Kirkton of Largo Primary School's present building was completed in 1879 replacing the former school (later Scout Hall) further down North Feus in Upper Largo. A comparison of the building as it looks in the present day with old architect drawings downloaded from Canmore (the national record of the historic environment), shows that the school has lost many of its original ornate features including the steeple, chimneys and the barge boarding on the roof apexes. The drawings are dated to the time of the 1910 additions and alterations by Haxton and Watson of 5 High Street in Leven but reflect the original 1878 design by John Melvin & Son of Alloa. The floor plan below shows the separate girls and boys entrances at the front and some detail on the classroom layouts and other facilities.

The building of this school was preceded by years of debate and controversy. A summary of the saga was published in the 15 November 1877 Fife Herald under the headline "An Irrepressible School Board". Pointing out that "school board squabblings" had once been more common but had "long since settled down", aside from "one board which has not yet given up the ghost on contention".  The piece continues:

"During the weary four years of its existence it has been going from bad to worse...In the Largo School Board, which has been the scene of so many wordy warfares, the great topic of contention has been the propriety of erecting a new school or enlarging the old school at Kirkton. With singular variableness the Board, or rather a section, has oscillated from one proposition to the other."

The Education (Scotland) Act of 1872 had made primary education mandatory. This triggered the creation of 1,000 regional school boards and led to the need to increase many a school's capacity. Kirkton School had an average attendance of around 90 pupils around 1874. An early idea was to build a new classroom at the back of the existing school. This suggestion was met with objection from the then teacher who said this plan "broke up and destroyed his garden"! 

A counter proposal of building out at the front of the school was also deemed unacceptable (and led to the board member who suggested it retiring in disgust). It was then resolved to lower the floor (in order to effectively heighten the roof). Some outlay was incurred to do this work but not long afterwards it was concluded that a new school was needed after all. Ratepayers protested at this and much debate ensued about a suitable location. The site eventually chosen next to the cemetery was deemed by many to be "unhealthy".

Other newspaper reports on the proceedings of the Largo School Board around this time talk of "hot words", walk outs and "disgraceful conduct". The Fife Herald piece concludes that "there must be a screw loose somewhere when in a company of representative parishioners things have come to such a pass."

Eventually the new school was built and its first head teacher was Thomas Nicoll who remained in post for 35 years bringing welcome stability. His successor David Low Pye was head teacher for over twenty years. Below is a little snippet from the school's history, telling of a scheme to provide lunch to school pupils in 1896 (21 November St Andrews Citizen). The idea of vegetables from the Largo House gardens being made into soup by a lady that lived in North Feus and given to the Kirkton pupils is a lovely one - local food supplies being put to good use with no 'food miles' or packaging involved.
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This sketch appeared in the Dundee Evening Telegraph on 5 May 1903. However, I suspect the sketch was done perhaps around a decade before that date, as there is no development on the south side of Crescent Road. It likely dates to a similar era to the photograph in an earlier post - click here. 

The article that accompanies the sketch describes how the "Leven and Lundin Links are held on lease by the three local clubs - Innerleven, Thistle, and Lundin - the proprietors being Sir John Gilmour, Bart. of Lundin and Montrave, and Mr R.M. Christie of Durie. The three clubs have equal right to the privileges of the course, and a Committee of two from each Club constitute the Board of Management, with the indefatigable worker on behalf of Thistle, Mr J.T. Ireland as Secretary."

The piece goes on to describe each hole on the course, as it was then, by name and in some detail (a topic for a future post). A visitor could buy a monthly ticket for 6s. The course record was 74 - held by David Kinnell. Memberships were 200 for Innerleven, 500 for Lundin and 650 for Thistle (1350 total). It's also noted that "a two-inch waterpipe runs the whole length of the course, and the greens are not allowed to starve for want of refreshing moisture. Three men are constantly employed on the links."

