The fishing boat pictured above is the Fortunatus of Largo. This 39-feet vessel belonged to William Davidson Hutton. The image dates to before the fisherman's bothy was built on the pier in 1888. A man can be seen on board in the centre of the boat and there is a huddle of several men on the pier behind the boat. Note also the planks of wood propped up against the wall and what look like wooden crates stacked up to the right. This could well be a scene of the preparations for a fishing trip.
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In 1880 the Fortunatus experienced a tragic event when crew member William Kidd was lost overboard while bound for the herring fishing in Aberdeen. Kidd had been hauling in a rope when the handle he was holding came loose causing him to be thrown into the water. The 1 July Fifeshire Journal report below tells of how attempts to save him proved unsuccessful. William had been married for 3 years to Agnes Smith and they had a two-year-old son Alexander and a younger child, of only three weeks old, named William.
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While the above newspaper report notes the registration of the Fortunatus as KY 1513, other records have it registered as KY 1848. Either the newspaper report is incorrect or there were in fact two boats with the same name both owned by William Hutton, with one perhaps replacing the other. The Fortunatus was one of the fleet of larger Largo fishing boats that made the long trips up north and down south to Yarmouth each year. The 13 July 1893 Fifeshire Journal below reports on its herring fishing trip to Peterhead and Aberdeen, along with the Osprey, Ocean Bride, Sultan, Annie Johnston, Largo Bay, British Queen and Forget-Me-Not. William Hutton was also joint owner, with James Kidd, of the Jane and Minnie, which was built in 1886. James Kidd was the elder brother of the William Kidd mentioned above, who died in 1880 after falling from the Fortunatus.

The name 'Fortunatus' is the Latin for happy, lucky, rich, blessed - an appropriate choice of name for the unpredictable life of the fisherman. William Davidson Hutton was born in 1851 and was one of the more fortunate fishermen, leading a long life. He married Margaret Guthrie in 1874. They had eleven children and celebrated their Golden Wedding in 1924 (see 30 September Leven Advertiser piece below). William died five years later in 1929, at 5 Defoe Place, aged 78. William was a member of Largo Parish Council and the School Board, as well as President of the Largo Harbour Committee.
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The detail of the Erskine Beveridge image above shows the fishing boat Jane and Minnie, registration KY 400, berthed at Largo Harbour in the 1880s while a travelling fair sets up on the pier. She was built at Millar's yard in St Monans for James Kidd and William Hutton of Largo. At 55 feet in length, she would have exceeded the previous largest boat at Largo - the Ocean Bride - by three and a half feet. Pictured soon after her 1886 completion and before the work to install toilet facilities on the pier in 1888, this image dates to that short window of time between the two events. The East of Fife Record of 19 March 1886 below reports on the launch of the Jane and Minnie.

The boat was named after the youngest daughters (at the time) of each owner. James Kidd had a daughter called Jane (born 1883) and William Hutton had a daughter called Wilhelmina (born 1885). James would go on to have another daughter in 1889, also named Wilhelmina - a name generally shortened to Minnie. Naming boats after family members was fairly common practice and, where ownership was joint, a name from each owner's family could be combined.

James Kidd was born in Largo around 1848 and married Lucy Duncan in 1870. William Davidson Hutton was born in Largo in 1851. He married Margaret Guthrie on 18 September 1874. They had eleven children. Sadly, Minnie (born just before the boat's completion) died aged four and a half in 1890 during an outbreak of measles in the village. William had other boats, such as Fortunatus and Welcome (more on them to come in future posts).

Just a couple of weeks after the launch of the Jane and Minnie, she was the last boat to see fellow Largo fishing boat The Brothers shortly before the latter was lost with all hands about 50 miles east of May Isle. The following year, one of the boat's crew "had a narrow escape from drowning" having fallen overboard while up North for the summer herring fishing. The 15 July 1887 East of Fife Record below reported the incident.

