The Sailors’ Society
| < History of St James’s Chapel | Δ Index | Bob Cubin’s Notes > |
– from “Passage of Time” by Peter and Carol Dean
with some additional photographic images and {notes}
The burial records of North Queensferry Sailors’ Society are another useful source of information about village life. They are now kept by the Department of Leisure, Recreation and Amenities of Dunfermline District Council, who besides invigorating the living, bring comfort to the dead in the capacity of keepers of local graveyards.
The Sailors’ Society was a type of friendly society the object of which was to provide for the decent burial of deceased members and of certain non-members. The latter were charged a fee for the mort-cloth and burial plot. There were two classes of members: proprietors and ordinary members. The families of the former were allotted a plot in the burial ground, (this being the ruins of St James Chapel which stands in the centre of the old village whose grounds were levelled by bringing sand from the fore shore).
The grounds were divided into two portions: the New Ground contained 60 plots; the Old Ground 48 plots.
We find, for instance, that Alexander Seggie had 3 breadths (Nos. 1, 2 and 3 – old ground): that Robert Millions also had three (Nos. 18, 19 and 20 – old ground) and that James Brown of the Brae had only 2 breadths (Nos 37 and 38 – old ground), the last-mentioned being President of the Sailors’ Society.
Ordinary members paid a reduced fee for membership and paid less than non-members for burial and use of the Society’s mort cloths.
“Old Ground” plots
This plan of the old ground dates from 1834 (presumably the same date as the plan of the new ground).
The “Old Ground” was the site of the chapel building, with the existing gable end forming the west end (top edge of this diagram). The left hand edge is labelled “south side of the foundation wall” presumably the south wall of the chapel building.
“New Ground” plots
Combined plans – the new ground extends the graveyard towards the south, and included the current gateway.
This extension is probably what was “done by the sailers in the Ferrie in 1752.” }
Some of the graves in the “old ground” near the gable end of the chapel
The Society had existed in the 18th century but had been dissolved.
In October 1818 the former members resolved “to constitute themselves anew and invite their neighbours to join them in the laudable design”.
The rules of the previously existing Society were adopted. These had fixed the entry money for those without birth rights (ordinary members) at 20/-, but the meeting resolved that the entry fee should be only 10/6d, until the funds of the Society were stronger. This was a sensible step because although the Society was “not indebted to any whatsoever”, it had funds of £2-10-0.
Moreover with only 16 members whose “salaries” (subscriptions) were fixed at 1/- per half year, the financial situation was precarious.
The meeting elected office bearers as follows:
| James Brown (Brae) | Preses | |
| John Ellis | Box master | |
| John McRitchie | Key keeper | |
| John Inglis | Clerk | |
| William Greig | Officer |
These were supported by a committee of six, with the sensible result that most of the Society’s members were either officers or committee members. The meeting resolved to collect the outstanding debts of the former Sailors’ Society which “shall be carefully collected and deposited in the box”. Moreover those having occasion for the mort cloths or ground of the Society would be charged a fee by the Clerk who would keep a cash book recording the transactions.
Two years later the membership had increased to 26 and the funds of the Society stood at £15-18-0. Most of the Society’s money was lodged at the Dunfermline Savings Bank but some was advanced on loan to John Ellis and Alexander Seggie who paid the Society interest. The practice of advancing money to villagers on loan was later to give the Society trouble. Despite the financial improvement some strain was felt. Consequently in December 1821 the entry money was reduced to 5/- “and also for the strengthening of the box …. The box shall be shut for the space of twelve months”. In addition the salary was increased to 1/- per quarter. At a meeting in 1831 it was noted that “many of the inhabitants have burying grounds in the chapel but are not members and do not contribute to the upkeep of the walls etc”. Accordingly fees were fixed as follows for use of the Society’s mort-cloths:
Non-members who are proprietors
| 8/- | small | |
| 4/- | large |
Non-members who are not proprietors
| 6/- | large | |
| 3/- | small |
There are numerous examples of the Sailors’ Society administering a primitive form of social security. For instance, the charges noted above were agreed “with power of the committee to grant abatement where the poverty of the relatives may require it”. In addition throughout the burial records, certain deaths are marked “gratis”:
| September 30th 1832 | John McQueen, travelling packsman – ground and cloth gratis |
Moreover in making its expenditure the Society often got work done by those in greatest need. Colin Reid who died in 1839 (“upwards of 90 years of age”) had been frequently employed cleaning the chapel yard. In 1820, with the village facing starvation, the Society paid £10 to its committee “to be applied for the purpose of supplying the village with meal at as reasonable rate as possible”. The money was repaid in the Summer of the same year. In 1822 the village water committee borrowed money from the Society for “raising the walls and putting a door on the well”. In 1839 “William Blake, a member being in indigence recd £1 til next meeting” and three years later the committee resolved to give one pound each to two “old and decayed members …. and their causes to be further considered at the June meeting”.
