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

DIRECTORY
INVERKEITHING
FIFESHIRE
the waters of the Forth. Tho rook on which it stands is connected
with tho mainland by a causeway, and a stone slab, placed iu the
wait over what appears to havo been the principal entrance, bears
the date of 15G1. In Sir Walter Scott's novel of " Tho Abbot," this
castle is alluded to, and tradition points it out as beiug the birth-
place of the wife of Oliver Cromwell. It is now the property of the
Earl of Hopetoun, whoso noble mansion stands on the opposite
shore, each gaining by the contrast— tho one preserved in stately
magnificence, and the other a mighty skeleton. The town consists
chiefly of two streets, which are lighted by gas ; improvements
generally havo been made, and tho thoroughfares display some
excellent and well furnished shops. There is a town house, whicb
comprises a gaol and suitable anartments for the courts. The first
existing charter of Inverkeithing is ouo from William tho Lion,
confirming charters of earlier but unknown dates; a number of
intervening charters were confirmed by one from James VI., in 1598.
The government is vested in a provost, or sheriff, two bailies, a dean
of guild and a treasurer, elected by the councillors. Tho expense of
paving, lighting and cleansing is defrayed from the Corporation
funds. The burgh, in conjunction with Dunfermline, Stirling, Cul-
ross and South Queensferry, sends one member to the Imperial Par-
liament. Besides the usnal trades found in a respectable country
town, there nre fire-clay works, salt works, tanning, rope making
and shipbuilding; connected with tho latter branch is a patent slip,
of great use in repairing vessels. Freestone and whinstone nre
abundant in this neighbourhood, and of excellent quality, and con-
siderable quantities of each are annually exported. The harbour
is capacious, and the bay is noted as a place of security in all winds.
The private harbour of East Ness affords additional accommoda-
tion, nnd gives about IS feet of water at spring tides. A branch of
the Clydesdale Bank, Limited, is established at Invorkeithing,
affording great convenience to tho monetary transactions of the
commercial inhabitants. The places of worship are a church of the
Establishment and one for an United Presbyterian congregation.
There is a large public school under the School Board, in which
the languages, mathematics, and the usual branches of education
are taught. A fair is held on the first Friday in August. The
entire parish of Inverkeithing, the area of which is 4,482 acres,
contained in 18S1 a population of 2,565 ; of this number the town
had 1,653.
Hillend, James Town and Rosyth are hamlets in the parish
of Inverkeithing. At the latter place are the ruins of Rosyth
Castle. A Board school for Dalgetty is situated at the eastern part
of Hillend.
Noeth Queensferey, formerly in the parish of Inverkeithing,
but now annexed to Dunfermline, is 2 miles s. from Inverkeithing,
and is well known to travellers as the port and point of land oppo-
site to Queensferry (or South Queensferrv), in Linlithgowshire, and
a steamer passes between tho two several times dady. At this place
a high lovel bridge, under which ships can sail, is now (1885) in course
of erection, for carrying the North British Railway over tlie Firth of
Forth. When completed, it will exceed in grandeur anythiug as
yet attempted by th<, engineer. Two of tho spans of this gigantic
undertaking will bo 1, 7110 feet each in length, and have a height of
150 feet above high water at spring tides. There will bo two other
spans of 1175 feet'. 11 of Ills feet, and six of 50 feet each. Tho total
length with the viaduct, approaches, will be ;i mile and a half. This
magnificent structure, designed by Messrs. Fowler & Baker, will, it
is said, eclipse the largest bridge over yet built. A short distance
to the west of tho village is the auchorago ground, resorted to by
vessels in stress of weather 'or contrary winds, called "Saint
Margaret's Hope." Here is a station of the coast-guard, and it is a
fishing one for a kind of sprat, of which prodigious quantities are
taken. Here are large whinstone quarrios, employing a number of
men. Population in 1881, 860.
Dalgetty is a parish five miles in length, and from one to three
and a half in breadth, and covers an area of 8,310 acres. It is
bounded on the north by Dunfermline, on the east by Aberdour, on
the south by the river Forth, and on the west by Inverkeithing.
The surrounding district is rich in coal, of which great quantities
are exported from St. David's. In this parish are tho ruins of
Fordell Castle (erected in 1111), with its beautiful grounds and
waterfall, well worthy of notice fro n the tourist; also Donibristle,
tho seat of the Earl of Moray, beautifully situated on the Firth of
Forth, commanding a splendid sea view. Its park is one of the
finest in Scotland. There are two public schools in the parish.
Population of the parish in 1881, 1,277.
Saint David's is a small port in the parish of Dalgetty, and about
a mile and a half to the east of Iuverkeitbing. Tho rise of this
place can be mainly ascribed to the advantages it affords for the
shipment of coal, brought from the extensive collieries at Fordell
by means of a privato .'railway five miles in length. At the pier
here, which has been extended at a cost of from £4,000 to £5,000,
upwards of 500 tons of coal can be shipped daily; aud there is an
average depth of eighteen feet at high water — being greater than
that of any other port on this part of the coast, and which will
admit vessels of upwards of six hundred tons to receive their cargoes
at the pier.
