Dysart, Fife

infobox UK place
country = Scotland
official_name= Dysart
gaelic_name= Diseart
local_name= "Little Holland"
os_grid_reference= NT305935
longitude= -3.11
latitude= 56.13
unitary_scotland= Fife
lieutenancy_scotland= Fife
post_town= KIRKCALDY
postcode_area= KY1
dial_code= 01592
constituency_westminster= Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath
constituency_scottish_parliament= Kirkcaldy Mid Scotland and Fife
static_

static_image_caption=An oak tree serves as the emblem of Dysart's coat of arms

Dysart (Scottish Gaelic: Diesart) cite web|url=http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/vli/language/gaelic/pdfs/placenamesC-E.pdf |title=Scottish Parliament Gaelic Placenames C-E|format=PDF Retrieved on 3 August 2008 ] is a small town and former royal burgh in Fife which has been part of Kirkcaldy since 1930.

The origins of the town appear in records dating from the 13th century. Dysart was long dominated by the Sinclair family (who it is believed claimed the estate from David I in the 12th century) from 1483 until 1896. The town became known for various industries such as nailmaking, linen, coal and salt - which for the latter went into direct competition with their neighbour, Kirkcaldy in 1244.

Today, Dysart has managed to retain some parts of the old antique town such as a Tolbooth, Town House and picturesque harbour - despite the effects of the controversial redevelopment it underwent in the mid-20th century.

History

Toponymy

The local saying “as old as the three trees of Dysart” may prove to be vital evidence that the town's existence stretches back to ancient times. cite book
last = Pearson
first = John M.
title = "Around Kirkcaldy", 1st edition
publisher = Levenmouth Printers
year = 1993
isbn = 0951913433 ] Dysart’s name is considered to have had two meanings - either from the Latin word “deserta” meaning “the fasting place of a holy man” in reference to the legend of St Serf who came to Dysart around 500 AD or from the Celtic word “dys-ard” meaning height of god. cite book
last = Eunson
first = Eric
title = Old Dysart and East Kirkcaldy
publisher = Stenlake Publishing
year = 1998
isbn = 1840330511 ] cite book
edited = Donald Omand
title = The Fife Book
publisher = Birlinn Publishing Ltd
year = 2000
isbn = 1841582743] cite book
author = Jim Swan and Carol McNeill
title = Dysart: A Royal Burgh
publisher = The Dysart Trust
year = 1997
isbn = 0953021300] However, according to the statistical accounts of the parish ministers of 1793 and 1836, the name is alleged to come from Gaelic word “Dus-ard” which means “the temple of the most high”. Nonetheless, Dysart’s most famous son, Dr John Stuart explains where he thinks about the origin of the name and why. cite book
last = Cummingham
first= And S.
title= Dysart: Past and Present
publisher= Scottish Temperance Life Assurance Co. Ltd
year= 1912 ]

"We learn from an early life of St Serf that he won’t resort to cell or caves for the purpose of devotion, and that while in one of the latter “in deserto’ he was assaulted by the devil, who wished to engage him in a religious disruption”"

The story of this episode of St Serf's life, if considered to be true, would be fascinating that he really did come face to face with a devil in the cave.

Early History

The earliest record of the town was in a document concerning the development of a church in 1220. Another record followed in 1245, this time about the reconsecration of Dysart Kirk undertaken by David de Bernham of St Andrews. The land surrounding the modern suburb was famous for several industries such as coal, nailmaking, linen and salt. cite book
last = Lamont-Brown
first = Raymond
title = Fife in History and Legend
publisher = John Donald Publishing
isbn = 0859765679 ] Dysart's initial role was to serve the church and landowners being the main centre to resolve civic matters and for dealing with property issues on an individual basis, making the town a very important place. Although, Dysart was alienated from the rest of Fife and Scotland - in part thanks to the isolated location upon a fort which was important to resist attack from English ships.

Salt production started a rivalry with the town's neighbour, Kirkcaldy, which first began in 1244. cite book
author = Kirkcaldy Civic Society
title = Kirkcaldy Remembered, 2nd edition
publisher = Nonsuch Publishing Ltd
year = 2005
isbn = 9781845883867] Nonetheless, a port has been known to exist as far back as the mid-15th century with export firmly rooted on coal and salt to only the Low Countries cite book
author = Robert Brodie
title = Historical Sketches of Pathhead and Vicinity
publisher = Kirkcaldy District Council
year = 1863 ] - alas with no harbour. The early days of the port saw exports of fish, hides and fleece as well as the location for as many as 50 small sailing vessels. Dysart’s harbour was not man-made, with the only space for ships being at Pan Ha’, but only at low tide. The damage caused by the jetty which was commonly known as the “east haven of Dysart” temporary cut short the function of the east pier in the mid-17th century. The harbour was later extensively re-built in 1829-31 with the assistance of Robert Stephenson, to include an inner basin with a nearby quarry at the harbour head and an extension of the east pier which would be risen and pointed southwards.

