairs and a facelift inside and out, the place looks fresh and inviting. The interior has been painted in shades of green, complimenting the beautiful stained-glass windows. Even the chairs echo the green, red, black and white of the window hues. Opened on 17 July 2021, just in time for Largo Arts Week, the venue couldn't have launched at a busier time in the village and was able to host live music within days of opening. 

While Andy and Carol are still involved in projects, the day to day running is now down to Helen Ross and David Peacock. They are keen to grow their range of quality and Scottish/Irish inspired fare started at Lily’s Larder. Helen and David are both committed to the community aspects through supporting local artists and hosting events at The Aurrie. “We see this as just the start of what can be an amazing asset for locals and grow Lower Largo as a destination for visitors” said David.

It's such a transformation from the days of pews packed with churchgoers, of sermons from the pulpit and hymn-singing. Yet, the re-invented space will still host groups of people, talks, music, social occasions and much more - providing the community with a service of a different kind. Gone may be the days such as the one below from circa 1980 when the Fife Baptist Woman's Auxiliary met in the church, during the tenure of the Reverend Joseph K. Campbell (Photo courtesy of Barbara Yardley).
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The above image appears in the book 'Largo - An Illustrated History' by Eric Eunson and John Band and shows Walter Horne (on the far right) and the local team of joiners that worked with him. They are standing in front of their workshop, which was originally the panhouse of the former salt works at Drummochy.

In an effort to establish who the other individuals in the photograph are, I ran a search on the 1901 census for Largo Parish on the keyword 'Joiner' and found a number of candidates. Ruling out the retired joiners, joiners working on outlying areas such as New Gilston or Woodside and those based in Kirkton of Largo (such as Agnew Broomfield), there is a short list of 24 men and boys. Mostly living in Lower Largo. So the list below offers potential matches for those in the image. Certainly some of those on the list will be in the picture (most probably some of the other Hornes listed). If you think you can identify any matches - please leave a comment.

Walter Horne was still noted as the proprietor of the Drummochy workshop in the 1940 Valuation Roll. He died in 1941 at the age of 77, however, 'Walter Horne and Son Joiners' were still listed as proprietors in 1950. Meanwhile, ​Alexander Gillies Tait, son of joiner David Tait (and an apprentice joiner at the time of the 1901 census above), went to on become a master joiner and also had a Joiner's Shop at Drummochy for many years. When Alex Tait turned aged 70, he was obliged to place an advert in the 5 December 1956 Leven Mail, following rumours of his retirement (see below). The workshop building (seen from a different perspective in another HES image below) survived until the late 1960s before being demolished and the site rebuilt upon. Alex Tait died in 1970, aged 84, having provided joinery services in Largo since his mid-teens.

As a follow-on from the previous post about the Port of Drummochie, and the heyday of the salt pans there, we can look in more detail at the visible evidence of the old structures around this area. First, for context, a map comparison (above) of Drummochy in 1964 (top) and a feuing plan of the same area from around 1840. Numbered on both maps are:

1. The site of the former Emsdorf School;
2. The Salt Panhouse on the 'Panbraes';
3. Drum Lodge;
4. Salt Girnel (later known as Net House).

These landmarks and others are also annotated on the map below of Drummochy Salt Works from the book 'Largo - An Illustrated History' by Eric Eunson and John Band. This also shows how the pair of skerries of rock directly in front of the panhouse would likely have been dammed to create a 'bucket pot' (basin). Here the sea water would have been held when the tide was out, ready to be drawn up into the panhouse for boiling. More about the salt production process can be read about here.

The aerial image above and the ground level images below show the remains of the harbour structure. Much of the original stone would have been recycled into new building works long ago.  The former 'Pan Braes' became known as 'Massney Braes'. Unable to find any definitive origin or meaning for the word Massney, I wonder if there is any connection to stone masons using this area as a source of material. Opinions welcome on this idea - or evidence of an alternative meaning to the name. It's certainly the case that stone has taken from this area of shore by masons. In 1880, legal action was taken to stop Thomas Tivendale, mason, from "taking stone for building purposes from the seashore opposite Mr Macrae's property". Mr Macrae was Colin George Macrae W.S. of Drum Lodge.
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Above images show specific detail of the old harbour of Drummochie, captured at a time when there was less sand covering the area. The image on the left is the base of the sloping revetment of the harbour entrance (looking back towards Drum Park). The photo on the right is the end of the pier section which projects from the Lundie rocks.

