•  Earlsferry, Fife

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In 1882-4, Frances Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland described Earlsferry like this:

Earlsferry, a decayed coast village possessing the status of a royal burgh, in Kilconquhar parish, Fife, immediately W of Elie. It is traditionally said to have been constituted a burgh by Malcolm Ceannmor. at the request of Mac du, Earl of Fife, who, in his flight from the vengeance of Macbeth,. ...

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was concealed in a cave,. at Kincraig Point, and thence was ferried over the firth to Dunbar by. fishermen of the place. The legend on the face of it is false; but, whatever its date, the original charter having been accidentally destroyed by fire in Edinburgh, James VI. granted a new one in 1589, which speaks of Earlsferry as ' of old, past memory of man, erected into ane free burgh. ' Then and afterwards it seems to have been a place of considerable trade, with two weekly markets and two annual fairs, the privilege o4f7 levying dues and customs, and the right of returning a member to Parliament. These are all things of the past; but Earlsferry still is governed by a chief magistrate, a bailie, a treasurer, and six councillors, and has its new town-hall (1872), a branch of the National Bank, a local savings' bank, a gas company, and a public school. The annual value of real property was £924, 11s. in 1882, when the municipal constituency numbered 45, whilst the corporation revenue for 1881 was £86. Pop. (1841) 496, (1861) 395, (1871) 406, (1881) 286. See Elie

Earlsferry through time

Earlsferry is now part of Fife district. Click here for graphs and data of how Fife has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Earlsferry itself, go to Units and Statistics.

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