Ireland the baker was established in Upper Largo in 1846 and was a feature of the village for more than a century, as the business passed through the family generations. David Ireland was the founder, when he moved to Kirkton of Largo from Leslie, with wife Catherine Collier and their children. David had been born in 1800, in Kinglassie, son of farmer James Ireland and his wife Sarah Martin. Both he and his brother James became bakers and operated in Leslie, where James remained while David moved to Kirkton (where previous baker David Lindsay had died late in 1840). In 1854 the advert below appeared in the Fife Herald, showing Ireland selling a a bake-house. This suggests that he moved to new premises within the village around that time.
David Ireland died on 1 April 1874 and his son James (who was born in 1833 in Kinglassie) took up the reins, having worked alongside his father since his teens. James married Margaret Morrison and they had several children, one of whom (James) was killed when he was hit by a train at Lower Largo on 31 December 1881, aged 9. James senior, master baker, died on 6 December 1913 at 'Grove View', Upper Largo (the house attached to the shop in the image above and below).
Robert Ireland (born 1878) was the third generation to run the business and did so until his retirement, when he and wife Jane (nee Cunningham) moved to 'Elmscroft' on Leven Road in Lundin Links, where Robert died on 24 June 1937, aged 59. By this time his sons James and William Cunningham Ireland were living at 'Grove View' and were fourth generation bakers. The advert above dates from circa 1930, while the detailed image below dates to the early days of Robert Ireland's time in charge. Visible on the hanging sign to the left of the entrance is the name 'Grove Bakery'. The Grove is the area directly opposite the baker's shop (see wooded area on the left of image above) which was the village bleaching ground prior to the building of the house named The Grove for Evelyn Baxter.
The business left the hands of the Ireland family in the 1960s, when William Tullis & son, baker of Kennoway took over for a few years, prior to the closure of the shop, which was then converted into a house.
Robert Ireland (born 1878) was the third generation to run the business and did so until his retirement, when he and wife Jane (nee Cunningham) moved to 'Elmscroft' on Leven Road in Lundin Links, where Robert died on 24 June 1937, aged 59. By this time his sons James and William Cunningham Ireland were living at 'Grove View' and were fourth generation bakers. The advert above dates from circa 1930, while the detailed image below dates to the early days of Robert Ireland's time in charge. Visible on the hanging sign to the left of the entrance is the name 'Grove Bakery'. The Grove is the area directly opposite the baker's shop (see wooded area on the left of image above) which was the village bleaching ground prior to the building of the house named The Grove for Evelyn Baxter.
The business left the hands of the Ireland family in the 1960s, when William Tullis & son, baker of Kennoway took over for a few years, prior to the closure of the shop, which was then converted into a house.
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