PORT GORDON
The Life and Times of a Village
Peter H. Reid
Preface by His Grace the Duke of Richmond and Gordon
PORT GORDON
The Life and Times of a Village
Peter H. Reid
Preface by His Grace the Duke of Richmond and Gordon
Acknowledgements | Introduction | Foundation | Industry | Trade | Expansion | Life and Religion |The New Harbour | The Railway | Water Disputes | The School | The Parish |
This page contains the full text of Port Gordon: The life and times of a village which was published in November 1997 by Tynet Heritage to commemorate the 200th Anniversary of the Foundation of the Village. The book is now out of print and consequently this electronic version contains be freely printed or downloaded.
PREFACE BY
HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF RICHMOND, LENNOX AND GORDONAs it is now over sixty years since there was a direct connection between the Dukes of Gordon and the Gordon estates and I was only seven when the estates were sold (I think I visited Gordon Castle once) I know little from direct experience of my Gordon inheritance.
Nonetheless, it gives me great pleasure to write this short preface. I was particularly pleased to read Appendix One "Port Gordon and its Lairds" for it contains much of my family's history for some two hundred years from 1743 during the period they visited Gordon Castle for a prolonged period in the late summer immediately following the four day Goodwood Race meeting.
I doubt if they would have approved that we now have twenty days racing a year from May to September as well as motor-racing! It would have interfered seriously with grouse shooting and the salmon fishing seasons!
Do I regret that we no longer own Gordon Castle and the Gordon Estates? For one reason I do regret it, namely the tradition and continuity which had been built up over such a long time and which manifested itself in the person relationships which existed between my family and so many employees, tenants and other local people.
But for another reason I do not regret it. Living in a huge historic house on a very large estate at Goodwood I am accutely conscious of the financial burden in trying to maintain it all and indeed to attempt to ensure it survives to make profit. I suspect that one such place may be enough for going on with these days! But even so we live here very happily with our children and grandchildren.
Richmond, Lennox and Gordon
Goodwood, 1997
Author's Preface This book presents the history of Port Gordon from its foundation in 1797 up to the present day. The principal merit of this book is that it brings together information which has never previously been collected into one volume. A wide range of sources have been consulted during the research and this is reflected, I hope, in the variety of material included. These types of histories are, inevitably, very subjective and, therefore, it is entirely a personal view of the village's history; it does not claim to be comprehensive and any errors or omissions are entirely my own responsibility. The decision to choose a chronological narrative over a subject approach is entirely mine and, although there are merits in both methods, I feel that a review of the two hundred years is much more suitable on this occasion. There is one point which does require amplification and that is the spelling of Port Gordon which I have used throughout. There has never been an absolutely correct and definitive way of spelling the name of the village. Indeed many of the early sources do actually use Portgordon. However, I have chosen to use two separate words which, I believe, encapsulates the tradition of the village better than the one word version. Finally, I hope that readers find as much interest in the final product as I have had during the course of researching it. P.H. Reid, 1997
Acknowledgements I am profoundly grateful to His Grace the Duke of Richmond and Gordon for the time he took in reading the manuscript and for providing the book with such an elegant preface. In addition, there are numerous people to whom I owe a debt of gratitude for their assistance with this book not least my parents without whose knowledge I could never have started. I am particularly grateful to Mr Alistair Campbell (Libraries and Museums Manager, Moray Council), and Mr Graeme Wilson, Local Studies Librarian, Grant Lodge, Elgin without whom it would have been impossible to illustrate this work. I am also very grateful to various members of the Bicentennial Committee, including Mrs Jessie Farquhar, Mr Kevin McDermott, Mr Joe Geoghegan, Miss Anne Bruce and Mrs Annie Gunn. In addition, I would like to thank Miss Edith McKenzie, Mrs Janet Morrison, Mrs Lesley Keenan, Mr Allan Fraser, and particularly Mr Mike George for his tremendous work in getting the book published. Finally, my thanks to all my colleagues in Aberdeen who have encouraged me throughout.
The publication of this work has been made possible with the assistance of Moray Council.
© P.H. Reid, 1997. Peter Reid asserts his rights to be identified as the author of this work.
Introduction It is a curious twist of history that so small a village as Port Gordon is not, in fact, one village but an amalgamation of three distinct communities - Gollachy, Seatown of Tannachy and Port Gordon itself. As Peter Anson pointed out, until the end of the eighteenth century all of the area to the west of Nether Buckie was known as Gollachie (as it was then spelt). Inevitably, this name owed its origins to the burn which flows down from Arradoul to the sea. Maps of the time seem to bear this out. Initially, there appears to have been a small community of fishermen based at Gollachie. The exact location of this community remains obscure, but the fragmented evidence which survives would seem to indicate that it was located around the middle of what is now Gordon Street. The Reverend George Donaldson, minister of Rathven, writing in the First Statistical Account, noted that "during the year 1723, a fishing-boat and crew, belonging to the [second] Duke of Gordon, removed from Gollachie to Buckie, as being a safer and more commodious situation." 1 Having quit Gollachy, the crew set themselves up at Nether Buckie where there was only one boat, owned by Mr Dunbar, the Laird. Dunbar only held his lands in feu from the Duke himself and, in any case, was considerably in arrears to the Duke. Consequently, while Dunbar had conveniently chosen to reside on the Continent, the Duke had no qualms about stationing his boat on the Nether Buckie land.
For the next seventy years or so little seems to have occurred at Gollachy. In the meantime, Buckie became the principal fishing community in western Banffshire. By 1793, Buckie had grown to a significant size. The village as a whole had a total population of 703; of these 400 were inhabitants of Nether Buckie, while 303 were inhabitants of Easter Buckie. At that time there were fourteen boats of nine tons and one yawl of four tons. All these boats belonged to the various Lairds. The yawl, together with three boats, were the property of the Duke of Gordon; three boats were the property of Mr Dunbar of Nether Buckie and the remaining eight boats were the property of Mr Gordon of Cluny, the Laird of Easter Buckie. Only smaller boats could be the property of the fishermen themselves, however, at that time there were no smaller boats operating from either Nether or Easter Buckie. Consequently, the larger boats were used for all types of fishing. Throughout the eighteenth century, the industry was confined to line fishing for cod, ling and haddock. No records of herring fishing exist before 1800, except for one shoal which was located off of Buckie in 1787. Serious commercial fishing was attempted on various occasions but the main stumbling block was the lack of a proper harbour. There had been numerous attempts to build a harbour but these had always failed. Various surveys were undertaken; one at Easter Buckie and later another at Nether Buckie. However, nothing was done because of a protracted dispute between the respective Lairds, Mr Gordon and Mr Dunbar.
Foundation It was the disputes between the two Buckie lairds, coupled with frustration about Mr Dunbar's debts, which prompted Alexander, 4th Duke of Gordon to establish a new village. The planning of the new community started well in advance of 1797, the date generally given for the foundation of Port Gordon. As early as November of 1795, James Hoy, the Duke's secretary and librarian, paid the masons two shillings for drink money as work commenced on the harbour structure. During the period of construction cargoes of stone were shipped from Lossiemouth and by September of 1796, Hoy had paid half-a-crown to the quarriers for drink money. It was on April 5th, 1797, that Port Gordon formally came into existence as an agreement was signed with ten fishermen from Nether Buckie who were prepared to move to the new community. As a result of this agreement the Duke had ten houses constructed for the fishermen and their families. It was on May 26th, 1797, the first inhabitants of the new village took up residence and were able to "to fish in this sheltered spot." 2 As the year progressed Hoy returned a number of times ostensibily to arrange the leases of the land around the village.
The Duke of Gordon himself was in his mid-fifties by the time he established the village which was to bear his name. He was a true eighteenth century grandee, a Knight of the Thistle and Lord Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire. Lord Kaimes, the eminent Scottish Judge, described him thus: "the greatest subject in Britain in regard not only to the extent of his rent roll but of the number of persons depending on his rule and protection." 3 So Port Gordon became the third new village established by the Duke but, unlike his previous ventures in village development at Fochabers and Tomintoul, his fishing village was not laid out in planned fashion. In any case, there were relatively few inhabitants in the first instance to justify planning on a scale undertaken at Fochabers or Tomintoul. It was not until 1800 that, according to tradition, the population was supplemented by four families from Lossiemouth. This sort of migration, from one coastal community to another, was relatively common at this time. At much the same time a group of fishermen moved from Portessie to Stotfield in order to prevent the extinction of the latter village. Many of these new arrivals simply constructed their own houses and it was not until 1803 that the Duke's administrators got round to identifying the terms of leasing property. The new regulations specified that from Whitsunday 1803 tenants could hold their properties for an initial period of seven years upon the payment of an annual rent of sixpence per fall (around thirty-six square yards). Thereafter renewal of leases would be considered by the estate.
In 1804, the Duke had further work done to the harbour which consisted of a small stone jetty, about forty yards in length. The infinitely older community of Gollachy consisted of a few houses, centred around the oldest cottages in Gordon Street and would have stretched as far as the shore, thus taking in what is now Cathcart Street and Shore Street. It also included a few cottages which were built around Gollachy Mill which had been built around fifty years prior to the establishment of Port Gordon. As for Port Gordon proper, the High Street as it exists today was the focus for the construction of houses. A number of small, old cottages have survived in this area, and many others still existed into the early years of this century. In 1810, at the time of the renewal of leases, the Duke announced that he would have the right to remove tenants if he wished, provided he paid the value of their property. In 1815, the Duke's commissioner, the Reverend John Anderson, had a survey drawn up by J.J. Roy. His map of the village dated 1815, now in the Scottish Record Office, shows that the high street and the square had then developed, with the majority of houses being located there. Interestingly, no street names had developed at this time with all of the houses being listed continuously rather like the Seatown of Cullen or Nether Dallachy are to this day. This was to continue for most of Port Gordon's first century. During these first twenty years of the village's existence, the migration of fishermen and artisans from neighbouring communities steadily continued. Around 1815, Alexander Hendry, a master carpenter, moved from Fordyce to Port Gordon with his wife, Isabella. Hendry was to prove a valuable asset to the village and established a dynasty of highly skilled carpenters. The business he founded was to flourished until well into the twentieth century. 4
The western boundary of Port Gordon was marked by the Tannachy burn. This small, open burn which ran down the brae (now Station Road) until the middle of this century, had its origins near Tannachy House. In addition to marking the boundary of the village it also marked the end of the Duke of Gordon's land. From what is now the corner of Stewart Street out as far as the Burn of Tynet the land was owned by Patrick Steuart of Tannachy and Auchlunkart. The Laird Steuart resided mainly at Auchlunkart House, near Mulben, but he did also possess a fine house at Tannachy. At this time Tannachy was occupied his spinster sisters. Later, Mr Steuart emulated the activities of the Duke by establishing a small community on shore. As a result the Seatown of Tannachy appeared to the west of Port Gordon proper.
However, the Seatown of Tannachy had not appeared by 1825. In that year, James Robertson, the celebrated cartographer, produced a series of maps of the North East of Scotland. Port Gordon itself is clearly indicated on one. It is shown as having a built harbour of two small jetties in much the same position as the present harbour. The village itself is shown as straggling the shore either side of the harbour. In addition, some other dwellings are marked behind these, probably around what is present-day Duke Street. What Robertson's map suggests is that by the time Port Gordon was thirty years old the present street plan had developed (the main street having been there almost since the beginning) and that its population had increased steadily from the time of its foundation. Interestingly, few of the other villages along the coast are shown as having a built harbour. On the same map it is possible to see that Buckie was centred around the natural harbour at the mouth of the Buckie Burn. It is interesting to note that Gollachy does not appear on Robertson's map, which suggested that it had, more or less, been incorporated into Port Gordon. However, on some occasions, the name Gollachy still made an appearance until well into this century.