Like other large Largo-based fishing boats of the time, the Jane and Minnie followed the seasonal fishing trips of the Lammas drave up north and the Winter herrin' trip south. The 1890 13 November Fifeshire Journal provided an update on the trip south to Yarmouth, where the Jane and Minnie and the Ocean Bride were caught in a storm. The former lost eighteen nets, while the latter came close to losing two men. The two boats had left Largo on 28 September, so this had happened around six weeks into their expedition.

In 1897, the 2 September Dundee Courier (below) noted the return of Largo's fishing fleet home, after a disappointing summer drave. Six boats from a fleet of seven had returned at this point from Aberdeen, including David Ballingall's Forget-Me-Not and Thomas Lawrie's Sultan. This period was really the final few years of Largo having a fleet of large fishing vessels. By 1901, the Ocean Bride was the only one still operating. The death of James Kidd in April 1901 aged 53 years likely hastened the end for the Jane and Minnie. James was survived by his widow, four daughters and two sons. William Hutton passed away in 1929 at the age of 78. He was a member of the Largo Parish Council and the School Board and was actively involved in the Harbour Committee up until his death. He was survived by his widow and grown up family.

In the image above you can see the central hatch is open. Crew members would stand on boards in the hold to haul the fish-laden nets through the hatches. In challenging sea conditions this could be a risky procedure. When similar boat, the Brothers of Largo, was lost in 1886, it was concluded that she had been swamped by a heavy sea while her hatches were off and the crew were hauling their lines. The wider image below shows the full height of the Ocean Bride, dominating the mid-1880s Erskine Beveridge photograph.

William and Robert Gillies were the owners of the Ocean Bride. Born about 1845, they were twins and the brothers of both Samuel Gillies (skipper of the ill-fated Brothers) and of David Gillies (owner of the Violet). Their parents were fisherman John Gillies and his wife Grace Sharp. They are not to be confused with another pair of brothers also named William and Robert Gillies, who built the Semiquaver yacht. The namesakes were in fact cousins. Their respective fathers were brothers John and James Gillies, two of the sons of David Gillies (1782-1846) and Catherine Selkirk or Selcraig (1779-1862). Catherine was the great-grand-niece of Alexander Selkirk of Robinson Crusoe fame and was, until her death, keeper of many of his artefacts.

Ocean Bride owners William and Robert were life-long fishermen. In 1869, William married Margaret Methven, daughter of Lundin Mill stone mason Andrew Methven. They were married by Reverend David Malloch and went on to have twelve children. Robert married Mary Scott, who had been a housemaid at Lahill House, in 1877. The twin brothers were aged around 37 years old when they had Ocean Bride built. Four years later the incident described below took place at St Monans (2 April 1886 East of Fife Record). 

The vessel was regularly mentioned in the local press over the years, as it took part in the regular annual fishing events such as the Lammas Drave (which took place through late July, August and early September) and the Winter Herrin'. While offering the hope of rich reward, these trips could be risky and variable in terms of success. In 1889 for example, the Ocean Bride and the Osprey had to return to Largo from Shetland when their herring fishing was scuppered by waters "swarming with dog fish which cut the nets to pieces". The two boats were refitted before heading up to Aberdeen to join other Largo crews. Later the same year, the Ocean Bride made a trip to Yarmouth where a very successful fishing was had.

​In 1890 the trip to Yarmouth yielded some very heavy catches but some proved so large that Ocean Bride had to cut away several of her nets.  Worse came later in the same trip when two of her crew were washed overboard. They were recovered "with much difficulty" (see 13 November Fifeshire Journal below). Folks back home in Largo would eagerly await news from such trips, which came via letter or telegraph. The fish would not be brought back to Largo of course. Catches were sold at markets close to the fishing grounds and the money brought back home to the fishermen's' families.
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In 1897, the worst kind of news came. Robert Gillies had lost his life on 17 August, drowned in the North Sea, 38 miles off Aberdeen, when he was accidentally knocked overboard by the tiller. The article from 26 August Leven Advertiser details the circumstances of the accident, which happened when "a nasty sea was running". The impact of his loss back in Largo can only be imagined. His wife Mary was left with five children. And twin brother William was devastated to lose his twin, having been "inseparable from infancy" and "seldom seen the one without the other". 

