Scotland > 1882-1915 - Slater's Royal National Commercial Directory of Scotland > 1886 - Slater's (late Pigot and Co's) Royal national commercial directory and topography of Scotland

FIFESHIBE.
fPHIS is an extensive, populous, and important county, lying on tho eastern side of Scotland ; it is a peninsula, having the Firth of
-*â–  Forth on the south, the German Ocean on the east, and the Tay on the north, which river separates it from Forfarshire and Perth-
shire; on the west it is bounded by the latter county and Kinross, with a small part of Clackmannan. The breadth from its eastern
apex to its western point, where it intersects Kinross and Perth, is about thirty-five miles ; towards the south, however (from Kinghorn
to the verge of Kinross-shire), it is not more than ten miles across ; the extreme length, from north-east to south-west, in a curved line,
is fully forty miles. The regularity of its figure is much interrupted by the intrusion of Kinross-shire, which creates a considerable
indentation, not far from its centre, on the west. Its superfices comprise 513 square miles, or 328,427 English acres. In regard to size,
this connty is sixteenth, and in population the seventh.
Early History.— At an early period the district of Fyfe included Kinross-shire, Clackmannanshire, and part of the counties of
Perth and Stirling; it was then designated Ross, a term signifying a peninsula, and seems to have been under one general jurisdic-
tion. This large territory has long since been dismembered — Clackmannan was first taken from it, and next Kinross was erected into a
distinct shire. The origin of the name " Fife " has much troubled etymologists, nor has a satisfactory conclusion over been arrived at
npon this subject. The monkish chroniclers assume its derivation from one Fyfas Duffus, a hero of whom nothing more appears to be
known than that he was a chieftain who performed some great exploits, and did the country essential service in war. Tho ancient
history of Fife is enveloped in nearly similar obscurity. Its original possessors were the Celts, and their invaders the Romans ; and
towards the close of the ninth century the king of the Scots obtained paramount sway over the district. Between this period and
the eleventh century the country was in a great measure either the property or under the jurisdiction of a potent succession of "thanes"
of the title of Macduff; one of these, Duncan Macduff, was created Earl of Fife, by Malcolm III., about 1057 ; and from this time till the
family honours were merged by the marriage of female heirs or extinction in other families, and finally lost by forfeiture in 1424, tho
Earls of Fife were amongst the most influential of the Scottish peerage. After a lapse of more than three centuries, the ancient title
of Earl of Fife waB revived as an Irish peerage, in 1759, in the person of William Duff, Lord Braco of Kilbryde, who, according to his
genealogists, derived his descent from the original earls. The lineal descendant of this person now inherits the title and privileges —
the estates of the family being situated principally in Aberdeenshire and Banffshire.
Son., Surface, and Climate. — The peninsula of Fife was originally almost an entire forest, full of swamps, and while in this
condition was the haunt of wild beasts, especially ewine of a monstrous size. It is understood that such animals were not extirpated
in the reign of James V., who, like hiB forefathers, often made Fife the scene of his hunting expeditions. In this county are found four
kinds of soil, differing considerably in quality, and generally occupying distinct tracts of the country. Along the braes facing the Firth
of Forth, the composition of the land is for the most part excellent, being deep rich loam, good clay, and gravel mixed with loamy earth,
based chiefly on whin rock, and produces good crops of wheat, barley, oats, beans, turnips and potatoes; north from the waving line
which bounds this territory to the base of the hills on the south side of the vale of Fife, and from St. Andrews on the east to the western
parts of the country, the soil is in general vastly inferior— a great proportion being cold, poor and very wet clay; the tract of the
"Howe of Fife," which comprises both sides of the river Eden as far as Cupar, is very prodnctive; it consists of loam, partly deep and moist,
and partly light and dry, with also a considerable proportion of moor and moss; in the hilly district, from the vale to the river Tay, the
land is uniformly of the best description, having much rich loam, clay and gravel. Consequent upon the progressive operation of habitual
and experimental cultivation, these primitive properties of the soil have been modified, improved or ameliorated, according to the system
or means and perseverance of the agriculturist. The peninsula of Fife exhibits in its surface a series of vales, stretching from west to
east parallel with the sea on each side, and of greater or less dimensions; these vales, which from the undulating character of the
country are in some places not so distinct as in others, are the basins of different small streams, which merge either in the Firth of
Forth or St. Andrew's Bay. Extending in a north-easterly direction to the Tay, the Ocbil Hills penetrate the county, forming a ridge of
moderate elevation, upon which many cattle and sheep are pastured. The other eminences of greatest altitude iu Fifeshire are Kelly-
Law, 800 feet; Norman's-Law, 850; Largo-Law, 1,020; East Lomond Hill, 1,260; and West Lomond Hill, 1,280 above the level of the sea.