As Robertson's map shows, the original harbour occupied the same location as the present one. The eastern pier of the 1804 harbour still exists today, although it has been extended in the intervening years. The inner jetty was also constructed at this time but was considerably shorter in length than it is today. However, the western breakwater was built at an angle so it closed in on the eastern side. It was originally a small stone jetty, around forty feet long. Subsequently, additional wooden piers were built on each side to enable the boats to load and unload at either side. Heavy wooden pegs were set into the jetty in order to allow the boats to tie up. The harbour had a reputation for having a safe entrance even in the most stormy conditions and could hold fifty fishing boats and six trading vessels. The Reverend James Gardiner, writing of the parish of Rathven, in the New Statistical Account described the harbour as being "tolerably good." 5 Indeed, the Reverend Gardiner provides a significant amount of invaluable material about the first forty years of Port Gordon in his account.
Industry Mr Gardiner's description shows that during the village's first forty years of existence the nature of fishing had changed little. The boats had increased in size slightly from the time those in Buckie were surveyed at the end of the eighteenth century. Gardiner noted that the large boats ranged from twelve to fourteen tons in weight, while the small ones were between four and five tons. Writing of Port Gordon in 1842, he stated that there were seven large boats and ten small ones, making a total tonnage of around 150 tons. A large boat could be purchased for £27, the masts, sails and cordage costing a further £16, while the nets, on average forty-five to fifty yards in length, cost £3.10s. In fishing for cod, ling and haddock, a large boat required eight men, and each boat had, from February to April, nine lines containing 800 hooks at a yard's distance. During this period, the fishermen seldom went further than fifty miles out. From the end of April, they frequently sailed further, around eighty miles out, in search of skate, which was found in abudance off the coast of Caithness. When in search of skate the number of lines was doubled from nine to eighteen. The Reverend Gardiner noted that "cod, ling, halibut tusk and skate were the only large fish caught in any quantity in the Moray Firth." 6
The catch would be salted in pots on the beach, then dried on the rocks or on a temporary frame made for the purpose. The skate, however, was dried without salt, and the halibut was used fresh. The ling and skate were viewed as the most valuable catches because of their oil which was sold from 10d to 1s per pint. Cod, ling and tusk were in season from May until the end of January, while the skate was good all seasons and the halibut in "high perfection" in July. In June, the dried fish was packed in the large boats and carried for sale to the different towns on the Fife coast, as well as Edinburgh and Glasgow. Occasionally, these trips resulted in some of the fishermen marrying local girls from the Dunbartonshire area. On some occasions, boats went as far as Ireland. The cargo of each boat was valued around £100. The small boats, on the other hand, consisted of five men and a boy and were used for catching haddock, whiting, flounders and the like. Mackerel was caught from July until the end of August by a line sunk with lead and the hooks baited with a bright-coloured substance.
Also central to the village's industry was the salmon fishing. This trade, which was entirely the property of the Dukes of Gordon and subsequently of the Crown Estates, continued well into this century. Most of those men involved in the salmon fishing came originally from the west of the Burn of Tynet, especially from Tugnet and Bellie. Throughout most of the nineteenth century the construction of salmon cobbles was one of the mainstays of the boat-building industry in the village. In addition, there were a series of bag nets for catching the salmon at suitable intervals between Tugnet and Port Gordon itself. Indeed there were bag nets located in front of Lennox Place until the middle of this century while those to the west of the village, beyond the Tannachy Sands, remained until relatively recently.
Trade Mr Gardiner went on to describe the other activities centred around the harbour. According to the evidence he provided, Port Gordon was the biggest trading port in the parish of Rathven. He remarked that "considerable business is done in exporting grain, and in importing salt and coals." 7 The import of salt was, of course, central to the fishing industry. The size of these cargoes seems to have varied dramatically. The sporadic nature of this trade can be illustrated with a cursory glance at the statistics for 1833-1841. This shows that 1,981 tons of salt were imported in 1833, 2,474 tons in 1834, and almost 5,000 tons during 1836 and 1837. The figures declined in 1838 and 1839 to 1,656 tons and 1,427 tons respectively, before rising in 1840 to 2,130 tons, and then declining again in 1841 to 1,380 tons. In contrast, the import of English coal remained at a fairly constant level throughout the same period (1833-1841). Each year around twelve to fourteen hundred tons made its way to Port Gordon, but by 1840, that figure had risen to 2,056 tons and in the following year it had increased to 3,517 tons. Foreign wood was also imported to supply the boat building industry in Speymouth. Traditionally, logs were floated down the Spey from Rothiemurchas to Kingston, however imports via Port Gordon also supplemented these and provided another facet to the commercial life of the village.
However, the trade was not all one way; grain exports from Port Gordon flourished throughout the 1830s. Much of the grain came from other parts of the Enzie but some also came from as far off as Botriphnie. Boats regularly loaded up with grain from the harbour, with the years 1836-37 having been particularly busy. From January 1836 until September 1837 some 12,538 quarters of grain were exported, with a further 7,564 quarters in the last three months of 1837 alone. The export trade continued at this pace the following two years with some 10,344 quarters shipped out of Port Gordon in 1838 and 11,243 quarters in 1839. However, the trade began to decline in the early 1840s and was down to 6,223 quarters in 1841. The remarkable thing was not so much the size of the cargoes as the existence of the trade at all, especially in comparison with Buckie, Portessie and Findochty, where only occasional imports of coal and salt took place.
Expansion The period immediately after that described the Reverend Gardiner was one of remarkable expansion. Within fifteen years the number of boats increased almost seven-fold and their combined tonnage had also increased dramatically. The population, which stood at 470 in 1841, increased by almost 200 in the following twenty years. By this time, Port Tannachy had emerged as community in its own right at the western end of the village. The construction of a granary was in Port Tannachy gave an added impetus to trade. It stood partly on what is now the empty, grassy space and partly on the site of the Police Station. It consisted of a small cottage on the shore side with the granary itself stretching back almost as far as Garden Lane. The Port Tannachy granary was not the only one in the village at the time. The site of the present Church of Scotland was also originally occupied by a similar building. In addition, a post office was opened in the 1850s. Hitherto, all mail deliveries had gone directly to Buckie or Fochabers.
In 1845, Parochial Boards were established to take over the provision for the poor which had hitherto been the preserve of the Kirk. However, the Parochial Board fulfilled a much greater function than merely looking after the poor. In the absence of county councils much of the work of a local authority fell to the Boards. Port Gordon was part of the Rathven Parochial Board which covered a large area and included Buckie and Findochty as well the rural hinterland of the Enzie. As a result of the size of the parish of Rathven a new church was built at Broadley to serve the Church of Scotland community in the western end of the district. The Chapel of Ease as it was known had already become a quod sacra church within the jurisdiction of the principal parish church at Rathven.
The 1851 Census returns for Port Gordon show that many of the streets had developed informal names. Some of these, such as Duke Street, have survived to this day while some, such as North Street and Enzie Road, have disappeared. The latter, Enzie Road, became Lennox Place when the Banff County Council introduced formal street names some forty years later. The principal public house of the village was located in the Square and was run by Margaret Ross. Gollachy village and Port Tannachy were listed separately in the census and it is interesting to note that the inhabitants of Port Tannachy tended to have more rural origins than their counterparts in the rest of the village. About half of the families resident in Port Tannachy originated from the Parish of Bellie rather than from the neighbouring coastal communities. Many of the residents of Port Tannachy possessed Morayshire names rather than Banffshire ones. Prominent amongst these were the Chapmans and Cuthberts who came from Elgin, the Hornes who came from Dallachy and Shanks, the miller, who came from Speymouth.
As the 1850s progressed Port Gordon remained a bustling port. The Creek Returns for the East Coast of Scotland for the year 1855 show that Port Gordon had a total of 60 boats of which 48 boats of thirty feet or upwards, 8 boats of eighteen to thirty feet and 4 boats under eighteen feet. Although several ports had larger fleets, the total tonnage - some 520 tons - ranked fifth in the county behind Buckie, Portknockie, Portessie and Macduff. These figures are made all the more interesting by comparing them with those supplied by the Reverend Gardiner in 1842, when the tonnage of Port Gordon boats was around 150 tons. Although the statistics in the Creek Returns are not wholly trustworthy, it stated that the number of fishermen stood at 234. This was the fourth largest total in Banffshire, with only Buckie (845), Portknockie (595) and Portessie (281) having more. In addition to the men who actually went to sea there was a veritable army of related workers on shore, with twenty coopers, one- hundred and twenty-three gutters and packers (more than in Buckie) and around two hundred employed in the manufacture and sale of nets. In total some around six-hundred people were involved either directly or indirectly in the fishing industry. These totals made Port Gordon the fourth most important fishing port in Banffshire behind Buckie, Portknockie and Portessie. Four years later, in 1861, the Census noted that population of Port Gordon was around 630, so virtually everyone was connected with the fishing industry. 8
What enhanced Port Gordon's standing and raised it above the other ports in the county was its import and export trade. Port Gordon had an advantage over Nether and Easter Buckie in having a harbour capable of taking trading vessels. The bickering which had blighted the prospects of any harbour in the 1790s had continued for some time and as a result the natural harbour at Buckie tended to be predominantly the preserve of fishermen, while Port Gordon had a healthy import and export trade. As has been seen already Port Gordon was central to the export of grain as well as the import of salt and coal. In addition, however, the village served as the preferred port for the rural hinterland of Enzie and beyond. The import trade was boosted when Kynochs of Keith established a fertiliser factory. Cargoes of bones were shipped into Port Gordon and then carted off the ten miles or so to Keith for processing. This trade continued with the establishment of the bone mill at the Burn of Tynet. The bustling harbour led to the appointment of a customs officer in the shape of Mr John Kessack who resided in Port Tannachy. Kessack, who was born in 1801, held the post until he was well into his eighties by which time his daughter Annie (born 1833) was established as an innkeeper in Lennox Place.
Up until the end of the eighteen fifties the various ramifications of the village had been steadfastly limited to the lower part of the village along the shore. With the growing success of the village as a trading port it became necessary to expand further and as the land along the shore was already developed the choice fell on extending up-the-brae. Consequently, it was around the end of the eighteen-fifties that the first buildings began to appear up-the-brae. One of the first buildings established up the brae was the new school which was started in 1856. However, this development also led to the building of the first houses in what later became Richmond Terrace and Richmond Place. These two streets were the first to commemorate the succession of the Richmond family to the Gordon estates.
Life and Religion Although life was hard, the increased prosperity of Port Gordon was not without its compensations. It was Peter Anson who highlighted the fact that weddings in coastal communities like Port Gordon must have been wonderful events. Until the middle of the nineteenth century it was relatively common for the Kirk to try to limit the aftermath of too much drinking at weddings. Before fishermen could marry in church, the Kirk Session would demand a half-guinea guarantee that no rioting or fighting would take place. Anson described the procedure: "If, as a result of too much whisky having been consumed, there was brawling or even bloodshed, the guarantee would be given to the poor, but if the marriage passed off without incident the money would be returned the following Sabbath." 9 Indeed, the Port Gordon of that time had a considerable reputation for drunkeness. This owed its origins to the fact that at that time there were ten separate public houses in the village. Some of these inevitably owed their trade to the seamen who came into the harbour on board the merchant vessels.