The short piece below from 28 August 1897 Fife Free Press notes the arrival of the Ocean Bride back into Largo with the remainder of the crew. This was a gloomy occasion which raised questions about the safety of the tiller on such a boat.
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However, the Ocean Bride would continue to operate under surviving brother William Gillies. In fact, within a few years, it was only only large deep sea fishing boat left in Largo. From upwards of twenty large boats in 1875, the Ocean Bride was the last one remaining 25 years later. The 12 September 1901 Leven Advertiser describes how she fared at the Lammas drave. By this time, other local fishermen were sailing with St Monans boats. This had become the new pattern - Largo fishermen, who no longer had a share in a boat, were carried by other East Fife fishing-boats as "half-dealsmen". This was the term used for men from another town who had no share in a boat and were paid a weekly wage to be part of the crew. 

In 1902, Ocean Bride was described as "the sole survivor of Largo's fleet" and the only locally owned craft due to take part in the Lammas drave. The 19 June Leven Advertiser noted that "Skipper Gillies is busy fitting her out and by the first of next month the Ocean Bride will be heading for Aberdeen". The piece continued "Largo is gradually losing touch with the great fishings of the year....Even the yawl crews are fewer this summer than heretofore, only three or four small boats plying the lines". Ocean Bride features in the postcard image below, in the foreground. The sail partially down, she appears to be in the process of either being loaded or unloaded. 

The Leven Advertiser of 30 August 1906 reported a successful drave for Skipper Gillies and the half dealsmen on St Monans and Cellardyke boats, who were also doing well and would "have a handsome share to lift at the final parting".  However, the following year the same newspaper on 11 September 1907 described the Ocean Bride's return to Largo, after seven weeks work at Aberdeen at the summer drave, as having only modest returns. 

It is always exciting to find a photograph featuring a Largo-based boat with a clear name or registration number. It provides an opportunity for further research both of the boat and of the owner. The boat seen front and centre of the image above shows KY 289 tied up at Largo pier circa 1900. This half-ton, 23 feet long vessel belonged to David Gillies and was named Violet. For a time boats under 15 tons burden were marked with their registration numbers first, followed by the letter code of their port of registry, hence the marking 289 KY. KY of course denotes Kirkcaldy.
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The postcard image above shows Violet hauled up onto the sands at the Temple, her name clearly legible on the right. There are three men and a boy inside the boat and an older man standing proudly in front of it. It would seem likely that the man standing is boat owner David Gillies and the others are members of his family. This David Gillies was not the net manufacturer of the same name but the fisherman known as "Fisher Davie". He lived between 1836 and 1923 and resided in the Crusoe Buildings.  The same boat is in the same place in the photograph below, with a wider view of the Temple in the background. 

David Gillies was son of fisherman John Gillies and his wife Grace Sharp. David married Mary Simpson (daughter of shoemaker Alexander Simpson) in 1858. They had six children (five sons and a daughter). David was the brother of Samuel Gillies, who lost his life, along with six other Largo men when the Brothers fishing boat was caught in a squall about 50 miles east of the May Isle in 1886. It was David who registered the death of Samuel, as well as the deaths of Samuel's sons John and Alexander. ​
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The Violet was still on the list of boats based at Largo in 1914, when David Gillies would have been aged around 78 years. The full list of Largo's registered boats in 1914 is below, the Violet being the smallest vessel among those listed. Violet is pictured further below in the harbour at Lower Largo with the tide back. David Gillies died in 1923 aged 87 years.
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The Forget-Me-Not was a 48.5 feet fishing boat owned by David Ballingall with the registration KY 2011. In the above photograph, it is shown returning into Largo Harbour in the days when wooden fenders were in place as a protective measure against collisions against the main pier structure. The highest fending on the pier are what were known as “branders”. These were put in place to protect the paddle steamers from damage by the stonework of the Pier.

