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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A bleaching green is an open outdoor space, upon which cloth was spread to dry and by whitened by sunlight. They were especially common in areas where textiles were produced. Linen weaving became the major industry in rural Scotland from the 1750s and in the Largo villages, linen hand loom weaving became a common occupation. The above image shows the bleaching green at the Temple (now a car park). The image shows a small amount of cloth spread out to dry in the corner of the green. The Old Statistical Account (1792) for Largo Parish describes weaving as "the principal manufacture" with "linen and checks" being most common. According to the book "Flax and Linen in Fife through the Centuries' by P.K. Livingstone, linen was "a fabric of plain weave, made from the stem fibres of flax" and check was "a pattern of cross lines forming small squares, as in a chess board". Some flax was grown locally but most was imported. 

Note that the above states that "almost every weaver, and a good number of others, have their bleaching ground, where they prepare linen". Hand looms weavers worked at home, in a room or outbuilding containing a large loom. Some may have used their own outside space for bleaching but others made use of communal bleaching greens. These common greens were leased to the feuars of surrounding properties under long-term arrangements. The linen manufacturing process involved many stages and was not complete until the cloth had spent time outdoors to bleach.

According to the 1932 'Largo Village Book', "up to 1850 there was a loom in every house in Lower Largo, Drummochy and Lundin, and much linen was made." In fact weaving was not limited to those places but also took place in Kirkton of Largo, along at the Temple and of course at Emsdorf. It may even be that the village of Emsdorf was feued from 1802 with weaving in mind. The majority of houses built there had deliberately low ceilings so that loom heads could be fixed to them yet could be easily reached by the weaver. 'Linen HLW' was by far the predominant occupation in Lundinmill (particularly around Emsdorf) in the 1841 census (see example page below).
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Some of the known communal bleaching greens around the Parish are shown on the map below. These are: 

1. Pump Green in Emsdorf
2. Green to the West of Drum Lodge (close to Joiner's Workshop)
3. Temple Green
4. The foot of the Serpentine (known as Tam's Den)
5. The Grove - Upper Largo

All of those of close to a water source - either a burn or a well or water pump, as the linen was sprinkled with water during the bleaching process.
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Woven linen was naturally a tan colour, so bleaching was essential. The linens were laid out on grass for several days. The cloth became whiter by the day until reaching an optimum level of whiteness. It was a slow process but one that was effective and did not result in any weakening of the fabric. However, having the product of your labours lying outdoors came with some risks. High winds, wandering animals and thieving hands could all be a problem.

The newspaper archives are full of reports of thefts from bleaching greens. A couple of examples are shown below. The story from Crail is from the 2 September 1824 Fife Herald and tells of the theft of a "web of cloth" (the web is the result of weaving the weft threads over warp threads) from the village bleaching green, the two women involved being "drummed through the town" as a punishment. The same newspaper on 20 October 1831 cautions readers in Cupar of a series of thefts from bleaching greens there. In 1839, two men were jailed for 40 days for stealing clothes from a bleaching green in St Monance.

The 'Largo Village Book' tells of how owners of the bleaching linen at Tam's Den near the Serpentine in Largo used to "sit on the banks all night in summer to see that no one stole the cloth". No doubt this type of supervision of the wares was a fairly common practice. 

The bleaching green in Emsdorf was known then as 'Pump Green', owing to the water pump sited there. The green covered a much larger area than the remnant left today would suggest.  As Esther Menzies wrote in her 1974 memoires, the green there was... 

"surrounded by a high stone wall following the line of the posts and chain there at present but protruding in an arc for several yards at the south end.  There was a gap of about four yards with an iron pump with a turning knob....The washing was laid out to bleach in the curved end and we did not play on the green if the washing was there.  At other times it was a playground.  The grass patch beyond was near oblong.  It was crossed by paths - one leading round by the curved wall to Emsdorf Place Houses, another at the east edge in front of their doors and another from Woodlands Road cutting through to meet the one passing alongside the Pump Green wall and leading up to the HIllhead."