Another historic feature in this vicinity is the man-made extension to the end of the Lundie rocks. Built around the 1830s, in the pre-railway days of the steam boat services, this low-water pier allowed boats to dock, embark and disembark passengers and goods, whatever the state of the tide. The flat platform of cut rocks can still be seen at the Lundies southern tip. The two images above show this from the ground and below is the same area from above. Remnants of iron fixings in the rock indicate a walkway with a bannister once would have assisted passengers from the boat to the shore.

Enjoy a short drone video clip ending at the former Drummochy Harbour here: https://youtu.be/HzIW_B2jxbk

​The "Port of Drummochie" was once of greater importance than the harbour we now know as Largo Harbour. Located in the above aerial image to the left of the Lundie Rocks (the natural strata seen in front of the viaduct), the remnants of this former port or harbour can still be made out, at low tide, as distinct bands of rubble. The circa 1750 Roy Military Survey of Scotland map (below) clearly indicates the symbol for a harbour or port to the west side of the point where the Keil Burn flows into Largo Bay. It was here - on the Drummochy side of the burn - where three salt pans also once operated.

The advert below from 1 July 1771 Caledonian Mercury mentions the "port" right at the start of the description of the Lundin estate, emphasising its importance and later notes that there were "three salt pans adjacent". A similar advert from 1773 elaborates on the description of the harbour at Drummochie, stating that it "is of easy approach and can be made capable of receiving ships of considerable burden at moderate expense".
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Drummochie or Drummochy has had several different spellings over time. It was made a free burgh of barony in 1540 and was then known as Drummoquhy, according to the above extract from the 'The Arms of the Baronial and Police Burghs of Scotland' (1903). Below is the 'Place Name Data' for Drummochy and further below is a piece from 1819 Topographical Dictionary of Scotland stating that, by then, the harbour at Drummochy (and salt works) had been "destroyed".

The demise of the harbour at Drummochy was linked with the end of the salt industry at the site. The 4 September 1784 Caledonian Mercury notice below shows that the three salt pans themselves were put up for sale along with coal fire engine. This sale (four decades after the start of the salt works at Drummochy) was overseen by Ebenezer Coutts, the bailie who lived at what is now Drum Lodge. The loss of the salt industry, plus the existence of the more natural Largo Harbour adjacent, must have meant there was no incentive to maintain the manmade harbour of Drummochy. 

Below are two more aerial images and a view from the ground of the remnants of Drummochy Harbour. Note the two significant areas of boulders, although no doubt many parts of the original harbour structure have long since been reused for other construction purposes. While it's great that some physical evidence of the old port remains today, it would be good to unearth more written information about the harbour in its working days. If you have any information about the former Drummochy Harbour, please comment.
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The previous post looked at the early life of local joiner and building contractor, Robert 'Bert' Band. In this part, we pick up his life story in 1958, when Robert and his wife Catherine's first child Jane was born. In the same year the family moved into a newly built local authority house at 11 Woodlaw Park in Upper Largo. Soon after moving to Upper Largo, Robert was offered a job with Robert (Bob) Donaldson's joinery firm in the village. He worked for Donaldson's for the next seven or so years. During this time, the young John Donaldson joined the business and was apprentice to Robert Band.

In the 1960s the family expanded with the arrival of Neil in 1960, John in 1964 and Helen in 1967. The mid-60s saw Robert build nine timber 4-berth chalets at the caravan park, as well as a shop. In 1968, Robert made the decision to become self-employed. The same year saw the family move to 15 Pitcruvie Park in Lundin Links and saw further development at the caravan park - with the construction of purpose-built ladies and gents toilets and showers and the conversion of the cottage back into a dwelling. 

Early jobs as a self-employed joiner included alterations to Briary Cottage on Upper Largo's North Feus (forming a large roof dormer and attic bedrooms). There was also the conversion of cotter houses at Blinkbonny. As Robert's reputation and work load grew, he employed his first two joiners, Bruce Sibbald and Roy Jamieson and expanded his workshop at the caravan site. The three men set off further afield than usual in 1971 for a job up in Sutherland - at a croft named Rhinivie at Bettyhill. The project, to modernise a cottage, was for Mrs Jean Barclay, owner of Barclay Brothers builders in Colinsburgh. The following year Robert built his own home, seen through the viaduct arch in the postcard image below, with the balcony, and named it Rhinivie. This was completed in October 1972 and became the family home for many years.