The houses shown in the background of the image are accurately drawn. From left to right these are: 'Fir Park'/'Braddan' (now 5-7 Crescent Road); 'Elphinstone'; 'Melville Cottage' (now Old Calabar); School and Schoolhouse; 'Bayview Cottage' (now Oldfield) and 'Murree Lodge' (now Glenairlie - No.23).  Interestingly, the latter house looks quite different today. The sketch shows a much smaller, symmetrical home. Since then Glenairlie has been significantly extended to the left. The stretch of Crescent Road shown dates back to the years immediately following the opening of the railway (and the stalled attempt to expand the village by then owners Standard Life Assurance Company). These houses were once referred to locally as "The Cottages".

The open ground upon which the golfers are practising would soon be developed - with a road constructed alongside the new house named 'Norvil' (see here for a later image of the same area). The 'fashionable' nature of the village and the building of proper services and infrastructure meant that the expansion of Lundin Links really took off in the years that followed.

Very exciting news today!

Historic Environment Scotland (HES) have released a huge number of newly digitised photographs that were taken around rural Scotland in the 1970s. The images were originally gathered by The Scottish Countryside Commission, many during a survey of C-listed buildings. The full collection is available to view at canmore.org.uk. There are many of Lundin Links, Lower Largo and Upper Largo. Full details of the release here:

https://www.historicenvironment.scot/about-us/news/newly-digitised-images-tell-story-of-rural-scotland-in-1970s/

Permission has been granted for specially downloaded watermarked versions of the images to be displayed on blogs, so this will be a fantastic resource for this site to tap into. The images will no doubt pose questions and inspire new lines of research. Here is a small selection of the local scenes that particularly caught my attention (downloaded according to the guidelines and with watermarks displayed under each)...

Above are some of the Leven Road shops in Lundin Links while below are:

• 'Beechwood' the 1895 villa that faces these shops;
  
• the old Lundin Mill School on Crescent Road photographed soon after the move to the new school;
• the Old Manor Hotel in its Beach Hotel days;
• Cardy Net Factory;
• Lower Largo Post Office (more recently home to Very Crafty);
• and Wilson's shop in Upper Largo.

Loads more to see on-line - enjoy!

The beginnings of the school on Crescent Road have been covered here before but not the teachers that taught there in its early days. The first teacher at the newly built Lundin Mill School appears to have been James Millar. Born in Midlothian, he was in his early twenties when he took up his post at the school in 1858 and by the following year he married a local lass and started a family. By 1863, James and Isabella Millar had three children and shortly after the birth of the third, they moved to Edrom in the Berwickshire when James had a brief spell teaching there. In September 1864 he moved to take up the mastership of Selkirk Burgh School. He remained there for 26 years before retiring in 1890 and emigrating to California, where he died in 1907.

James Millar's replacement at Lundin Mill around 1863 had been Isaac Nevin. Isaac spent around 2-3 years at Lundin Mill before moving on to St Monans where he was school master for 42 years. A well-known and active member of the St Monans community, he died in 1911.

Around 1865 or 1866, Thomas Sime replaced Isaac Nevin at Lundin Mill School. Thomas Sime was born in Kingsbarns in 1844 to James Sime and Margaret Jamieson. James was an agricultural labourer turned coal miner - the family moved to Durie Broom, Scoonie due to this change of work. In 1851, Thomas and his three siblings were school children there. Another move followed as James became manager of an ironstone mine outside St Andrews. The 1861 census finds the family in Strathkinness with father and eldest son ironstone mining while second son Thomas was a 'pupil teacher' aged 17. 

​While teaching at Lundin Mill, on 20 September 1866, Thomas married Isabella Middleton at Park Place, Stirling. She was a farmer's daughter from Edzell. Sadly, the couple lost babies at birth in both 1867 and 1868 and this perhaps was a factor in their relocation to Kilconquhar in ​1868. Thomas Sime replaced Peter Proudfoot as school master there. Proudfoot himself had moved to Leuchars, where he would teach for over thirty years. A pioneer of golf at Elie, Proudfoot apparently helped old Tom Morris to lay out the course there. Proudfoot died at Burnbrae, Largo in 1907, where he had been residing with a daughter.