One of the Emsdorf Place houses was for many decades named 'Green House' owing to its position adjacent to the green but the name was lost as the former use of the space faded from collective memories. Handloom weaving also vanished from the villages as power loom factories took over the manufacture of textiles. The bleaching of clothes became an indoor process thanks to the development of bleaching powders. However, traces of former bleaching greens and surviving weavers cottages still contribute to the character of the villages in Largo and many other towns and villages. Below is an evocative photograph of a green in Pittenweem being well-used in days gone-by.  If you know of other bleaching greens around Largo Parish, please leave a comment.
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Born in Keith, Banffshire on 30 August 1867 to general labourer Joseph Ripley and his wife Margaret Cassels, John Ripley was working as a wool spinner by the age of 13 at Isla Bank Mills in Keith, for G&G Kynoch tweed manufacturer. Two years later, he and his brother moved to Montrose, where they undertook an apprenticeship as slaters. However, at the time of the 1891 census John was in Bonhill in Dunbartonshire and his occupation was recorded in the census as railway porter. However, when he married Jane Laing in 1895 he was a journeyman slater, residing in St Andrews. His marriage was where John's connection to Largo began, as his wife hailed from New Gilston.  Many will have heard of John Ripley (pictured above) as a recipient of the Victoria Cross and some may know that he is buried at the cemetery in Upper Largo. 
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​John and Jane were married in New Gilston on 21 June 1895. Jane had been born there in 1867. Her father Alexander Laing was a coal miner, as was his father before him, Andrew Laing. Jane's mother was Agnes Gatherum, whose father Thomas was also a coal miner. This side of the family lived in neighbouring Woodside. According to A.S. Cunningham's 1907 book 'Upper Largo, Lower Largo, Lundin Links and Newburn', New Gilston was built around 1700 and owes its existence to coal mining. Gatherum was a common name around the area at that time. As well as Jane's mother being a Gatherum, her grandmother on her father's side was too.  When Jane Laing married John Ripley they settled in St Andrews and that is where their son Alexander was born in 1896.

As well as setting up his own business as a slater, John was also a long-term member of the St Andrews Fire Brigade and the Rocket Brigade and was also a volunteer with the Black Watch territorials (which he had joined in 1884). By 1901, John, Jane and Alexander had taken in Jane's widowed father Alexander and also her sister Catherine Laing. All were living in College Street St Andrews and John was still working as a slater. in 1909, the family moved from College Street to North Street. The notice below from the 5 June St Andrews Citizen advises customers of the relocation of John's business as a slater and chimney sweep.

It was also in 1909 that John was awarded the Volunteers’ Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. He had served for many years in the 6th Volunteer Battalion, Black Watch, becoming a sergeant and one of his company's best shots. Three years later he retired from the Volunteers, after completing 18 years service. The Ripley household was now only John and Jane and their teenage son Alexander. At that point in time none of them could have foreseen the events that would unfold over the next few years.
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It was on 9 May 1915, while a corporal in the 1st Battalion, The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) at the battle of Aubers Ridge, that the following deed took place for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross (below is how it was reported in The Gazette):
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John was one of four men to be awarded the Victoria Cross (shown below) in that particular battle. One of the others was David Finlay from Guardbridge, close to where John lived in St Andrews (also of the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)). Finlay was later killed in action in Mesopotamia on 21 January 1916. 
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The Victoria Cross is the highest British award which may be given for gallantry in the face of the enemy. Instituted by Queen Victoria on 29 January 1856, this decoration may be conferred upon officers, non-commissioned officers and members of all the armed forces. The medal itself is a cross pattée of bronze, having almost triangular arms, narrow at the centre and broadening to squared ends. In the centre is the Royal Crest over a scroll bearing the words For Valour. The date of the act of bravery is given on the reverse and the recipient’s name is engraved on the back of the bar.  The holders are entitled to add the letters V.C. after their name.

George Swan Rodger was born on 20 May 1837 in Coaltown of Balgonie to James Rodger, coal agent, and Christian Swan. As an infant he moved with his family to Tyrie Bleachfield, Kirkcaldy and there he received his education from local teacher, author and poet, Peter Purves. He later served an apprenticeship to the drapery trade under Mr Gilchrist of Kirkcaldy. After gaining further experience in the trade at Falkirk, Edinburgh and Glasgow, George became a buyer at an important Glasgow clothing business. It was in Glasgow on 21 December 1866 that George married Jeanie Wylie Leys. He had been a boarder with Jeanie's family, who hailed from the same area of Fife that George himself was from. By the time of the 1871 census, the couple had three children: James, William and Christina. Still living in Glasgow, along with Jeanie's mother, George was now a master draper.

