VINTAGE LUNDIN LINKS AND LARGO
  • Blog

Birth Announcement Postcard

16/5/2025

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
The above postcard is postmarked Leven 28 August 1912 and was addressed to Mrs William Wallace, 116 Easter Road, Edinburgh. The sender was Maggie of 2 Seagate, Leven and her message was as follows:

Dear Aunt, A little brother arrived here on Monday morning, both mother and baby are keeping well. Maggie 

On the front of the postcard was a faded image taken from the Links at Leven, looking towards Lundin Links and Largo. More interesting is the large "BB" written in blue pencil over the message side of the card.  Was this code for Baby Boy? Could this have been something added by the postal service - an annotation to indicate a special message?  If you know anything of this practice, please comment.

​Postcards specially designed for birth announcements did exist at the time. Some examples are shown below. Most of them consisted of imagery such as cabbage patches, storks and chimneys!
​ 
Picture

Who was this "little brother" and who was Maggie?  The birth record below provides the answer. John McLean MacDonald was born at 2 Seagate, Leven on Monday 26 August 1912. His parents were Hector MacDonald, a dock labourer, and Isabella Doig. His elder sister Margaret Balfour MacDonald was born in 1898, so was aged around 14 at the time of his birth. The family (with five children) still lived at 2 Seagate at the time of the 1921 census. Baby John lived to the age of 84, passing away in 1996 in Leven.

Picture

The annotated image below picks out some recognisable features from the postcard image:

1. Aithernie House (Old Manor Hotel)
2. Lundin Links Station
3. Elmwood and Ravenswood
4. Lundin Golf Club House
​​
Picture
0 Comments

Wartime Postcard

9/5/2025

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture

The above postcard is postmarked Lundin Links 21 November 1917 and was addressed to Mrs Bushell, 36 Kett's Hill in Norwich. The sender was Sergeant George Ballingall and his message was as follows:

Dear Mrs Bushell, I have arrived here all safe and glad to say found all my dear ones in the pink. I am pleased I am the same. Hoping that this P.C. finds you all well. I don't know how to thank you for the fruit etc as it came in very nice on the journey north. Note the cross on house where I stay. I remain yours sincerely, Sgt. G. Ballingall

This was during the First World War and George Ballingall was a joiner who lived at 3 Park Terrace in Lundin Links (in the house he had marked with a cross on the postcard - see detail below). George was the son of John Ballingall the cork cutter and artist. Having been in the volunteers when war broke out, George left Fife to serve with The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders). At the time he sent the postcard, in November 1917, he must have been on a visit home. The "dear ones" that he refers to in his message are his wife Elizabeth Horne and three children, Isabella (born 1908), Annie (born 1910) and John (born 1916). He must have been relieved to find them all "in the pink". The postcard had been produced by Young's newsagent of Emsdorf Street and conveniently featured the Ballingall family home at 3 Park Terrace in the centre of the image. 

Picture
Picture

The First World War ended in November 1918 but in 1919 George was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) for services in the field. This award was part of the King's Birthday Honours, which in 1919 were dominated by awards related to the recently ended war. The 3 June 1919 Dundee Courier below detailed the "Gallant Scots decorated by the King for services rendered in France and Flanders". Ballingall's name is highlighted below. The 14 June 1919 St Andrews Citizen piece further below notes his "considerable service in France" but few details are given of the nature of the distinguished service being awarded. If you know more about the events that led to his MSM award - please comment.

Picture
Picture

It must have been a huge relief for his family that George returned safely home at the end of the war, given that Largo Parish lost 51 men in the First World War. It must have been a source of great pride to see him awarded the Meritorious Service Medal after the war had ended. However, George Ballingall's story was not to have a happy ending. He became unwell shortly afterwards and was ultimately admitted to Glenalmond Sanatorium in Perthshire, a facility for patients with tuberculosis (a bacterial infection of the lungs which was common at the time). After serveral months as a patient there, George died on 23 June 1921, aged 32 years. 

George's wife had given birth to twin sons days before, on 10 June 1921 at the family home at 3 Park Terrace. In the days between the birth of twins Thomas and George and the death of their father, the 1921 census was taken. At 3 Park Terrace, Elizabeth was recorded as the head of the household, her five children were listed and in addition her sister Mary Ainslie (nee Horn) and niece Isabella were also living there. Meanwhile George was recorded as a patient at Glenalmond, where it was noted that he was a joiner with R.G. Galloway and had five dependent children. He died two days after the census was taken.

The 30 June 1921 Leven Advertiser below gave an account of the funeral of George Ballingall, which was a military and masonic funeral. Over 100 masons attended, along with representatives of the Black Watch and the pipe band. Largo Silver Band were also present. 