However, in 1860, James Turner, a well-known Methodist minister, came to the village. He preached a series of sermons in the school hall which was then located in East High Street. No doubt his sermons were strong on the high Victorian theology of the time, stressing as it did, moderation in most things and abstinence in others. His preaching resulted in a huge interest in religion, particularly Methodism. Some of the publicans converted and closed their pubs or ale-houses, while others began to feel the pinch with the new-found puritanism of the populace. As a direct result of Turner's preaching, Port Gordon lost six of its ten pubs. Turner also inspired the community to form a Methodist congregation and services were regularly held in a garret at 31 Gordon Street until 1874 when the present church was built next to the surviving cottages in Gollachy village. The Methodist community within the village were highly organised and soon started to plan the building of a manse. In 1885, they held a bazaar to raise funds. The prizes in the grand raffle at the bazaar included a twenty-two foot Zulu fishing boat, a suite of furniture and a sewing machine. The proceeds of the bazaar helped to finance the purchase of a house, at 24 Gordon Street, and to furnish it.
The New Harbour At much the same time as drink was being perceived as the curse of the village a far more serious problem had emerged. By the 1860s, the harbour was in a sorry state of repair. The forty foot jetty was now viewed as inadequate; the wooden posts set into the stone for tying boats were rotting and seen as little protection for the fleet. The Elgin Courant had noted that "as the course of time rolled on...it was found that the necessities of the town had outgrown the accommodation." 10 In this respect, Port Gordon had been a victim of its own success. Indeed the Courant went on to say that the need for a new harbour was "certainly a very favourable sign of the growing prosperity of this maritime village." 11 Towards the end of the 1860s, the Harbour Committee decided that an approach had to be made to the Duke of Richmond. Consequently, a deputation from the village requested an audience of the Duke with the purpose of getting a new harbour. His Grace listened carefully and agreed to all that the villagers requested. He would personally foot the bill for the construction of a new harbour, provided the fishermen would assist in the transportation of the materials. One of the deputation recalled years later the Duke's final words at the meeting: "I am not done with Port Gordon, neither are the Richmond family done with Port Gordon." 12
Work began on the new harbour in 1870 and was supervised by the Duke's Commissioner, Mr Balmer, while the superintendent on site was Mr Ross from Fordyce. Some fourteen boats regularly sailed back and forwards to Lossiemouth and Hopeman to carry stone from the quarries at Burghead. The new east key, replacing the wooden one, would be 450ft long by 24ft wide. The western pier would be 405ft long, with a parapet wall for protection. In addition, the breakwater would give added protection. It also included a feature new at the time, an opening to admit a tidal current which was supposed to clear silt and mud from the basin. The internal size of the harbour would be approximately three acres. During its construction some seventy people were employed; hewers engaged in dressing the stone, while masons worked furiously at every low tide. Cranes were erected, which were a novelty in Port Gordon at the time. The total cost of the project was some £15,000 and it was not completed until the middle of 1874.
When the new harbour was first opened there were a total of one hundred boats registered in Port Gordon. Of these some seventy were described as large, while these remaining thirty were noticeably smaller. The total tonnage of the fleet amounted to 1,675 tons and the value of the Port Gordon boats was something approaching £45,000. The importance of maritime trade was highlighted at a dinner to celebrate the completion of the harbour. One of the speakers pointed out that no fewer than twenty-six Master Mariners who had passed through the Local Marine Board to become sea captains came from Port Gordon. Furthermore, all of these had become captains of vessels before they were thirty years of age. In addition, twelve men from the village had also passed through the Local Marine Board to become First Mates. The day after this dinner was held in Port Gordon, three hundred of the village's fishermen marched to Gordon Castle to present an address of thanks to the Duke for the construction of the new harbour.
Within a few years of the completion of the new harbour, a Police Station was established within the village. However, the police house, as it was known, was nothing more than a fisherman's cottage rented for the purpose. The original Police Station was located in what was known as Shore Head. The regulation which prevented a local officer serving in their home community was already being rigorously upheld. Consequently, the first policeman, James Fairweather, originally came from the Parish of Glenmuick on Deeside, while his wife, Anne, was a native of Dyce. After the departure of the Fairweathers, the police house was moved to 12 Duke Street and the job of maintaining law and order passed to one James Burnett, a native of King Edward in the eastern end of the county of Banff. The Police House remained in Duke Street until the construction of a purpose-built police station during the first decade of this century.
The Railway Whereas the harbour took four years to construct, it took considerably longer for the goal of bringing the railway through Port Gordon to be achieved. The first plans for the railway were made long before the construction of the new harbour. Indeed, it appears that the idea was first mooted in the late 1850s. It was with the completion of the branches from Grange to Banff Harbour and from Tillynaught to Portsoy which gave added impetus for further extensions westward. An Act of July 21st, 1863, provided authorisation for the construction of fourteen- and-a-half mile extension to the line stretching from Portsoy to Port Gordon. However, the amalgamation of the Great North of Scotland Railway and the Banffshire Railway in 1867 resulted in the abandonment of the scheme to extend the railway. It took fifteen years for the plan to be resurrected. In July 1882, the Great North of Scotland Railway Act received Royal Assent. This Act provided for the GNSR to construct a new line from Portsoy to Lossie Junction. The first parts opened were Portsoy to Tochieneal and Garmouth to Lossie Junction in 1884. The remainder of the route required much more work, including the construction of the viaducts at Cullen and over the River Spey. Consequently, it was 1886 before Port Gordon's station became operational.
The line through Port Gordon also required some engineering projects. Several bridges had to be constructed; the doubled-arched viaduct over the Burn of Gollachy; the road bridge at the end of Gordon Street; the bridge over the school brae; that over the Station brae (under which went both the road and the open Tannachy burn) and finally, the Port Tannachy bridge at the west end of the village. The construction of the station itself was unusual in that it was one of the very few stations built on the south side of the track. Elsewhere along the line most of the stations were built on the north side but in Port Gordon's case the geography of the site necessitated its construction on the southern side of the line. Once all these obstacles had been overcome the line was formally opened on May 1st, 1886, although goods trains had been using the line since April 5th. The first passenger train used the line on May 5th.
By the 1880s, Port Gordon had developed considerably from the hamlet of 1797. However, since the construction of the harbours in Buckie and Buckpool the trading position of the village had been reduced somewhat. By 1881, the number of boats operating from Port Gordon had declined to ninety-nine. This was considerably less than in comparable villages such as Findochty and Portknockie. Indeed, with the exception of Cullen this was the lowest number of boats for any village in western Banffshire. More significant however, was the fact that the number of fishermen had declined to 200, noticeably lower than any other port on this part of the Moray Firth. In addition, trading through Port Gordon's harbour had also declined due to the new harbours elsewhere. Yet, in spite of this, the village had a prosperous air about it. There was confidence that the new harbour would rejuvenate the commercial life of the village and the arrival of the railway had also helped to underline this positive outlook.
The opening of the railway also encouraged a number of visitors to the village. In 1886, the Elgin Courant sent one its reporters to the village. He wrote about the conditions of the time and the people he encountered during his visit. The article which appeared in the Courant in November 1886 was not altogether flattering about Port Gordon and was written with more than a hint of customary Victorian clichés. The article began: "the village, as it appears on alighting from the railway train, is not calculated to inspire a stranger with any favourable impression of its external structure and general aspect. Nay, the very reverse, for our eye rests upon a conglomeration of red tile, thatch and rough slate, which is blended together in a manner suggesting neither architectural symmetry nor modern taste." 13 However, the correspondent went on "but we take the village at a disadvantage so to speak and we shall not be so uncharitable as to criticise the roofs of humble cottages: nor is it within our province to do so. We have more to do with the internal aspect of the dwellings and dispositions of those who inhabit them." 14
The article continued with the reporter's walk down the High Street to the harbour where, he conceded there were some "tolerably handsome houses". Sitting near the doors of some of the cottages he encountered some of the older fisherman and describes them thus: "some are seen dressed in the inevitable heavy, rough, blue serge, large neckerchief, soft, felt hats well and truly planted upon a head covered with bushy hair." Most of these elderly men were engaged in reddin or baiting the lines. The wives of these "hardy, weather-beaten fellows seem entirely worthy of their husbands." 15
As a boat arrives at the harbour the correspondent notes that "commotion is manifest in the village. The faithful wives, who had been watching the incoming of their husbands, make all speed to the harbour with creels on their backs. The glistening haddock and codling are conveyed, by means of a basket, block and tackle, and manual exertion from the boats on to the pier, and from the pier either boxes, which are in readiness for their reception, and which are immediately despatched to the southern markets, or into commodious creels of the comely fishwives." 16 The Courant's man then decided to speak to one of the "swarthy, sun- burned, honest-faced ancient mariners" and asked him how long they had been at sea. He is told that they had set off at five in the morning and that they had not had a successful trip. He then enquired whether they had eaten anything that morning: "Naething bit a bittie biscuit. We niver tak muckle mait, an we dinna taste speerits o' ony kind, that wid seen play up we's. I hae been gan tae the sea for sixty eers noo, an for forty o' that fusky hisna crosst ma lips an' I'm safe tae say there's nae a healthier chiel in a' the port " 17
The fisherman then asked the reporter to accompany him to his home for "a weel maskit drappie, poort oot be her ladyship fae the auld weel broont taepot." 18 In addition they had yellow haddock and well-buttered cakes. Impressed by all that he had seen, the reporter concluded his article by saying: "And we left the hospitable home of the honest fisher-folk more convinced than ever we had hitherto been that, if they have to suffer hardships and injustices from their favourite element or from the hand of mean man, they have also a degree of humble contentment, home happiness, and social intercourse which almost compensates for any discomforts, and which is certainly not to be met within many better favoured communities." 19 The optimistic tone with which the article ended, stressing as it does the communal contentment of Port Gordon, summed up the atmosphere of the time.
The social activities of the 1880s further emphasised this optimistic atmosphere. The village, like numerous others, could boast a Literary and Social Association which regularly organised concerts and readings. In 1886, Richmond Football Club, which had originally been established some years earlier but had fallen into abeyance, was revived. Two years later, in 1888, it was this increased social activity led to the holding of a Picnic and Games in the grounds of Tannachy House. On Saturday, July 21st, most of the villagers made their way up to the mansion house to watch a variety of events. The Games had been organised by a committee of village worthies and comprised many of the events common at Highland Games. Mr Geddes, Home Farm, Tannachy, had obtained permission from the Laird, Andrew Steuart of Auchlunkart, for the event to be held in the policies of the house. The competitions included, light and heavy hammer throwing, light and heavy stone throwing, long leap, hop, step and leap, high leap and vaulting. The Highland Dancing events took place on a platform in front of Tannachy House itself. Although a Buckie man, Alexander Nicol, won most of the prizes, the day was deemed a success. It was hoped to make it an annual event but, alas, it turned out to be a one-off. In 1890, however, a second football team was established under the name of Port Gordon Invincibles. They were given a park for the summer courtesy of Mr George Hay, farmer of Slackend.
Water Disputes In spite of this air of prosperity, there had been one festering dispute which had marred life in Port Gordon throughout the eighteen-eighties and that was the water supply. As early as 1882, the Rathven Parochial Board, which acted as the Local Authority, had instructed the Sanitory Inspector to examine the water provision in the village. The report which he produced was fairly damning. He said that there were thirty-three private and two public wells in the village very few of which met the basic health guidelines. In addition, four open drains were a serious threat to public health. The Inspector did, however, say that the eleven wells which were to be found in Port Tannachy were better than those in the rest of Port Gordon.
