CERES, a parish, in the district of Cupar, county
of Fife; containing, with the villages of Ceres, Chance-
Inn, and Craigrothie, 2944 inhabitants, of whom 10*9
are in the village of Ceres, 'i^ miles (S. E.) from Cupar.
This place, the name of which is of very uncertain derivation,
appears to have consisted originally of several
distinct baronies, belonging to various families of importance.
It is about eight miles in length, and of extremely
irregular form, ranging from about half a mile
to four milts in breadth. The surface is pleasingly
diversified with hills and level plains, and intersected by
different streams, of which the principal is the Eden,
winding along the north-western limit of the parish
for nearly a mile and a half. This beautiful river formerly
abounded with trout of excellent quality, but
since the erection of some manufactories on its banks,
they have greatly diminished in number. Two rivulets,
flowing respectively from the south and west, unite their
streams in approaching the village of Ceres, and form
the small river of that name, which, after passing through
the village, falls into the Eden; it is subject to violent
inundations, which have destroyed one stone bridge of
great strength, and occasionally do much damage to the
lands. The general scenery is varied; and the ruins
of several ancient baronial mansions, occupying commanding
situations, and retaining much of their original
grandeur, give an air of romantic interest to tlie landscape.
The soil is various: along the banks of the Eden, it
is of a light sandy quality; in other parts, a fine loose
mould, interspersed with clay; and in others, consists
of moss and moorlands, which, by the recent improvements
that have taken place in agriculture, have been
rendered fertile. The number of acres in the parish is
estimated at about 8000, of which 3'200 are arable, about
4000 in pasture, and 800 in plantations and moor. The
system of husbandry is in a very advanced state. Great
numbers of cattle of various breeds are fed for the neighbouring
markets, and large quantities of pork are sent
hence to the London and other markets. The annual
value of real property in the parish is £1 '2,562. The
plantations are well managed and flourishing, and on
the lands belonging to several of the proprietors is some
stately timber. The substrata are chiefly freestone,
whinstone, and limestone, with portions of columnar
basalt; and coal is found in some parts of the parish.
The freestone and whinstone are extensively
quarried for building and other purposes, and large quantities
of the latter are employed in the construction of
drains and fences; the limestone is very abundant, of
various qualities, and also wrought to a great extent.
The coal, which is likewise of various quality, has been
extensively wrought, but the workings have been discontinued
some years; the seams of coal are found in a
direction parallel with the limestone, from which it is
separated by masses of trap. Edenwood, the property
of Sir George Campbell, is a splendid modern mansion,
beautifully situated in grounds tastefully laid out.
Teasses is also a handsome mansion, commanding a fine
view of the Firth of Forth.
A considerable number of the inhabitants are eraployed
in the spinning of flax, tow, and yarn, the raw
materials being brouglit from Dundee, to which town,
and also to the manufacturers of Fife, the yarn is sent.
Two mills for these purposes were erected in IS'27, on
the lands of Pitscottie Easter; they are usually propelled
by water, but in dry seasons, when the supply of
water is insutticient, are driven by steam, and they afford
employment to a considerable number of persons. There
is likewise a spinning-mill at Tarvet, which was erected
in 1799, and is driven partly by water and partly by
steam: it also comprises machinery for sawing timber.
A bleaching establishment was opened at Duradeu in
1825, which, from a well in the vicinity of the works, is
called the St. Ann's Bleaching Company; and which
affords employment to about forty persons. The articles
woven in the parish were formerly confined to
brown Silesias, but since the erection of the mills, and
the establishment of the bleachfield, sheetings and dowlas
have been chiefly manufactured; about 900 persons
are thus employed, and the average value of their produce
amounts to £60,000 per annum. The village is
pleasantly situated, and surrounded by scenery containing
many highly interesting features; the river Ceres
flows through the centre of it, and a good bridge of
stone has been erected. The houses are chiefly inhabited
by persons engaged in weaving and in the various
manufactures carried on in the parish; it has been considerably
extended by the erection of numerous houses
beyond the bridge, and the church, which was formerly
at one extremity of it, is now, by that addition, almost
in its centre. Fairs are held on the 24th June and 20th
October, for the sale of wool, grain of all kinds, cattle,
and horses, and are numerously attended.
The church formerly belonged to the religious establishment
of Kirkheugh, at St. Andrew's, and was afterwards
under the direction of the presbytery of St. Andrew's;
the parish is now in the presbytery of Cupar,
synod of Fife. The stipend of the incumbent is about
£230; the manse was built in 178S, and the glebe comprises
about seven acres: patron, the Earl of Glasgow.
Ceres church, erected in 1806, near the site of the
former, is a neat and substantial edifice, adapted for a
congregation of 1100 persons. There are places of worship
for members of the Free Church, the United Presbyterian
Synod, and Associated Antiburghers. The
parochial school affords a liberal course of instruction,
including the classics and mathematics; the master has
a salary of £34, and £38 fees, with a house. In the
old church was an aisle belonging to the family at Craighall,
which, previously to the Reformation, was a chapel
dedicated to St. Ninian. There are some interesting
remains of the seat of Craighall, about half a mile from
the village of Ceres; they are situated on the bank of a
deep,sequestered,and richly-wooded dell,and still present
a striking memorial of ancient grandeur. The remains of
Struthers, the seat of the Earls of Crawfurd, situated in
a park of 200 acres inclosed with a stone wall, have
been reduced to a mere ruin; the venerable and stately
timber on the lands has either perished or been cut
down, and of the once splendid castle, with its lofty embattled
towers, one solitary tower alone is left. There is
also in the parish a tower about twenty-five feet square
and sixty feet high, built of hewn freestone, and situated
on an eminence commandine: an extensive prospect over
the surrounding country: about two centuries ago it was
the residence of the Scotstarvet family. Lindsay of
Pitscottie, author of a History of Scotland, was a native
of this parish; and Thomas Haliburton, professor of
divinity in the universitj' of St. Andrew's, was minister
of Ceres in the beginning of the last century.