Colourful character

It is common for enquiries to be made through the St Andrews Preservation Trust museum for assistance in finding information about family members with St Andrews’ connections. A current example relates to a member of the Fenton family from Bolton.

A letter arrived from Rose Haslam who was looking for information about her father, grandfather and other antecedents.

The information she had come across included the fact that Stewart Fenton came from a long line of fishermen and was born in what is now the Preservation Trust Museum. He is thought to have served in the Black Watch during the First World War and to have been in Russia after the war. On returning to Fife he moved from St Andrews to Cupar where he lived and worked as a baker for the rest of his life.

Family legend has him receiving the freedom of St Andrews, but no supporting evidence has come to light. Given that most of his adult life was spent in Cupar, the Trust advised Rose to contact the Fife Family History Society based in Cupar. It is understood that Rose and family were delighted with the subsequent meeting.

Three volunteers from the Trust Museum – Pat Harvey, Marjorie Fenton and May Watt – met Rose and had a useful discussion. Pat showed relevant photographs, May some written materials and Marjorie took Rose to visit the cathedral graveyard where there is a Fenton headstone.

It was then discovered that both Marjorie and Rose were distant relations of one colourful Fenton, Walter, who was the pilot for boats on the Eden which was navigable at the end of the 19th Century. He was better known as ‘Peg Leg’ having lost a leg reputedly at the Battle of Trafalgar.

Walter Fenton (See more above.)