Above is a postcard addressed to Mr William Strang, North British Railway, Largo and stamped Burntisland, 8 December 1878. Before we turn the postcard over to read the message, let's learn a little about William who was the Station Agent at Largo Station. He was born in 1860 at Wellwood, a coal mining community to the north of Dunfermline (see notice of his birth below from 14 January 1860 Dunfermline Saturday Post). His parents were miner Robert Strang and his wife Mary Stalker. By time of 1871 census the family had moved to Lundin Mill and Robert's occupation had changed to Colporteur (more about that in a future post). Soon after arriving in Largo Parish, a young William became employed by the Leven and East Fife Railway. From aged around 13 he worked at Largo Station.
When the line was amalgamated into the North British Railway on 1 August 1877, William was appointed station master (also known as station agent). He was still in his teens. The previous station master at Largo, Thomas Davie, had severely crushed his arm in an accident shunting waggons the previous year. Perhaps William had been required to step up his responsibilities at an unusually early age. He remained station master at Largo for about four years.
The 1881 recorded William at Temple Railway Cottage, living with parents Robert (by then retired) and Mary. However, a change was imminent. By the time that William married Christina Welsh on 1 March 1882, he was station master at Guardbridge Station. Christina was the daughter of draper Alexander Welsh, who would later become sub-postmaster in Lower Largo. In fact the Welsh family went on to run Lower Largo Post Office for three generations.
William's career in the railway continued to flourish. From Guardbridge, he had a spell in Edinburgh from around 1885 until 1890, based at Newington Station. In the middle of 1890 he became station master at Dunfermline Lower Station. The piece below from 5 July 1890 Fife News tells of his move back to Fife. He remained there until November 1891, when he went to Linlithgow to be station master there.
Meanwhile back in Largo, William's father Robert died in 1887. His widow Mary was living at Emsdorf at the time of the 1891 census. So both William and his wife Christina continued to have family back in Largo. William's career eventually took the family back to Edinburgh as he became Parcels Superintendent at Waverley Station in the middle of 1893. He acted as Parcels Superintendent for twelve years, until being appointed as traffic superintendent for Fife District in 1905.
he 1911 census described William as District Traffic Superintendent and the family resided at Greenmount Road North in Burntisland, in a house named Wellwood, along with his wife and seven of their children. Their eldest son was also working for the railway at this time. The article below from 26 May 1905 East of Fife Record shows how the new of his move to the role of superintendent was reported back in Largo.
From the role of Traffic Superintendent for Fife District, William went on to be Assistant Superintendent of the North British Railway from 1911 and then Commercial Superintendent from 1917. It was in the latter role that William's life came to an end on 27 September 1918 at the age of 58 following a bout of influenza. The 28 September 1918 Scotsman below reported on his death.
The notice below from the 5 October 1918 Fife News describes how his remains were brought to Largo station, ahead of his burial at Largo Cemetery, where both of his parents were interred. Further below is a photograph of his headstone.
Returning to the postcard from back in 1877 to William Strang from his time at Largo Station - below is the reverse side with the message sent to him from David Russell & Co, Oil Mills, Burntisland. The message reads:
Please inform us what is your rate for coals from Lochgelly?
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