Fire in High Valleyfield and Death in Donibristle

In the Dunfermline Journal and Advertiser for West Fife 100 years ago this weekend (to be specific the 20 November 1915 issue)

Welcome all to my new blog post focussing on social history in Dunfermline 100 years ago!

A property destroyed by fire in High Valleyfield

Early on Thursday morning fire broke out in the coal cellar of a house in Abbey Crescent, High Valleyfield.  The house was tenanted by John Philp.  The fie took a firm grip of the boxes and other material in the coal cellar and notwithstanding the efforts at extinguishing by means of pailfuls of water it obtained masonry and before it was put out Philp's house and another adjoining were totally gutted.  Most of the furniture was saved.  The damage is established at between £300 and £400.  It is believed that the fire originated from a piece of burning paper which a woman was using in order to enable her to collect some coal.  The property belonged to the Fife Coal Company.

Donibristle - the late Mr Beath

Widespread regret has been caused by the announcement of the death of Mr Robert Beath who conducted a licensed grocer's establishment in Donibristle for 35 years and who only retired from business 18 months ago.  Mr Beath took a keen interest in all public affairs and acted as Chairman of Aberdour School Board for several years.  He had also a long period of service on the Parish Council and was on both these bodies at his death.  He superintended the Sabbath school in Donibristle for nearly 30 years and would have celebrated his golden wedding in a fortnight.  Some years ago Mr Beath was elected a JP for the county and up till his last illness he took an active part all the patriotic associations.  He leaves a family of four sons and four daughters.  He was 71 years of age.


Tune in next week to see what happened in Dunfermline next week 100 years ago ..........

Blog written by Jacqueline Hunter of Ancestral Research by Jacqueline, Dunfermline, Scotland. Please email me at jacquelinehunter895@gmail.com if I can help you with your family history research.

News from the villages ................

In the Dunfermline Journal and Advertiser for West Fife 100 years ago this weekend (to be specific the Saturday July 31 1915 issue):

 

This week I'm highlighting snippets of news from several of the small villages in west Fife:

 

Crossgates

Several cases of fever have been lately reported and the outcry against the insanitary conditions of the burn running through the village has again been raised.

Donibristle

The mission sabbath school children had their picnic to Aberdour on Saturday.  Unfortunately the weather proved unfavourable.  Better fortune attended the teachers who had their drive on Wednesday to Leven when the weather was dry and delightful.

Limekilns and Charlestown

A somewhat alarming train crash occurred at Charlestown Station near Dunfermline on Monday.  A goods train was approaching the station down a steep incline when the brakes failed to hold and the engine dashed into the permanent buffers at the east end of the station.   The engine and eight wagons were derailed whilst several of the wagons were smashed.  The driver and fireman of train jumped clear.  The contents of the wagons included live shells and it is a miracle that an explosion did not occur.  The passenger traffic had to be diverted on Monday to the goods station.

Crombie and Charlestown

In Dunfermline Sheriff Court on Monday proof was to have been led in an action for compensation at the instance of Mrs Isabella Addison or Readie widow and Catherine Finlayson spinster Stable Row, Charlestown against Messrs C R Taylor and company, electrical engineers, Crombie Explosive Works.  Pursuers are the mother and stepsister respectively of Charles Readie labourer who was killed by an overhead crane falling on him last December.  Pursuers claimed the sum of £195 representing 3 years earnings and have accepted the sum of £100 with modified expenses.

[Crombie Munition Works as it was latterly known only closed a few years ago]

Torryburn

Sheriff Umpherston heard evidence in Dunfermline Sheriff Court on Wednesday in a poaching prosecution at the instance of Dr Nasmyth.  The accused party was Alexander Kirkwood miner Main Street Torryburn and it was alleged against him that in a field known as Meadow Park on Torrie estate he trespassed in pursuit of game and killed a rabbit. Mr A P Macbain solicitor prosecuted and the accused who tendered a plea of not guilty was defended by Mr P McLeod.  The defence was that the accused had a permit from the tenant of the field and the point in law was whether the tenant was such a tenant under the Ground Game Act of 1881 as to entitle him to issue a permit to kill rabbits.  No evidence was produced showing the nature of the tenant's holding and the Sheriff adjourned the case until Monday in order that such evidence might be forthcoming.

Saline

Mr James Bennett son of Mr D Bennett merchant has been successful in passing the examination held in London recently for the Associateship of the Royal Institute of British Architects.  Mr Bennett acquired his early professional training in the office of Mr Houston, Dunfermline and is at present engaged in Glasgow with Sir John Burnett.


Tune in next week to see what happened in Dunfermline next week 100 years ago ..........

Blog written by Jacqueline Hunter of Ancestral Research by Jacqueline, Dunfermline, Scotland. Please email me at jacquelinehunter895@gmail.com if I can help you with your family history research.