Thomas Sime remained at Kilconquhar from 1868 until his death. He and his wife had a further seven children. Thomas was a keen golfer and a regular at Elie and St Andrews. He died suddenly at the age of 54 on 5 February 1898.  The cause of death was recorded as "(Supposed) disease of the heart".  Meanwhile, at Lundin Mill School, in 1868, Thomas Sime's successor had been David Stewart, who held the post for thirty seven years. So after a decade of school masters that stayed for a relatively short time, the school finally got its first long-term teacher.

Born in Edinburgh in 1834 to Harry Lumsden (a commission agent/paper maker's clerk/stationer manager), Frederick Roome Lumsden would become a high-profile figure in the public life of Largo and Newburn.  Here is his story.  Spending the early years of his life in Edinburgh, Frederick was by the age of 17 a 'student and teacher of English' in Edinburgh. After a spell teaching at Madras College in St Andrews, he moved to become school master at Ardrossan in the late 1850s. In 1863 he was chosen from over eighty applicants to become head teacher at Wood's School in Newburn. And so began his 44-year spell there.

Frederick had married farmer's daughter Janet Hill of Lumbo near St Andrews in 1857 and together they had at least seven children. However, in 1870 Janet died, aged just 32. The 1871 census shows Frederick living at the Newburn school house with six children, 4 bursers a cook and a housemaid. He married second wife, Catherine Craig in Montrose in 1878. She was also a school teacher and, after some years teaching in Montrose, she had recently relocated to Largo's Durham Female School (see entry from 1877 Worrall's Directory below). Together they would have at least six children. 

This website has previously covered John Wood and Wood's Hospital in Upper Largo. Perhaps lesser known is Wood's School.  Initially, in Drumeldrie and later in Newburn, this school was another legacy of John Wood's. Founded on 7th July 1659 by John Wood of Orkie (a descendant of Admiral Sir Andrew Wood), two years before his death, the grammar school was to provide free education to a maximum of six boys with the surname Wood on either their father or mother's side. The boys would be taken into the school at around the age of seven and kept to the age of 14 or 15, at which point they would be given one year's allowance to enable them to commence an honest trade. Education, board and clothing were all provided by the deed of mortification. The school also owned the Farm of Orkie in the Parish of Kettle, from which it received rent in the form of both produce (wheat, oats and barley) and money.

The notices below from the Fife Herald (30 Sep 1847 and 19 June 1856) show how places were advertised when vacancies arose. The head master in the mid-nineteenth century was Mr William Maxwell Wright, up until his death on 16 May 1848. He was described as "parochial teacher of Newburn and Master of Wood's School at Drumeldrie" although by this time to original Wood's Grammar School had amalgamated with the Parish School at Newburn. Some decades earlier the two schools had been joined such that one teacher served both - the combined school being in Newburn.

Following Mr Wright's death, the position of school master was advertised (see below from 28 Jun 1848 Aberdeen Press and Journal). Note the list of subjects taught and the substantial salary attached to the post. The eventual appointee was Mr John Brash, who was born in Mid Calder and taught in Forfarshire prior to coming to Fife. He remained in post until his death in 1862 at the age of 54.

On 2 April 1863 the Fife Herald reported on the election of a new school master. The successful candidate for this "very lucrative office" was Mr Frederick Roome Lumsden. He was chosen from a "great number of applicants, the emoluments of the situation being very attractive" - there were over eighty candidates. Edinburgh-born Lumsden came to Newburn from Ardrossan. He would prove to be an ideal choice - becoming a prominent local figure and filling the school master role for 44 years - more to follow on him.

The map above shows the close proximity of Drumeldrie in the lower left and Newburn to the top centre (with the school marked). The daily routine of the school bursars is detailed below, giving a real insight to the lives of the boys who attended Wood's School in the nineteenth century. This is an extract from the 1873 Commissioner's report on the school. The report also states that "the boys are treated as part and portion of the master's family".