Picture

As a footnote, the purple pencil in which the postcard was written was likely an army issue copying pencil. Copying, or indelible, pencils were widely used during the First World War to assist officers in completing paperwork. They were used in the field as the non-erasable qualities of indelible pencils made them much more convenient than the alternatives.
​
Picture
0 Comments

Thomas Weir Stuart Burnett (1853-1888) - Sculptor of Crusoe Statue

2/5/2025

0 Comments

 
Picture

The above photograph features the Robinson Crusoe statue on Lower Largo's Main Street, on the day of its unveiling. The evergreen branches around the edges of the image are some of the many decorations around the village on that momentous day - 11 December 1885. The base of the statue (see detail below) is inscribed with the words T Stuart Burnett A.R.S.A. Sc. 1885 to indicate that the sculptor was Thomas Stuart Burnett, an Associate of the Royal Scottish Academy, and that the piece was sculpted in 1885. Burnett was present on the day of the unveiling, along with his wife.

Picture
Picture

A full illustrated biography Thomas Stuart Burnett has recently been published online and can be found here.  This blog biography provides a full account of all Burnett achieved in his relatively short lifetime. Many photographs of the man, his family and his works are included. A read through this record, which has been created by Burnett's great grandson William Walkington, is highly recommended.

https://williamwalkington.blogspot.com/p/thomas-weir-stuart-burnett-1853-1888.html​

As well as learning about the creation of the Robinson Crusoe statue in the context of Burnett's other work, you can find out some fascinating facts such as his role in the creation of the Greyfriars Bobby statue at the junction of Candlemaker Row and George IV Bridge in Edinburgh.

Picture

It is especially interesting to note that the man who acted as best man at Burnett's wedding in 1882 was artist George Whitton Johnstone. A member of the Royal Scottish Academy, Johnstone produced multiple watercolour landscapes of the Largo are in the late nineteenth century, including of Viewforth and the Temple. Johnstone is also known to have acted as model for Burnett's statue of Rob Roy (1884). Is it possible he could also have modelled for the Crusoe statue? And if not, who did? Do you think there are similarities between the two pieces below (Rob Roy to the left and Crusoe to the right)? If you visit the biography, you can see a photograph of Johnstone and decide for yourself whether he bears some resemblance to the famous statue of Robinson Crusoe. 

Picture

The day after the 1885 statue unveiling the Fife Free Press reported that...

"There has now been completed by Mr T. Stuart Burnett, A.R.S.A., a life-size statue, in bronze, of Robinson Crusoe. It is placed in a niche in the wall in front of the cottage where he is said to have been born, and stands about six feet high. It is spiritedly designed and perfectly executed, and it certainly tells its own story. There is no dubiety as to who the figure is intended to represent. To all who have read the romance of his first voyage, it looks like an old friend. Crusoe is clad in his rough coat of goat's skins, with torn and tattered breeches of the same material. His muscular legs are bare from knees down. His feet are enclosed in skin strapped down. His left hand is slightly pressed on an old rifle, while his right shades his eyes, which are looking expectantly to sea as if to snatch the glimpse of a passing sail. An old Scottish claymore hangs by the left side, while an old war axe hangs from his right side. The cap is also of skin. Altogether the figure is a satisfactory model, and a true representation of Robinson Crusoe". 

William Walkington's blog biography celebrates the productive life Thomas Stuart Burnett, cut short by his untimely death at the age of 34 years in 1888. Largo is fortunate to be graced by an fine example of Burnett's work, which continues to gaze down from the same location of its unveiling some 140 years ago.
​
Picture
With many thanks to William Walkington for sharing the link to his superb biography of Burnett, which provides an excellent resource and a detailed insight to the life of a talented man who left his mark on Largo.
0 Comments

Catherine Gillies (nee Selkirk) - 1779-1862

25/4/2025

2 Comments

 
Picture

Catherine Selkirk was born in Largo on 29 January 1779 and was baptised two days later in the presence of the congregation of Largo Kirk, as the record below tells us. Her parents were "John Selkirk weaver in Nether Largo and Margaret Martin his spouse". Nether Largo was the name used then for Lower Largo. The above photograph appeared in the book 'Seatoun of Largo' by Ivy Jardine (1982). John Selkirk (Catherine's father) was the son of Alexander Selkirk, who in turn was the son of David Selkirk (or Selcraig), the eldest brother of the famous Alexander Selkirk. This made Catherine 'Robinson Crusoe's' great-grand-niece.
​
Picture

When Catherine was eight years old her mother Margaret died. The record below shows that she died on 14 December 1787 and was buried on 17 December. Just over a year later, her father John remarried, to Isabel Peattie or Pattie.