In 1973, Jean Barclay sold Barclay Brothers builders, including their yard in Colinsburgh (previously the site of a gasworks), to Robert Band. The firm Robert Band Limited was formed. Barclay's foreman builder and stonemason, Victor Howie and another employee, Thomas Myles, stayed with Robert Band's firm for many years. The firm took on its largest project to date in 1975, after winning the contract to upgrade and modernise John Wood's Hospital in Upper Largo. The work involved taking the building back to its outer shell, aside from the central hall, constructing new rear stairwells, replacing windows and forming new flats at both ground and first floor levels. The John Wood Trust had sold the nearby farm of Monturpie to finance the project. 

The business was something of a family affair, with Robert's wife Catherine assisting with the paperwork and eldest son Neil joining the firm in 1976 as a joiner apprentice. Many apprentices were taken on over the years in various trades. They attended day release at Kirkcaldy Technical College, while learning practical skills on site or in the workshop. Many apprentices won the annual 'Best Apprentice Award' for their chosen trade at the college and many stayed on with the firm long-term. At its height 25-30 tradesmen and apprentices in joinery, brickwork/stone masonry, slating/tiling and plastering were employed. Robert Band Limited carried out a great number of projects throughout Central and East Fife. Among the notable projects in the Largo area were: 

• Various alterations to the Lundin Links Hotel, including the cutting down in height of the large redundant chimneys, roof repairs, and internal upgrading of the main stairwell.
• Alterations to the Old Manor Hotel, including the removal of the entrance conservatory and its replacement on the original stone base with a steel framed and slated roof vestibule, plus work on the function rooms and upgrading of the chef's cottage (later the separate restaurant known for a while as The Coachman's).
• Works to upgrade the Upper Largo Hotel - covered in the 14 January 1976 East Fife Mail (see below).
• Upgrading of the Montrave Hall to add new masonry outer skin and tiled roof.
• Repair and reconstruction work to Sir Andrew Wood's Tower (which received a Saltire Award).
• Alterations and extension to the Durham Hall.
• Alterations to East Lodge, Church Place, Upper Largo and adjacent former Largo House laundry.
• Alterations to the Royal Bank of Scotland in Lundin Links, including extending the bank into the adjacent former Gulland's Tea Rooms (the bank manager's garage on Crescent Road being turned into a temporary bank (later becoming The Finishing Touch curtains and blinds supplier).
• The construction of the lower section of Seatoun Place in Lower Largo.

The image above shows Seatoun Place phase one in 1984 close to completion. The intention had been for Seatoun Place to be a two-phase development, with the development of the former mill dam area being the second phase. However, before that could happen, Robert Band Ltd was forced into liquidation, as a result of non-payment for works carried out earlier to modernise 40 flats and cottages at Denbeath. One sad day in 1985, the plant, equipment, vehicles and property belonging to the firm were sold.

After taking some time to regroup, Robert and Neil Band formed a new joinery business, working mainly from their own workshop at Dumbarnie Farm, outside Upper Largo. A notable job was to carry out alterations to 'The Grange' on South Feus. Robert and Catherine Band bought the former market garden and small cottage adjoining 60 Main Street, Upper Largo. Their younger son, John, drew up the plans for turning this into a larger dwelling in 1987 and the house was given the address 60B Main Street.

Bert Band retired in the late 1990s to enjoy life with Catherine and his growing number of grandchildren. He passed away on 10 February 2009, aged 74, and was buried in Upper Largo cemetery. His former apprentice, John Donaldson, carried out the funeral, remarking that of all the funerals he had overseen, this one had been the hardest. Many of Bert's former employees were in attendance to pay their respects to the man who had made them the tradesmen and men that they had become. 

For many a decade adverts for A.K. Melville could be found in the local papers, such as the ones shown above. The advertisements usually included an illustration of one of the latest fashions. They evolve over time, reflecting the changing seasons and changing fashions. But who was A. K. Melville?