The main business of the Society however, was burials and these are recorded in “A List of the Dead Buried in the Chappel or Chappel Yard this year of our Lord 1812”. Many of the deaths were the result of accidents at sea. For instance:
“David Bell had his leg Brok coming tou in a Pinnas and it was cut off and he Died Tousday ye 12 Day of May and was buried”
A similar fate befell John Seggy who in 1814 “Got his lig Brook on Board of the …. (illegible) and died”. For breaking a leg to prove fatal, medical aids must have been primitive or non existent. Several deaths from drowning are recorded:
“William Spence Drowned along with all the crew and the vessel lost on the East Coast 11th October” 1823
“David McRitchie Drowned in Well Dean Quarry 22 April and the body found 19 May” 1823
David McRitchie junior succeeded his deceased father as a member of the Sailors’ Society. Calling the son by the father’s christian name appears to have been common. Five years later the Society membership included
two William Andersons (Junior and Senior)
two Charles Roxburghs
three David McRitchies
One of the latter identified as living on the Brae, drowned in 1833. In November 1830 John McRitchie had drowned and in those three years two others also met the same fate.
The most pathetic aspect of the burial ground records is the premature death of children (far more common in the 19th century than it is today) and the multiple deaths of families.
In 1826 of the 8 deaths recorded 5 were children. At that time we have the following entries:
| October 27 | 1826 | James Cairn’s child | |
| November 1 | 1827 | James Cairn’s child | |
| November 10 | 1828 | James Cairn’s stillborn child | |
| November 16 | 1828 | Another child of the above James Cairns |
In April 1837 we have
| April 8 | Died | Janet Braugh, wife of Sam Chisholm, member. No 23 o(ld) g(round) |
| April 16 | Died | William Chisholm aged 5, son of Sam Chisholm No 23 o(ld) g(round) |
And the record of the payment for Janet’s funeral expenses
| April 8 | Paid Funeral Money for Wife of Sam Chisholm a member | £1 | 10 | 0 |
Sam Chisholm died two years later in 1839
By far the most disturbing series of entries, perhaps indicative of some unrecorded epidemic, are the following consecutive entries in 1879-80 all of which relate to children:
| 1879 | February | Elizabeth Harvey | 2 years 7 months | |
| June | William Brown | 6 years | ||
| 1880 | January | John Browne Sharpe | 6 years | |
| January | James Sime | 4 days | ||
| June | Sharak Shaw | 17 days | ||
| September | Peter, son of Peter Moodie | 8 months | ||
| October | Finlay Duff | 6 months | ||
| Magdalene Harvey | 15 months | |||
| Hugh Grant Cameron | 7 weeks |
Such a record must for ever dispel the notion that life in former times was romantic. On the contrary it was characterised, as Hobbes put it, by “continual fear and danger of violent death and the life of man was solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short”. For deliverance from such tribulations some will thank the Lord; others the marvels of modern technology. Whatever the cause, let us be thankful we were born in (or after) the 20th century.
Expenditure and running costs
Before leaving the Sailors’ Society let us look at some of its expenditure.