So what was life like in Largo around that time?

The Old Statistical Account of 1792, written by the Reverend Mr Spence Oliphant of Largo Kirk, provides some insight to daily life. In terms of health and wellbeing, the account tells of how "coughs are very general, rheumatism and other inflammatory complaints are not infrequent. Epidemic disorders sometimes appear..." often affecting those on "a low and spare diet". The typical diet of the population was described as "meagre broth, potatoes, cheese, butter in small quantities, and a preparation of meal in different forms, make up their constant fare". Meat was generally reserved for "a birth or marriage, or some other festival".

​
Picture

At the time fish were "scarce" and "at present there is not a fisherman in Largo, and only 1 in Drummochy, who fishes in the summer and catches rabbits in the winter". The pier at Largo was in existence at the time "where vessels of 200 ton may receive or discharge their cargoes". In the Parish there were 3 corn mills, 2 barley mills, 3 lint mills and 2 salt pans. The main industry of the Parish was weaving, of mostly "linens and checks", with every weaver having access to a bleaching ground. The flax was mostly imported but was dressed and spun in the village. The image below provides some impression of how the buildings along the shore at Lower Largo looked at this time, although this particular artwork dates to a several decades later.

The Old Statistical Account also refers specifically to Alexander Selkirk and noted that "the chest and musket which Selkirk had with him on the island, are now in the possession of his grand-nephew, John Selkirk, weaver in Largo", referring to the father of Catherine. Upon the death of John Selkirk, Catherine became the keeper of the relics. These well-travelled artefacts had been left behind by Alexander around 1717 when he departed the village suddenly with Sophia Bruce.

Picture
Picture

Catherine Selkirk married fisherman/ linen weaver David Gillies in 1799. Some sources state that the couple had thirteen children but it is difficult to be certain as records are incomplete. In the census of 1841 (see extract above) David, Catherine, David junior (a fisherman) and Janet are listed in the household, as well as Catherine's sister Margaret Selkrig, aged 50. David Gillies died in 1846, leaving Catherine a widow. In the 1851 census (below) Catherine was recorded, aged 72, along with the only other member of the household - a 10-year-old grandchild, Christian Gillies. 
​
Picture

In September 1856, a London-based publication named Willis' Current Notes, included an article containing "New facts respecting Robinson Crusoe". The piece began as shown below and went on to quote extensively from the Largo Kirk Session records, listing various examples of the "naturally turbulent" lives of the family and their "quarrelsome habits". The piece ends by referring to "Widow Gillies" (Catherine) as the last of her generation of Selkirks, who reports suggest at this time had been predeceased by nine of her children. 

A picture is painted of a poor widow who relies on "the benevolence of those who visit her interesting cottage, and the relics of her far-famed predecessor". Among the visitors that viewed the cottage, the sea-chest and the cocoa nut cup, had been Sir Walter Scott and his Fife-born publisher Archibald Constable. The pair arranged for a new rosewood stem and foot to be added to Selkirk's cocoa nut cup, along with an inscribed silver band to encircle the rim. Constable also paid for the Largo Kirk Session records to be rebound.

Picture

Catherine lived to see the arrival of the railway in Largo in 1857, which must have been momentous for the community. At the time of the 1861 census she was living alone, and she died the following year, on 1 February 1862, just days after her 83rd birthday. Her obituary in the local press spoke of a "pleasant spoken" woman, who had experienced a life of labour and of "toiling, rejoicing, sorrowing". Having lost her mother as a child and predeceased by several children - sorrow was a theme throughout her life, yet this was coupled with a lifelong association with her famous relative and the home in which she lived was surrounded by public interest. 

Among the children who outlived her were:

Margaret Allan nee Gillies (married shoemaker David Allan); born c 1801, died 1876 aged 75
Samuel Gillies (fisherman); born c 1808, died in 1892 aged 84 at Bower House, Lower Largo
Christina Deas nee Gillies (married fisherman John Deas); born c1813,  died 1894 aged 81
James Gillies (fisherman/whaler); born 1816, died 1902 aged 87
Alexander Gillies (fisherman); born c1823, died 1898 aged 76


On her death record below her mother was incorrectly noted as Isabella Peattie, who was actually her step-mother. Her son Samuel registered her death and must have been illiterate as he signed with a cross as 'his mark'. Catherine was buried at the new cemetery very recently opened in the Parish. Soon after her death, the old cottage and birthplace of Alexander Selkirk (1676-1721) was demolished and the current Crusoe Buildings built upon the site. The relics so long cared for by Catherine were sold - finally separated from the birthplace of their former owner.
​
Picture
2 Comments

