Kettle, Fifeshire, Scotland
The villages in the Parish of Kettle:
The parish of Kettle contains the post office village of Kettle, and the village of Balmalcolm (a village about 1/2 a mile east of the village of Kettle), Bankton-park, Coalton, Holckettle, Nuirhead, and Myresside, in the center of Fifeshire.
Location and Terrain of Kettle:
It is bounded by Collessie, Cults, Ceres, Scoonie, Kennoway, Markinich, and Falkland. Its length, eastward, is about 8 1/2 miles, and its breadth is nearly three miles, in the middle, but contacts exceedingly towards the ends. The river Eden traces the western half of the northern boundary, but is rapidly receded from by the eastern half of that boundary. The parochial surface, in the parts not adjacent to that river, ascends and goes over the hills which flank the south side of Stratheden. The arable land, both in flat tract upon the Eden, and in the shirts and ascents of the hills, is very various in soil; but even the highest grounds in the parish are clothed with verdure, and can afford excellent summer pasture for all sorts of cattle. The rocks are chiefly of the coal formation. Sandstone, limestone, coals, and a fine kind of whitestone are worked; and some ironstone is found.
Landowner and Value of Land in Kettle:
There are sixteen principal landowners; but only six of them are resident. The yearly value of raw produce, inclusive of woods and mines, are estimated in 1836 at 20,676 pounds. Assessed property in 1860 at 12,375 pounds, 3 shillings, 1 d. A considerable amount of parishioners, perhaps about 4000, are linen weavers.
The Legend of Clatto:
On the lands of Clatto, at the southeastern extremity of the parish, there are remains of an old tower which is said to have anciently belonged to the family Seaton, of whom tradition says that they were notorious robbers and murderers. The old road from Cupar to Kingshorn passed through Clatto-den; and in the face of the hill, which forms its boundary, there is alleged to be a cave, which communicated to the tower of Clatto and had another opening to the road, from which the bandits rushed out of the unsuspecting passengers, and dragging them into the caves, robbed and murdered them. Clatto was the castle of the Setons from the 1400's to 1510. This branch of the Seton family were all executed by James IV for their crimes.
Interestingly enough in modern times, on September 11, 1998, on the Easter Clatto farm, near St Andrews, Fifeshire, Scotland, there was a cat sighted at nearly three feet high, looked extremely powerful. The cat was describe as a male cat, huge and bulging with muscle. Witness chased ABC in his car for 300 yds at nearly 40 mph. Seen at 10 ft. Casts made of pawprints, said initially to be a puma, but later thought to belong to large dog. There were other sightings at other places as well. One can't help but notice the play on words: Clatto has a large cat (catto) sighting. :-)
Other Features of Kettle:
The other principal antiquaries are eight barrows and two eminences which are supposed to be the remains of circumvallations. The parish is traversed by the road from Kirkcaldy to Newburgh, by the road from Leven to Auchtermuchty, and by the Edinburgh, Perth, and Dundee railway; and it has a station on that railway, of the name of Kingskettle, 6 miles from Cupar, 12 from Kircaldy, 18 from Tayport, and 19 from Perth.
The village of Kettle stands adjacent to the railway station, on the low ground of Stratheden; and its skirts are reached by freshets of the river. Two of the other villages of the parish may be regarded as mere appendages to this; and two more are distant from it respectively 1/2 a mile and 1 mile.
Churches of Kettle:
Population of the parish in 1831 was 2,071, and in 1861, it was 2,474. The parish had 551 houses. This parish is in the presbytery of Cupar and synod of Fife. Patron is the crown. Stepend is 268 pounds, 15 shilling; and the glebe is 8 pounds. The schoolmaster's salary is 65 pounds with about 65 pounds fees and other emoluments. The parish church is a Gothic Structure, with elegant tower and pinnacles, and was built in 1834, and contains nearly 1,200 sittings. There is a Free church for Kettle and Cults, with an attendence of 170; and the sum raised in connection with it in 1865 was 169 pounds, 1 shiling, 7d. There is a United Presbyterian church in the village of Kettle, a neat edifice built in 1853m and having an attendance of about 450. The parochial schoolhouse is an excellent modern building.
Schools of Kettle:
There are three private schools.
History of Kettle:
The ancient name of this parish was "Lathrisk" as it is sometimes spelled in old charters, "Lorresk," from the circumstances of the parish-church being formerly situated on the lands of that name at the west end of the parish. The church, manse, and glebe, having been removed about 1636 to the village of Kettle, the parish has from that time received the name of the village. In old deed the name of the village is sometimes written Catul, sometimes Katul. In consequence of that portion of the lands of Kettle on which the village is situated having belonged anciently to the Crown, the village as well as the parish is called Kingskettle. The ancient shurch was a vicarage belonging to the priory of St. Andrews; and there were two chapels, respectively at Chapel and at Clatto.
Written and Researched by Margaret Odrowaz-Sypniewska, B.F.A.
This page was last updated on March 3, 2005