Born in Kilconquhar in 1853 to shoemaker William Nicoll and his wife Mary Young, Thomas Nicoll was the predecessor to David Pye as Head Master of Kirkton of Largo School. By the age of 17 in 1871 Thomas was Pupil Teacher at Kilconquhar. Two years later he was appointed assistant at Pathhead Subscription School. At the time, the Fife Free Press (6 December 1873) described him as "an accomplished young teacher....bred in Kilconquhar Parish School....spoken favourably of by several other members of the Board".

In September 1875, there was a special meeting of the Largo School Board - the purpose of which was to elect a master for Kirkton Public School. Each Board member handed in a list of three candidates - 13 men being named in total. The 16 September Fife Herald noted that "it was agreed that each member should select his best man and thereby reduce the leet to 5" however "there was considerable difficulty in agreeing the manner of election, as each member proposed his own man as the best one, and consequently there were no seconders".  A scoring system was then agreed and a Mr Forbes of Dundee was elected. However, it transpired that this candidate had already accepted another post. So, Mr Nicoll, being second, was elected instead. And thus began Thomas Nicoll's long spell at Kirkton.

Thomas married Anne Fotheringham Morgan in 1879 and the first of their five children was born the following year. At the time of his marriage he was presented by his pupils with a "handsome marble timepiece with the latest improvements and got up in the neatest style", according to the 13 November Fife Herald. Attached to the front was a silver plate bearing the following inscription:

"Presented to Mr T. Nicoll, Teacher, Largo, Fife, by his affectionate scholars and a few friends, on the advent of his marriage. October 1879."

The Nicoll family became actively involved in local life, with Thomas being an elder in the Upper Largo Church and Secretary and Treasurer of the Lundin Golf Club (he was instrumental in the 1909 course alterations).  When wife Anne died in 1902, Thomas - who was also local Registrar - recorded her death as he did all the others in the Parish. 

After 35 years service at Kirkton School, and suffering from heart trouble, Thomas Nicoll resigned as Head Master. He died only a fortnight later.  Part of his role as Registrar was to complete the summaries of the 1911 census. The census was taken on 2 April and Thomas Nicoll worked on the resulting data with his daughter.  Apparently, after completing the census work, he had indicated to his daughter that his life's work was done. He died on 16 April at the Schoolhouse.

At a meeting soon after his death, locals "paid a high tribute to his worth and character" noting that "some of us who call recall Mr Nicoll's first years in the parish, remember him as a quiet, unobtrusive young man; but a man who, when he put his hand to the plough would not turn back". The account in the St Andrews Citizen (13 May) continued "the innumerable services rendered by him to the community during his long residence in Largo constitute a great record..."well done good and faithful servant"".

On 13 June 1911, the Dundee Courier announced the new Head of Kirkton of Largo School under the headline "Mr D. Pye, Kilconquhar is Appointed Headmaster of Largo Public School". The above photograph featured in the article, which explained that Mr Pye had been selected by the School Board the previous evening, out of 74 applicants. He would succeed Mr Thomas Nicol who had recently passed away.  

David Low Pye was the son of Thomas Pye and Margaret Low and was born in 1869 in Dysart. One of at least nine children, David's father and grandfather were both linen weavers. When David was aged 9, his father Thomas died, aged 54, from chronic alcoholism. In spite of these difficult circumstances, David became a pupil teacher under the Dysart Board at Gallatown Public School at the time when a Peter Alison was Headmaster. Mr Alison's own son (of a similar age to David Pye) had also been a pupil teacher there and had gone on to become Head at George Watson's College in Edinburgh.

David Pye passed first class through the Church of Scotland Training College in Edinburgh and also attended classes at Edinburgh University. Initially, he came to Fife in 1895, as assistant to Mr McInnes at Leven Public School. In 1901, he secured his first Headship - at Kilconquhar School - where over a decade he "accomplished very successful work" and "identified himself with the public life of the village and district."  He also got married in 1901, to Elizabeth Louisa Mitchell. They went on to have two daughters, Catherine and Louisa.