The people of Port Gordon knew exactly how they wanted this situation to be resolved. They wanted a special water and drainage district to be created which would take in the whole of the area from the Burn of Tynet in the west to the Burn of Gollachy in the east. David Reid, Port Gordon's representative on the Parochial Board summed this up by saying "Port Gordon is in urgent need of water." 20 He also dismissed the theory that there was not enough pressure by saying that if there was not enough pressure in Port Gordon then "there could be no village in Scotland which would have." 21 However, the Parochial Board was most reluctant to create another water district. Eventually, after a public meeting it was decided to approach Mr Balmer, the Duke of Richmond and Gordon's factor. This, for once, did not have the desired effect as the estate was equally reluctant. Balmer suggested that if the village paid for half of the improvements required then the Duke would pay for the other half, but only if the mechanics of the Public Health Act were not set in motion through the creation of a special water and drainage district.
The following year David Reid had to point out to the Rathven Parochial Board that a number of fevers and epidemics had broken out in the village and that this was mainly due to the lack of a good water supply. Indeed in 1883 there were cases of typhoid in both Port Gordon and Port Tannachy. In January of 1884, a petition was raised by Port Gordon against the decision of the Parochial Board to refuse the creation of water and drainage district. The the case went before Sheriff Scott-Moncreiff in Banff. Coutts and Morrison appeared for the Duke, John MacDonald for Lady Gordon-Cathcart of Cluny, A.R. McLean for Rathven Parochial Board and Mair for the supporters of the scheme. Eventually, after some heated discussion in which the landowners came in for some uncharacteristic criticism it was decided that Port Gordon should form its own water and drainage district. In the meantime, Malcolm Dunnet of Thurso was commissioned as contractor to build a water system for the village.
As part of that scheme a reservoir, capable of holding 4,056 gallons of water, was constructed at the end of Richmond Terrace. This was not, however, the end of the matter. The new water system had only been in operation seven months when it broke down in July of 1885. As a result, the formation of the new water and drainage district could not be postponed any longer and in August of that year it finally came into existence. However, not everyone in the village was happy with it; the inhabitants of Port Tannachy did not wish to be included in the new area but had to accept it. As the year progressed various agreements were made in order to supplement the water supply. By the middle of 1886 water was being taken from Wester Bogs and Leitcheston in order to augment the village's supplies. Despite the fact that the water supply had improved immeasurably, this subject rumbled on for the next twenty years or so. It was not until 1901 that work could finally commence on the reconstruction of the water and drainage system.
The School Throughout these years of increasing prosperity in the village another important institution, the school, had also been flourishing. The first recorded school in Port Gordon was established prior to 1840 by a Mr Reid, the son of the postmaster of Arradoul and was located at the western end of the High Street. However, around 1856, the 5th Duke of Richmond endowed a new school which was built at the top of the brae. As a result, Mr Reid retired from teaching and his establishment closed. The replacement was an Established Church school and the first master was William Lamont, a native of Rattray in Perthshire, who lodged with Alexander Reid and his family at 46 Port Gordon. On July 25th, 1876, its management passed into the hands of the School Board of Enzie. A few months later, in November of 1876, Mr Lamont resigned to take up a position at Tarroch School near Wick. He was succeeded by Mr Henry Wilson, who took up his post in January 1877. In 1882, the government provided a grant to the school of £24.10s.6d. and four years later, the school received a number of donations from the proceeds of the Port Gordon Literary and Social Association. In October 1886, during Mr Wilson's headmastership, Miss Kitchen was appointed as assistant to the supplement the staff at the school. Henry Wilson remained at Port Gordon until November 30th, 1888 when he resigned and moved to a school at Dornoch. According to some, Wilson had not been on speaking-terms with the School Board for sometime and his departure was far from unpopular.
The next headmaster, Mr John Reid, was to hold the post for some twenty-eight years. As a teacher he was described as being "consistently and markedly successful, and secured for him a lasting respect and admiration of his fellow teachers, assistants, pupils and the general public" 22 He was appointed to the headmastership in 1889 and continued in that post until the summer of 1917. During his long reign as headmaster, Reid witnessed many changes to the school. In early 1890, it was decided that an infants room was required. Plans were drawn up and the contracts agreed upon by September of that year. However, work had no sooner started when the school had to be closed because of outbreak of measles in the village. Things soon returned to normal and, the week before Christmas, a concert was held in order to boost the school's finances. The new room was completed in May of 1891.
In 1892, following the inspector's report, cookery classes for the girls were introduced. The succeeding years saw a number of further alterations to the building. In 1894, the belfry was erected while, in 1896, shelter sheds and a coalhouse were added. Later that year Miss MacPherson was appointed as a teacher and was joined, a year later, by Edward J. Henderson who was appointed as Assistant Master. Another classroom was added between 1899-1900 and, shortly afterwards, the playground was enclosed by a wall. In spite of these many alterations the school still had to rely on donations to a large extent. Fortunately, there were many people prepared to assist during these years. In 1897, Dr Hendry supplied books; the Enzie School Board made a similar contribution in June 1900 and John Coats, the philanthropic proprietor of Coats of Paisley, donated books, maps and bookcases to the school in 1907. The problems with lack of materials were matched, in the early years of the century, with the problem of understaffing. However, this was partly relieved with the appointment of Ellen Farquhar as janitor in 1902 and that of Mr Alexander Lawson as Assistant Master the following year.
The poor medical conditions of the time can be witnessed by the number of times that the school was closed during Reid's tenure as headmaster. During the period 1890-1914, the school was frequently closed in order to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. The local press reported on these occasions. In addition to the instance in October 1890, when the school was closed because of measles, the Banffshire Advertiser, reported in June 1904, that an outbreak of German Measles forced the closure of the school. A similar incident occurred in February 1912 while, in October of the same year, the school was again closed, this time because of Scarlet Fever. Exactly two years later, in October 1914, an outbreak of Diptheria again resulted in the closure of the school. At the time of this last closure in 1914, the school had attracted attention for John Reid's efforts in encouraging his pupils to produce and send socks to soldiers at the front in the Great War.
The Parish During these years the actual administration of the school had changed following the Local Government Act, which established Banffshire County Council in 1890. The school became part of the Enzie School Board which stretched as far as Tulloch and Raefin. Port Gordon was represented on this body by David Reid (1848-1894), who was also the village's first County Councillor. Reid was a remarkable and extremely successful man. He was the son of William and Margaret Reid, and was part of a large family within the village. A shipowner like his father before him, he expanded his business to become a general merchant and shipchandler. His chandlery faced the harbour in what is the oldest part of the present Post Office. By 1877, when he married the seventeen-year-old Isabella Geddes, he was a prosperous businessman. In addition to his interests in Port Gordon he was a partner in Reid and Clark Merchants, at Bridge End in Buckie. Shortly after his marriage he decided to extended his premises by building an imposing house between the chandlery and Gordon Square. The new property was named Oran House because the stone was quarried at Oran, near Clochan and brought to Port Gordon for the building. The new house easily became the grandest in the village. David Reid soon expanded his business interests to match by becoming the local agent for the North of Scotland Bank. He served as treasurer of the Enzie School Board and represented Port Gordon on Banffshire County Council from its inception in 1890, having previously served on the Rathven Parochial Board. David Reid died suddenly, after a few days illness on December 12th, 1894. He left a family of six; the youngest of whom was barely two weeks old. His widow, Isabella, lived on in Oran House until her own death more than half a century later.
During David Reid's tenure as County Councillor there were a number of important changes within the village, not least the disappearance of the Rathven Parochial Board which had, hitherto, looked after the affairs of the village. With the inception of the new council came the introduction of full street names throughout the village and of the numbering of every property. This had been discussed previously by the Parochial Board but was never fully implemented. Although this move generally formalised the informal situation which had existed for some time, there were a few notable changes not least the disappearance of Enzie Road and its replacement with the name of Lennox Place. This change also ensured the eventual disappearance of the distinction which had existed between Port Gordon itself and the other two parts of the village, Port Tannachy and Gollachy. Although the three communities had all come to be regarded as Port Gordon it was only the introduction of formal street names which would ensure that Port Tannachy and Gollachy Village would eventually disappear from the consciousness of the population altogether.
At this time, however, Port Tannachy remained a distinct community with noticeably different origins from Port Gordon or Gollachy village. The rural traditions of the western end of Port Gordon, already evident some fifty years earlier, had continued throughout the century. By the time Seatown of Tannachy was renamed Stewart Street in the 1880s, many familiar names had arrived in this part of the village. Like their predecessors, these arrivals came from predominantly rural backgrounds. The Watts, McWilliams and Johnstons came from Bellie to the west while the Bonnymans (soon to be the principal merchants in the village) came from Inveravon and the McHardys came from far-off Tarland in the depths of Aberdeenshire.
Furthermore, the administrative changes which the arrival of Banff County Council heralded resulted in Port Gordon becoming the western-most community in the new county. The neighbouring parish of Bellie, from whence many of Port Tannachy's residents had come from and which included the villages of Dallachy, Tugnet and Auchenhalrig, had been hived off into the new county of Morayshire. This move had ended a centuries-old anomaly whereby the country part of Bellie had been in Banffshire but the parish's main town, Fochabers, had been in Elginshire as Moray had previously been called. The result of these changes was that the Burn of Tynet as far as Braes of Enzie marked the revised county boundary.
Enzie parish contained a great many churches at that time. The Catholics, particularly strong in the country areas of Tynet, had two chapels both of immense historical importance. St Ninian's, the Bethlehem of Banffshire, was the oldest post Reformation Catholic church in Scotland. It had been gifted by the Laird of Tynet in the eighteenth century and was disguised as a cottage. Nearby St Gregory's at Preshome had been built when persecution of the Roman Catholic faith had declined. In addition, the Church of Scotland was located at Broadley. The United Free Church was also represented in the parish and their church, known universally as the 'Cock Hat' Kirk, was located at Enzie Crossroads. On Sundays, the road would be "black with people" coming and going from the various churches. At that time the Methodist faith was the only one represented in Port Gordon itself. That was about to change thanks to the efforts of the villagers themselves and to the direction of the United Free Church's redoubtable pastor at Enzie, the Reverend Archibald Kerr.
A New Church It was in January 1898, that the Banffshire Advertiser noted that the Reverend Kerr had recently held a soirée for the local clergy. At his soirée, Mr Kerr spoke of the plan to build a hall in Port Gordon. Mr Kerr told his guests that the Duke of Richmond and Gordon had given the site of the granary in East High Street for the proposed hall. The Duke was also prepared to allow the use of stone from the granary in the construction of the church hall. The granary itself had been in disuse for some years and, like its counterpart in Port Tannachy, had fallen into a ruinous state. The United Free Church had long been anxious to replace the existing hall, built in 1873, as it was poorly ventilated and uncomfortable. More importantly, it belonged not to the United Free Church but those individuals who had subscribed when it was built. The new church hall would actually be more of a church and less of hall. It would be fitted out as a church, with pews and a pulpit to allow Sunday evening services to be held in the village. However, it would not replace the existing parish church at Enzie.
