By George Robertson, FSAScot.
Whilst researching my articles “The Lost Village of Lassodie” and “A Childhood in Lassodie”, I did not come across any reference to there being a Police Station, or Police Officers who were stationed in the village.
However, this changed recently when I came across an article about the village written by the late Police Inspector William Brown who, along with his wife, carried out research on Fife Constabulary, including its Police Stations. This was subsequently published on the website of the Fife Branch of the Retired Police Officers Association Scotland, under the title “The History of Fife Constabulary” which, in book form, had been presented by Inspector Brown to Fife Constabulary, it now being in the care of Fife Police Museum at Glenrothes Police Station.
William Brown’s article on Lassodie is very short consisting of two paragraphs and the information on Police being stationed in the village is noted in the second paragraph, and reads as follows –
“In October 1871 the Police Committee recommended the placement of a Police Constable at Lassodie by arrangements with Lassodie Colliery and this came into being. During the following years the community here increased and it became a thriving area with its own Church, School and Public House. Between 1921 and 1930 this area was policed by P.C. Thomas Davidson, later promoted to Sergeant. In the 1930’s the population and mining work began to decrease and eventually in 1935, the Station at Lassodie was closed down. On the whole this small village was a very law-abiding place”
It will be noted the Police Committee recommended the placement of a Police Constable in Lassodie “by arrangements with Lassodie Colliery”, which begs the question of how much independence the appointed Constable would have. No doubt he was a Fife County Police Officer, but what hold would the Colliery have on him and was it part of the “arrangement” they would pay part of his wages?
The question of the suitability of the foregoing “arrangement” is answered in an article which appeared in the Fife Herald newspaper, dated Thursday 18th January, 1872, which reported that the then Liberal Home Secretary, believed to be Henry Austin Bruce, disapproved of the “arrangement”, due to the involvement of Lassodie Colliery Company. In view of this, the Police Committee decided to recommend that in place of Lassodie, Cowdenbeath should become a double station, and a Police Cell and Policeman’s house should be provided.
This was obviously agreed, as an article in the Fife Free Press newspaper, dated Saturday, 18th May, 1872, reported that Fife County Authority had purchased a house in Cowdenbeath – for a second Constable – and intended building additions to the property, to fit up as a Police Station.
The earliest reference to a Police Station being at Lassodie, is a death notice which appeared in a local newspaper published on Saturday, 11th March, 1876, having been placed there by Police Constable Thomas Graham, of Fife Constabulary, who announced the death of his 11 week old son Thomas (one of twins), the death having taken place at the Police Station, Lassodie on 5th March, 1876. (3)
A search of the 1896 Ordnance Survey map failed to identify a Police Station in the village so, the 1881 Census for the area was searched to attempt to ascertain where P.C. Graham lived. Sure enough he was found living with his wife Barbara and six children, at “Oakfield Cottage, Beath, South side”. (4) It is possible this is where the Police Station was situated, it being part of the Constable’s house. Although the address does not refer to Lassodie, this is not unusual as the village is part of Beath Parish and, on previous occasions, it has been noted this is how the village has been identified. The 1891 census was also searched and P.C. Graham was no longer in Lassodie he, with his family, then living in Ladybank. He retired from Fife Constabulary in July, 1900.
It is interesting to note that P.C. Davidson, after leaving Lassodie in 1930, served at various Fife towns and villages including North Queensferry, then as Acting Sergeant at Crossgates, from May, 1936, (1) and Sergeant at Lochgelly, from June, 1937. (2) No further information has been found concerning P.C. Davidson.
To date three other Officers have been traced, each of whom had served in Lassodie. They are –
(1) P.C. James Reid, who retired during 1902, after serving for 27 years. (5)
(2) P.C. Robert Wright, who retired during 1920, having reached the rank of Superintendent. (6)
(3) P.C. Alexander Anderson, who in 1937, retired as Sergeant at St. Andrews, after serving for a total of 30 years. In total, he served at Tayport, Aberdour, Saline, Largoward, Newport, Lassodie, Kinghorn, Auchtermuchty, Burntisland and finally St. Andrews. (7)
As will be noted the location of Lassodie Police Station has not been found and it is doubtful that the five named Officers were the only Constables to serve in Lassodie, so, if any reader has knowledge of this, would they be kind enough to contact the Dunfermline Historical Society web site at – dunfermlinehistsoc.org – with this information.
References.
- Fifeshire Advertiser, Saturday, 2nd May, 1937, p.4.
- Edinburgh Evening News, Thursday, 27th May, 1937, p.6.
- Fife News, Saturday, 11th March, 1876, p.3.
- 1881 Scottish Census for Lassodie.
- Fifeshire Advertiser, Saturday, 23rd April, 1927, p.3.
- St Andrews Citizen, Saturday, 24th April, 1926, p.2.
- Fifeshire Advertiser, Saturday, 6th November, 1937, p.4.
Acknowledgements.
I wish to acknowledge the assistance received from the following persons during my research on this article –
Ross Bennet, Former Secretary of the Fife Branch of the Retired Police Officers Association Scotland, who brought to my attention the article on Lassodie, by the late Retired Police Inspector William Brown, of the former Fife Constabulary.
Kirsten Driscoll, IT Support Engineer at Police Scotland, Fife Divisional Headquarters, Glenrothes, who maintains on a voluntary basis the Fife Police Museum, and whose assistance was much appreciated.
Andrew Dowsey, Fife Council Archives and Local Studies Manager, Glenrothes, who also assisted me with my research, which again was much appreciated.