Alexander Selkirk's Cottage

18/4/2025

0 Comments

 
Picture

Pictured above is a carte de visite by John Patrick of Leven, featuring a model of the house in which Alexander Selkirk lived in Lower Largo. The name 'Patrick' and the place 'Leven' can be seen in tiny writing on the left of the card and on the reverse is the photography studio's logo of the time (see below). This photograph of the model house can be dated to circa 1865. 
​
Picture

The book 'Seatoun of Largo' by Ivy Jardine states that the scale model of the Selkirk cottage was made in 1865 by David Selkirk Gillies (then aged 22). John Patrick the photographer left Leven in 1867 for Kirkcaldy, confirming that the carte de visite must date to before then. The demolition of the old Selkirk home was preceded by the death in 1862 of Catherine Gillies (nee Selkirk or Selcraig) the great-grand-niece of Alexander Selkirk, the Largo-born inspiration for the character Robinson Crusoe. 
​
Picture

Catherine, the widow of fisherman David Gillies, died on 1 February 1862 aged 83 years. The notice above appeared in the 4 February Fife Herald. She was both the owner and occupant of the home where Alexander was born. She "guarded most religiously the cup and chest, which, as interesting relics, had descended as an heirloom in the family" according to the Fifeshire Journal of 17 April 1862. The piece went on to say that "the death of this old woman is about to be followed by changes which must tend much to break up and obliterate the Largo-Crusoe traditions....The quaint old house of her fathers, with its moss-covered thatch, its grey walls and small windows" would soon also meet its demise. The house was indeed pulled down and the Crusoe relics put up for sale. The old cottage was likely demolished in 1862, as the replacement building on its site was described as 'ready for occupation' in November 1863. The model may therefore date to 1862, if modelled from real life rather than memory or sketches.
​
Picture

The actual house was likely not quite as neat and straight-edged as the model suggests. The engraving below by William Ballingall from his 1872 book 'Shores of Fife' shows the same number of windows and doors but a more uneven rooftop and gables. The engraving also shows some additional detail in terms of the adjoining structures, which provide more context. Note the crow-stepped gables - some examples of which can still be seen on Main Street today.

Picture

Once the old buildings were taken down and the site cleared, several new dwellings were erected. The replacement building on the actual cottage site was named Crusoe Buildings. This symmetrical building contained four dwellings each of which had a 'kitchen' and a 'room' with space for a corner bed. The building had undergone several refurbishments over the decades, including the enlargement of some windows and the conversion of the attic. The niche at the upper level, where the statue now reside, does not feature on the original drawings for the building. The Robinson Crusoe statue that we see today was unveiled in 1885. 

Picture
Picture

Adjoining Crusoe Buildings were additional new dwellings, including 'Twin House', shown below, which was made for inseparable twin brothers William and Robert Gillies, owners of the fishing boat Ocean Bride. Several properties were built in total in a distinctive terrace - now 99 - 113 Main Street.
​
Picture

The model of the old cottage survived for many decades, receiving some repairs and repainting along the way. It looked slightly different by the early 1980s and appeared as below in the book 'Seatoun of Largo'. If you know what became of the scale model of the Selkirk family home - please leave a comment.
​
Picture
0 Comments

Hillhead Grocer Shop - Part 3

4/4/2025

1 Comment

 
Picture

The previous two blog posts have explored the origins of the former grocer shop at the foot of Hillhead Street (seen on the far left of the image above) and the somewhat turbulent turn of the century period for the shop. The next chapter in its history picks up from the departure of Matthew Barrie to Melrose and the arrival of Lawrence Smith from Carron Bridge, Falkirk. Born in 1881, Lawrence Smith was the eldest son of pattern maker Lawrence Smith senior, and was grocer's assistant at the time of the 1901 census. Five years later he married Alice Lawson and the couple relocated to Fife. The notice below from the 1 November 1906 Leven Advertiser notes the grant of a license for Smith for the Lundin Mill grocer premises. ​

Picture

The next year Lawrence and Alice's eldest daughter Jessie Watson Smith was born in Lundin Mill. The 1911 census records Lawrence, Alice and a 3-year-old Jessie in the household. Later that year another daughter, Jean, was born. The photograph below shows Jean (left) and Jessie (right) a couple of years later.
​
Picture
Picture

​The image above shows Jessie outside the entrance to the grocer shop, seated in the carriage of the delivery horse. The same image is below, superimposed on the shop building in more recent times. Nowadays the street is filled with parked cars.

Picture
Picture

Lawrence Smith can be seen in the photograph above at the rear of the shop with his prize-winning dog and a trophy. He frequently entered dog competitions and was well-known in these sporting circles. Of course, 1914 saw the outbreak of the First World War and in September of that year, Lawrence joined up at Leven. Joining the 9th Battalion of the Seaforth Highlanders, he left for the front in April 1915. Lawrence is pictured below in his uniform. 

