HISTORY OF NEWPORT AND THE PARISH OF FORGAN ; AND RAMBLES ROUND THE DISTRICT, by J. S. Neish, 1890
PART XIII. THE BLYTH HALL - SCHOOL BOARD - CONCLUSION
It is unnecessary to enter into all the harrowing details connected with the Tay Bridge disaster. Fortunately, only two of the victims of the catastrophe were connected with Newport - two young men, named David Watson and James Peebles, the former a merchant in business in Dundee, and the latter an apprentice grocer in Newport. A fund was raised for the relief of the sufferers by the disaster, to which the residenters in Newport subscribed liberally. At a lecture delivered in the Blyth Hail by Mr. Richard Miller, Dundee, on a 'Tour through Norway', the proceeds amounted to upwards of £30 the whole of which was handed over to the Treasurer of the Tay Bridge Disaster Fund. The immediate consequences to the villagers, arising from the wreck of the Tay Bridge, was the loss of the water supplied from the Lintrathen Waterworks, and the stoppage of railway communication to and from Dundee. The loss of the water supply was the greatest inconvenience, the want of the Tay Bridge line not being felt so much, as the Ferry steamers had never ceased to ply.
The Parochial Board of Forgan at once took steps to secure another supply of water, and, after some negotiations, an arrangement was come to with the Dundee Water Commissioners to provide a temporary supply till the Tay Bridge could be reconstructed. A stream of water which flowed into the Tay at Wormit Bay was found to be sufficiently pure in quality and abundant enough to meet the wants of the inhabitants. Accordingly, the Dundee Commissioners undertook to sink a well, and fit up a steam engine and pumping apparatus to force the water to the reservoir on Wormit Hill, previously erected for the supply of the village. This arrangement having been agreed to by all parties, the necessary works were erected, and the new supply was introduced in July, 1880. This arrangement was only of a temporary nature, and terminated when the new Tay Bridge was opened in 1887, when the Lintrathen water was again supplied.
Throughout these pages we have had frequent occasion to refer to the Blyth Hall. This is the only public hall in Newport, and it was gifted to the inhabitants by Mrs. Kerr of Ashbank, now Mrs. Blyth-Martin of Blyth House, East Newport. In 1875, Mrs. Kerr placed a sum of money, amounting to about £4000, in the hands of trustees, for the purpose of erecting a public hall in the village in memory of her
brothers, Henry, Thomas, and Charles Blyth. The Blyths were a well-known Dundee family. Several of the members of the family were gifted with poetic and musical talents of no mean order. The eldest, David Blyth, was a sailor and a poet. After his death, his works were collected and published in a neat volume, under the title of the 'The Pirate Ship', and other poems. The volume was edited by Mr. W. Y. Blyth-Martin, Blyth House, Newport; and appended to the volume were a number of poetical pieces by other members of the family. All the members of the family are now dead, with the exception of the youngest daughter, Isabella (Mrs. Martin), whose pen has also contributed to the poetical selections in the volume referred to. A brief sketch of the Blyth Family is given in Edwards' 'Modem Scottish Poets', with selections from their writings. The following piece is from I. B. (Mrs. Martin), and since Newport owes so much to that generous lady we may be pardoned for quoting it here :-
A FLIGHT
O, for a spark of true poetic fire
To nerve my heart, to tune the sounding lyre ;
Both far and wide, both over land and sea
I would thy praises sing, sweet poesy.
Grant but one feather from thy waving wing,
And o'er my head thy passing shadow fling,
Inspire my pen to clothe my thoughts in verse -
Thoughts free to roam throughout the universe.
And now on Fancy's wings I swift am borne
To where the night parts with the rosy morn;
Behold the ocean paved with living gold,
And ships and isles in gorgeous mantle rolled.
Nature, thou glorious art, in every land,
Whether in desert bare or forest grand,
Or mighty rivers as they onward roll,
Or towering icebergs near the dreary Pole;
Thy voice is eloquent in trees and flowers.
The sunbeam is thy smile, thy tears the showers,
Thy dew is wealth, like adverse fate thy cloud.
Spring is thy birthtime, winter is thy shroud.
Mrs. Martin's three brothers, Charles, Thomas, and Henry, all died within a period of two years, the last of the three in 1875. To perpetuate their memory, their affectionate sister resolved to confer a boon on the people of Newport, and at the same time to erect a monument worthy of their name. The trustees appointed under the deed of gift were Messrs. William Robertson, Balmore, West Newport, then Provost of Dundee; Harry Walker, Westwood, West Newport; W. Kerr, since deceased ; John Leng, Kinbrae, West Newport; A. Scott, Ashbank, East Newport; A. Fairweather, Seabank, East Newport; Dr. Stewart; and the Chief Magistrate, when such a functionary is appointed for the village. The hall, which was designed by Mr. Johnstone, architect, occupies a commanding site on Kilburn Place, with the Independent Church on the west, and St. Thomas's Established Church on the east. Externally it has a handsome appearance. The interior is a spacious hall, fitted up with a gallery at the north end, and a large platform at the south end. The large hall is capable of accommodating about 600 persons, while there is a comfortable small hall attached, with anterooms and other conveniences. The building which cost about £4000, was formally opened on Saturday, May 19th, 1877, Provost Robertson presiding on the occasion. The hall has proved a great boon to the inhabitants, as it affords them a commodious place for lectures, concerts, and public entertainments, a want which was greatly felt in the village. A drinking fountain, the gift of the same generous lady, has been erected on the 'Braes' by the side of the Tayport road.
