Ceres, Fifeshire, Scotland
The Villages in the Parish of Ceres, in the 1800's (nineteenth century):
The parish of Ceres contains the post office village of Kettle, and the village of Ceres, the villages of Chance-Inn, Craigrothie, Croftdyke, and Brigend, in the interior of Fifeshire.
Location and Terrain of Ceres:
It is bounded by the parishes of Cupar, Kemback, St. Andrews, Cameron, Kilconquhar, Largo, Scoonie, Kettle, and Cults. Its length north-eastward is 7 1/4 miles to 4 miles. The river Eden skirts a wing of it for 1 1/2 mile into the northwest. Five streamlets run into the interior from respectively the west, the south, and the east, and unite a little above the village of Ceres to form Ceres burn, which passes through the village,and runs 1 1/2 miles to the north-east, enters then the beautiful den of Dura, and soon after falls into the Eden. The surface of the parish is pleasantly and picturesquely diversified, but on the whole consists of a beautiful valley, screened by Tarvet hill and Magus moor. Its superficial area amounts to 8,000 acres, of which four-tenths are in the tillage, five tenths in pasture, and one-tenth is planted as moorland.
Limestone abounds and is extensively wrought. Coal and sandstone are also found.
Landowner and Value of Land in Ceres:
The average rent is 1 pound, 10 shillings, per acre; and the valued rental is 8,248 pounds, 1 shilling, 1d Scots. The landowners are the Earl of Glasgow, Wilson of Craigrothie, Stark of Teasses, Sir John Hope of Craigshall, and about twenty others. There are 500 looms within the parish employed in the manufacture of linen; and there are three spinning mills for the manufacture of linen yarn, and also a bleachfield establishment. Teasses House and Edenwood House are beautiful modern mansions; the former is situated as to command a brilliant view of the firth of Forth. The ruins of Craighall House, built by the celebrated Scottish jurisconsult, Sir Thomas Hope, are situated about a mile to the south-east of the village of Ceres; and to the south-west are the ruins of the Struthers' house, now the property of the Earl of Glasgow. Upon the estate of Scotstarvet, is a beautiful tower of jointed freestone, 24 feet square, and about 50 feet high. The walls are very thick, and the windows small; the whole is surmounted by a battlement. The parish is traversed through the middle by the road from Cupar to Pittenweem and Crail, and across the north-west wing by the road from Cupar to Kirkcaldy. Lindsay of Pitescottie, author of a well known history of Scotland, was a native of this parish.
Population of Ceres:
2,762 in 1831, and 2,723 in 1861. Houses number 627. The assessed valuation was, in 1843, 12,561 pounds, 19 shillings, 11d; in 1866, it was 16, 682 pounds, 0 shillings, and 4d.
Churches of Ceres:
The parish is a presbytery of Cupar, and synod of Fife. Patron, the earl of Glasgow. Stipend 229 pounds, 13 shillings, 4d. Unappropriated teinds, 5 pounds, 9 shillings, 4d. Schoolmaster's salary now is 60 pounds, with about 49 pounds in fees. Peior to the Reformation, there was a chapel in this parish dedicated to St. Ninian; an d the schoolmaster of Ceres receives a presentation to be chaplain of St. Ninian, within the church of Ceres, and to be leader of that parish. A small salary of 3 Scottish pounds was formerly payable to the chaplain, from certain houses in Cupar; but these houses cannot now be discovered, and the chapalinry has become a title without a benefice. The parish schoolhouse is a handsome building. The parish church stands on an eminence in the center of the town. It was built in 1806, and contains 1,100 sittings. There is a Free church and the yearly sum raised in connection with it in 1865 was 200 pounds, 8 shillings, 11 1/2d. There are two United Presbyterian churches -- called First and the East, each with an attendance of between 200 and 300. There are five nonparochial schools, and several friendly societies. The Springfield station of the Dundee branch of the North British railway is adjacent to the West of the parish.
The Town of Ceres:
The town of Ceres is located 2 2/2 miles south-east of Cupar, on the road to Pittenweem. It contains several streets and some good houses, and has a neatly kept rivalet-bordered green. Its place of worship make it conspicuous; and the burial vault of the noble family of Crawford-Lindsey, containing the remains of several persons of great historical note, give it considerable antiquarian interest. Ceres has no artistic attraction, but it is merely a small tile-covered building, once the wing of an old church, and now contiguous to the present parish church. The town consists of the town proper and a suburb (Ceres and Bridgend of Ceres), the former old and the latter new. The town proper is a burgh of barony, holding the Hopes of Craighall with obligation on the feuars to attend the head courts; but it has no charter. The whole place carries on a considerable trade in brown linen. Fairs are held on the 24th of June and 20th of October. In 1861 the population, inclusive of Bridgend and Croftdyke is 1,216.
Written and Researched by Margaret Odrowaz-Sypniewska, B.F.A.
This page was last updated on March 24, 2006