Picture
Picture
Picture

In his absence, the grocer shop was supported by the wider family, including Lawrence's wife Alice, his widowed mother Jean and his younger brother William M. Smith. The extract from the 7 September 1916 Leven Advertiser tells us that two years later, William became the third Smith brother to join the army. According to the valuation roll, the official proprietor of the grocer shop at this time was their mother Jean Smith. 
​
Picture

Meanwhile, Lawrence had a short spell at home on leave in October 1917. Sadly, only two months later he was killed by an enemy shell on 13 December 1917, aged 36 years. In the 27 December 1917 Leven Advertiser below, Lawrence was described as "an excellent leader of men, and devoid of fear, who had won the hearts of all the men in his platoon" and "a man of outstanding qualities, calm and unperturbable, and always brave and cheerful".  Touchingly the letter received by his widow stated that "you have lost a husband of whom you should be proud and your daughters can always refer to their father in future years as a gallant and efficient soldier". Sergeant Smith was buried with full military hours in a British cemetery. 
​
Picture

Sergeant Lawrence Smith is one of the 51 men who fell in the First World War named on Largo War Memorial. The detail on the memorial shown below includes his name in the middle of the list on one of the panels.

Picture
Picture

After the war, the shop continued for a time. The 1920 valuation roll for Largo Parish still lists the property as a shop, with Jean Smith as the proprietor. However, by 1925 the former shop was described as an 'office'. It had become the office of Largo Parish Council (see above) and remained as such for many years, even after the death of Jean Smith in 1934. In October 1925 a "daring fraud" took place in the office when David Smail pretended to have obtained work as a miner. He was given £2 by the Inspector of the Poor to purchase a pick and shovel and to tide his family over until the work began. However, the job did not materialise and he used the money himself, leaving "his wife and children destitute" according to the 22 December 1925 Leven Advertiser below.
​
Picture
Picture

When the use of the office ceased around 1950, the building became fully residential. Today the casual passer-by would hardly believe that this building was once a busy village amenity with an intriguing history. If you have any images or information about the days of this grocer shop, please do get in touch. 
​

Decades after the grocer shop ceased to trade, the name 'Smith' could still be made out above the door. Very faint wording was also visible on the gable end. In the image above it appears that the words Licensed Grocer were part of the painted signage high on the gable wall.

Picture
With many thanks to the descendants of Lawrence Smith for sharing the family photographs and information.
1 Comment

Hillhead Grocer Shop - Part 2

28/3/2025

1 Comment

 
Picture

The previous post looked at the early years of the former grocer shop at the foot of Hillhead Street, pictured above. The first owner, for whom the premises were built in 1880, was Thomas Forgan. He sold the business in 1891 to grocer Thomas Blyth, who continued the business into the period when the old village of Lundin Mill was expanding into the fashionable Lundin Links, frequented by city dwellers seeking sea air and golf. Against that backdrop of change, the story of the grocer shop became more complicated for a time.

The report below from the 1 July 1897 Leven Advertiser encapsulates what was happening to the village at the time. The long-standing vision to develop Lundin Links, which dated back to the arrival of the railway in 1857, was finally being realised. New villas were being erected and the beginnings of new facilities to support them were in evidence. In contrast to the weavers cottages of Lundin Mill, these homes had "an air of wealth and refinement" and featured "the latest improvements and conveniences". The enterprise was attracting "ready purchasers and inhabitants".

Picture

One of those purchasers was Richard Wedderspoon - a commercial traveller in the wine and spirit trade, employee of John Somerville and Company, wine and spirit merchants of Leith. He purchased St Margaret's on Victoria Road (named after his wife and young daughter). Although he owned the property, he and his family were listed as summer visitors to Lundin Links during the summer season, to advertise the fact that they were in residence. An example of this can be seen below from the 20 July 1899 Leven Advertiser.  
​
Picture

Around 1898, Wedderspoon became a partner at Sacell Brewery in Paisley and, around the same time, purchased the Hillhead licensed grocer shop, along with several other properties on Hillhead Street, from Thomas Blyth. Presumably, the shop could be an outlet for the products of his employer. On the 1899 Largo Parish Valuation Roll, Wedderspoon owned eleven properties across Lundin Links and Lundin Mill. A man named Arthur Booth was brought in as tenant to run the licensed grocer.  The 23 December 1898 East of Fife Record piece below confirmed the transfer of the license from Blyth to Booth. 
​
Picture

Booth's name appeared above the grocer shop door and, in fact, close inspection of the shop lintel in recent years reveals the ghostly outline of the name A Booth and the word Licensed in small letters underneath (see photographs below).