The Sinclair family - related to the great barons of Normandy - had long been occupants of the estate but evidence may suggest that their dominance could have gone back to the throne of Malcolm III who was generously giving fellow Norman families of Fife estates to control. They had held the estate acting as feudal superiors or barons of the burgh of the estate of Dysart since 1407. This has been believed to have been given to them by David I sometime in the 12th century - although no records recall this information. The family were responsible for persuading James II from the purchase of Dysart - which would have gone into the ownership of the Scottish crowns and acquiring burgh of barony status, prior to 1483. This was not officially recognised until Lord William Sinclair was put in place as feudal superior in 1510. cite book
title = | last = Pride
first = Glen L.
title = The Kingdom of Fife
publisher = The Rutland Press
year = 1999
isbn = 1873190492]

Growth and Development

Royal burgh status in the town has long been disputed - with the main reason why it was given was purely for having a commercial background. A missing charter was only confirmed in a charter granted by James VI in 1587. However the title was indeed granted to Dysart in 1594 with the honour of having a seat in the parliament. Dysart ended up though becoming the main market town for mid-Fife thanks to the status.

Dysart went through troubled times - during the 16th and 17th centuries - seeing the English trespass the town on two occasions; being subject to an invasion by the French during the Reformation; the five-year occupation of the town by Oliver Cromwell (1651-56); and many residents were killed fighting in the wars of covenanting (1644-65). Dysart soon recovered from the ordeal, with salt starting to be taken seriously, earning the burgh two main trading partners of Netherlands and Baltics, during the pinnacle of the industry between 1570 and 1630. Two nicknames were adopted: “saut burgh” – for the prospering salt industry which was used to keep the fish fresh for export and “Little Holland” - in reference to the Dutch-influenced architecture in Dysart. Although Dysart soon had to abandon their ties with the Netherlands, the reason being the European wars raging around the mid-16th century.

Industrial age

Prospects were slowly improving for Dysart in the mid-18th century. The harbour was even greeted with a new industry of ship building starting in 1764. cite book
last = McGowan
first = Linda
title = "Fife's Fishing Industry"
publisher = Tempus Publishing Ltd
year = 2003
isbn = 0752427954] Although the salt industry managed to survive - now left with only Baltic trade - this was not assured for very long. Salt began to die in the town, the result of heavy taxation, leading to fewer pans and hence struggling to compete with Dundee and Perth. The production of coal replaced the gap left by the salt industry, with the construction of the Engine pit (re-named Lady Blanche) upon the brae of Pan Ha’. A nearby village known as Boreland was created in order to house the workers. The mid-18th century saw trade revive with the import of wine, spirits and later wood - primarily sent to ports in Leith, Dundee and Perth and the export of coal to the Baltic in the latter stages of the century. Linen production (handloom weaving) started to take off gradually replaced the main employment of nailmaking, let alone have twenty-three square rigged vessels and two sloops in the harbour.

The beginning of the 19th century saw handloom weaving struggle with linen becoming more manufacturing-based. A local linen manufacturer named James Normand became very successful, with a purchase of a small linen factory in 1809 – leading to power looms being adopted in the mid-19th century. However, Dysart’s future as an independent burgh was starting to look under threat with cramped medieval boundaries and the loss of the parish combined with the nearby development of Michael Nairn’s linoleum factories, closing the space between the burghs. The town saw the development of the Francis Colliery which sat upon Dysart cliff top and was completed in 1850. The coal was known for leaving the pit in open trucks, crossing Normand Road for which the remains were thrown down Dubbie Braes, straight into the sea, leaving Dysart Harbour with silt and causing ruin to neighbouring Kirkcaldy sands. cite book
author = Kirkcaldy Civic Society
title = "Kirkcaldy: A History and Celebration"
publisher = The Francis Frith Collection
year = 2005
isbn = 101845677498]

