1890 - 1899

Inverbrothock Primary School is built in 1890

1890 (Jan 24) ' 7 Gables ' re-opens as the 'New Victoria Hall'. 1890 The new Inverbrothock Free Church opens at Hopemount. 1890 Patrick Allan-Fraser dies. 1890 The (new) Inverbrothock School is built at Cairnie. 1890 Hospitalfield House is bequeathed 'for the promotion of Education in the Arts'. 1890 (Apr) For eight days the Bell Rock's light is extinguished due to an explosion. 1890 (May) The Waverly Temperence Hotel opens at 1 Catherine Street. 1890 James Weir of 46 Marketgate is commissioned by John Smith, fisherman of High Street, to build 'The Isabella' , the largest yawl in the fleet, & the last Arbroath 'Fifie'. Launched on Sept 15th she carries the registration no. 153AH. Eventually renamed 'The Isabella Fortuna' WK499, she will quite remarkably still be afloat in the 21st century, restored & thriving in Wick, Caithness. 1890 Auchmithe's harbour is Built. 1890 (Nov 1) Arbroath Victoria FC beat Burnside Athletic 15-0, their biggest ever win. 1890s David D. Buick (in USA) focusses on experimenting with the internal combustion engine & his plumbing business suffers. 1891 The population is 22,993. 1891 The proprietor of the George Hotel in Commerce Street is Mrs Wm. Walker. By 1901 ownership will have changed to C.M. McLeod but the business will not be included in the 1912 Yearbook. 1891 The YMCA & YWCA secure 79 High Street for their meetings. Prior to this it was the Baptist Church Centre. 1891 The Boundary Commissioners add a detached part of St Vigeans Parish to the Parish of Arbroath, while Arbroath Parish loses 2 parts to St Vigeans, a) north of the Arbr/Forfar Rd to Cairnconon, & b) east of the same road & nth of Parl. boundary. 1891 The Convalescent House of Rest is built three miles from the town. 1891 Arbroath registered boats are 13 sailing vessels (total 2,295 tons) & 1 steamer (23 tons). 1891 The Northern League is formed, i.e. eight football clubs including Arbroath FC. 1892 William Briggs, tar & asphalt makers, take over Dowrie Works, a site which had been earmarked as the new Victoria Park. 1892 (Nov 14) The Parish Church, Kirk Square, is burned down. 1892 Parkhouse School is rebuilt. 1893 Arbroath FC win the Northern League title. 1893 Arbroath Instrumental Band is formed. 1893 New construction occurs at Colliston Castle. 1893 Keith's become the first company in Scotland to reduce the working day to 8 hours with no reduction in wages. 1893 Thomas Moonlight, born by Arbroath in 1833, becomes U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia. 1894 There are now more than 30 steam driven spinning mills & factories producing weekly about 500,000 yards of cloth. The town also boasts bleachfields, calendering establishments, tanneries, engineering works, asphalt & tar factories, chemical works, iron foundries, roperies & a shipbuilding yard. Boot & shoe makers employ 600-700 people. Fishing employs 146 boats & over 600 men & boys. There is a Guildry Incorporation & Incorporated Trades of Hammermen, Glovers, Shoemakers, Weavers, Wrights, Tailors & Bakers. 1894 'Short History Of The Episcopal Church in Arbroath 1596 - 1894', by a member of the congregation, is published by the Arbroath Herald. 1894 Arbroath is governed by a Provost, 3 Bailies, a Dean of Guild, a Treasurer & 12 Councillors. 1894 (Mar18) The vessel 'Well Park' arrives at Arbroath from Riga. 1894 The Eastern Cemetery is opened. 1895 The first water tower (see 1869,1871) at Nolt Loan is demolished. 1895 (Sep) The new High School opens in Keptie St. 1895 Colin Grant, Shoemaker, is Provost. 1896 Following the fire of 1892, the restored Old or Parish Church opens for worship at Kirk Square. Mrs Mary Grant, wife of the present Provost, presents the Magistrates & Council of the town with bibles & hymnals to replace those lost four years ago. 1896 John Morley is Liberal MP for the Montrose Burghs. 1897 The Ship Inn at 21-23 Marketgate opens for business. 1897 The Oriental Bar, High Street is owned (until 1900) by D.A. Gouck. 1897 (June 22) Victoria Park is opened (this is Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee). The land was bought from Claude Strachan Carnegie. 1897 Arbroath St Thomas Swimming Club is founded. 1897 'Eminent Arbroathians' by J. M. McBain is published. 1898 (Jun 4) The Arbroath Library (previously the High School) opens in Hill Place. 1898 Colin Grant is again Provost. 1898 Jean Brown Adam High is born in Arbroath. Her father is William High, a watchmaker and responsible also for the running of the town clock. She will move to Shanghai, China while her brother John High will move to Calcutta, India. 1898 (Oct 16) The Swedish brig 'Tjilvar' runs aground near Hospitalfield. 1899 George Hay's 2nd edition of 'History of Arbroath to the Present Time' is published. He writes this year that the previously discontinued Masonic meetings which had been held within Mason's Cave have re-started. 1899 The Victoria Cafe opens at 30 Millgate. Towards the end of the 1800s Auchmithie is enjoying it's heyday with a population of around 400. The village supports twelve white fish boats, two large boats & twenty or so smaller lobster or crab boats.

Arbroath's herring workers around 1890

Eastern Cemetery: A flower for her great great grandparents

A well photographed year - Arbroath in 1897 : William High, Watchmaker & Jeweller High Street Robert Orr, Poultry, Fish & Game Merchant: 23 Millgate D A Gouck's 'Oriental Bar' in High Street. Charles Roberts, Grocery, Wine & Spirits James Doig, Family Grocer & Spirit Merchant

Arbroath Public Library opens 1898