Picture
Picture
Picture

A few months after the license was transferred to Booth, the 26 May 1899 East of Fife Record above reported that Wedderspoon had sold the business to Mr Booth. However, subsequent events suggest that this was not true. The article below from the 21 April 1900 St Andrews Citizen tells us that the previous year it had been reported that Booth "had bought the business" but now it had become clear that "the business he got the license for was not his at all" but belonged to Wedderspoon "who has become bankrupt". Furthermore, the firm that Wedderspoon was connected with was a creditor of Booth's. The sequence of events was described as "little short of a scandal".

Picture
Picture

The exposure of the truth brought an end to the involvement of both Wedderspoon and Booth in the business of the Lundin Mill grocer shop. Perhaps as part of the bankruptcy process, the shop and all the other properties that Wedderspoon had owned came into the ownership Wedderspoon's former employer John Somerville and Son of Leith. The firm brought in a new grocer named Matthew Barrie with previous experience in East Lothian and Berwick-Upon-Tweed as tenant to run the shop (as recorded in the 1900 Largo Parish Valuation Roll above).

Barrie came forward to the District Licensing Court in April 1900 but was initially refused a license due to the unsatisfactory way in which the enterprise had been run prior to his appointment. 
Meanwhile, by 1901 census, Richard Wedderspoon had relocated to London and was acting as a commercial traveller selling Scotch Whisky. He later emigrated to New Zealand, where he lived out the remainder of his life.

Picture

Barrie appealed the license refusal, and the following month, the shop's license was returned. The 4 May 1900 East of Fife Record reported that the premises had been licensed for along time, that Barrie was unconnected to the previous owner and tenant, and that nearly 200 persons had signed a petition in favour of the license. The affairs of the grocer shop were finally back on an even keel.
​
Picture
Picture

Matthew Barrie had moved to Lundin Links with his wife Maggie and two infant children, William and Dolina. Another daughter, Phyllis, was born there in 1902. After the early hiccup with the license, Barrie ran a successful business. As the adverts above and below show, he positioned himself as a wine and provision merchant and 'Italian Warehouseman' (a fashionable term used at the time for high-class grocery provision). Whisky was given special mention in his adverts.
​
Picture

Matthew Barrie moved on in 1905, heading back south to Melrose, where he and son William had a grocer shop on the High Street for many years. William Barrie served in the First World War, operating one of the first tanks to see action in 1916 at the Battle of the Somme, following special secret training. He was wounded several times during his service but eventually returned to Melrose and took over his father's grocery business. Below is a view of the Hillhead Street shop from the rear from around the time of the Barrie family. The red arrow on the left points to the shop sign on the gable end, while the other arrow indicates its proximity to the Crusoe Hall (or Temperance Hall), which was a well-used facility at the time.  In the next post, a final part in the story of the shop.

Picture
Picture
1 Comment

Hillhead Grocer Shop - Part 1

21/3/2025

1 Comment

 
Picture

The former grocer shop at the foot of Hillhead Street was situated in what was once the heart of old Lundin Mill - equidistant from Largo Road to the north and Emsdorf Street to the south. It was constructed in 1880 for weaver-turned-grocer Thomas Forgan. Born in Largo in 1821, Forgan found employment as a hand loom weaver, like many in the village at the time. By 1861 Thomas had became a linen weaving agent - someone through whom weaving work came into the area. He must have been successful in the role, as by the 1871 census, Thomas was recorded as "employing 30 men and 20 women" in the linen trade.

However, times were changing and the old hand loom weaving industry was on the wane. Power looms were increasingly being used in larger towns like Kirkcaldy and Dunfermline. The hand looms that were once found in most village homes (including many on Hillhead Street) were dwindling. The 17 September 1874 Fife Herald speaks of a brisk level of business for the remaining weavers in Lundin Mill, yet at low wages.  It states: "Supplied by webs here as we are through agents, work at the hand-loom trade is rife, but weavers have dwindled down in numbers greatly of late, and the "sough o' the shuttle" is now rarely heard. Wide sheetings are being woven by old hands, but wages are low." 

​
On 23 February 1877, the Courier stated that "handloom weaving is at present less active here than it was some time ago, and some kinds of webs are scarce, while wages are miserably low." This shift in the linen trade explains why Thomas Forgan was driven to reinvent himself as a grocer. 
​
Picture

The extract from 1878 Slater's Directory above shows that Thomas Forgan was a grocer prior to the construction of the 1880 shop. It also tells us that there were two other grocers in Lundin Mill at the time - Margaret Bremner (who would go on to run Lundin Links Post Office) and John Kennock. Forgan presumably out-grew his original premises and was in a position to build a new purpose-built shop, incorporating living quarters. The short note below from the 29 May 1880 Fife News announced the construction of "a very handsome building" which would "adorn the village". 

