ViewLogo

The Newport, Wormit & Forgan Archive

The Tayside Annual and Directory for Newport, Wormit and Tayport for 1908

Noteworthy Dates in Newport's History

1788Tayfield Estate came into possession of Berry family.
1817 (October 14)Mr John Berry of Tayfield died, aged 92.
1829Severe storm in Tay. Pinnace lost near Beacon Rocks. Four Newport men (Allan, Rait, Mackie, and Patrick) drowned.
1843Week-day school opened at Newport in connection with Free Church.
1852 (December 9)Mr William Berry of Tayfield, died.
1855 Sarcophagus or stone coffin discovered by workmen while holing trees near Westwood, Newport.
1856Newport Gas Company formed.
1858Newport Curling Club formed.
1865 (October)Ancient burial-place discovered at Westwood, Newport. About twelve ancient urns disinterred.
1869Newport Bowling Club formed.
1872Kinbrae completed for Sir John Leng, LL.D.
1876Blyth Hall built by Mrs Blyth-Martin as a memorial to her three brothers.
1877 (December 17)Mr John Berry, third proprietor of Tayfield, died at Nice.
1887Newport constituted a police burgh by the adoption of the Lindsay Act. Mr Alex. Scott, banker, Chief Magistrate; Mr J. H. Walker, Senior Magistrate; Mr J. F. Millar, Junior Magistrate.
1889 (March)Mr Harry Walker of Westwood, died.
1890 (October 14)Ball to celebrate completion of Blyth Hall Buildings. Address presented to Mrs Martin.
1893 (June 1)Knighthood conferred upon Sir John Leng, Kinbrae, Newport.
1900Set of chimes presented to Newport Congregational Church by Sir John Leng, M.P.
1902 (March)Sheriff Kincaid Mackenzie decides in favour of Newport's petition to include Wormit.
1902 (May 24)Tablet to memory of Newport Volunteers who fell in South African War unveiled in cemetery at Vicarsford.
1903 (May 27)New Gas Works at Newport inaugurated.
1906 (Dec. 12)Sir John Leng, LL.D., D.L., of Kinbrae, died.
1906Braes and Gowrie Hill taken over for public use.
1906Mr John Fergusson, schoolmaster, retired after 42 years' service.

 

Noteworthy Dates in Tayside History

1548Abbey at Balmerino burned by the English.
1564-5 (January)Mary Queen of Scots spent several days at Balmerino.
1684Alexander Nairne of Sandford (now St Fort) 'fined in £3,300 for House Conventicles by the Privy Council'.
1715Rob Roy Macgregor, after a raid in Fife, retreats to Dundee by the Woodhaven Ferry.
1864 (Nov. 25)s.s. 'Dalhousie' foundered on banks of Tay ; 34 persons drowned. Several bodies were recovered and brought to Tayport.
1869'Mars' Training Ship arrived in Tay.
1889Railway Station established at Wormit.
1905 (October 12)Wormit Bowling Club Bazaar opened in Kinnaird Hall by Right Hon. H. H. Asquith, M.P.

 

The Tay Bridge - Noteworthy Dates

1854Thomas Bouch propounds scheme of bridging Forth and Tay.
1870Bill passed sanctioning first Tay Bridge.
1877 (Sept. 25)Tay Bridge first crossed in a train.
1879 (Sunday, December 28)Tay Bridge disaster. Thirteen large spans blown into river, along with train and about 90 persons.
1881 (November)Contract for building second Tay Bridge entrusted to William Arrol & Co., Glasgow.
1887 (Monday, June 20)Second Tay Bridge opened for traffic. Cost £640,000.

 

The Tay Ferries - Notable Dates

1669Woodhaven and Dundee public ferry placed by Act of the Scottish Parliament under the regulation of the Justices of the Peace of the respective counties.
1713Guildry of Dundee resolved to take steps to establish a regular ferry between Dundee and the Fife side of the Tay.
1815 (Sunday, 28th May)Pinnace 'Nelson', engaged in Ferry traffic, capsized on Tay ; 17 or 18 persons drowned.
1819 (August)Tay Ferries Trustees take possession of Ferries.
1821Twin steamship 'Union' employed on Tay Ferries.
1822Newport constituted by Act of Parliament the ferry station from Fife to Dundee. Pier constructed shortly after, from designs by Telford.
1823 (Sept. 10)Foundation-stone of Newport pier laid.
1824 (Feb. 7)Tay Ferries steamer 'George IV' goes on fire and has to be scuttled and sunk. It was afterwards repaired.
1828 (December)Terrific gale on Tay. Piers damaged.
1873Control of Tay Ferries vested in Dundee Harbour Trustees. £20,000 paid to Caledonian Railway.

 

Return to:     Tayside Annual 1908    Library Contents