By their very nature, the most important and vulnerable parts of a paddle steamer are the two sets of paddle wheels. When lying alongside, the whole weight of a paddle steamer is being taken along the paddle box, the only part of the vessel actually touching the harbour wall. As such, the branders ensured that the paddle wheels were always well away from the stonework of the Pier which, in the case of Largo Pier, was very uneven. The branders were of such a height that the paddles were still protected when lying alongside at high water, spring tides.

Seven years later, on 9 February 1889 there was a close call when the Forget-Me-Not got into difficulty at the entrance to the new harbour at Dunbar. The Dundee Courier of 11 February below describes how the vessel hit the rocks and began to sink before being blown into the harbour mouth. Fortunately, the crew were rescued and the stricken boat moved to safety. 
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The story continues in the 22 February Fifeshire Advertiser (below). The boat was refloated and towed by a Leith tug to Pittenweem. Back at Fulton's boat yard, where she had been built seven years previously, the Forget-Me-Not was extensively repaired. This came at considerable cost to David Ballingall, as the boat was not insured at the time of the incident.
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After repairs were completed, the Forget-Me-Not was back in business and able to once again join other Largo vessels at the herring fishing. The piece below from the 13 July 1893 Fifeshire Journal reports that she joined Thomas Lawrie's 'Sultan' and other local boats on a trip up to Peterhead and Aberdeen.
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The Forget-Me-Not has been captured on camera more than once and even featured prominently on a Largo postcard (below). In the this image, a large crowd, including several women and children, has gathered on the pier end. Could this have been family gathering to see off the crew as they departed on one of their longer and further flung fishing engagements?  

Thomas Lawrie was born around 1853 to James Lawrie and Isabella Sime. The 1861 census records the family, headed by James aged 34 who was described as a 'Seaman (Merchant Service)', with wife and five children including Thomas aged 7. Four years later, in December 1865, James was sailing from New Brunswick Canada back to the Clyde on board the Alfaretta of Miramichi with a cargo of timber, on what was turn out to be an ill-fated voyage.

On Christmas Day, James along with another man, were lost off the topsailyard of the brand new 627 ton vessel. Experiencing heavy gales from early on in their journey, which began on 2 December, a "heavy gale capsized the ship on her beam ends" late on Christmas Eve and all were left clinging to the hull. After two hours, the ship righted and it was apparent that two were missing. The survivors suffered from exposure, thirst and hunger before being picked up on 2 January by the Peerless. The Alfaretta was ultimately found wrecked some way off the island of Barra.

The article below from the 4 January Glasgow Herald reported the loss of James Lawrie (although incorrectly named the vessel). James had been born in Wemyss Parish around 1827 to William Lawrie and Sophia Neish before the family moved to Largo, where James married Isabella Sime.

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So by the time of the 1871 census, James's widow Isabella was head of the family household and was described as a washerwoman. Thomas, now 17 years old, was already a fisherman and was living with his mother and two younger siblings. Thomas was married in 1877 to Isabella Clunie (daughter of fisherman John Clunie) and in 1881 census they had two children - James (2) and Isabella (4 months) and were living in Drummochie. 

In 1891, another tragedy at sea hit the Lawrie family when Thomas's brother David died. He fell overboard the steamer British Queen while returning from the Elbe. The Fifeshire Journal of 29 January below described the event. In the census of the same year, Thomas and his wife continued to live in Largo, now with five children (John, Mary and Maggie having been born since the previous census).
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In 1893, Thomas and Isabella's sixth child, David was born. Sadly they lost their 14-year-old daughter Mary in 1901 from tuberculosis. The 1901 census shows four children at home, including son James, a line fisherman and son John, an apprentice golf club maker. Ten years later, the family were at Main Street Lower Largo with the two youngest children still at home and Thomas aged 58 described as a line fisherman. In 1912 Thomas's mother Isabella Sime died aged 87 years.

