Latest
Newsletter - Winter 2006
Welcome
to this early Winter edition of the Society's Newsletter. We
decided to publish some of the information from the archives as there is so much
of interest to share.
We continue to receive enquiries from people
about a range of topics, the latest from a lady who is seeking information about
a local shipwreck. She wrote, "Around 1819/1820 a Leith packet on its way
to Aberdeen was wrecked off Fife. There were no survivors except for a very
young baby named William Dumbreck who was washed ashore at Elie. He only
survived due to the help given by the local people. His mother, Jane,
perished along with all the other passengers. This child was my great
grandfather."
If you have any information about this shipwreck
please get in touch with David Thomson or Alan Provan who will pass it on.
The "Doors Open" event we ran went
extremely well. The numbers were lower than expected for a beautiful sunny day,
however, this was due to an error in the leaflet and what we thought was poor
publicity the on the part of the organisers (Fife Council). Because it was well
publicised in the village we had a great turnout of locals. Everyone enjoyed the
tours and exhibition inside the Town Hall (thanks mainly to Audrey Clayton). The
script of the tour is on our website so if you missed it you can copy it and do
a self-tour!
A
reminder that our AGM is on Wednesday 8th November at 7.00 pm.
We now have 117 members in the Society - quite an achievement in the short time
we have been in existence.
The Society has now purchased a digital voice recorder
for collecting oral histories.
Enclosed with this Newsletter is a copy of the
audited account for the period.
See you at the AGM.
Kind regards,
Jim Bell, Chairman
back to top
Did
you know that….
· Because there would
be 100 extra visitors for two weeks at New Year and 200 for four weeks at Easter
the Food Control Committee in 1917 required to obtain extra sugar for them?
· In March1922 the
fishing boat Ethel damaged the sewer outfall because it and five others could
not get into any of the other harbours because of the cost?
· In a southerly gale a
strong current from the west sweeps into the harbour and out round the point of
the west pier?
·
In 1932 timber framing and sky signs were
erected at the Victoria Hotel by Mr Halifax?
back to
top
NOTES BY THE WAY - from
David Thomson
Some years ago Councillors Tom Clayton
and David Thomson were engaged, on behalf of the Town Council, in collecting
information for the Defence of Britain project and duly reported the anti tank
concrete blocks and armaments at Kincraig inter alia.
Recently this information was added to by Hamish Jameson son of the last factor
of Elie estate who indicated that the estate workers made these blocks at a cost
of seven pounds each. But more interestingly, he also explained that the eastern
front at Elie comprised two iron pipes with fine holes drilled in them which lay
in parallel along the sides of the road crossing the railway at South Lodge.
These were connected to a reservoir containing a highly inflammable fluid which
was to be released through the holes and set alight on the approach of an
invading force from the east, which would thereby be burnt to a cinder!
Other visitors to the Secretary recently
included Mr & Mrs G Kirkpatrick of Canterbury and St. Monans who are members
of the Ovenstone family and who regularly hand in historical items for the
Society. On this occasion they handed in copies of some old photographs
including some celebrating the 69th birthday of the CSSM, one of which shows
their sandcastle, a monster of about 60ft long (see photos below).
Also produced by Gillian is a copy of some collected
poems by Rev. RS Armstrong, minister of the Parish of Kilconquhar and published
in 1936. He died in 1958 and immediately preceded Rev Robin Mitchell whom many
of our members will remember as the 'Birdman' on Kathleen Garscadden's radio
programme for children. Included in Revd. Armstrong's poems are Kinneuchar Kirk,
two ballads, one of Balclevie, to a Miner, Next-of-Kin, Isle of May, and Methil
Lights. Also a Reverie about Kilconquhar Loch. We will publish some of these in
the future.
back to top
Committee
Chairman:
Jim Bell
Secretary:
David Thomson
Treasurer:
Graham Meacher
Members:
Rosemary Black
Audrey Clayton
Eric Henderson
Diane
Meldrum
Alan Provan
Anne Riddell
back to top
Elie
& Earlsferry History Society