In 1818 we have
| To the clerk, coal and candle | 1/6d | |
| To the officer warning the meeting | 1/- | |
| To Jas. Thomson, repairing Chapel gate | 6d | |
| To Wm. Blake clearing Chapel ground | 4/‑ |
In 1821 “It was resolved that a Crier’s hand bell should be purchased as the property of the Society and at any meeting said Bell shall be given in charge to a proper person (a Member in preference) he paying yearly to the Society what shall be thought a reasonable sum”. The bell cost 10/-and the reasonable sum started at 2/- and rose to 3/6 by 1839. Money was also spent on the burial ground
| Robert Malcolme, 12 days repairing Chappel dyke | £1-4-0 | |
| Robert Fraiter, Lime, sand, stones, carriage | £0-14-0 |
Apparently certain members were also allowed a funeral allowance:
| May 21 1824 | Paid David McRitchie Senr. funeral allowance for wife | £1-10-0 |
| Paid David McRitchie Junr. funeral allowance for father | £2-00-0 |
The Committee was careful in making the proper disbursements:
| December 1830 | To paid Jas Macgregor’s funeral money of Willm Spense a member who died at Dundee deducting 5/-being five quarters salary due to Society at his death | £1-15-0 |
In 1846 the funeral allowances were increased to £5 for a member and £3 for a member’s wife.
By 1839 the funds of the Society were quite substantial, totalling £80-8-6d. Some of this money was held on deposit but the bulk had been lent to several villagers who acknowledged their debts to the Society via bills of exchange. One of these to James W Ritchie amounted to £50. In 1848 we hear that correspondence regarding Mrs McRitchie’s bill was laid on the table and the meeting agreed to allow Mr Fraser to proceed against the parties for the amount of the bill. Later that year a preventive measure was taken: all other bill holders were required to pay their bills within 3 days after date.
Some pages from the books of the Sailors’ Society
Deaths etc continued – 1836-37
| 1836 | £ | s | d | ||
| Dec 5 | Died a female child of David Shaws, a member | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1837 | |||||
| Jan 18 | Died Mrs Margaret Thompson, ground & cloth No. 32 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |
| Jan 21 | Died Mary Malcolm late member’s daughter Gratis No. 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Feb 17 | Died a child of James Paterson Mortcloth | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| Feb 25 | Died Margaret Oliphant. Gratis ground and cloth No. 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Mar 17 | Died Alexander Fraiter (member) No. 17 O[ld] G[round] | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Apr 8 | Died Janet Brash, wife of Sam Chisolm, member No. 23 O[ld] G[round] | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Apr 16 | Died William Chisholm aged 5, son of Sam Chisolm No. 23 O[ld] G[round] | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Apr 16 | Died Robert Brown (Member) No. 28 O[ld] G[round] | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| May 2 | Died Simon Turnbull (aged 3) Son of Andrew Turnbull, Member No. 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Jun 1 | Received Garden-ground rent from James Anderson | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Received Bell-Money from Robert Malcolm | 0 | 2 | 6 | ||
| Jun 30 | British Line Company Receipt Dunfermline Bank | 15 | 0 | 0 | |
| Jul 2 | Died Amelia Jamieson, Cloth, No.5 O[ld] G[round] | 0 | 8 | 0 | |
| Aug 2 | Died Janet Nielson, Wife of William Blake, a member | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Deaths etc Continued 1871 to 1878
Deaths etc. Continued
| date | day | person | ground | £ | S | D | Old Gnd | New Gnd |
| 1871 | ||||||||
| 14 | Died James Rieth | Ground | – | 4 | – | – | 26 | |
| 24 | Died Catherine Brach, Widow of Sam Chisholm, a member | – | – | – | 24 | – | ||
| 21 | Died Alexander Mill | – | 3 | 6 | – | 28 | ||
| June | 11 | Died Catherine McFea | Gratis | – | – | – | – | 27 |