1934 saw the death of Thomas's wife Isabella Clunie aged 84 at their home Westerlea, Defoe Place in Lower Largo. Thomas remained active and as he reached 70 years active involvement in fishing, attracted the attention of the newspapers. He appeared in the 13 November 1934 Leven Advertiser under the headline "Largo's Ever-Youthful Fishermen: Aged 82 and Still at Work". The piece (extract below) tells of how, although Thomas no longer made the trips to Yarmouth and other deep-sea fishing grounds, he made a daily appearance at Largo Harbour to help the younger fishermen ready their boats and nets.
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The piece goes on to describe how Thomas once had two boats of his own. One of those was the Sultan (incorrectly noted as the Saughton in the above newspaper report) which was at one time the largest boat in Largo. At 45 feet long Thomas had the Sultan (registration KY 240) for 32 years before it moved on to Leith. As well as the loss of his father and brother at sea, Thomas had acutely felt the loss of his fellow Largo fishermen when the Brothers went down in 1886. He explained that his own narrowest escape had taken place when he and six mates were caught in a sudden storm at Yarmouth and "had to work like grim death to keep their course". Mr Lawrie's seven decades in fishing had seen the peak days of fishing at Largo when 20 boats left the harbour for Yarmouth to a staged decline until no boats made the journey any more. The feature ended with the words "the baldies may have gone from Largo but Skipper Tom Lawrie is still there, hale and hearty."
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The above image (from the Dundee Courier of 21 May 1935) shows Thomas with some drying fishing gear by the old salt girnel or net house on the Drummochy side of Largo harbour. Thomas lived until the ripe old age of 98. He passed away on 22 January 1951 at Westerlea. At the time he was Largo's oldest inhabitant. The Leven Mail of 31 January reported that his death was deeply regretted by fisher folk all around the East Neuk and that he was "well-known and respected by everyone for miles around". Always a familiar figure around the pier, Thomas loved to talk about the old days and was the only man in the village to remember the building of the railway viaduct. He was survived by two sons and two daughters.
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Concluding this mini-series reviewing the 1988 tourist guide entitled "All About Lundin Links, Lower Largo, Upper Largo and Surrounding Villages", this is a review of the Lower Largo-related content. As expected, much mention was made of the village's claim to fame as the birthplace of Alexander Selkirk - the inspiration for Daniel Defoe's 'Robinson Crusoe'.  The guide explained that the statue had been "temporarily moved to the Glasgow Garden Festival as a centre-piece for the East Neuk heritage trail display". Taken away in October 1987, the half-ton, bronze statue was given clean up and repair job before being painted green for the festival which ran from 26 April to 26 September 1988. ​

Many adverts for businesses based in the village appeared in the guide, including one for Martin Anderson's studio, which continues to this day from the same address. It is pictured in recent times below (photographed during Largo Arts Week when it was one of the open studios).

The Post office was still at its 91 Main Street location in 1988, with the long-serving Mrs Elizabeth Grassick as proprietor. It also sold sweets, souvenirs and other goods. Mrs Grassick would retire the following year. The Post Office later had a brief spell at 68 Main Street (latterly the Baptist Church Hall but now demolished). 
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Another familiar former local business was Very Crafty.  In 1988 it was at 58 Main Street, as this was prior to its move to the Post Office building at number 91 (shown in the photo further below). Among the goods on offer at Very Crafty in the late 1980s was Dust Jewellery. This was jewellery by artist and silversmith Norman Grant, made in a workshop on Mill Wynd in Lundin Links. Eventually Norman Grant left Scotland to work in London but many local people still own examples of his work.
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A. Stephen and Son fish merchant of Durham Terrace advertised their trade and retail produce in the tourist guide too.  Further adverts were the pair below. Christine Elphick offered beauty therapies from 54 Main Street. The Railway Inn, owned by Helen Wallace, highlighted its "friendly olde worlde atmosphere". Established in 1749, the Railway Inn has been a fixture of the harbour area for almost two centuries.
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And if you were wondering what was going on over the summer months in 1988 - here are details of a few of the events arranged that season......