It was in 1872, the George Rodger came to Largo, taking over the premises of the late James White. The following year the family grew with the birth of second daughter, Jeanie. Sadly, in 1878, eldest daughter Christina died aged six. The above advert dates to 22 February 1879 and featured in the Fife News. Below are adverts from the same year. One announces 'summer goods', while the other from later in the year advertised 'winter goods'. In both cases George had just returned from 'the markets'. Glasgow trimmed bonnets and hats are mentioned in both adverts. Hats had become elaborately trimmed in the 1870s. Sometimes with ribbons at the back, which hung over the chignon hair style. In the late 1870s bonnets featured an increasing use of flowers and birds in their trimming, before transitioning to feathers in the 1880s. Fabrics used in summer varied from those used in winter. Plush, for example, was used for winter hats, as well as  for dresses, muffs and bags.
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As well as regular advertisements for summer and winter goods, it became a tradition for Rodger's to hold an annual clearing sale and these were always advertised in the local press. In 1881, the family had another child, George, and Jeanie's widowed mother was still living with them in Upper Largo. Around 1885, a young Alexander Kirk Melville entered the employment of Rodger, staying for four years and laying the foundations for his own long journey into the clothing business.

The original shop continued until 1887, when George Rodger decided that new premises were required. In fact, his shop was described as "too small and also damp". So he decided to have it taken down and a new shop (with attached dwelling) built upon the site.  During the works, the business moved into temporary premises next to Mr Thomson's chemist business. The various Fife News notices below tell the story of the upheaval and necessary stock sales that took place during that year. A sale was held prior to the move and another later the same year, due to the lack of room in the temporary premises. 
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The Rodgers seem to have been installed at the rebuilt shop and dwelling in time for the annual sale in February 1888. Their new building is now 12 Main Street (pictured above).  In more recent times, this building has housed George Mackie's chemist and The Salon hairdresser. Like so many former shops in the village, it has long since been converted into a residential dwelling.

At the time of the 1901 census, the two eldest Rodger children had moved away. George and Jeanie's daughter and youngest son (Jeanie and George) had joined the family business as a milliner and draper's assistant respectively. The family business flourished in its purpose-built premises and by 1906, the shop held its thirty-third annual clearing sale (see 1 February Leven Advertiser advert below).
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Over the decades, fashions of course changed dramatically and G.S. Rodger moved with the times and catered for local needs. The 1910 advert below highlights the 'golf hose' on offer (10 August 1910 Leven Advertiser).
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Knitting machines were installed in the back shop at some point - the above notice requests a girl to join the team to operate one of them. Below, an advertisement from 15 Feb 1911 Leven Advertiser mentions a range of items reduced in the clearance sale: from floorcloth to overcoats and wincey shirting. 
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An elder of the United Free church for many years, under Rev, R. Lundin Brown and William Bruce, George Rodger eventually retired and his son (also named George Swan Rodger) continued the business. George senior died on 12 April 1925 aged 87 at his home on Upper Largo's Main Street. He was survived by his widow, three sons and daughter. His eldest son was by then headmaster at Burntisland Higher Grade School and his second son employed by a woollen manufacturer in Canada. George was buried in Upper Largo cemetery. His widow Jeanie died in 1930 aged 91. Young Jeanie died in 1943 aged 70. George junior lived until 1956, latterly living at Ravenswood in Lundin Links.
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On 18 August 1874 a marriage took place at Largo House between Robert Rintoul and Margaret Jack Jeffrey. Robert was the Glasgow-born proprietor of Lahill House (pictured above) and Margaret the daughter of John Jeffrey the Kirkcaldy linen manufacturer. The Jeffreys had taken the tenancy of Largo House in 1872 and had become well-known in the Largo area. After their marriage, Robert and Margaret settled at Lahill and in 1878 their daughter Leonora Jeffrey Rintoul was born. She would go on to become a pioneering ornithologist along with her great friend Evelyn Baxter. Two years later, on 30 March 1880, another daughter, Jane Helen (known as Jean) was born at Lahill. 