Amongst the other public institutions in Newport are the Horticultural Society, which holds its annual Show in July or August; a Literary and a Musical Society, which hold their meetings in the Blyth Hall during the winter months. In addition to the Bowling and Curling Clubs, there is an active Rowing Club which has long been in existence, and a few years ago the youths of the village instituted a Swimming Club. The annual Regatta of the Newport Rowing Club attracts thousands to the village to witness the races. The racecourse is from a point opposite Seacraig Rock to buoys moored to the west of the Ferry piers. The braes to the east of Seacraig afford an excellent view of the whole course, from the starting barge to the turning buoys, and on such occasions every available spot on the grassy slopes is taken possession of by the spectators. The 'Braes' belong to the estate of Tayfield, but the proprietors have for years generously granted the inhabitants the privilege of using them as a public recreation ground. Negotiations were opened with the view of getting this privilege converted into a perpetual right, and, thanks to the generosity of Mr. Berry, the matter has been satisfactorily settled.
Newport is the place of meeting for the Forgan Parochial and Sanitary Board, and also for the Forgan School Board. This last, like the other School Boards in the kingdom, has now completed fifteen years of its existence, under the Education (Scotland) Act of 1872. The schools under its jurisdiction are Forgan (formerly Parish) School, and Newport (formerly Free Church) School; both now being named Public Schools. The most notable work of the Forgan School Board has been the erection of the handsome new School for Newport at a cost of above £4000, which has provided a much needed increase of accommodation for the children of the village. The Forgan and Newport schools are both in excellent order under their able and successful teachers, Mr. Scott and Mr. Fergusson. There are also private schools in Newport, under good lady teachers, for girls and very young children. A local centre has also been established at Newport for the St. Andrew's University examinations for the benefit of pupils from all the schools in this district of the north of Fife, which, has proved a great stimulus to the higher education.
The census returns for 1881 give the population of the parish of Forgan as follows:- Newport (East and West), 2311; landward, 601; Mars Training Ship (included in the parish), 395 - total, 3307. In 1861 the population of Newport was 728. In 1871 it was returned at 1487, showing an increase of 1593 in Newport alone within the last twenty years.
In the year 1887, Newport was constituted a burgh under the Lindsay Police Act. Its affairs are now managed by a Police Commission. Mr. Alexander Scott, banker, was elected the first Chief Magistrate.
We have brought the history of Forgan and Newport down to the present time, and it only remains to add a few general remarks to bring our labours to a close. There are few places of historical interest within the parish to attract the antiquarian and the archaeologist, but the lovers of nature will find much that is interesting and admirable. The coast is bold and precipitous, the country is interspersed with hill and dale, woodland glades, and romantic dells. At every point charming landscapes open up to view, while some of the scenes are striking and magnificent. What can equal the prospect that can be obtained from the hills overlooking the Tay? The broad gleaming river spreading out like a vast lake, with its border of towering hills on either shore, stretching to the west till it is lost amongst the hills, and eastward till its waters mingle with the broad expanse of the German Ocean. Inland, the eye roams over an undulating country, wooded hills, and richly cultivated valleys. Well kept roads traverse the parish in all directions. A turnpike road runs along the coast from Tayport, passing through Newport, and leading west as far as Newburgh. The traveller along this road can enjoy an uninterrupted view of the river. At some points along the route, the shore presents all the features of a wild and romantic sea coast. At Wormit Bay, where the Tay Bridge leaves the Fife shore, the cliffs rise to a height of sixty or seventy feet from the water's edge.
The chief places of interest in the immediate neighbourhood are Balmerino, where are the remains of an old abbey; Kilmany, with its quaint old church, where the eloquent voice of Dr. Chalmers was first heard in the early days of his ministry. To either of these places there are excellent roads. The old Parish Kirk and Kirkyard of Forgan, with the clump of yew trees, which we have noticed elsewhere, is situated in the south-east of the parish, and about three miles distant from Newport pier. The route is by the Cupar road for about two miles, and thence by the old Tayport road which branches off to the eastward. St. Fort and Scotscraig are also well worth seeing; but it will be necessary for the visitor to obtain permission from the proprietors.
The salubrity of Newport has made it very popular as a permanent residence, and its population is increasing year by year. To those in search of a quiet summer residence it also offers great attractions. It is pleasantly situated in the vicinity of a large manufacturing and commercial city, and it combines the double advantage of a rural retreat and a seaside watering place. The Ferry steamers ply between the village and Dundee almost every half hour during week days, while on Sundays the sailings are adapted to the hours of Divine service in Dundee. It has, besides, daily railway communication to the south and north, and regular postal and telegraph services. The post office is conveniently situated near the pier. There are two large spacious hotels, while private lodgings can be obtained without much difficulty. Shops of all descriptions abound in the village, there is a good supply of water, and now that the streets have been properly paved and drained by the Police Commissioners, Newport, as a residence, leaves nothing to be desired.
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