A fund-raising campaign was launched and, at one point, the people of Port Gordon decided to hold a bazaar. The extraordinary thing about the bazaar was that they chose to hold it not in Port Gordon but in Buckie. It was noted at that time that the people of Port Gordon had found "bazaar-ridden as the people of Buckie are, they still had a warm corner in their heart for their western neighbours whose everyday relations with them are indeed closer than might be suspected." 23 However, the people of Port Gordon and Enzie were grateful for the assistance they received and the takings from the bazaar amounted to £274. The fund-raising continued for the next couple of years and by March 1901 advertisements for estimates were placed in the press. The new hall was designed by J.R. MacMillan of Union Street, Aberdeen, who was responsible for many buildings along the Banffshire coast. Mr Legge, a builder from Fochabers was engaged to attend to the masonry. Work progressed quickly and by August 1901 the Banffshire Advertiser noted that the building was "nearing completion as far as masonry work is concerned and is ready for the roof." 24 Shortly afterwards, Barclay, the slater from Buckie, was employed to put the roof on. The Duke of Richmond and Gordon then supplied forty-pounds-worth of timber from the Gordon Castle estate and the Hendry brothers carried out all of the internal woodwork. The stain-glass windows were executed by Edward Copeland of Aberdeen.
On Friday, March 28th, 1902, the new hall was officially opened. It was described as an auspicious day in the history of the village and, as far as the Banffshire Advertiser was concerned, helped to dispel the decay within the village. The opening ceremony was carried out by Principal Salmond of the United Free Church College in Aberdeen. However, by the time of the opening ceremony the total cost of the hall had risen to £900, but only £565 had been raised. Speaking at the first evening service, the Reverend MacDonald of Cornhill said that the debt was not altogether a bad thing because it meant that the congregation would have something to work for. The Reverend Kerr was also praised for his "kindly geniality". The debt on the new church hall was soon paid off through further fund-raising efforts. At first there was no organ in the church, however, Mrs Grigor, the wife of the stationmaster, had an organ in her home, the stationhouse in Earl Street, which she later presented to the church hall. So for the next forty years or so the morning service was held in the 'Cock-Hat' Kirk and the evening service in Port Gordon.
It was at one of these morning services in the 'Cock Hat' Kirk that Mr Kerr had to announce the death of Port Gordon's laird and benefactor. The 6th Duke of Richmond and 1st of Gordon died at Gordon Castle on Sunday, September 27th, 1903, at the age of eighty-five. The Duke was remembered not only as a national politician of some standing but as the man who had financed the new harbour and supplied the site of the church hall. The Reverend Mr Kerr led the tributes with an oration from the pulpit. He reminded the congregation that "in God's sight all souls are equal...but in the providence of God some are called to more conspicuous stations in life." 25 The minister went on to say that the Duke had "worn the white flower of a blameless life". 26 Mr Kerr praised the Duke's willingness to treat his tenants equally and his eagerness to meet their requests. "We in this congregation, whether living in the country district of the Enzie or in the village of Port Gordon know how very generous he was." 27 Mr Kerr concluded his panegyric by saying that it was "his high-toned life, his generous spirit, his high sense of duty and justice that won for him that unique confidence and respect manifested towards him by all classes in the community." 28
On Friday, 2nd October, there was an impressive ceremony at Gordon Castle as the Duke's body was taken to Fochabers Town Station to begin its journey to Chichester. A huge procession followed behind the coffin including most of the Gordon-Lennox family, the Earl of Aberdeen, the Provosts of Elgin, Lossiemouth, Dufftown, Buckie, Banff, Aberlour and numerous others. Also present, however, were many of the principal tenants and feuars including several from Port Gordon. The bell of the newly completed church hall in Port Gordon tolled for most of the day and flags were flown at half-mast from the schooners and fishing boats in the harbour. The following day the funeral service was held in Chichester Cathedral, before the Duke's body was laid to rest in the Lady Chapel of the Cathedral.
The New Duke and the Harbour On Saturday, September 3rd, 1904, "the village of Port Gordon was thrown into a flutter of excitement....by the arrival of His Grace the Duke of Richmond and Gordon, accompanied by Mr Cunningham, his factor." 29 The 7th Duke, who had succeeded his father, expressed a desire to meet some of the fishermen and for them to show him over the harbour. The fishermen lost no time in telling the Duke of the problems of the harbour. Indeed, the Banffshire Advertiser noted "the time was favourable for showing the harbour at its worst because a number of boats...were lying off the harbour waiting a chance of getting in with the next tide." 30 The Duke enquired what should be done and Captain John Geddes told him that a forty yard extension would prevent the beach coming round the end of the pier. To which the Duke replied "I will try and see what can be done for you." 31 The Duke reflected on his visits to Port Gordon as a child with his father, some fifty years earlier, when he remembered seeing a fleet of fifty boats fishing. Throughout his visit, the Duke made encouraging noises about alterations which prompted a public meeting in the Old Hall on the Monday following.
The populace were full of admiration for the Duke who had expressed his dismay that boats were afraid to enter the harbour for fear of a lack of water. The Chairman of the meeting, George Reid, enthused further: "the Duke is a nobleman who may be easily approached. He had spoken as if he had been one of the fishermen." 32 Peter Innes said that the meeting must recognise "with deep gratiude the interest ever shown by His Grace the Duke of Richmond and Gordon and his immediate ancestors in the village and seafaring of Port Gordon and express their fervent thanks to His Grace for his continued interest." 33 This too was met with applause. It is interesting to note that at this meeting the chairman made reference to the fishermen of Gollachy village. Clearly, as late as 1904, Gollachy (comprising of Gordon Street, Shore Street and Cathcart Street) was still viewed as a distinct entity.
As a result of the Duke's visit a programme for the removal of silt from the harbour took place in 1906, while the following year the entire harbour was dredged. In April 1908, a public meeting was held to discuss the proposed extension to the pier. Before anything much could be decided upon, the Duke surprised the village by offering to gift the harbour (worth £20,000) to the community. In addition, he guaranteed the £2,000 required for the extension. The offer was made through the Harbour Committee on September 12th, 1908. The fishermen got round to proper discusion of the subject at a packed public meeting on Thursday, March 18th, 1909. The Chairman, Mr David Reid, JP, said that the matter at hand would have a "momentous bearing on the future prosperity of Port Gordon." 34 The village was divided on the subject, with many fearing the maintenance costs. John Reid, the Schoolmaster, urged caution by saying "£15,000 to £20,000 worth of property is not to be thrown aside lightly. I beseech you not to come to any rash decision." 35
John Coull and John Geddes, the leaders of those against, held out for a vote. Eventually, it was decided that every male over the age of 18 should have a vote. This included non- fishermen. The offer was refused by the narrowest of margins, 137 for, 152 against. These events attracted national attention with the Glasgow Evening Times noting that "one would have thought that such a generous gift would not go abegging." 36 However, the final and somewhat damning word was left to the Banffshire Advertiser which said "the Port Gordon majority may call it independence but it rather looks like ingratitude with a considerable blend of crass stupidity." 37 Nevertheless, the village remained steadfast in their decision. The Duke was not in the least offended, nor did he view it as ingratitude for some five year later, in September 1914, he presented the Harbour Committee with a gift of £500. The whole incident showed not only the independence of Port Gordon, but also that they knew the Duke better than the chroniclers of the both the national and local press.
The Chairman of this meeting, David Reid, JP (1878-1967), was the eldest of son of David and Isabella Reid of Oran House. Like his father he was a successful merchant and shipowner and figured prominently in the affairs of the village for almost seventy years. He represented Port Gordon on Banffshire County Council for fifty-seven years and served as a Justice of the Peace and Chairman of the Harbour Committee for many years. His main interest was in the breeding of poultry. He won numerous awards and was frequently asked to judge at agricultural shows. In common with the majority of his family he was a stalwart of the Methodist Church. David Reid married Christian Melville (1880-1966) and resided at Firthview in Stewart Street. After the death of his mother in 1945, Davy Reid chose not to move to Oran House in the Square which was sold and later became the Post Office.
Around the same time as the great harbour debate, Davy's sister, Josephine, became engaged to the Methodist minister, the Reverend Joseph Mace. This event turned out to be the wedding of the decade as far as Port Gordon was concerned. A large crowd turned out to watch the procession from Oran House to the Methodist church in Gordon Street. The ceremony was conducted by the Rev. Mr Thompson with the Established Church Minister at Enzie, the Rev. Howie, also in attendance. The organ was played by Miss Humphrey. After the ceremony, Mrs Reid held a reception and luncheon at Oran House. Mr McNaughton, the solicitor from Buckie, proposed the health of the bride and groom. The Reverend Mace replied "with his usual affability."
Boat Building While the debate over the harbour had been raging Port Gordon had developed as a centre for the boat-building industry. For thirty years, boats had been steadily increasing in size. From the end of the 1870s it had become apparent that boats had to be built which were capable of fishing more distant waters. The first of these boat combined the best of the Scaffie and the Fifie. Legend has it that the new boats were called Zulus after the war raging in South Africa at the time. The first Zulus had keels of around forty feet and cost in the region of £140. The size of crafts continued to increase, as did the size of the sails, which could contain between two-hundred and fifty to three hundred yards of canvas. The Zulus remained popular until the first years of the twentieth century, with the last such boat being constructed in 1906. Initially, it was John Grigor, whose yards was located in Port Tannachy, who led this trade in Port Gordon. However, during the first decade of the twentieth century, Port Gordon witnessed an expansion of its boatbuilding trade and it was almost entirely down to one man, William "Beal" Geddes, who was one of the most successful boatbuilders of his time. Initially, his yard, located to the east of the harbour, concentrated on repairing angling boats and building salmon cobbles but in time he moved on to build Zulus. However, it was the advent of the steam drifter which transformed Beal Geddes into one of the most notable builders on the Moray Firth.
The early steam drifters were built in Great Yarmouth or Lowestoft. However, these boats were not really suited to the wear and tear of Scottish harbours which were still packed with Zulus. The hulls of the new drifters were too thin and constantly required repairs. Local boatbuilders decided to improve the drifters by making them more sturdy and able to withstand the rough conditions of the North-East. Whereas the East Anglican drifters were built complete with engine those built along the Moray Firth had to go to Aberdeen, Dundee or Leith for their engines. These new boats were enthusiastically seized upon by many of the most active boatbuilders such as Beal Geddes. Indeed, it is possible that the Leader, constructed in 1903 by Geddes, was the first drifter built on the Moray Firth.
Beal Geddes's prowess a boatbuilder became much sought after and his yard was kept busy. In 1904, he built the Daffodil and Sunbeam, and in 1905 the Winner, amongst others. By the beginning of 1906, he was employing thirty-six men at the yard and was able to turn out one boat per month. At the close of 1906, Beal Geddes's yard had launched ten drifters in the preceding twelve months. These included Industry, Lead Me and the Corona as well as the Daisy. The latter boat, the Daisy, was notable for having teak and yellow pine panelling in the cabin. It was because of the sale of the predecessor to the Daisy (also built by Geddes) that his name became well-known in Fife. The first Daisy was sold to fishermen in Anstruther, where the boat was much admired. Consequently, several orders were received from Fife.
The following year, 1907, the number employed at Geddes's had risen to fifty; the work-book contained orders for eleven new boats. At that point some twenty eight drifters had already been built. The yard managed achieve one launch every month or so. In addition to his local commissions for 1907, which including the Restless Wave, the Pleaides, the Violet, Geddes built a number of drifters for fisherman operating out of Kirkcaldy, Anstruther and associated ports. Two of these were the Morning Star and the Pride o'Fife. During 1908, Port Gordon saw launch of the Hiedra, Golden Swan, and Craignoon which were again for Kirkcaldy seamen. This was in addition to the Letterfourie, a local commission, and the Agnes Dickson and the Hazel Bank which were built for Aberdeen fishermen. However, the trade in drifters had reached its peak and orders slowly began to decline. By 1915, Beal Geddes had ceased trading as far as drifters were concerned, although he continued to build salmon cobbles. His reputation ensured that shortly afterwards he was appointed as a director of Jones of Buckie.