An earlier blog post looked at artist Eugen (or Eugene) Dekkert and a painting he did of Largo Harbour. Above is another painting of his, featuring the same scene but with different detail. The above artwork shows the harbour with the tide out and with a horse and cart using the ford under the viaduct and the footbridge from the Oilcake Mill to Drummochy (see 1893 map detail below where the route of the ford is shown in the centre as an 's' shaped dashed line).   

Both this painting, and the one shown at the foot of this post, omit the railway viaduct. Dekkert was fascinated by the sea and boats, so likely wanted to focus on this. Perhaps he thought that including the 1857 viaduct would have detracted from the quaint harbour scene. Omission of detail is just one way in which a painter can apply artistic licence to a piece to portray an alternative version of reality. The 21 August 1908 East of Fife Record piece below, tells us that Dekkert wished to focus on the "natural beauty of the spot" without the distraction of an imposing manmade structure.

With the outbreak of World War One, life changed for the Dekkerts. As the National Archives website explains:

"On 5 August 1914, the Aliens Restriction Act was quickly passed by parliament the day after war was declared on Germany requiring foreign nationals (aliens) to register with the police, and where necessary they could be interned or deported. This act was chiefly aimed at German nationals and later other enemy aliens living in the United Kingdom, but the legislation and subsequent orders-in-council affected all foreign nationals in this country.

Men of military age who were categorised as enemy aliens were arrested and interned, although for the most part this was done peacefully and men reported to temporary holding camps while more permanent internment camps were set up. Few records of individual enemy aliens have survived....With the coming of peace, restrictions on aliens were not removed but continued and extended by the Aliens Restriction (Amendment) Act 1919."

The Dekkerts movements during the war years are unclear but they did eventually return to Germany, settling in Bavaria. In August 1922 their belongings in Scotland including furniture, paintings, frames, easels, etc were sold off (see notice from the Scotsman newspaper below). Eugen re-established links with his native city of Szczecin, joining artistic and museum associations there. The Stadt Museum Stettin awarded him an atelier in their building at Hakenterrasse (now Wały Chrobrego), which he used for several seasons in 1920s and 1930s. Fascinated by the hustle and bustle of the neighbouring waterway, he captured the changeable weather and varied scenes of the Oder River. 

Today his work has permanent exhibition space at the Szczecin History Museum. Many of his works, collected by The National Museum in Szczecin can be seen there, including views of his home city. During his career, Dekkert painted in Italy, France and The Netherlands. As well as St Monans, he exhibited his works in Glasgow, Munich, Dresden and Berlin. Examples of his work were purchased by museums in several different countries. On Eugen Dekkert's 70th birthday in 1935, the City Museum in his home city held a jubilee exhibition. It was one of the painter's last visits to Szczecin. He died in 1956 in alpine Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Lower Largo of the 18th century would have looked quite different to present day village. The painting above gives a good impression of the thatched and pantiled buildings, of various shapes and sizes, constructed from local stone and crowded into the available space. In the background of this view, the former Largo Relief Church would have stood. This was the church that preceded the 1871 former church building on Main Street.

