The previous post looked at former forester on the Lundin Estate - Neil Shaw. His family were the original occupants of Lundin Lodge (pictured above), the old lodge house for the long-demolished mansion Lundin House. Shaw was a native of the island of Islay, who found his way to Lundin Estate because of a man named George Todd Chiene. Chiene was born at Crail on 21 August 1809, son of Captain John Chiene of the Royal Navy. Educated at Edinburgh High School he became the factor for Mr Campbell of Islay. As Islay's factor, Chiene had a key role in the running of the estate - perhaps overseeing the maintenance of the land and buildings, collecting rent, dealing with tenants, arranging insurance, undertaking inspections,etc. Chiene carried out this role for at least a decade - approximately between 1837 and 1847. It would have been during this spell that he became acquainted with Neil Shaw.
Chiene was noted as an "intelligent, indefatigable and hospitable factor" to Mr Campbell and was also referred to as 'Chamberlain of Islay' (ie in charge of managing the household of the island's foremost figure). But, as mentioned in the previous post, times became hard on Islay as a consequence of the potato famine and Campbell (a relation of Daniel Campbell of Shawfield) ended up bankrupt. George Todd Chiene would soon be on the move and he would be taking Neil Shaw with him. Chiene became factor on the Lundin Estate around the time that it was purchased by the Standard Life Assurance Company. In 1852, the company purchased the estate as an investment and development opportunity. The railway was soon to reach Lundin Links and Largo and would trigger the initial attempts to expand Lundin Links into a planned village of upmarket villas. We can assume that Chiene had a facilitating role to play in this venture.
The building of the extension railway line from Leven along through Lundin Links and Largo to Kilconquhar in the mid-1850s could well have been something that Shaw and Chiene contributed to. The advert below shows an example of another forester nearby at the time advertising wood for railway sleepers - could Shaw have done this at Lundin Links?
Chiene was noted as an "intelligent, indefatigable and hospitable factor" to Mr Campbell and was also referred to as 'Chamberlain of Islay' (ie in charge of managing the household of the island's foremost figure). But, as mentioned in the previous post, times became hard on Islay as a consequence of the potato famine and Campbell (a relation of Daniel Campbell of Shawfield) ended up bankrupt. George Todd Chiene would soon be on the move and he would be taking Neil Shaw with him. Chiene became factor on the Lundin Estate around the time that it was purchased by the Standard Life Assurance Company. In 1852, the company purchased the estate as an investment and development opportunity. The railway was soon to reach Lundin Links and Largo and would trigger the initial attempts to expand Lundin Links into a planned village of upmarket villas. We can assume that Chiene had a facilitating role to play in this venture.
The building of the extension railway line from Leven along through Lundin Links and Largo to Kilconquhar in the mid-1850s could well have been something that Shaw and Chiene contributed to. The advert below shows an example of another forester nearby at the time advertising wood for railway sleepers - could Shaw have done this at Lundin Links?
Chiene continued to be responsible for Lundin Estate for many years. While the main home base for him, his wife and children was in Northumberland Street in Edinburgh, he would have spent a significant amount of time at Lundin House. The 1855 valuation roll lists Chiene as the tenant occupier of 'Mansion House of Lundin'. After the railway reached Lundin Links in 1857, Standard Life drew up feuing plans for the village and began to build on some of the feus to attract potential buyers. Among the buildings erected at that time was the original station building at Lundin Links, Homelands, a few villas on Crescent Road and Lundin Lodge.
George Todd Chiene was elected Captain of Lundin Golf Club (at the age of 60) in 1869, the year after the Club was first founded. His election came after the autumn meeting where the 'Standard' medal was played for and won by his son, George Todd Chiene, Jr (then aged 25). This was reported in the Edinburgh Evening Courant on 11 October 1869. There is no record of Neil Shaw playing golf but I imagine he must have played on the course with George Chiene. The pair were undoubtedly close as the Shaws named one of their children after one of Chiene's. 'Dorothea Chiene Shaw' was born in 1871, twenty one years after Dorothea Chiene, George's eldest daughter was born.
On 17 June 1882 George Todd Chiene died at Burntisland aged 72. Some mystery surrounds the latter part of Neil Shaw's life. There are no death records for him, his wife or his forester sons. I speculate that the family may have emigrated to Canada, where there was much British interest in the timber trade, including among the Gilmour family which had bought the Lundin Estate in 1872. I wonder what Neil Shaw would make of the fact that a hole at the Lundin Golf Club is still named after him and what he would think of the busy farm shop and cafe that has sprung up next to his former home (see image at foot of post).
Finally, it's worth noting that two of Chiene's sons had interesting life stories. Eldest son John became Professor of Surgery at Edinburgh University and worked with Sir John Goodsir (a theme worth returning to in the future). Second son George followed in his father's footsteps as a Chartered Accountant, an auditor for Standard Life, a factor for several Fife Estates and Captain of Innerleven Golf Club. In fact, the Chiene company of Chartered Accountants continues on to this day in Edinburgh and you can read about the firm's history here.
George Todd Chiene was elected Captain of Lundin Golf Club (at the age of 60) in 1869, the year after the Club was first founded. His election came after the autumn meeting where the 'Standard' medal was played for and won by his son, George Todd Chiene, Jr (then aged 25). This was reported in the Edinburgh Evening Courant on 11 October 1869. There is no record of Neil Shaw playing golf but I imagine he must have played on the course with George Chiene. The pair were undoubtedly close as the Shaws named one of their children after one of Chiene's. 'Dorothea Chiene Shaw' was born in 1871, twenty one years after Dorothea Chiene, George's eldest daughter was born.
On 17 June 1882 George Todd Chiene died at Burntisland aged 72. Some mystery surrounds the latter part of Neil Shaw's life. There are no death records for him, his wife or his forester sons. I speculate that the family may have emigrated to Canada, where there was much British interest in the timber trade, including among the Gilmour family which had bought the Lundin Estate in 1872. I wonder what Neil Shaw would make of the fact that a hole at the Lundin Golf Club is still named after him and what he would think of the busy farm shop and cafe that has sprung up next to his former home (see image at foot of post).
Finally, it's worth noting that two of Chiene's sons had interesting life stories. Eldest son John became Professor of Surgery at Edinburgh University and worked with Sir John Goodsir (a theme worth returning to in the future). Second son George followed in his father's footsteps as a Chartered Accountant, an auditor for Standard Life, a factor for several Fife Estates and Captain of Innerleven Golf Club. In fact, the Chiene company of Chartered Accountants continues on to this day in Edinburgh and you can read about the firm's history here.
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