A previous post has mentioned that the Crusoe Hotel began life as a granary in 1824 and here is an advert, from 7 October that year in the Fife Herald, advertising the "lately built" granary for let. The advert is very informative in terms of how the granary was intended to be used. Either large or small lots could be let within the building. Likely users would be either farmers or corn-dealers. In fact the Alexander Beveridge named in the advert was a farmer at Buckthorns, by Upper Largo. The Highland and Agricultural Society described Buckthorns around that time as having "as fine a crop of oats as we have ever seen anywhere", so perhaps his grains ended up at the granary.
Lower Largo at the time was very well-connected, as the advert suggests. Other adverts from this era describe Largo as a "shipping port" and highlight its proximity to the "turnpike road along the coast". The steam packet services out of Largo Harbour were underway at this time - perhaps the completion of the Chain Pier at Newhaven in 1821 had added impetus to the building of the granary. The weekly corn markets mentioned would have included those at Leven and Colinsburgh at that time.
It appears that for a number of decades, the granary was managed by a group called the "Largo Granary Company". A piece in the Fife Herald on 14 February 1833 reveals that Alexander Beveridge was the treasurer of this group. He was presented with a silver snuff box by the company at a dinner in Duff's Inn (within the same building as the granary) "in token of their great esteem and regard for him, more especially in reference to admirable manner in which he has conducted the affairs of the concern".
The advert below dates from the year after the initial one above - again suggesting that various sizes of space could be rented. This time the contact given is an Andrew Selcraig, who was a linen manufacturer, living in Largo and operating a business in Dysart (presumably another member of the Largo Granary Company). Adverts for the let of the granary continue to appear periodically throughout the remainder of the 19th century and the Largo Granary Company is still noted in the press as operating in 1898.
Lower Largo at the time was very well-connected, as the advert suggests. Other adverts from this era describe Largo as a "shipping port" and highlight its proximity to the "turnpike road along the coast". The steam packet services out of Largo Harbour were underway at this time - perhaps the completion of the Chain Pier at Newhaven in 1821 had added impetus to the building of the granary. The weekly corn markets mentioned would have included those at Leven and Colinsburgh at that time.
It appears that for a number of decades, the granary was managed by a group called the "Largo Granary Company". A piece in the Fife Herald on 14 February 1833 reveals that Alexander Beveridge was the treasurer of this group. He was presented with a silver snuff box by the company at a dinner in Duff's Inn (within the same building as the granary) "in token of their great esteem and regard for him, more especially in reference to admirable manner in which he has conducted the affairs of the concern".
The advert below dates from the year after the initial one above - again suggesting that various sizes of space could be rented. This time the contact given is an Andrew Selcraig, who was a linen manufacturer, living in Largo and operating a business in Dysart (presumably another member of the Largo Granary Company). Adverts for the let of the granary continue to appear periodically throughout the remainder of the 19th century and the Largo Granary Company is still noted in the press as operating in 1898.
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