Picture

The new premises became licensed in 1885 and ironically the following year saw the opening of the Good Templar Hall (or Temperance Hall) just across the road. In the 1891 census, Forgan noted as a licensed grocer. However, later that same year, Thomas Forgan retired and the grocery business was taken over by Thomas Blyth. Thomas Forgan died on 11 November 1894 aged 73. His headstone can be seen in Upper Largo cemetery (shown below).

Picture

​Successor to the business, Thomas Wilkie Blyth, was born in Perthshire in 1865 and was an apprentice grocer by age 16 in Kettle, Fife. In 1889, he married Mary Taylor Lindsay and the 1891 census finds him working as a grocer in Auchtermuchty. Later that year they moved to Lundin Mill to take over Forgan's enterprise. During the Blyths years in Lundin Mill they raised their young family -  daughters, Agnes (born 1892) and Marjory (1896) and a son named Thomas, who sadly died of scarletina in 1893. 

Picture

The above advertisement for Thomas Blyth's Family Grocer dates to 1897. It highlights quality products such as "finest blends of whisky" and "choicest Danish butter" - perhaps to appeal as much to summer visitors as to locals. The following year, Blyth decided to change career path and left the district.

Picture

The sketch above of Thomas Blyth appeared in the 8 May 1899 Dundee Courier when he was given a complimentary dinner to mark his removal from the area. Relocating to Kirkcaldy, he became a commercial traveller for the firm of Messrs William Yule and Son, wholesale and retail merchants, and went on to work for them for almost forty years. Thomas Blyth died 19 November 1944 aged 79 years and is buried at Largo Cemetery alongside his wife and infant son (their headstone is shown below). The article below from 25 November 1944 Fife Free Press describes him as "well known in the provision trade"). The next post will pick up the next chapter in the story of the Lundin Mill grocer business from 1898. 
​
Picture
Picture
1 Comment

Kirk House

7/3/2025

0 Comments

 
Picture

The previous post looked at Newburn Parish Church, which was in active use from 1815 until January 1961. The church then closed and remained empty for a few years. In 1964, the Church of Scotland decided to sell the building and the advert below appeared in the 1 April 1964 Leven Mail. Viewings were arranged through the minister of the church at Upper Largo, Reverend James S. Paterson.

Picture

The purchaser, some months later, was Leven architect L.A. Rolland, with the intention to convert the rural church into a dwelling house. One huge attraction of the property is its elevated position and extensive views, which were described as "across eight counties" on a clear day. 
​
Picture

The update above appeared in the 1 June 1965 Scotsman newspaper. The "elegant pulpit" mentioned in the piece can be seen in the floor plan below at the lower centre of the main rectangular space. The pulpit was moved to Largo and Newburn Parish Church in 1965 and is still in use today. The diagram below (from the book The Architecture of Scottish Post-Reformation Churches 1560-1843 by George Hay (1957)) also shows the four pillars which held up the upper gallery. The lower level pew layout is shown including the central five box pews which could be converted into a space for a long communion table. The session house projected to the south and the small tower is shown to the east.
​
Picture

As the architect firm of L.A. Rolland and Partners of Leven embarked upon the project, the key challenge was to insert an intermediate floor without spoiling the external appearance of the building from the south (as seen in the photograph at the top of this post). The two tall arched south-facing windows once flanked the pulpit. In the end the intermediate floor was set back from the glass and the two south-facing doors were glazed to internal floor level. The main entrance became through the base of the tower, which acted as a vestibule.
​
Picture

At the north facing ground level, the former session room became a morning room (seen in the background of the photograph above, with steps leading up into a reception room). An original stone gallery staircase provided access to the first floor. The original pillars and some of the wood panelling were reused. The image below shows the dining room with steps to the left leading up to the former upper gallery of the church. The completed conversion comprised four bedrooms (one en-suite), dining room, morning room, drawing room, kitchen and offices. The completed house, named Kirk House, was sold in 1970 for £15,000.