The Climate of this peninsula is, perhaps, as genial and salubrious as that of other districts more to tho south ; the fogs, which formerly
were continually exhaling from the lochs and marshes, to the injury of the crops and the health of the inhabitants, who were then
afflicted with agues and other concomitant diseases, have long since been effectually dissipated by the drainage of the damp lands, and
the general spread of healthful cultivation. Altogether, Fife is a most important district; its agricultural prosperity and capabilities,
its manufactures, its fisheries, and its mineral treasurers, its burghs, seaports, and fine harbours, and its domestic andforeign commerce,
form a combination of advantages that must distinguish this shire as oue of the most favoured probably iu all North Britain.
Produce and BIanufactures.— The shire is fortunate in possessing inexhaustible mines of coal, with whinstone, sandstone,
limestone, and some honstone. Coal and lime are wrought only in the southern division of the county, between the two extremities,
and some miles inland ; within this district there are as extensive lime and coal works as can be seen in Scotland. The sandstone found
in this part is of the very best quality ; from its beauty it is exported to Edinburgh, where some of the finest edifices have been built
with it. Marl is abundant in some places; so likewise is fine clay, for the composition of bricks, tiles, and pottery. From the possession
of the above fossils, and the exuberant produce of corn and cattle, it is a common saying among the people of Fife, that their county
could support itself better, without the aid of imported articles, than any other district in Scotland. Besides supplying home consump-
tion, it enjoys a very large export trade in corn, potatoes, pigs, black cattle, lime, coal and sandstone— not to mention that of its
manufactured goods. Lead has been discovered in the western Lomond, and mines of this ore have been profitablyjworked in the parish of
Kemback ; pebbles, much admired for the high polish of which they are susceptible, have been found in different places, with agates and
rubies of fine water. The staple Manufacture of Fife is linen goods, in the weaving of which many towns, villages, and hamlets are busily
employed without intermission ; fine diapers and shirtings, and the most elegant table linen, are produced from the looms of this county;
of this trade Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy are the principal seats ; while the yarns, composed of foreign flax, are mostly spun and bleached
on the Leven and in the adjacent places. Iron founding and machine making are prosecuted with success at several places, and tho
manufacture of fishing nets, floor cloth, fire clay and terra cotta goods are likewise branches of importance. The fisheries are also a source
of wealth to this county, shoals of herrings during the spawning season visiting its coast, in the capture and curing of which many
of the population are employed. Turbot, soles, plaice, cod, haddock and ling are also found in abuudance, the three first-named being
taken in the shallow waters of the east coast.
Rivers and Railways. — Exclusive of the Forth and the Tay, the county is watered by several streams— none of which, however,
are entitled to the denomination of rivers, except the Eden and the Leven, both of which abound with excellent salmon. Fife cannot
boast of many lakes, and those that it does possess are but of small extent, the principal being Lindores, Kilconquhar, Lochgelly, Camilla
and Fitty locus. The North British line of railway runs direct through the county, on the sea board from Burntisland to Ferry-Port-on-
Craig, having various branches running landwards, to the counties of Clackmannan, Kinross, and Perth, exclusive of the various branches
for mineral traffic, leading to the different shipping ports on the northern hanks of the Forth. The route of the respective branches will
be best ascertained by reference to the towns given in the Directory of the shire.
Divisions, Representation, &c. — This connty forms a sheriffdom, under one sheriff depute ; but being divided into an eastern and
a western district, eaoh is placed under the jurisdiction of a sheriff substitute; in these two districts are comprehended the four sub-
divisions of St. Andrews, Cupar, Dunfermline, and Kirkcaldy. It has politically and ecclesiastically attached to it the Islands of
Inchcolm, Inchkeith, and May, in the Firth of Forth. Fife comprises sixty-one parishes, and two part of parishes, having thirteen royal
burghs with parliamentary representation ; these conjointly with Culross in Perthshire, Queensferry in Linlithgowshire, and Stirling in
Stirlingshire, return three members ; and the shire at large sends another to the Senate. The present member for the county is the
Honourable Robert Preston Bruce. The parlianientery constituency for 1884-85 was 4,952. The lord lieutenant ie Sir Robert Anstruther,
Bart. By the census returns for 1871, the population of the entire shire was— males, 75,127 ; females, S5.608; total, 160,735 ; in 1881, the
shire contained 80,893 males, and 91,038 females; total, 171,931; exhibiting an increase over 1871 of 11,196.
£30