The 1881 census recorded the household at Lahill Mansion House. Robert was described as a "Proprietor farming 726 acres of which 706 are arable, employing 15 men, 14 women and 2 boys". In addition to Robert, Margaret and their two young daughters, the household included a cook, house maid, table maid and nurse. There was also a visitor - cousin of Margaret, Charles Maxton, a linen manufacturer. Other staff were living in the Lahill Coachman's House and Lodge House. Two years later, in 1883, a son was born - Andrew Jeffrey Rintoul. Robert Rintoul (who had been the very first Captain of Lundin Golf Club when it was first founded in 1868, having learned golf on Dubbieside links) died on 26 January 1887 just before his son's fourth birthday. 
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Growing up Leonora and Jean were educated privately and had the opportunity to travel on the continent. At home, they were often mentioned in the papers as "the Misses Rintoul" when attending social occasions. Jean also featured in newspaper reports for her pianoforte solos and theatrical performances. On example above is from the 29 June 1899 Leven Advertiser in relation to a fund-raising event in Kirkcaldy. Perhaps it was at such an event that Jean met her future husband.

On 4 August 1910, Jean married Captain Thomas Kershaw Gaskell of the 89th Punjabis at Upper Largo Parish Church. She was 30 years old and he was 39. Reverend Duncan Macmichael and Reverend James Robert Burt (Macmichael's predecessor) officiated. Sister Leonora was a witness. The 6 August Fifeshire Advertiser described the wedding as "fully choral" and noted that there was "a large and fashionable assemblage" at this "pretty wedding".

Thomas Kershaw Gaskell was born on 1 October 1870 in Portsea, Portsmouth, one of 8 children. His father, also Thomas, was in the army and this required the family to move frequently, including a spell in Cupar in the late 1870s when young Thomas was still a boy. So he had a connection to Fife from an early age. Thomas junior served as Lieutenant in the Suffolk Artillery Militia from 1890 and was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Royal Fusiliers on 19 October 1892. He was promoted Lieutenant in the Indian Staff Corps on 12 January 1896, whilst serving with the 29th Burma Infantry. He was made a Captain with the 89th Punjabis on 19 October 1901. He was still a Captain at the time of his marriage.

Now widowed, Jean continued her active life in the Largo community and beyond. The newspaper archives record her opening fetes, hosting social events, assisting in the Girls Guildry, being involved in church events, presiding over the East of Fife group of the W.R.I., being part of the wartime work parties making provisions for the troops, acting on the Kirkton of Largo school management committee and continuing to entertain by playing the piano. In some of these endeavours she was joined by her sister Leonora Rintoul and friend Evelyn Baxter, both of whom were also extremely prominent in the W.R.I..

Another of Jean's interests was the newly-created Scotland's Gardens Scheme (a scheme which continues today). She acted as organiser of the scheme for Fife in 1930s and 1940s. Gardens were opened to the public in order to raise money for the Nursing Association.  Jean was able to arrange for gardens at houses such as Lahill, Strathairly and Cambo to be open to visitors. The notice below from the 10 April 1937 St Andrews Citizen notes an opening of the Lahill gardens - often timed to show the daffodils at their best each year.

In 1940, Jean bought Grove Cottage in Upper Largo, which was adjacent to both her sister's home, Balsusney, and the home of Evelyn Baxter, The Grove. The three properties can be seen in the map below. 
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In February 1943 Jean Gaskell was co-opted as a member for Largo and Newburn of the Anstruther District Council. The same year she was Secretary of the Wings for Victory committee for Largo. A few years later she funded the building of a hut within the grounds of the manse at Newburn Church to be used as a community hall. Groups using the hall included the Newburn Women's Guild and the Newburn Men's Club. 

In the weeks immediately prior to her death she conducted the opening ceremony of the Robinson Crusoe Social Club's Sale of Work in the Club House at Mill Wynd (see 11 Feb 1948 notice below from Leven Advertiser). She also attended a meeting of the local housing committee and made a recommendation which resulted in the naming of Durham Crescent (see 10 January 1948 Courier below). The Housing Supervisor had suggested the name Crusoe Crescent but Mrs Gaskell thought the Crusoe name was already overused and made her alternative suggestion.

When Jean Gaskell died on 27 March 1948 at St Margaret's  just days before her 68th birthday, the official record of her death described her as a 'housewife' but there was so much more to this talented, independent, community-spirited lady. Aside from the pursuits mentioned above, there were no doubt many other strands to her activities. Unfortunately, I have been unable to unearth a photograph of Mrs Gaskell so far - if anyone has a photo of her, please do get in touch.