| 1872 | ||||||||
| 28 | Died Mrs Ross, old Ground aged 84 | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 20 | Died John Gray aged 81 | Gratis | – | – | – | – | – | |
| 1873 | ||||||||
| ?ary | 6 | Died Mrs Harvie wife of Andrew Harvie 54 years | Ground | – | – | – | – | – |
| {4/- Paid out for cleaning out chapel ground to Sandy Able} | – | 4 | – | – | – | |||
| {To Gibson 2/6 for taking out the old rubbish?} | – | 2 | 6 | – | – | |||
| March | 16 | Died Christine Roxburgh 68 ground free | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| April | 18 | Died Charles Roxburgh, aged 68, ground free | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| August? | Died Maisie Gray Jamala aged 70, | old ground prop J McRitchie | – | – | – | – | – | |
| September? | 21 | Died Mrs John Gray aged 86 | ground free | – | – | – | – | – |
| September | 4 | Died Nellie Brown aged 60 | ground free | – | – | – | 21 | – |
| December | 21 | Died James Shaw aged 60 | ground free | – | – | – | – | – |
| December | 31 | Died Margaret Brown aged X5 Wife of James Brown, smith | ground free | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1874 | ||||||||
| February | 25 | Died Alexander Dow aged 7 years | ground free | – | – | – | – | – |
| March | 9 | Died William? Scotland 70 years | ground free | – | – | – | – | – |
| April | 4 | Died Agnes McGee aged 4 years | ground free | – | – | – | – | – |
| April | 20 | Died Mrs Siggie Widow of Robert Siggie aged 79 | old ground | – | – | – | – | – |
| May | 3 | Died Archie Forbes 1 year old | ground free | – | – | – | – | – |
| June | 20 | Died John Reath aged 7, son of James Reath | ground | – | 2 | 6 | – | – |
| August | 25 | Died Andrew Harvie? Aged 57 | ground | – | 4 | – | – | – |
| 14 | Died John Grieve? Aged 3 years | ground free | – | 2 | – | – | – | |
| September | 2 | Died Andrew Turnble? Aged 74 | New Ground | – | – | – | – | – |
| October | 14 | Died Robert Frater, member, aged 80 years | ground free | – | – | – | 11 | – |
| 1874 | ||||||||
| 15 | Died John Beath aged 74years | New ground No 18 | – | – | – | – | 18 | |
| October | 22 | Died Marion Gray or Samuel? Aged 66 | Old Ground No 30 | – | – | – | 30 | – |
| 1875 | ||||||||
| January | 30 | Died Mrs? Frater, wife of Robert Frater aged ? years | Old Ground | – | – | – | 11 | – |
| January | 30 | Died Mrs Janet Ure Aged 86 years | Old Ground No.5 | – | – | – | 5 | – |
| 1876 | ||||||||
| May | 12 | Buried Elizabeth Gibbs, wife of Gibbs | New ground 23 | – | – | – | – | 23 |
| May | 21 | Buried Christina Able, wife of Alex Able | New ground | – | – | – | – | 34 |
| July | 31 | Died Margaret Brown daughter of James Brown, smith aged 28 | – | – | – | – | 22 | – |
| August | 13 | Died Mrs Paterson, widow of James Paterson aged 78 years | No. [7] | – | – | – | 7 | – |
| Aug | 19 | Died Joan daughter of Margaret Brown | b[uried] in mother’s grave | – | – | – | 22 | – |
| Sept | 15 | Died Jean Doo, wife of Andrew Anderson, mason, age 36 | New Ground | – | – | – | – | 54 |
| Oct | 6 | Buried Helen Lessels? Duff, age seven months, daughter of Finlay Duff | – | – | 2 | – | – | 26 |
| Dec | 10 | Buried child of Alex Watson, coachman, 4 months old | child’s grave No.3 | – | 2 | – | – | 3 |
| Dec | 12 | Drowned Joseph Richardson 48 years XXX Mary XXXX quarry XX | – | – | 4 | – | – | 29 |
| 1877 | ||||||||
| ? | Buried Robert Coliar son of Robert Coliar, died at Dunfermline | New Ground | – | – | – | – | 41 | |
| ? | 20th | Died Ann Chalmers aged 77 years, Buried 23rd | Old Ground No 32 | – | – | – | 32 | – |
| Oct | 7 | Died John Ogg aged 58 years, buried on 7th Oct | New Ground | – | – | – | – | 8 |
| 1878 | ||||||||
| ? | ? | Buried George Munro? Aged 70 | New Ground No. 30 | – | – | – | – | 30 |
Accounts 1836-7
| Dec | 7 | Officer Warning the Meeting this day | .. | 1 | .. |
| Mar | 1 | Officer Warning the Meeting this day | .. | 1 | .. |
| 1836 | |||||
