Kirkcaldy - what on earth happened?

pinkshoes · Post by **pinkshoes** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 10:04 pm

Aye it's a sad tale right enough Lesley. The "arm in arm" bit did it for me - obviously two pals (maybe just been visiting a third). And for them both to get it - I can't imagine the road (Toll Bar on the Kirkcaldy-Cluny-Cardenden Road) would have been very busy in 1937 - really does make you think.

Pinkshoes

Post by **joette** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 3:43 pm

This has stirred many emotions in me as this is how my poor wee Granny died.She was heading home after a shopping trip-she was going to a Halloween Party that evening when she was mown down by a reckless driver on the zebra crossing.Almost every bone in her body was broken as the driver made no attempt to stop.I identified the body via a Tv screen at the mortuary-not a pleasant experience & really sad as nobody got a chance to say goodbye to her properly.She died instantly as her neck was broken.
Would hate to think that her death was recorded in such a stark way & it is certainly in the Family History.With details of the trial,sentencing etc.
Her funeral was vast she was ninety going on twenty-one.

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 8:00 pm

Hi Pinkshoes
I was passing the area of Dotham toll earler today and took a couple of photos. What is interesting and what I hadn't taken in (cos I'm not really a maps person

s ) is that although the road looked pretty straight on the map, the dips came as a surprise - this maybe goes a little way to explain why the accident may have happened.

Looking north from the farm buildings at Dothan towards Cluny - the toll was in the dip, based on the map. There is nothing really on the ground to show where the toll used to be, except there seems to be a farm track and gates off to fields. As you can see there was pretty steady traffic, so I wan't really able to stop on the road itself.
http://talkingscot.com/gallery/displayi ... p?pos=-367

Looking south from Cluny - the toll was in the dip, I think, about inline with where the bushes are on the righthand side.
http://talkingscot.com/gallery/displayi ... p?pos=-368

Best wishes
Lesley

pinkshoes · Post by **pinkshoes** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 8:23 pm

Lesley - what can I say. That is so kind of you - I'm really grateful to you.

I see what you mean about the dip - might well be a factor. The Scotsman article mentions that "as they (the driver & passenger) were approaching Dothan Toll the women seemed to step out from beside a house on the road". I wonder if that's anything to do with the farm track you mentioned - maybe there used to be a house there or nearby?

I had a reply from a nice lady at Kirkcaldy library (she'll be getting a gold star) who found the reports of the accident and funerals in the local press - she is posting them out to me - so perhaps there will be more information from them. Thanks to you for the link to that one.

Again, thank you very much for doing that - it really helps to see a location.

Joette I was sorry to read your post about your wee granny - that must have been awful for the family. The same thing happened to my husband's dad (before I was around) - just walking home with some friends, chatting happily, crossed at pelican crossing which was in his favour, when along came looneytoons, straight through the lights and killed him. Disnae bear thinking about.

Regards
Pinkshoes

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 8:49 pm

Hi Pinkshoes

step out from beside a house on the road

On the map (OS Explorer 367) it looks like there is a small building at the roadside at the end of the farm track around where those bushes are on the photo (on the left if going north). I was surprised when I realised that there was nothing - infact I'd reached a mini roundabout at Cluny when I realised I must have missed the toll 'cos I was looking out for a cottage or something to mark the spot.

If you go to www.old-maps.co.uk and search for Cluny then zoom in you should be able to see in 1856 an area called Greenhead, Cluny Den - this is where Cluny is today. The roundabout is at the junction where it says "Greenhead TP" (toll point?) Follow the road south and you will see "Cluny T.P" & "Weighing machine" - this is where the toll was - it certainly talllies with the OS map, though the building in 1856, if that's what is is, looks to be very small. You can see the farm track off to the left. Further south yet is a saw mill at Dothan. These buildings are still standing but look to be a farm now.

Best wishes
Lesley

pinkshoes · Post by **pinkshoes** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 10:39 pm

Thanks Lesley - I've had a look at the maps - maybe there was another building there by 1937 or maybe if the driver/passenger didn't know the area they thought it was a "house" when it might just have been the toll building? Maybe there will be more about where the ladies had been from the other newspaper cutings (I assume they were going home to Chapel Village). I'll let you know when they arrive.

Best wishes
Pinkshoes

pinkshoes · Post by **pinkshoes** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 10:29 pm

Three cheers for Sheila from Kirkcaldy Library - she sent me the cuttings of accident report, and the two funerals. Apparently the ladies were returning from a Cluny Mothers' Guild committee meeting at Cluny Institute. The accident happened almost opposite Dothan Toll House, occupied by a Mrs Wilson. They were going home to Chapel, walking in the direction of Kirkcaldy.

There's also a detail account of the funerals, attended by over 150 people - the ladies seem to have taken an active part in the community. It describes the "tragic scenes witnessed at the graveside" when Mrs Baxter's only daughter Nellie was so overcome she had to be assisted by a relative.

Thanks to all who helped.

Pinkshoes