Fuedell is a village in the parish of Dalgetty, about a mile south
east of Crossgates, its postal district, on the property of the late
George William Mercer Henderson, Esq., and is chiefly inhabited
by miners employed on the estate. It has a fine reading room which
has been provided for the use of the workmen. Population in 1881
POST OFFICE, Town Hall Street, Inveekeithing, Agnes Pringle, Post Mistress.— Letters from all parts arrive (from Edinburgh
at 8 SO and 11 a.m. and 1 80 and 6 10 p.m. Letters from Dunfermline arrive at 8 20 a.m. and 5 10 p.m. aud are despatched to Edinh,,,-,-.
s
at 8 a.m. and 1 55 and 4 40 p.m. and to Dunfermline at 8 20 a.m. and 5 45 p.m. Money Order and Telegraph Office and Savings Bank
Post Office, Noeth Queensfeeey, John Chalmers, Post Master.— Letters from all parts arrive (from Edinburgh) at 8 30 a m and
and 6 p.m. Letters from Dunfermline arrive at 5 80 p.m. and are despatched to Edinburgh at7a.m.and2 and 5 p.m. and toDun'ferm
line at 8 a.m. Money Order and Telegraph Office and Savings Bank.
Post Office, Hillend, Christina Halfpenny. Post Mistress.— Letters from all parts arrive (from Inverkeithing at 9 40 s m and aro
despatched thereto at 2 55 p.m. The nearest Money Order Office is at Inveekeithing.
- ***Letters for St. David's, Hillend, James Town, and Rosyth should be addressed "near Inveekeithing. " Letters for Fordell and
Dalgetty should be addressed " near Crossgates, Dunfermline, Fifeshire."
NOBILITY, GENTRY & CLERGY.
Angus Mrs. — , Poplars
Arnot Miss Isabella, Cruickness
Auld Mr. James (provost), Church st
Bleloch Mr. David, Belle Vue House
Brown Miss Jane, North Queensferry
Buchanan Colonel William, Seafield Cottage
Craig Rev. James C. Dalgetty Manse
Elder Mrs. Ann, St. Margaret's, North
Queensferry
Elder Mr. James, Keith Bank
Fleming Rev. John D. Inverkeithing
Gillespie David, Esq. Castlaud Hill Mouse
Grigor Mr. Hall, Sea Cliffo Villa
Hay Mr. Andrew, Herriot st
Hay Miss Ann, Moffat House
Hay Mr. John, Heriot st
Hughe Mr. Augustus, Ferry Barns Cottage,
North Queensferry
Landale Mr. Andrew, Echo Bank
M'Culloch Mrs. Mary, Inverkeithing
Menzios Mr. Douglas C. Roseberrv Houso
Moray the Right Hon. the Earl of, Doni-
bristle Park
Mowbray Mrs. A. Otterstone
Mowbray Captain Carew, Otterstone
Reid Mr. George, Middlebank House [Manse
Robertson Rev. J. Glendinning, b.a. Tho
Robertson Mr. Robert, Dean Cottage, North
Queensferry
Holland Mr. James, Church st [crescent
Ross Misses Amelia & Georgiana, Preston
Ross Mr. David, Inverkeithing
Ross Mr. John, Inverkeithing
Russell David, Esq. Craig Dhu, North
Queensferry
Russell Mr. James Robert. Marchmont
Sclater Rev. Thomas, Inverkeithing [ferry
Scott Mr. David, Brae House, North Queens-
Sivright Mr. W. H. R. B. North Cliff, North
Queensferry [Inverkeithing
Smith James T. Esq. j.p. Duloeh House,
Stewart Miss Alice, Rockville, North Queens-
ferry
Stewart Mr. George Martin, Park House
Walls Mr. Lawrence, King st
Wilson Rev. Alexander S". Hope View Villa,
North Queensferry
SCHOOLS.
Board Schools : —
Inverkeithing — Robert N. Wardrop. mas-
ter ; Helen Cunningham, infants' mis
tress [master
Hillend for Dalgetty — John Cunningham,
North Queensferry — David M. Scott, mas-
ter; Eliza Wallace, infants' mistress
BAKERS.
Brown Robert, Church st
Hendersor. William, North Queensferry
Strachan James, Town Hall st
Whyte David, High st
BANK.
Clydesdale Bank, Limited (Branch),
Bank St. Inverkeithing ; head office.
Glasgow— draws on own branch, London —
George M. Stewart, agent; James Gilles-
pie, accountant
BEER RETAILERS^
Penny Peter, North Queensferry
Roxburgh Euphemia (& restaurant), North
Queensferry
BLACKSMITHS.
Binning George, Hillend
Brown Alexander, Church st
Reid Alexander, Hope st
Ross David, Inverkeithing
' BOOKSELLERS & STATIONERS.
Campbell Isabella, High st
Chalmers John, North Queensferry
Pringle Agnes, Town Hall st
BOOT & SHOE MAKERS.
Brown David, Salt Works
Cation Murdoch, High st
Cunningham William, High st
Henderson Alexander & Son, High st
Menzies Walter, High st
BRICK & TILE MAKERS.
See Fire Brick __• Tile Makers.
BUILDERS.
See Stonemasons <C- Builders.
CHINA, GLASS & EARTHENWARE
DEALERS.
Cunningham William, High s£
Oswald Jane, High st
COAL PROPRIETORS.
Henderson George Wm. Mercer (trustees of),
1'ordell Collieries; shipping port, St
David's— James Cairns, shipping a^ent
COLLIERY CONTRACTORS AND SHIP
FURNISHERS.
Ross James & Son, Inverkeithing -See advt
CONSULS— VICE.
Denmark— Hall Grigor, Inverkoithing, and
James Cairns, St. David's
Germany & the Netherlands (consular
agent for)— James Cairns, St. David's
Russia— George Martin Stewart, Inver-
keithing [David's
Sweden & Norway— James Cairns, St,
FARMERS.
IN DALGETTY PARISH.
Aitken David, Drumcooper
Aitken George, Bankhead
Hutters Hugh, .Masterton
Drysdale James, Chapel
Home Ebenezer, Doverhall
Mitchell T. & R. Pleasance
Stocks James, Letham
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