History
The Fifeshire Advertiser
Nearly 60 years ago Kirkcaldy lost its first newspaper. Printed in the High Street for over a 150 years, a falling circulation eventually caused it to falter and fade during the 1960’s. It was one of the many provincial papers founded during the early part of 19th century around the time of the first coal gas works at Linktown and almost a decade before the railway reached the town.
Its publication began a few years after John Ritchie from Kirkcaldy founded The Scotsman newspaper in Edinburgh. As noted in 'A History of Kirkcaldy-1843 to 1948' by P. K. Livingstone, for many years The Scotsman was printed on a Kirkcaldy made machine. The Scotsman, a weekly journal, founded in 1817, eventually became a daily publication.
During the 19th Century there was a considerable growth in the provincial press. Towns like Dundee, Greenock, Ayr, Dumfries, Kelso and Inverness all had newspapers before Kirkcaldy started its own in 1838.
Metal Type with its locating nicks
The Fifeshire Advertiser ran for 10 years before a new larger size paper was introduced in 1848. It continued as a bi-monthly with a circulation of approximately 700. John Jeffers Wilson (1807-1866) was for twenty-eight years the Editor of The Fifeshire Advertiser.
Editorial comment in the first larger edition provided an indication why the Advertiser had been started, ‘’…we have also created some enemies during the past ten years – as all may expect who wage uncompromising warfare with quacks, imbeciles in office, great selfish monopolists, impudent impostors and canting knaves’’. Two years earlier during the 1846 election, the headline ‘Problems with the Council’ and its following text, indicated that the fight had been engaged for some time. The editorial called for, ‘’…a pox on all cowardly, anonymous informers…our mission being truthward and this we will continue to do – despite the attentions of those we have exposed…embecile bigots now in office in the Council.’’
Type Cases
By the year 1862 the Independent and the Fife Circular were being published in Kirkcaldy followed by the Fife Free Press in 1871. The Fife Free Press was the first weekly newspaper to be printed in the town and was set up by William Greig Livingston, a printer from The Fifeshire Advertiser, and James Strachan.
The golden period was probably during the editorship of Lachlan Macbean (1853-1931) who edited The Fifeshire Advertiser (also incorporating the Kirkcaldy Mail) for many years taking the paper from the 19th into the 20th Century. He was also proprietor of the company for forty years.
Lachlan MacBean had half a century's association with the Fifeshire Advertiser.
He was born at Kiltarlity, Inverness-shire in 1853 and died at Kirkcaldy in January 1931. During his tenure he wrote a volume about the short life of Pet Marjory (published by the Advertiser). He was actively involved in the resurrection of many almost forgotten Gaelic works, gave lessons on Gaelic and compiled Kirkcaldy Burgh Records.
Printing and sale of Post Cards (Picture Card) was one of Lachlan MacBean's inovations
In 1896 the first linotype machine in Fife was installed in the office, only 10 years since the first machine was in use.
'Venture Capitlaists James Clephane and his associate Charles More pursued the creation of a typesetting machine. During the 1870s they approached Ottmar Merganthaler, a German clock maker living in the USA, to build a machine.'
'With Ottmar's knowledge and skill an effective Linotype machine was created, during the 1880s; the most significant development in the printing process for 400 years.'
'The first commercially installed machine was in The New York Tribune office in 1886. By 1904 there were 10,000 Linotypes in use throughout the world.'
Designcast - History of Visual Communications
The Advertiser was also a print jobbing shop producing various types of products for the local community as well as the newspaper. It was usual for the editor to also manage the print shop. In 1885 when the Leven Mail was established, published in Leven but printed by The Advertiser, the printing works had moved from 294 High Street, Kirkcaldy to 130 High Street where it was to remain until the firm was dissolved.
Wooden Type often used for Posters
Until the end of the 1800s the print works at 130 High Street was fairly small and it would have been difficult to manage both the newspaper and jobbing production as they both developed. During 1902 the first extension was built, increasing the floor area by about 50% and increasing the range of print work taken on by Lachlan Macbean.
It was another 30 years before the next large extension took place. It created a dedicated jobbing area, which almost doubled the size of the print works. This was developed in two stages, starting in 1932 with the second stage completed around 1938. The following, last extension, did not begin until the 1950s, which was built to store paper reels for the newspapers and to provide space for a new newspaper rotary press which was much faster than the very old one still sited in the original part of the now extensive building.
As with every other newspaper during the First World War the Advertiser and Leven Mail pages carried the many names of local young men killed in battle. They reported in 1928 that the people of Britain, over the age of 65, would receive the pension. The Second World War presented the same litany of deaths as during the earlier war but with a reduced attrition rate. During its last full decade, in March 1956, the paper was still bringing the local Council to task, this time for the size of the Education Department budget. The Director, Dr D M MacIntosh, and the Convenor, John Allan were pushed to justify the coming budget that was to be close to four million pounds.
A 1950’s weekly feature was entitled ‘Women of Kirkcaldy’ which looked at the varied work of women’s groups within the burgh. A return train ticket to Edinburgh was advertised at a cost of 4/- and it was noted that there was a bright future for Fife industries, but ‘’…oh, for a road bridge across the Forth...’’. Young people also got themselves into serious trouble back then, with a 13-year-old given 2 years probation for stealing. Chairman John Blyth was appalled, as this was the second time the boy had been in front of the Juvenile Court and had already spent time in an Approved School.
Donald R P MacIntosh
During part of the 1950’s and 1960’s the editor of the Advertiser was Donald R P MacIntosh, also the general manager of the company, and the company Chairman was local solicitor Thallon Wood.
At the end of January 1965 the Fifeshire Advertiser merged with the Leven Mail. Its last edition was dated Saturday 30 January 1965. The Fifeshire Advertiser as a print works, and company, continued with general jobbing work and printing the newly named Fife Mail. The new title only survived for a little over a year, though it continued to serve the local area as well as providing Buckhaven Miners’ Welfare Institute a place to advertise its popular Sunday Dances at Kinnear Street, Buckhaven. During 1966 the bands Bo Weavels, Young Front, Gales Blue, Sunset Culture and Chris McClure Section were some that played at the venue.
On Monday 5 September 1966 the Fife Mail was renamed the East Fife Mail. The title had been bought over by the Fife Free Press group of newspapers while The Fifeshire Advertiser company was closed. The popular Fife Mail editor Ian C Paterson continued as editor of the East Fife Mail.
Ian C Paterson
The rotary presses, linotype machines, type cases and setting stones in the High Street print shop were sold before the elderly building was demolished. If you walk to the rear of Boots Chemist’s shop, and round to the left before the doors to the shopping mall, you will be standing near to where part of the old print works stood.
Old Fifeshire Advertisr Front Office - 130 High Street - on right of photo
Plan of the Fifeshire Advertiser print works during the 1960s
Visualisation of the High Street end of the Advertiser Print Works
Older Rotary Press on the left with Linotypes on the right and Compositor make-up in the centre
The Fifeshire Advertiser Works 1950 (marked) Market Street and Office on High Street
Canmore