Mr Pye remained Head Master at Kirkton of Largo and living in the schoolhouse until his retiral in 1932 (see photo below), when he was presented with a walnut desk. During the Second World War, Mr Pye took on the role of local A.R.P. warden (air raid precaution), supervising blackout arrangements and doing "much to help the general public in times of distress" (Fifeshire Advertiser, 25 April 1953). He was also a champion bowler, president of Lundin Links Bowling Club and an elder at Largo Parish Church. David Pye died, at Netherfield, Upper Largo, on 15 April 1953, aged 83. His death "brought much sadness and great concern not only to Upper Largo but to his many ex-pupils scattered throughout the world, some in high positions in life".

This postcard featuring a section of Crescent Road probably dates to the Edwardian era.  The school and school house at are the centre (and in detail below). The school building still has its original two entrances - one for girls (on right) and the other for boys. To its right is Oldfield (originally 'Bayview Cottage') and to the left is Old Calabar (once known as 'Melville Cottage'). Further to the left is 'Elphinstone'. The road in the foreground was for a long time named 'Norvil Road' after the house which lies to the right out of shot - 'Norvil'.  This street has since been absorbed into Victoria Road.

The most noticeable change today is that the grassy are on the left has been built on. This whole area - facing onto both Crescent Road and Victoria Road was developed around 1930. The photograph above suggests that, over the seventy years or so that this space was undeveloped, it was used by the school children. They can be seen spilling out of the school and over the road onto the grass. I wonder what activities might have gone on on this open space - sport, drills, fetes, camps, etc? The school (and children) must have felt its loss when finally it was filled with housing.

The previous post focussed on the cluster of feus around the inn corner at Lundin Mill, dominated by the Bell family in the mid 19th century.  Around 1802 the planned settlement of Emsdorf was created - spreading east from the inn and toll bar.  The origins of Emsdorf have been covered before. Some of the original feuers were described as 'manufacturers' perhaps suggesting that they set up the weavers' cottages found on this street. Fast forward fifty years and there were still many weavers operating on this street.  

From the c1850 map above, the plot marked '1' above was owned by Andrew Hogg who was a 'weavers' agent' or 'manufacturers' agent'.  Plot '2' was owned by Robert Gibb a 'disabled seaman' whose daughters were hand loom weavers, while the plot marked '3' contained two houses and a weavers' shop, owned by James Thin but partly occupied by weaver James Peebles. Next along were weavers James Muir and George Grieg (4). Feu '5' stands out as being different - this contains 'Emsdorf House', a larger detached property, which was owned by Peter Smith, miller at the Cameron Bridge Mill. At '6' were weavers George Clark and Robert Mitchell.

While the south side of Emsdorf Street was largely occupied by weavers and their agents, the north side was more diverse. For example, plot '7' was owned by John Reid a nurseryman from Leith, while '8' was owned by Thomas Smith of the 'United States of America' - could these have been early holiday homes? The image below (taken late 1890s) gives an impression of the contrast between the fairly uniform south side of the street (left) and the more varied north side. Originally, many of the cottages would have had thatched roofs and the roads would have been rough and poorly drained (as recalled in an earlier post).

The other notable building in Emsdorf was the old school - situated strategically between the villages of Emsdorf and Drummochy (marked '9' above).  According to the Scotland's Places website, it was "a small stone building in good repair, built for and occupied as a school house. Built in 1821 at the expense of General Durham then the proprietor of the Largo Estate". The average attendance was noted as around 60. This was replaced in 1858 by the Crescent Road school but continued to be a public resource - used for meetings and soirees before becoming the wash-house of Seacliff and ultimately being demolished. Seacliff is pictured below and the school/wash-house was situated at the back corner of the garden just behind where the bus-stop is today and where a very old wall remains.