Born in Largo on 8 June 1874, in the Crusoe Buildings, Lower Largo, Alexander Kirk Melville was a son of fisherman David Melville and his wife Elizabeth Ballingall. Alexander was aged eleven when he left school to enter the employment of George Swan Rodger, the Upper Largo draper. After four years learning the trade there, Alexander made the move to Kirkcaldy. He gained experience with three firms there, as well as shorter spells in Glasgow, Dundee, Inverness and Edinburgh. When completing his apprenticeship in Kirkcaldy all his wages went on board and lodgings. So, when he wanted to go back to Largo to visit his large family, he had to walk there. His parents provided the fare for a return journey. 

In 1896, the Melville family experienced tragedy, when Alexander's father David was drowned in a fishing accident, along with two others - David's brother Thomas Melville and his brother-in-law, Thomas Ballingall. The newspaper piece from 29 February St Andrews Citizen described the circumstances of the accident and the aftermath. The crew of another boat righted the upset boat and returned to Largo with the one body that could be found - alerting Reverend David Malloch and Reverend William Pulford to the situation. These clergymen broke the news to the affected families. David Melville's widow Elizabeth died later the same year aged 51.

In the summer of 1900, Alexander took over Mr Whytehead's Hatter and Hosiery Shop at 118 High Street, Kirkcaldy. He began with a 14-day 'transfer sale' where he offered "every article at immense reductions" (see advert above from 4 August 1900 Fife Free Press). The following year, he married Elizabeth Clark, a native of Limekilns. The couple would go on to have two sons and a daughter. The business established itself as one of great quality and service and this was reflected in the firm's advertisements (see selection below).

On 2 September 1951, Alexander and Elizabeth Melville celebrated the occasion of their Golden Wedding in Anthony's Hotel, with their children and grandchildren. Three of Alexander's brothers were also present at the event. However, his Best Man had been his elder brother Peter, who was killed in the First World War. Among the reflections made on the Golden Wedding day, Mr Melville noted how he recalled the unveiling of the Robinson Crusoe statue in Lower Largo as a youth. 

​Just two months later, Alexander passed away at the age of 77. The Fifeshire Advertiser paid tribute to him as someone who "set his foot firmly on the bottom rung of the ladder whose topmost heights he reached through diligence and hard work". Local press also noted that he was also a keen follower of Raith Rovers Football Club and the Fife Flyers and someone who enjoyed gardening and golf (he laid out a 9-hole green on the lawn at his home). Alexander's widow Elizabeth moved to Lundin Links, living at Homestead on Woodlands Road. She died in 1968, aged 89. Son Hugo also lived in Lundin Links, at 'Gartly' on Station Road.
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The shop in the centre of the above image is Robert Hannan Melville's business  as a plumber, tinsmith and gasfitter. Born in East Lothian around 1835, Robert followed in the footsteps of his father Samuel Melville who was also a tinsmith and plumber. Samuel had been based for many years at the Shorehead in Leven but was working in Largo by around 1860. Following his father's death in 1863, Robert took over the business. Below is an early example of either father or son's work - a miner's head lamp, stamped 'Melville Largo'. 

Robert's wife Agnes Oatman, who he had married in 1860, died in 1864, two days after the birth of their daughter Agnes. Robert remained at their home on Kirkton of Largo's Main Street, which was known as Melville Cottage.  In 1871 Robert was living with his three daughters, Catherine, Isabella and Agnes and a domestic servant. He was described as a 'master plumber employing one man and one boy'. He remarried in 1874 to Margaret McDonald. In 1881, the household was recorded as Robert (plumber employing 1 man and 3 boys), Margaret and 17-year-old Isabella, who was a pupil teacher. Eldest daughter Catherine was working as a nurse in Glasgow at the time, while youngest daughter Agnes was working in Edinburgh as a domestic servant.

​In 1885, 21-year-old Agnes Melville married Peter Blackhall, a journeyman plumber, in Upper Largo. The following year, their daughter Agnes Oatman Blackhall was born. Tragically, history repeated itself, with the baby's mother Agnes dying days later. Young Agnes was raised by her grandparents Robert and Margaret Melville. At the time of the 1891 census, 4-year-old Agnes Blackhall was living at Melville Cottage with Robert and Margaret.

