Wrecks and Reminiscences of St. Andrews Bay: with the history of the lifeboat, and a sketch of the fishing population in the city, etc

Front matter

Wrecks and Reminiscences OF ST ANDREWS BAY: WITH THE HISTORY OF THE LIFEBOAT, AND A SKETCH OF THE FISHING POPULATION IN THE CITY, WITH A GLANCE AT ITS EARLY HISTORY. BY GEORGE BRUCE, ST ANDREWS, Author of "Destiny, and other Poems." For " I have loved thee, Ocean ! — and my joy Of youthful sports, was on thy breast to be Borne, like the bubbles, onward : — from a boy I wantoned with thy breakers— they to me Were a delight ; — and, if the freshening sea Made them a terror, "twas a pleasing fear ; For I was, as it were, a child of thee, And trusted to thy billows, far and near, And laid my hand upon thy mane— as I do here." —Childe Harold. DUNDEE : JOHN LENG & CO. 1884.

Preface

. I have faithfully endeavoured to make these Sketches a concise and complete historical record of the chief incidents which have taken place in the Bay for the last sixty years at least. In the absence of printed data for most of them, and a sincere desire to insert nothing but what I knew to be true, they have necessarily given much more trouble than I expected — still, now that they are completed, they may not be altogether void of interest as a record of facts. The Illustrations are of the new Platinotype process, by J. Dryburgh, Photographer, St Andrews — the " Seven Castaways" and " John Honey" being copied from the original engravings. " Boarhills Creek" is taken about half tide, from the S.W., and shows " Outer Luckie" (where the " Napoleon" lay) seen above water. St Andrews, December 1883, ERRA TA.

At page 32, the words " Solemn League and Covenant" may be read the " Eand, or Covenant," as the " Solemn League" was not signed till 1643. At page 37, for five days and nights, read six days and nights. CONTENTS. Page. Introduction, 9 Chapter I. A Passing Glance at the Early History of St Andrews, 13 Chapter II. Seven Young Castaways in 1710, with Remarks on the Wreck of the Cathedral, ...... 30 Chapter III. Annihilation of the Fishing in St Andrews — Five Boats Wrecked and Twelve Fishermen Drowned, in 17G5, 39 Chapter IV. Wreck of the Sloop "Janet," of Macduff, on 5th January 1800, and a Glance at the Close of the 17th Century in St Andrews, ....... 45 Chapter V. Our First Lifeboat, placed on the East Bents about 1801, 55 Chapter VI. Shetland Fishers brought to St Andrews in 1803, and the Gradual Renewal of Fishing at St Andrews, after the loss of the "Old Fishermen" in 1765, . . . . 57 Chapter VII.

A Hasty Glance at the Growth of the Fishing at St Andrews— Daft Willie Gourlay, .... CONTENTS. VIII Chapter XXI. Page. Willie Chisholm, the Pilot, died Sth January 1871— Davie Brown, a Young Fisherman, Drowned, 356 Chapter XXII. Brief Record of various Mishaps — Sinking and Stranding — The "Osprey" Sunk — The "Oal" — The " Penelope" — The "Anna" — The "Annie Maria" — Channel Squadron -in the Bay in 1874 — The "Tuskar" — Russian Schooner Scuttled in the Harbour, ...... 361 Chapter XXIII. Auld Bob Duncan — Wrecks and Incidents — Wreck of the "Catherine Boland" — Schooner on Burn Stools — The "Jola" Sunk— The "Union" Wrecked— Willie Cargill Drowned, 1875 — The ' ' Leopold" Ashore, . 367 Chapter XXIV. More Wrecks, and Strange Incidents — Wreckjof the "Fantee" — The "Duncan Dunbar" — Harbour Deepened, 1875-1876 — Freaks of a Baronet — Good Actions — Brief List of Wrecks — Brig ran over Eden Bar — The "Livingstone" Embayed — Brig helped from Boarhills, and Death of Alex.

Stark — Escape of Two Boys — Brig on Burn Stools — Robert Porter Drowned — The " Roseneath" Embayed, 374 Chapter XXV. Wreck of the "Harmonie," "Merlin," "Kate Kennedy," 1881, 394 Chapter XXVI. Wrecks, Incidents, and Conclusion — The "Oliver" — The "Grasshopper" — The "Grantee" saved in Eden — Wreck of the "Lovise" on West Sands — Brig on Kinshaldy Sands — New Lifeboat for Boarhills, 1881 — "Lady of the Lake" — The " Rosebud" Wrecked — Lifeboat Demonstration — The "Dant6" Lost— Destruction of Lines by a Steam Trawler— The "Rob Roy" on the Carr, 1883— Barque Short of Provisions — Concluding Remarks,