Picture

The picture below, (from the Canmore Collection - http://canmore.org.uk/collection/1636717) shows the building from the north, where some reconfiguration of windows was carried out. In fact the category B listing for the building states that "North elevation symmetry lost by insertion of 1 door and window".  
​
Picture
​
The top image and both internal photographs featured in the booklet 'New Life for Old Churches', published in 1977 by HMSO. In fact a sketch of Kirk House by Roy Worskett was used as the cover drawing for this booklet (below). 
​
Picture
0 Comments

Newburn Parish Church

28/2/2025

0 Comments

 
Picture
 Canmore Collection   http://canmore.org.uk/collection/1579039

The image of Newburn Parish Church above was captured in October 1963, at which point the church had been closed for almost three years. The church building was the design of Largo architect Alexander Leslie and was completed in 1815. The design follows a traditional Scottish post-Reformation layout. The panelled pulpit, flanked by tall Gothic arched windows, was centrally located on one side of a rectangular hall. Galleries filled the other three sides (see photograph below). The session room was behind the pulpit at ground level (and can be seen front and centre in the image above). A small bell tower and spire is attached to the eastern end of the building. 

Picture
Canmore Collection http://canmore.org.uk/collection/1579049

Alexander Leslie designed several churches in Fife, including Ceres (1806) and Kilrenny (1807) and he was also responsible for the 1816 incorporation of Largo Parish Church's earlier tower and chancel into the cruciform church we see today.  Born in 1754, Alexander was the son of Largo wright and cabinet maker Robert Leslie (1723-1804) and his wife Anne Carstairs. Alexander Leslie died in 1835, and is buried at Largo Churchyard, alongside his parents and younger brother Sir John Leslie (1766-1832). 
​
Picture
​
Now a listed building, the 1815 Newburn Church is described as follows:

Simple rectangular-plan Gothic church, with 2-stage square tower to east. Whin rubble, with yellow ashlar long and short dressings: upper stage of tower is ashlar; pointed and hood-moulded belfry opening to each face, corbelled and crenellated parapet and faceted spire. Symmetrical south elevation: glazed former doors to outer bays, low centrally placed piend-roofed projecting vestry, below 2 blind quatrefoil panels and flanked by 2 tall windows: all openings pointed-headed and hood-moulded with intersecting tracery. Piended slate roof with single central stack. North elevation: symmetry lost by insertion of 1 door and window, pointed window with intersecting tracery to each outer bay group of 4 symmetrical centre windows to ground and former gallery. Slated roof. 
​
Picture

The 1815 Church replaced the Parish's earlier church (pictured above) which has a history dating back centuries. Part of the original structure was dedicated by Bishop Bernham in 1243. Newburn Old Parish Church was eventually considered too small and outdated, and fell out of use upon completion of the new building. The new church was much more commodious and was fitted out with many box pews (shown below in another image from the Canmore Collection). Upon its opening there were 180 people on the communion roll.
​
Picture

The centre pews shown above had moveable divisions which were withdrawn for the celebration of the Sacrament - see photograph below from the book 'The Architecture of Scottish Post-Reformation Churches 1560-1843' by George Hay (1957). 
​
Picture
Picture

After over a century and a half of use, de-population of the catchment area saw attendance levels at the 'new' church fall. That situation, combined with the retirement of minister Reverend George Frederick Cox in June 1958, led to the congregation uniting with Largo later that year. The 3 September 1958 Leven Mail (above) reported on the approval of the decision to unite.

The joint charge became known as Largo and Newburn Parish Church. For a couple of years, a Sunday service took place each church. The notice below for example shows the two Christmas Day services in 1960, with an 11am service at Largo followed by a 12:30 service at Newburn. The full closure of Newburn Church came that New Year with the final service taking place at Newburn Church on 8 January 1961. Further below is a piece from 4 January 1961 Leven Mail.


Picture
Picture

​
Picture

The following week's Leven Mail reported on the "big turn-out" for the final service where the "pews were packed to capacity". While there would no longer be a church in Newburn Parish, the building itself would soon embark upon a new chapter and there will be more about that in the next post.
​
Picture
Picture

Footnote: On 15 November 2017, Largo Parish Church came into being as the result of a union between Largo and Newburn and Largo St David’s churches. The above church sign predates that union.
0 Comments
<<Previous

    About

    This blog is about the history of the villages of Lundin Links, Lower Largo and Upper Largo in Fife, Scotland. Comments and contributions from readers are very welcome!

    Search

    There is no in-built search facility on this site. To search for content, go to Google and type your search words followed by "lundin weebly".

    Contact

    Categories

    All
    Antiquities
    Beach
    Boarding Houses
    Business
    Churches
    Clubs And Societies
    Drummochy
    Facilities
    Farming
    Fishing
    Golf
    Houses
    Keil's Den
    Largo Law
    Lower Largo
    Masseney Braes
    New Gilston
    People
    Railway
    School
    Shops
    Standing Stanes
    Streets
    Tourism
    Upper Largo
    Viaduct
    War

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013

    Links

    Largo Baywatch Blog
    Fife Family History Society
    ​
    Polish Parachute Brigade Info​

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.