Change Two years after Beal Geddes ended his boat building career another Port Gordon character also decided that it was time to retire. John Reid, the long-serving headmaster of the school, announced his resignation at the time of his sixtieth birthday in June 1917 and formally retired in the September following. Thereafter he concentrated on his farming interests at Burnside of Enzie. In 1918, he became the Master of the Lodge Richmond at Port Gordon and in the following year served as the Provincial Grand Master of Banffshire. He was also a member of the Banffshire Education Authority, chairman of the Rathven Schools Management Committee and was actively involved in the work of the church. John Reid's wife, Isabella, was the daughter of William Cantlie of Keithmore, Dufftown, and the sister of the famous physician and tropical medicine expert Sir James Cantlie, KBE. John Reid died on February 4th, 1921 at the age of 63 and was buried in St Ninian's at Chapelford. His widow survived him for more than thirty years, dying on June 13th, 1954.
After Mr Reid's retirement the post of Headmaster went to one of Port Gordon's best-known and most-respected sons, Nathan Fearnside Nichol. Nath Nichol was born on January 31st, 1872, the son of Alexander Nichol, (1845-1923) Master Mariner of Port Gordon, by his wife, Jane Bruce (1849-1923). He was named after his relative, Nathan Fearnside who had owned Gollachy Mill until 1883. Nath Nichol graduated from Aberdeen University in 1893. His first professional post was at Buckie School, however, shortly afterwards he became Science and Mathematics Master at Fraserburgh. He continued to hold that post until 1903 when he was appointed Headmaster of Clochan School. In July 1917, Nichol succeeded John Reid as Headmaster of Port Gordon School, where he worked until his retirement. He was described as having carried on Reid's work at the school with "an ability, an energy and a wealth of painstaking care that are gladly recognised by the whole community." 38 He died in Port Gordon on March 23rd, 1942. Both of his daughters, Margaret and Jean, followed him into the teaching profession
The old granary in Port Tannachy, like its counterpart in High Street East, had also disappeared and been replaced with a large dwelling house. Shortly afterwards, the neighbouring site, once occupied by a cottage, was sold by William Steuart of Auchlunkart to the Banffshire County Council as the location for the new Police Station. Hitherto the Police Station had been located at 13 Duke Street but this had long been regarded as unsuitable. In May 1906, James Christie was appointed architect, however, it was May 1907 before the contracts for building the new police station were agreed upon. The new Police Station was completed by the end of the year and comprised the house itself and of an office accessible from Stewart Street with two cells behind, complete with wooden beds and pillows. The old Police Station in Duke Street, the property of James Reid of 2 March Street, turned out to be particularly difficult to sell and it had to be advertised three times, in 1917, 1920 and 1923, before it was finally sold.
Another building which had played a part in the history of the village - the Methodist manse - also changed hands at this time. It is curious, considering the time and effort that had been put into the fund-raising campaign to acquire the building, that the manse did not serve as the residence of the Methodist minister for very long. Following the marriage, in 1905, of the Reverend Joseph Mace, the Methodist minister at the turn of the century, to Miss Josephine Reid, one of David Reid's daughters, the house was made available for rent. It continued to be rented out until 1916 when the congregation, led by the ubiquitous David Reid JP, decided that it should be sold by public roup. The reserve price was set at £233.7s.6d. The roup took place in the Methodist Church Hall on Tuesday, January 9th, 1917. There was keen interest in the property and it was eventually sold, after competative bidding, to Mr David Cowie for £275.
The change within the village was, of course, mirrored in the outside world with the devasting carnage of the First World War. On the outbreak of the War, Mr James Mellis had been appointed the local recruitment officer for the Port Gordon area. The following year local canvassers were appointed under Lord Derby's recruitment scheme to encourage men to sign up before the introduction of full conscription. Various fundraising efforts were undertaken and, in the early days, the village enthusiastically embraced events such as French Flag Day in 1915 and YMCA Flag Day in 1916. John Reid, the schoolmaster, oversaw the production of socks for soldiers at the front. The majority of men who were eligible for service went, unsurprisingly, into the naval and marine services. Port Gordon, like every other village in the United Kingdom had its fair share of tragedies during the First World War. Seventeen seamen from the village were lost in action and eight soldiers were killed in the mud of Flanders. The relentless carnage of the war took its toll on Port Gordon and like the rest of the nation is was with relief that the Armistice was celebrated on November 11th, 1918.
Remembrance On Thursday, July 31st, 1919, almost ten months after the end of the Great War, a public meeting was held in the Masonic Hall in order to discuss the type of war memorial which should be built in the village. Like every other community the length and breadth of the United Kingdom, Port Gordon was determined to erect a fitting memorial to those who had lost their lives in the four years of battle. Beal Geddes was elected as Chairman of the Memorial Committee and James Bonnyman, the grocer, was appointed Treasurer. The meeting unanimously decided that the memorial should take the form of a drinking fountain in the square and that its cost should be met entirely by public subscription. Although door-to-door collecting remained the method by which the money was raised, the idea of a drinking fountain was quickly abandoned in favour of a simple granite cross.
As part of the fund raising a series of events were held in the village. These included a 'Peace Picnic', prize draws, whist drives, dances as well as dancing classes. In spite of the vigour and enthusiasm with which the villagers embraced the fund-raising efforts, it was a slow process. By October of 1920, some £298.15s.4d. had been raised almost entirely from the population of the village. The Banffshire Advertiser regularly carried appeals from the Memorial Committee for further contributions and, in a series of article, the newspaper listed every contribution down to the last six-pence. The biggest single contribution, twenty pounds, came from Beal Geddes himself, while other village worthies such as David Reid and John Reid, the former school master, gave ten pounds. The average donation was around one pound. As the months progressed donations from further afield also arrived. Invariably, these came from former Port Gordon people and included contributions from Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London and even Australia.
However, even by the time the memorial was being constructed in May of 1921, the total sum required for the project had still not been raised. The memorial itself, a fifteen foot Aberdeen granite cross, was designed by Wittets, the firm of architects in Elgin while the sculpture was carried out by Henderson of Buckie. The unveiling ceremony took place on the evening of June 9th, 1921. The Duke of Richmond and Gordon travelled up from Goodwood especially to perform the ceremony. The memorial was draped in the Union flag as the Duke, accompanied by Mr Cunningham, his factor, was introduced by Beal Geddes to the rest of the Committee, most of whom he already knew. The Reverend Howie and the Reverend Easton were present to conduct the religious service. After I to the hills was sung the Duke, who had himself lost a son and a grandson in the War, made a poignant speech about the sacrifice of 1914-18. He warned the young people present that they must remember the sacrifices made and never to forget the events of that evening. Having completed his speech he removed the flag and unveiled the memorial. Wreaths were then laid by Hilda Coull, Georgina Hendry and Isabella Smith the young daughters of Port Gordon men killed in the war. The Pipe Major played Flowers of the Forest and Drum Major Campbell sounded the Last Post before all present sang Our God, Our Help. The two clergymen led the prayers and the ceremony ended with the singing of God Save the King.
By the end of the year the Committee had managed to achieve the total required to cover the expenses for the construction of war memorial. A notice was placed in the Banffshire Advertiser informing the local community that the total amount raised had been £387.12s.8d. and that exactly matched the full cost of the memorial which had been paid off successfully. The war had had a tremendous impact on the village. As the 1920s progressed, the commercial life of the village declined more rapidly than it had in the years prior to 1914. In spite of the huge boost which the shipbuilding trade had given at the beginning of the century, the trading status of Port Gordon had been declining almost since the time that the new harbour was completed but now it became very pronounced.
At much the same time, the village also celebrated the opening of the new football pitch which occurred on Tuesday, September 13th, 1921. Beal Geddes had led the long-running fund- raising campaign for the new ground and presided over the opening ceremony. The ground amounted to four acres and was located about quarter of a mile south of the village on the Enzie road. It included dressing-rooms for both home and away teams. The opening match was a friendly between Buckie Thistle and Port Gordon. The final score was Buckie Thistle 4, Port Gordon 2. Thereafter both teams retired to the Masonic Hall where, according to the Banffshire Advertiser, there was much drinking and singing.
By 1928, Port Gordon's fleet had dwindled away to some forty-two boats. Of these, thirty-two had keels larger than thirty feet and three of these were still powered by sail, one of the last of which was called the Paradigm. The remainding twenty-eight boats were steam drifters. The final ten boats were were smaller and all relied on sail power. Every other port in Buckie District, with the exception of Portessie (which, in any case, came under Buckie itself by this stage) had more boats than Port Gordon. At least the village could still claim 278 fishermen (more than Portessie and Cullen) but this figure was half the total in Portknockie and Findochty. In any case, most of these men were on boats which had long since ceased to operate from Port Gordon itself. In common with Findochty, Port Gordon was no longer a landing ground for herring only other, less valuable, fish appeared on the keyside in the village. However, around 1200 cwt. of other fish, worth £1,529, were landed in the village during 1928. This compared extremely favourably with the other small ports in along the coast where nothing like this figure was landed. Indeed, Findochty, Portknockie and Cullen were no where near approaching four figures. Yet all of this pales into insignificance against the totals landed at Buckie that year where 37,843 cwt. of herring and 16,019 cwt. of other fish came ashore. Port Gordon, which had once outshone Buckie, had been well and truly beaten by her bigger neighbour and as time went on the fleet would increasingly opt to land in Buckie.
By the end of the nineteen-twenties street-lighting had been introduced to the village. Hitherto the only source of public lighting had been a lamp at the steps to the station. However, this was extinguished at 9pm after the last train had gone through the station. Consequently, the arrival of street-lighting made a considerable difference. As Port Gordon had neither gas nor electricity, these new-fangled inventions were powered by paraffin. Inevitably, the paraffin lamps took on a peculiar life of their own and resulted in the village acquiring the dubious sobriquet of Paraffin City. Every morning the lamp-lighter, Mr French from Slackhead, would go round the village trimming, cleaning and filling the lamps with paraffin. During the winter months the lamps would be lit around three-thirty or four o'clock in the afternoon. They would be left to burn until around ten o'clock at night at which time Mr French would return and go round the village extinguishing each of the lights. Even after the introduction of electricity to the village in 1937, the words Paraffin City remained synonymous with Port Gordon and its novel approach to street-lighting.
Around the same time as the paraffin lamp made its appearance in the village, the staff of the School, still under the control of Nath Nichol, was supplemented by the arrival of Miss Ethel Simpson, a native of Keith. Miss Simpson, later Mrs Grant Brown, was undoubtedly a truly remarkable woman and her teaching career at Port Gordon started a distinguished association with the village which lasted seventy years. In addition to her teaching, Ethel Brown was a a great servant of the community both in Port Gordon and in Buckie, where she later moved. Even after her move to Buckie she remained in close touch with the village up until her death in 1997 at the age of 91.
In the early 1930s the lack of adequate housing prompted Banff County Council to acquire the Elias Sudding's field at the top of the brae as the location of the village's first municipal housing. At first four homes were built, but later more were added to become the Reid Terrace of today. Although there may have been a lack of housing there was no shortage of shops and businesses in Port Gordon. At this time, the village still had an astonishing array of commercial ventures. The bank was located in Elswick, looking along the length of the High Street. The Post Office was run by Betsy Nichol, wife of Beal Geddes, in the Square where the library now is and was later moved to High Street West when Ada Hendry took over as postmistress. She, in turn, purchased Oran House in the Square after the death of Mrs David Reid (Senior) and subsequently moved the post office to its present location. Also in Gordon Square was the Temperance Hotel which served as the lodgings for teachers at the primary school.
