FIFESHIRE is situated between 56° 3' and 56° 25'north latitude, and bounded by the River and Frith of Tay on the north, by the German Ocean on the east, by the Frith of Forth on the south, and by parts of Kinross, Perth, and Clackmannan on the west. Its greatest length is about fifty miles, and its greatest breadth about twenty miles; but its medium length from east to west is only about thirty-six miles, and its breadth from north to south about fourteen miles. Its area, therefore, contains about 504 square miles, or 322,560 English acres.

The most prominent features in Fifeshire, when viewed at a distance from the south, are the two Lomond Hills, in the middle of the county, the westmost of which rises 1721 feet above the level of the sea; Largo Law, farther east, 952 feet; and Kelly Law, 810 feet. Besides these, there are numerous other elevations scattered throughout the county; and indeed it is everywhere found to present a pleasant variety of hill and valley, stretching in general from west to east, parallel to the Tay and the Forth. The principal valley is that through which the river Eden flows, and is called the Howe of Fife. It lies to the north of the Lomond range of hills, and divides the county into the northern and southern portions. The valleys of the Leven and the Ore, and the valleys connected with, or as it were opening into, the Howe of Fife, are of much smaller extent and appearance. The hills and country on the north of the Howe of Fife seem to be a continuation of the Ochil Hills, and have been considered by geologists as belonging to the old red sandstone formation. The prevailing rocks found there are red and white sandstone, amygdaloid, compact felspar, claystone, clinkstone, greenstone, basalt, traptuff, and wacke. Limestone is also found near Newburgh, and shell marl in abundance at Rossie and Lords Carnie.

The mineral structure of the Howe of Fife, and of some of the other valleys, has never yet been minutely explored. Sandstone quarries, however, have been opened at different [7:9:543]places, and here and there are to be seen eminences of ' gravel regularly stratified. The rocks of the southern division of Fifeshire chiefly belong to the coal formation of geologists, and form a portion of the great coal field of the Forth. Here glance coal, or blind coal as it is sometimes called, is met with occasionally; and slate coal, pitch coal, and cannel coal, are occasionally found together in the same bed, and sometimes in separate strata in the same pit.

From a charter dated in March 1291, it would appear that coal has been worked in this county for more than five centuries. William de Oberville there grants liberty to the convent of Dunfermline to open a coal-pit in his lands of Pityncreiff. But it has been alleged that this is not the first instance of a Scottish charter containing a right to work coal; for one dated 1284-85 is said to exist, from which it may be inferred that coal was worked in the lands of Tranent before that period. The pincipal coal works in the county at present are those in the parishes of Dunfermline, Dysart, Wemyss, and Markinch; but coal is also worked at present, or has been so formerly, in the parishes of Torryburn, Inverkeithing, Dalgety, Burntisland, Abbotshall, Auchterderran, Scoonie, Largo, and Pittenweem.

In the southern division of Fifeshire limestone is aiso abundant. The lime works at Charleston, belonging to the Earl of Elgin, are perhaps the greatest in Scotland. Upwards of 100,000 tons are said to be raised annually in his lordship’s quarries; which quantity is either shipped or sold in its native state, or after being caleined. The Carron Company also work out extensively the lime on their estate of Newbigging, in the parish of Burntisland, and ship it at the harbour of Starleyburn, on the Forth, for their works at Carron, where it is used for smelting iron. The great iron work on the Devon is also supplied for a similar purpose with limestone from Whinnyhall, in the parish of Burntisland. The limestone in the interior of the county is likewise transported across the Howe of Fife, and by the way of Newburgh, to the Carse of Gowrie, and Forfarshire and Perthshire.