Decline of the royal burgh and subsequent redevelopment

Dysart's harbour was still the town's main source of revenue although a decision by the town council to close the harbour (so it could be deepened for larger ships after being insisted upon by the Earl of Rossyln's Coal Company) was a fatal blow for the town. The council was plunged into financial ruin after the coal company refused to pay for the work in excess of £500. Many ships went instead to Buckhaven and Methil, where they received better treatment than in Dysart. The town was also struck with both Normand's linen mill (in 1922) and Lady Blanche pit (in 1928) ceasing production - the latter was found to be uneconomic - resulting in the sudden closure of the commercial port in 1929. The burgh was crippled and this was resolved only when a private act of parliament forced the town to merge with Kirkcaldy in 1930. Despite this, the harbour was used briefly during the Second World War for the use of requisitionised small craft by the Admiralty. Afterwards, Dysart harbour suffered badly from the redd (colliery waste) from Francis Colliery leaving the area submerged in silt and waste. There were fears that Kirkcaldy Town Council was seriously contemplating filling in the harbour permanently in the 1960s. This was prevented in 1967 thanks to the Dysart sailing club, which wanted the harbour to become a modern yachting centre and fought for this for many years. The work was achieved only with private donations and grants to clean out all the silt, do urgent repair work to the East Pier and convert the Harbourmaster's house into a clubhouse.

Meanwhile Dysart was still a backwater with poor housing quality despite the introduction of council houses and extensions to the east and west. However, like many other places during this time, Dysart was forced to undergo a controversial redevelopment designed to clear out all the slums. The plan, penned for the town ever since the end of the Second World War, was approved in 1953 and started by 1957. The demolition focused on the lower parts and a section of Victoria Street; the latter won a prestigious Saltire Award for the developers, Wheeler and Sporon, in 1960. The redevelopment was criticised by many in the town for destroying the character of the town and there was a call to preserve and salvage part of the antique town which could have been endangered - a good example being Pan Ha’, which was acquired and restored by the National Trust of Scotland under the "little houses improvement scheme" between 1968 and 1969.

Modern Dysart

Today, Dysart serves as an eastern suburb of Kirkcaldy. The town’s image may have been dented in recent times, but there is still a strong identity and a sense of pride and independence which it can boast about.

Landmarks

The town retains a number of historic buildings from the height of its prosperity in the 16th century, along with good examples of 17th and 18th century Scottish vernacular buildings. Many of these have been restored by the National Trust for Scotland (not open to the public), though the ancient buildings tend to be surrounded by modern ones erected with little reference to the ancient street plan. During the National Trust's restoration of the former "Bay Horse Inn" two renaissance painted ceilings were removed and preserved and are still retained by Historic Scotland. ["Renaissance Decorative Painting", Michael Bath (2003), 247.] Major historic buildings include the tolbooth (town house) whose tower dates from 1576, and the old parish church. At one time one of Scotland's major burgh kirks, it is now unroofed and partly demolished, though its early 16th century tower, built in the form of a small defensive tower house, remains. The picturesque old harbour, recently much improved by tasteful restoration, is a notable feature, partly hollowed out of the sandstone cliffs.

The refurbished Harbourmaster's House, a B-listed 18th century historic house, was opened by Gordon Brown in 2006 and is occupied by Fife Coast & Countryside Trust's main headquarters and run as an environmental charity. cite web |url=http://www.fife.gov.uk/atoz/index.cfm?fuseaction=facility.display&facid=C8BAE351-D658-89FE-25A3ED0C2E0F0B94
title= profile of Harbourmaster's House, Dysart Retrieved on 20 July 2008 ]

References

External links

* [http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/kirkcaldy/dysart/index.html Undiscovered Scotland on Dysart]
* [http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/towns/townfirst33.html Gazetteer for Scotland entry for Dysart]
* [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra/searches/subjectView.asp?ID=074055 National Archives record on "Dysart and Ravenscraig Barony", and records for Dysart Burgh, Dysart Parish Church, Dysart Parish Hearse Society, and Dysart Parish Horticultural Society]
* [http://www.fifecoastalpath.co.uk/main.asp?cookies=True The Fife Coastal Path website]
* [http://www.theharbourmastershouse.co.uk/index2.htm Harbourmaster's House website]
* [http://www.fifedirect.org.uk/yourtown/index.cfm?fuseaction=town.display&town=CF12D38F-E7FE-C7EA-03B7397CD01D5A6D Dysart on FifeDirect]