However, it was the number of different shops which was truly amazing. There were three butchers' shops, (Elias Sudding in Lennox Place, Strachan's in the Square and Jock Robertson in March Street), two shoemakers and a chemists. There were also two chip shops, Grant's in the Square and the other, run by Simon Flett, in Gordon Street. Jock Reid had a general store and ship chandlery in High Street West behind which was a yard with a boiler for 'barking' the nets. There was a tailor's shop in the cottages at the end of Lennox Place. However, most the shops were general merchants and grocers, the main one being Bonnyman's where Esslemont's is today. Mary Ann Garden, later Mrs Angus Gunn, ran one of these general stores in Gordon Street and, for years after the advent of street names in the village, continued to receive mail addressed to 15 Gollachy. Also in Gordon Street was Gillan's the bakers-cum-grocers. Others included Isabella Coull in Hope Street, Jean Donald and Jeannie McKenzie in High Street West, Morrison's the newsagents in Stewart Street, while Mrs Coull was in Richmond Terrace and Chris Buchan in Richmond Place.
In the middle of the nineteen-thirties there was a significant change to the ownership of Port Gordon. On May 7th, 1935, the 8th Duke of Richmond and Gordon died at Goodwood in Sussex, the age of sixty-four. His successor, the 9th Duke, was confronted with crippling death duties and the majority of the family's northern estates had to be disposed of. Port Gordon, in common with the rest of the Gordon lands, passed into the hands of the Crown Estates Commissioners. For Port Gordon this marked the definitive end of the relationship with the Ducal family which had existed since the foundation of the village. The tradition whereby Sunday School Picnics would be held within the grounds of the castle also came to to an end. Within twenty years of the separation of Port Gordon from the Richmond and Gordon family, their great seat, Gordon Castle - once described as "the most magnificent edifice north of the Forth" - was largely demolished leaving only two wings and the tower standing. Whatever modern opinion might have to say about landowners, the Dukes of Gordon and later of Richmond and Gordon had been good stewards of Port Gordon and the village was certainly fortunate to have had noticeably better lairds than many other communities.
The Spies The outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, resulted in drastic changes to the village. Unlike 1914 there was a very real threat to the civilian population through air raids. Wardens were appointed in every community, even ones as small as Port Gordon. The black- out had to be enforced rigorously. The Luftwaffe never quite made it to Port Gordon but bombs were dropped at Enzie Crossroads and also in Portknockie where a number of civilians were killed. In order to counter the threat from German planes various airbases were constructed along the Moray Firth. The construction of the base at Dallachy led to an influx of Irish labourers and then of Royal Air Force personnel once Dallachy was in operation. The coastal communities had also witnessed the arrival of a steady stream of exiled Norwegians, some of whom made use to Port Gordon's public houses. Those in reserved occupations or who were unsuitable for military service formed themselves in the Home Guard.
One event during the Second World War did have a very direct impact on Port Gordon, and has arguably become the most famous incident in the entire history of the village. On Monday, September 30th, 1940 a flying boat took off from Nazi-occupied Stavanger in Norway. Its purpose was to drop three German agents. The flying boat made a successful landing between Buckie and Port Gordon under the cover of darkness. The three agents, Robert Petter, Karl Drucke and Vera Erikson (sometimes called Vera von Stein), were successfully disgorged into a dinghy. However, the bicycles which had accompanied them on the plane, and with which they were supposed to use to get to London, were lost in the choppy sea. Using the dinghy, the trio made it to the shore with their luggage, containing radio transmitters. Upon landing near the mouth of the Burn of Gollachy, the three decided to split up. Madame Erikson, who was supposed to be a Danish exile living at 18 Sussex Place, London, W11, and Drucke playing the part of a French refugee from Belgium, named François de Deeker, living at 15 Sussex Gardens, headed towards Port Gordon. The third agent, Robert Petter who used the name Werner Heinrich Walti, a Swiss national, living at 23 Sussex Gardens, went to Buckie.
Drucke and Erikson arrived at Port Gordon Station around 7.30am, intending to catch the train. They were observed by John Donald, the Stationmaster, and John Geddes, the porter. Vera spoke first and asked the name of the station, which aroused the suspicion of the staff. Drucke then pointed to Forres on the timetable. As Drucke opened his wallet, crammed full of banknotes, to pay for the tickets, the stationmaster noticed that the bottom of the stranger's trousers were soaking wet as were Erikson's shoes and stockings. The Stationmaster told John Geddes to keep them talking while he telephoned Constable Grieve, the local policeman. Within ten minutes Bob Grieve had made his way up from Stewart Street to the Railway Station. He immediately asked to see the strangers' identity cards. He noticed at once that, although both were claiming to be refugees, neither had an immigration stamp on their cards, and the handwritting on both was decidedly Continental in style.
His suspicions confirmed Constable Grieve asked both of them to accompany him to the Police Station in Stewart Street. Once there, Bob Grieve telephoned Inspector John Simpson in Buckie. They were not put in the cells. Indeed, Mrs Grieve made Vera a cup of tea which she drank while seated in the sitting room. Shortly, afterwards Simpson arrived on the scene. He asked the man who he was, but before he could reply Vera Erikson said "He cannot speak English". Inspector Simpson carried out a search of them and discovered a box containing nineteen rounds of revolver ammunition. Vera told the Inspector that she was twenty-seven years old, a widow and a Danish subject. The Inspector asked for their Identity Cards and observed that, in both cases, the numbers were written in the European style. Vera added that they had spent the night in a hotel in Banff and taken a taxi to within a mile of Port Gordon before walking to the station. Their credibility fast disappearing with every utterance, Simpson had them taken to the more secure facilities at Buckie Police Station.
In Buckie, Inspector Simpson found that the luggage contained a Mauser pistol, wireless equipment, headphones, batteries and torch which was clearly marked 'Made in Bohemia'. In addition, Drucke's wallet contained £327 in Bank of England notes. Vera's purse contained £72, also in Bank of England notes. At 11.45am the Buckie coastguard spotted an object floating in the sea about quarter of a mile out. Coastguard Addison and the harbourmaster went out and recovered the object, a pair of bellows and, slightly further away, a rolled-up rubber dinghy. The third agent, Werner Walti, alias Petter, had been more successful. He had managed to get onto the train from Buckie bound for Aberdeen. The Aberdeen Police were alerted and they confirmed that a man matching Walti's description had boarded the 1.00pm train for Edinburgh Waverley where he was eventually arrested.
The agents were interrogated by Lieutenant-Colonel Hinchley-Cooke at Scotland Yard and eventually signed statements in March 1941. Drucke and Walti came up for trial at the Old Bailey on June 12th-13th, 1941. Mr Justice Asquith presided, while the prosecution was led by the Solicitor General himself, Sir William Jowitt. The various officers from Scotland were called to give evidence. Indeed, Bob Grieve was the first witness at the trial. Amazingly, however, the court was simply told that Vera Erikson would not be present in court. The jury retired for only a few minutes before returning a verdict of guilty. An appeal, made in secret on July 21st, was dismissed by the Court of Criminal Appeal. Drucke and Walti were held in Wandsworth Prison until their double execution, which took place there on August 6th, 1941.
So what of Vera? Her fate was never disclosed. It is certain that she did not, as has often been suggested, pass secret papers to Inspector John Simpson. W.G. Ramsey, who researched the story in the 1970s, discovered that she was never a double-agent as has also been suggested. However, after the war Lieutenant-Colonel Hinchley-Cooke found himself interrogating General Lahousen, the agents' German commander, and was recorded a saying that if he (Lahousen) wanted to see Vera, the Beautiful Spy, he should look around the Isle of Wight. In 1951, Earl Jowitt, who as Sir William Jowitt had prosecuted the case, noted in his book Some were Spies that "it was decided to take no proceedings against Madame Erikson. I have no doubt that she was detained here and it may be that she was able to be some use to our authorities." 39 It may even be that Vera, by now a very old lady, is still alive and living in obscurity in the Isle of Wight.
Port Gordon shared the nation's sense of relief when Victory in Europe Day finally arrived in May of 1945 with most of the village tuning into the BBC to hear both the King and Winston Churchill address the nation. However, life in the village continued in much the usual way. Shortly after VE Day the WRI held its usual monthly meeting with the redoubtable Mrs Grant Brown in the chair. At this meeting a new committee was elected. Mrs Brown was, almost inevitably, re-elected to the chair, with Mrs Paterson as Vice, Mrs Middleton as Secretary, Mrs Jas. Geddes as Treasurer and Mrs Sutherland, Mrs Craig, Mrs Crombie, Mrs A. Brown and Mrs Inglis making up the rest of the Committee. Mrs Grant Brown announced that she had donated a bowl which would be awarded to the winner of the Association's fiercely fought annual competitions.
A "Welcome Home Fund" was established in the village after the end of the War. It was chaired by Davy Reid while Mr Munro, the Banker, was the Treasurer and Mr MacDonald, the Chemist, was the secretary. The purpose of the Fund was to give support to the ex-servicemen who were about to be de-mobbed. In addition to financial help, the servicemen received a small printed card which said "On behalf of the Community we send you Greetings and beg you to accept the sincere thanks of all for the part you played in bringing the War to a victorious conclusion. We trust the Peace, for which you dared so much, will bring you health and prosperity, and that by God's blessing the sacrifices you made will not be in vain."
Full Circle Port Gordon celebrated its one-hundred and fiftieth anniversary in 1947, although celebrated was hardly the right word. The War had been over two years and the village had witnessed many changes, not least the steady decline in the use of the harbour. In 1928 there had been around forty boats, many of which still used the harbour for commercial purpose, but by the end of the War that figure had declined to fourteen and of these few were engaged in any serious activities. It came as no surprise, therefore, when the Crown Estates Commissioners announced, in the one-hundred and fiftieth anniversary year, that they had no option but to close the harbour. Thereafter the centre of so much of the village's activities throughout the years would be left in a state of neglect and would be occupied by only a few pleasure crafts. However lamented the closure of the harbour might have been, the Crown Estates had little option. Nevertheless, it was an inglorious end to the harbour, especially for those who could remember the hey-day of commercial life in Port Gordon. Worse, however, was the fact that as the years and the weather took their toll, the harbour became a source of ignominy which incensed many in the village.
The harbour was not the only structure to be damaged when, on January 31st, 1953, the Great Gale hit Port Gordon. The saving grace was that Port Gordon, in common with other Scottish ports, faced the tempest during the day. In England, where the gale hit at night, there were many casualties. Port Gordon was therefore fortunate, up to a point. There was, however, considerable devastation along the seafront. Virtually every house in Lennox Place and Stewart Street was flooded. Doors and windows were blow in, furniture destroyed as the sea water rose to the height of mantlepieces and, when the waters finally abated, houses had to disinfected to get rid of the colonies of sea lice which had accompanied the flood. Elias Sudding the butcher watched helplessly as the contents of his shop were carried off by the sea water. The northern wall around the Police Station in Stewart Street, bereft of its railing since the War, was completely washed away as were much of the tennis courts at the end of the village. Around twenty families were out of their homes for up to six weeks as the damage was repaired.