The origins of the Largo Relief Church date back to a vacancy at Largo Kirk in Upper Largo in 1768 which led to the controversial appointment of Reverend David Burn. The portion of the congregation that were strongly opposed to this choice protested by leaving the church. These folk initially met in the open air to worship as an independent group but in 1770 they applied for (and were granted) pulpit supply from the Relief Church of Edinburgh. Soon afterwards, the newly formed congregation were given land from Mr Durham of Largo House upon which to erect a Church. Work soon began on the church building marked 'U.P. Church' on the 1866 map below.

This church would have been a simple rectangular structure, with entrance porch and internal balcony. The reminiscence below (which appeared in the 18 November 1884 Dundee Courier) tells of how the construction of the church was very much a community affair. Materials for the building were gathered from the beach by men, women and children, to supplement the mason's supplies. The total cost came to a modest £18 4s.

The building of the church was swiftly followed by the construction of a manse for the minister, the Reverend Robert Paterson, which still stands at 23 Main Street (pictured above). This would have originally had a thatched roof. A forestair to the rear provided access to the upper floor. For a long time this would have been one of the highest status dwellings in the village. 

The previous post about Largo St David's Church mentioned how, at the time when the old Relief Church building was dismantled, the remains of a former minister had to be removed from the site. This referred to the third minister of Largo Relief Church, James Gardiner, who held the position for 38 years, from 1805 until his death in 1843. He succeeded Rev. James Stuart who died in 1803.

James Gardiner was born around 1782 in Stirlingshire. The year after arriving in Largo, he married Dysart-born Elizabeth Ramsay. The record of their marriage is shown below. Their first child, Catherine, was born in 1807, followed by Robert (1809), Janet (1811), Isabella (1813) and James (1816). At the time of the 1841 census (the only one in which James appears), James is described as a clergyman, living with wife, Elizabeth and two daughters, Catherine and Isabella. Janet had died in 1828 aged 17. 
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During his 38 years as minister Reverend Gardiner would have witnessed many events among his congregation - births, deaths and marriages. He would have presided over many special occasions, including the example above of a soiree held in the church (or 'meeting house') in 1838. As he aged, an assistant and successor was sought and from 1840-41 Rev. Gardiner had a co-minister - Rev. James Hamilton. However, this succession plan did not work out and Hamilton left Largo. Gardiner remained in post until his death at the Relief Manse on 28 February 1843. At his request, he was laid to rest within the church that had been so central to his existence for most of his lifetime. A tribute to him was recorded in the Session Minutes - remarking on his faithful and devoted service:

"He preached, as he felt, he lived as he preached, and he died as he lived in the firm and blessed hope of a glorious resurrection."

Gardiner was followed by Reverend Bryce Kerr who was ordained one month after the death of Gardiner. However, he died only eight months later, at the young age of 27 years (on 25 November 1843). Throughout the 1840s, there had been much discussion around the proposed union between the Relief Church and the United Secession Church. This came to pass in 1847, when the United Presbyterian Church was formed and the church at Lower Largo took on that name. 
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In 1852, the now U.P. Church underwent refurbishment, as the 6 May Fifeshire Journal reported. The building was 80 years old by this point and in spite of these "considerable repairs", including the installation of new iron pillars to support the balcony, the church's days were numbered. Two decades after the repairs, the church building closed for good and was dismantled. The 18 July 1872 Fifeshire Journal used phrases such as "very ugly" and "tumble-down" to describe the old church. However, the fact that it had endured for a century and seen nine ministers serve the community that had played such a key role in its construction makes it a remarkable building in my opinion. 
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​The architect of Largo St David's Church was a prolific designer of churches across Scotland, known to have designed more than eighty of them, among other buildings. However, the Lower Largo church is an example of his work that does not feature in the list of buildings and designs credited to him in the Dictionary of Scottish Architects - here. His role as architect of Largo's former United Presbyterian Church seems to have been missed by archivists. Yet, the Fife Herald (16 March 1871) above tells how Baldie's plans for a "plain, neat and commodious" church were approved by the church committee. The new church would be aligned north-south, in contrast to the east-west facing old church that it would replace (which stood where Downfield now stands).