| June | 1 | Officer Warning the Meeting this day | .. | 1 | .. |
| Sep | 7 | Officer Warning the Meeting this day | .. | 1 | .. |
| .. | 4 | .. | |||
| Amount of funds & salaries from other end of Books | 68 | 4 | .. | ||
| Societies funds prior to December meeting including £50 Bill | 68 | .. | .. | ||
| James McRitchie Preces | |||||
| Dec | 7 | Officer Warning the Meeting this day | .. | 1 | .. |
| 1837 | |||||
| March | 1 | Officer Warning the Meeting this day | .. | 1 | .. |
| June | 7 | Officer Warning the Meeting this day | .. | 1 | .. |
| March | 17 | Paid Funeral Money of Robert Fraiter, a member | 2 | .. | .. |
| April | 8 | Paid Funeral Money for Wife of Samuel Chisholm, a member | 1 | 10 | .. |
| April | 16 | Paid Funeral Money of Robert Brown, a member | 2 | .. | .. |
| June | 30 | Lodged Fifteen pounds in B[ritish] L[inen] Coy Bank Dunf[ermline] on receipt | 15 | .. | .. |
| August | 2 | Paid William Blake, funeral – Money of his deceased wife | 1 | 10 | .. |
| Over £ | 22 | 3 | .. | ||
Accounts 1837-8
| 1837-8 | Members Names | Dec | Mar | Jun | Sep | Amount |
| Entries or | and Cash | Qr | Qr | Qr | Qr | of |
| Deaths | Received | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | Sundries |
| Society funds | Will of James McRitchie & others dated 6 July 1835 | £50 | 0 | 0 | |
| prior to | Receipt of B[ritish].L[inen].Coy Bank Dunfermline 30th June 1837 | £15 | 0 | 0 | |
| December | Cash in the box | £5 | 8/ | 6d |
| James McRitchie, | Preses Continued | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ||||
| James Blake, | Box master ditto | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ||||
| John Malcolm, | Key keeper ditto | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ||||
| James Scott, | Clerk ditto | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ||||
| William Greig, | Officer ditto | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ||||
| William Anderson Sen. | } | ..3.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ||||
| James Buchanan | } | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ||||
| William Blake | } Committee | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ||||
| David Shaw | } Committee | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ||||
| Edward Thomson | } | ||||||||
| Charles Roxburgh | } | ||||||||
| Walter Oglevay | ..4.. | ||||||||
| Peter Millions | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | |||||
| Charles Johnstone | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | |||||
| Robert Mitchell | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | |||||
| David McRitchie (1st) | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | |||||
| David McRitchie (2nd) | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | |||||
| William Anderson Junior | ..2.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | |||||
| Robert Seggie | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | |||||
| James Roxburgh | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | |||||
| Andrew Turnbull | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | |||||
| James McRitchie Junior | …. | ..6.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | |||||
| John Gray, | Merchant? | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ||||
| John McRitchie | ..5.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | |||||
| Samuel Chisholm | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | |||||
| Robert Johnstone | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | |||||
| John Johnstone | Carpenter? | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ||||
| James Anderson | ..2.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | |||||
| James Bell | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | |||||
| Robert Fraiter | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | ..1.. | |||||
| £1 18/- | £1 14/- | £1 9/- | £1 15/- | £70 | 18/ | 6d |
| < History of St James’s Chapel | Δ Index | Bob Cubin’s Notes > |