On Saturday, February 14th, the Secretary of State for Scotland, James Stuart (later Viscount Stuart of Findhorn), accompanied by Mr (later Sir) William Duthie, the Member of Parliament for Banffshire, toured the Moray Coast to see the destruction for himself. He began his tour in Port Gordon and went on to inspect some of the damaged houses in Lennox Place. Mr Stuart had intended to view the coast from the air but visibility was so poor the flight had to be cancelled. However, by June of 1953 the village had sufficiently recovered from the trials of that winter to join in the nation-wide celebrations of the Coronation on June 2nd. A fancy dress parade was held in the village, the winners of which appeared on the balcony of Oran House. One house in the village was even painted red, white and blue for the occasion. Around nine o'clock in the evening the Coronation bonfire was lit by one of the oldest inhabitants of the village, eighty-nine year old, Mrs Mary Choate of 1 Shore Street. Shortly afterwards, the beacons in Buckie, Findochty, Portknockie and Cullen were also lit.
In 1967 the death of David Reid, at the age of eighty-nine, marked the ending of another era for Port Gordon. The Banffshire Advertiser noted in its obituary that he had an outstanding record of public service. He had been Port Gordon's representative on Banff County Council for fifty- seven years from 1904 until 1961. He was a well-known throughout the North of Scotland as a sportsman, having played for Buckie Thistle in his youth before becoming a director of the club. He was also interested in cycling, golf, bowls, shooting and bridge. However, his principal interest was in poultry breeding and was recognised as one of the country's foremost experts on the subject. With Davy Reid's death an important link with the past was severed as he and his father had represented the interests of the village for almost a century.
Another era came to an end the following year as a result of the publication of Dr. Beeching's report on the railway network. As with hundreds of other stations the length and breadth of the United Kingdom the fate of Port Gordon's station was sealed. Since 1964 part of the Banff Branch Line had been reduced to freight only and although the section from Tillynaught to Elgin remained open for passenger services it was inevitable that this line would close too. The Beeching Report, synonymous to many with the destruction of rural railway system, had pointed out an unpalatable truth; the railway network was unprofitable, underutilised and overstaffed. Consequently, the last train ran through Port Gordon on the evening of May 6th, 1968. Thereafter the station buildings slowly decayed. However, Port Gordon Railway Station did have one final moment of glory when a film crew came to make a documentary about the village's finest hour, the capture of the German spies. The film crew visited the station and the police house and both Bob Grieve and John Simpson appeared in the final film.
Shortly, afterwards, the villagers decided that the decaying station and its accompanying land could be transformed into an ideal play park - which the village sorely needed - and bowling green. As with every other initiative in the village's history a public meeting was called. The meeting, held in the Village Hall on January 23rd, 1978, was well-attended and included representatives from the Moray District Council. As a result of the meeting the Port Gordon Recreation Park Committee was formed and office-bearers were elected. Shortly after the meeting a fundraising campaign was launched. In just over three years more than £12,000 was raised and, together with grants from the Scottish Sports Council and Moray District Council, the scheme was completed by the late spring of 1981. The Bowling Green and play park were officially opened on June 27th, 1981. Thus, through the indefatigable efforts of the community, the eyesore of the derelict station was replaced with an amenity for the whole village.
At much the same time as the community was organising a fundraising campaign to remove the eyesore of the station, another important part of Port Gordon's history required attention. Since the time that the Crown Estates Commissioner had decided to close the harbour in 1947, the structure had steadily deteriorated. The Great Gale of January 1953 had caused structural damage and with the passing of every year this became worse. By the end of the nineteen- seventies the harbour was in a sorry state of disrepair. The north-west corner had a huge breach in it which was gradually becoming worse and the mouth of the harbour had all but silted up. Not only was it an eyesore but those who lived near the harbour feared that its role as part of the coastal defences was being undermined.
Matters came to ahead in 1979 when the Community Council decided to attempt to have something done about the state of the harbour. Margaret Bowie, a member of the council, started a letter-writing campaign which resulted in much publicity being giving to the much- neglected harbour. At the heart of the problem was the fact the Crown Estates owned the structure and, as a result, the district and regional councils were unwilling to carry out any repairs. In March of 1979, Mr W.D. Hay, the Harbour Consultant to Grampian Regional Council, reported his thoughts on the structure. He said "very little use is made of the harbour and I can see no good reason why Grampian Regional Council should take over any responsibility for it. As a structure I do not find it particularly attractive and the preservation of the harbour cannot serve any useful purpose". 40 The report inevitably led to the Council refusing to fund any remedial work. Equally inevitable was the hostility in the village to Council which this statement aroused as it seemed to present further evidence of the almost deliberate neglect of the village.
Further storm damage occurred in February of 1983 and this was followed, three months later, by the rejection, by the Scottish Development Department, of a plan for environment improvement and structural repairs. However, a solution was at hand and it came from an extraordinary source. Following various meetings between Moray District Council, Grampian Regional Council and the Crown Estates Commissioners it emerged that the Gurkhas might be available to come and carry out the repairs to the harbour. The Gurkhas were available for such projects as part of the Army's Military Aid to Civilian Communities scheme. The most important problem with the harbour was the huge breach in the north-west corner and repairing this would be the objective for the Gurkhas first visit. The Scottish Development Agency put up £25,000 while Moray District contributed £4,000.
On April 10th, 1985, some thirty men of the 69th Gurkha Independent Field Squadron arrived under the command of Lieutenant Durga Prasad Gurung. Their first task was the demolition of the barrier which had been built at the shore end of the west pier and thus give the men better access. Most of their time was spent consolidating and repairing the breach in wall. The people of Port Gordon welcomed the Gurkhas with open arms and Lieutenant Gurung said that "my men have received a tremendous welcome from the people of Port Gordon" 41 His superior, Captain Stephen Evans, echoed this sentiment when he said "the way the lads have been treated has been quite phenomenal. The villagers have shown tremendous kindness and hospitality and this is the best reception I've received in my time with the army." 42
Although the cost of the project increased above the original estimates much of this was covered by a grant from the Countryside Commission and the whole project was deemed a huge success. The Gurkhas successfully rebuilt the north-west corner of the harbour and thus turned around decades of neglect. The village was thoroughly grateful and a fundraising campaign was launched to present the Gurkhas with a momento on their departure. The target was easily reached and by the time the fund closed had greatly exceed the expected total. On May 22nd, a celebration was held to mark the Nepalese troops' departure. They were presented with an engraved silver salver. As part of the ceremonies the Strathisla Pipe Band played in the Square, there were Scottish country dancers and a reception in the Village Hall. This, however, did not mark the end of the relationship with the Gurkhas. It was, in fact, only a beginning for there were already plans for them to return and carry out the further stages of the harbour's restoration.
Two years later, in April 1987, the H Troop of the 69th Squadron returned to Port Gordon to carry out the second phase of the project which had become known by the codename Operation Famous Grouse. During this visit the troops were billeted in Clochan rather than Mosstodloch as they had been during the 1985 visit. This resulted in Clochan developing as close a relationship with the Nepalese as had existed in Port Gordon. The principal objectives of this visit were to extend the northern breakwater wall by some seventy metres, to resurface the pier and to clear mud and shingle to assist access to the mouth of the harbour. The men worked on average eleven to thirteen hour days and were confronted by some atrocious weather conditions. Indeed at one stage, on May 2nd, the weather was so bad that all work had to be suspended.
On Thursday, May 14th, the work was inspected by the Colonel of the Queen's Gurkha Engineer Regiment, General Sir George Cooper, GCB, MC, and by the Officer Commanding 69th Squadron, Major John Durance. Two days later, a dance was held in the village hall at Clochan. Various events were organised for the soldiers including a trip to Inchgower Distillery. At the end of this second stay, Moray District Council organised a civic reception to mark the completion of the second stage of the work. Councillor Eddie Aldridge, leader of the administration, unveiled a plaque in the harbour wall and highlighted the contributions which the Gurkhas had made in "transforming an eyesore into a valuable part of Port Gordon's sea defences." This ceremony was followed with a meal and presentation at the Fishermen's Hall in Buckie.
In May 1988, the Gurkhas returned for what was to be their final visit to Port Gordon. Their sole task was to construct a concrete slip-way extending half the width of the channel at the eastern pier. Between thirty and forty men worked on this project which cost around £20,000, with fifty per cent coming from the Countryside Commission. The men, under the command of Lieutenant Paul Grundy, were again quartered at Clochan. This time, however, the weather was on their side. By the time of this third visits the Gurkhas were honorary members of the Port Gordon community. Some were regulars at the Lennox Inn and they played a seven aside football match against Port Gordon Football Club. By the time the Gurkhas departed in the middle of June a genuine warm relationship had developed and their absence was sorely missed. It is ironic that the refusal, in 1979, of Grampian Regional Council to repair the harbour should have resulted in such a unique relationship being established between Port Gordon and the Nepalese soldiers. With the story of the Gurkhas the history of the village has been brought full-circle.
All history is dull without the wine of human personality to enliven it. Port Gordon's history is no exception. Its history would be similar to countless other villages were it not for the the remarkable characters who have shaped both village and events over the last two hundred years. The history of Port Gordon has been the history of its people. There have been many changes over its two hundred years of existence, but through all of these the village has survived and today, as it enters its third century, Port Gordon has every right to be proud of its history. The Two Hundredth Anniversary celebrations are an appropriate moment to recall all these people and events and to dwell, for a moment, on the past.
Haec olim meminisse juvabit.
It will be pleasant to recall these things hereafter.
Notes and Sources
(1) Donaldson, Rev, George. The Parish of Rathven. In Sinclair, Sir John. The First Statisticial Account. Edinburgh, William Blackwood, p369.
(2) Seton, Mike. Buckie Past and Present. Elgin: Moray District. pi.
(3) G.E.C. et al. The Complete Peerage. Gloucester: Alan Sutton, 1987, p5.
(4) Private Source.
(5) Gardiner, Rev. James. The Parish of Rathven In New Statistical Account. Edinburgh: William Blackwood, 1845, p262.
(6) Ibid.
(7) Ibid.
(8) Creek Returns In Anson, Peter. Fishing Boats and Fisher Folk on the East Coast of Scotland. London: J.M. Dent, 1974.
(9) Ibid. p208
(10) Elgin Courant. 16th October 1874, p4.
(11) Ibid.
(12) Banffshire Advertiser. 8th September 1904, p5.
(13) Elgin Courant. 11th March 1886, p7.
(14) Ibid.
(15) Ibid.
(16) Ibid.
(17) Ibid.
(18) Ibid.
(19) Ibid.
(20) Banffshire Advertiser. 13th December 1883, p2.
(21) Ibid.
(22) Barclay, William (ed). The Schools and Schoolmasters of Banffshire. Banff: Banffshire Journals, 1925. p114.
(23) Banffshire Advertiser. 27th December 1899, p5.
(24) Ibid.
(25) Banffshire Advertiser. 8th October 1903. p7.
(26) Ibid.
(27) Ibid.
(28) Ibid.
(29) Banffshire Advertiser. 8th September 1904, p5.
(30) Ibid.
(31) Ibid.
(32) Ibid.
(33) Ibid.
(34) Banffshire Advertiser. 25th March 1909, p6.
(35) Ibid.
(36) Ibid.
(37) Ibid.
(38) Barclay, Op. cit., p114.
(39) Jowitt, Rt. Hon. the Earl. Some were Spies. London: 1954.
(40) The Northern Scot. 17th March 1979, p13.
(41) Banffshire Advertiser. 20th April 1985, p8.
(42) Banffshire Advertiser. 14th May 1985, p1.