Baldie had already designed a number of churches for the United Presbyterian Church by 1871, including some in Fife. The new church was opened the following year, as reported in the Fifeshire Journal of 25 July 1872 below. The piece also notes that Baldie's plan had been drawn up "some years ago". No doubt it took time to raise the necessary funds to execute the plan. The main builder of the ediface was Mr Given (an Elie mason), with a number of unnamed experienced workmen taking on the rest of the labour. The remains of a  former minister, Rev. James Gardiner, had to be removed from the old church and reburied in Dundee. The foundation stone of the new building was laid by Provost Patrick Don Swan of Kirkcaldy, a flax merchant, shipowner and shipbuilder.
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Although described as 'plain', the church was adorned with some modest detailing. This included the initials D.M. to denote the then minister, David Malloch, and date 1871. A few basic rose and gothic triangle shaped windows are present (see some of those features in detail below). The fish motifs in the stained glass windows that can be seen today were likely a later addition, as these are not mentioned in the 20 July 1872 Fifeshire Advertiser description of the windows below. 

The most striking feature of the church (certainly when viewed from a distance) was a tall bellcote (now long gone) which once dominated the streetscape. Eventually becoming unsafe, this feature was removed and the bell which it housed moved to the rear of the building after a fundraising drive to pay for the work in the 1960s. The bell was gifted by Alexander Hogg and was more than likely made at the Gorbals Brass and Bell Foundry in Glasgow, which was Scotland's only ever industrial scale bell foundry, casting over 3,000 bells in its 90-year history.

Architect Robert Baldie was born in Stirling in 1824, the same year as David Malloch. Like Malloch, he moved to Glasgow in the 1840s. He was described as a joiner in the 1851 census - just before he married Ann Lennox Fraser the same year. Establishing his architectural practice in the early 1860s, he quickly gained a reputation for designing churches and manses across Scotland including Glasgow, Argyll, Perthshire and Fife. One of his Fife churches was the U.P. Church on Leven's Durie Street (latterly St Peter's R.C. Church). In fact, construction of the Leven and Largo churches overlapped, with the Leven church being completed first and opening in September 1871. Its builder was John Morrison of Glasgow, according to the Fife Free Press  of 23 September 1871. Both Leven and Largo U.P. churches were designed in a Gothic style of architecture and both were compact, street-fronted churches in pre-existing tight spaces.

Indeed, many of Baldie's United Presbyterian churches were built at relatively low cost with minimal detailing and were gothic revival in style. When comparing Baldie's other church designs from a similar date, similarities can be seen. For example, the gothic style main entrance, flanked by small lancet windows and a large gothic arched window above the door. There are variations in the detail of those features and some designs had the addition of a porch, belfry or spire. Clockwise from top left in the composite image below are:

Largo St David's (sketch by Mr J.H. Williams) (1871)
Leven U.P. Church (later known as St John's U.F Church and then St Peter's R.C. Church) (1870)
Carnoustie U.P. Church (1872)
Saltcoats Free Church (1869).

A long (but not comprehensive) list of Baldie's work appears in the Dictionary of Scottish Architects. Some of his churches were at the grander end of the scale, reflecting the wealth of the congregations which commissioned them. Below for example is Govanhill U.P. Church and further below the spired pair of churches - St Kessog's in Calendar (left, which later became a Tourist Information Centre) and Pollockshields Church (right).

Robert Baldie did design buildings other than churches and manses. His largest commission was the impressive frontage for the Carron Company Iron Works in Falkirk (1876) with ornamental clock tower above an archway entrance (see further below). The crow-stepped tower was originally the centrepiece for a 53-bay frontage, behind which were offices, a warehouse and a workshop. Only the archway and clocktower still survives today. He also undertook some overseas works, largely connected with church mission work. He designed schools, churches, hospitals and houses in places such as Spain, China and various parts of Africa.