Among the buildings that Robert Melville provided plumbing services for were: restoration work at Largo Parish Church, a new farm steading at Pratis Farm, Emsdorf Street's Bellville, work on G.S. Rodger's Upper Largo shop and many of the new villas built in the locality. Often he competed for work with another Kirkton plumber, Alexander Wilson.  

By 1901, the household at Melville Cottage comprised just 66-year-old Robert and 14-year-old Agnes, know going by the name Agnes Melville. Margaret Melville had passed away in 1898. Young Agnes was described as 'Assistant Shop Keeper (China)'. Alexander Allan ran a neighbouring china shop. Agnes (or Aggie) became a keen collector of postcards around this time. A selection of those she received during her late teens are shown below.

In 1911, Robert's eldest daughter Catherine (a maternity nurse) was living with him and he was listed as a 'plumber and gas fitter'. Granddaughter Agnes was by now in Glasgow, working as a hospital nurse and back to using the surname Blackhall. Robert Melville died on 15 November 1916, aged 82. Eldest daughter Catherine became owner of Melville Cottage and the other buildings that belonged to her father. Second daughter, Isabella, was married to Leven postmaster Alexander Hunter. Agnes Blackhall (the 'Miss Melville' of the postcards below) died in 1958, unmarried, having devoted her life to her nursing career.

With their imposing facades fronting onto Victoria Road, the symmetrical pair of double villas shown above were from left to right originally named St Margaret's, Mount Vernon, Aird Bank and St Catherine's. The former pair are dated 1897 and the latter 1896. All were built under the instruction of enterprising local joiner and contractor Walter Horne. The newspaper piece from 1 July 1897 Leven Advertiser below details the stage of the development at that time, noting that:

"Coming from the station, the eye is at once arrested by the appearance of the double villas which have been erected by Mr W. Horne. The building on the right is sold, the other is hardly complete; they are of uniform design, rounded off with turrets at each end. Behind this, Mr Archibald M. White has almost finished a handsome self-contained villa, set off with oriels on each side of the entrance."

The 'self-contained villa' mentioned as being behind the main development is Lindisfarne (obscured and unseen in the above photo). Mount Vernon (left of centre, with the turret, now 10 Links Road) was run as a boarding house from newly built. Its entrance was on Station Road (now Links Road) - as seen in the image further below.

The first owner of Mount Vernon was Liverpool-born David Simpson. His joiner and cabinet-maker father had been born in Markinch but moved to Lancashire as a young man. David junior returned to his father's place of birth and became a partner at Balbirnie Wool Mill. In 1897, he married Mary Forrester, in the Crusoe Hotel, which had been run by Mary's parents John and Jane Forrester for many years. John had died in 1896 and, while Jane had taken over the Crusoe licence initially, she soon left the hotel to run Mount Vernon as a boarding house.

At the time of the 1901 census, David and Mary Simpson were living in St Margaret's with their two infant daughters, while Mary's 73-year-old mother Jane was next door at Mount Vernon. Jane ran the boarding house with two of her other daughters, Isabella and Lucy and a couple of her grand-daughters. When Jane died in 1902 aged 74, another of her daughters, Jeannie Hodge Forrester, took over the running of Mount Vernon.

​Jeannie (who died in 1940 aged 81) continued to be in charge there until the early 1920s, when Mrs Agnes Watters became proprietrix. It is Mrs Watters' name that appears on the advert below. By 1935 Mrs Watters was running both Mount Vernon and Victoria Boarding House . She still had both businesses in 1940. I imagine that one or both properties would have had some use during the Second World War as billets for soldiers.  

So why the name 'Mount Vernon'? Well, first owner, David Simpson, was born in Liverpool. In the city there is a district known as Mount Vernon which his family lived close to. The use of this name in Liverpool dates back to circa 1800. This seems linked to the fact that, in 1799, George Washington, the first President of the United States, died. His Virginia home was named Mount Vernon.  At that time there were strong links between Liverpool and the east coast of the USA and a ship named 'Mount Vernon' regularly sailed between the two places. A road in the growing city of Liverpool became known as Mount Vernon Place and the name has continued to be used to this day. Incidentally, the reason for George Washington's home being named Mount Vernon was that George's half-brother Lawrence, who owned the property prior to him, served under Admiral Edward Vernon during the War of Jenkins' Ear and renamed his estate in honour of his former commanding officer.