Sandstone abounds in the southern division of the county; and, in many places, it is of a fine grain and durable nature. The pincipal quarry in the county is at Cullello, in the parish of Aberdour. The stone obtained from it, in consequence of its superior quality, has been used for some of the finest buildings in Edinburgh, as well as carried over land to great distances. Ironstone also abounds in the coal field, and was once worked extensively at Balgonie, where it was smelted. But it is now chiefly worked at Dysart, and sold to the Carron Company. The other rocks found in this coal field are bituminous shale, slate clay, flinty slate, wacke, traptuff, amygdaloid, greenstone, and basalt. Stones somewhat resembling the precious garnet are sometimes found imbedded in the traptnff at Ely, and are known by the name of the Ely rubies. Copper and zinc are also said to have been met with in different places, and lead has been worked in the Lomond Hills. Marl is also often found in the marshes and in the lakes, and sometimes in dry seasons it is carried away for agricultural purposes.

There are none of the mineral springs in the county so remarkable as to be at present frequented as watering places. those which arise in the coal fields are frequently chalybeate. One of the two mineral springs at Dysart yields a chalybeate water of considerable strength. In the Howe °l Fife springs issuing from the sandstone or gravel are said to be frequently saline. But in the portions of the county where the trap-rocks abound, the springs, whatever virtues they are supposed to possess, seldom yield any thing 5ut pure water. From the Inkcraig of Carnock, adjoining to a dam dike, there is said to issue a spring of petroleum, ro 5J which there constantly drops a liquid resembling ink.

the only streams of any note in the county are the Leven and the Eden. The former, which issues from Loeh Leven, in Kinross-shire, flows eastward, through a beautiful strath, by Leslie, Balgonie, and Balfour, and, after a course of about twelve miles, during which it receives the Lothrie and the Orr, falls into the Frith of Forth at the town of Leven. From the declivity of its channel, it is well fitted for impelling machinery; and accordingly a great many mills and other works have been erected on its banks. An act of parliament was lately obtained, the chief object of which was the erection of works and the construction of mechanism, to regulate the rise or fall of the water in the lake, and to restrain or increase the flow of the river for the benefit of the bleachfields and other manufactories erected upon its banks; and these objects have been accomplished at a sum considerably exceeding L.30,000. The Leven abounds in salmon and sea trout, and where it falls into the sea there is a salmon fishery. The Eden is formed by the confluence of several small streams in the parish of Strathmiglo on the west, near the boundary of Fife with Kinross-shire, and winding slowly through the level valley, and sometimes overflowing its banks, passes the town of Cupar, and loses itself in the German Ocean about eighteen miles from its source. It contains trout, pike, and eels, and has also a salmon fishery where it discharges itself into the sea. The Guard Bridge over this river, consisting of six arches, was built in the beginning of the fifteenth century.

There are a number of lakes in the county, none of them very large, but some of them very beautiful, such as those at Lindores,Kilconquhar, Kinghorn, Loehgellie, Camilla, Lochfittie, and Otterston. Most of these lakes abound in pike, perch, and eels, and are frequented by ducks, coots, and other water fowl. The county once contained many more lakes, which have been drained at great expense. Amongst these, the most considerable are the lakes of Rossie and Lochore. Their beds are now used in raising valuable crops.

From the extensive drainage of the lakes, and the general improvement of the county, its climate within the last forty years has been considerably ameliorated, and is more free than formerly from the injurious fogs which used to arise from the lochs and damp lands. At present the climate may be described as mild. The harvests are early, and snow seldom lies long. As the direction of the hills in the county is from east to west, it is much exposed to the easterly winds, which often check vegetation in the spring months; and hoar frosts are not unfrequent so late as the middle of June. The heaviest rains are from the south-west, the south-east, and the north-east, and the winds from the two last points bring the heaviest falls of snow. The driest and most steady weather comes from the north-west and east.

Four fifths of the county at least are considered at present as arable, and the remainder consists of hills, marshes, moors, lands covered with drifted sand and chiefly bearing bent, extensive plantations, and high roads. Along the banks of the Forth, above the trap-rocks, and the tract of country on the north of the Howe of Fife, the soil is for the most part of excellent quality, being rich loam, good clay, and gravel mixed with loamy earth. The soil from St Andrews to the western parts of the county, where the strata underneath consist of freestone, coal, or slate, is in general greatly inferior. The Howe of Fife contains a considerable proportion of moor and moss, besides a tract of loam partly deep and moist, and partly light and dry.

Within the last forty years extensive woods haye been planted in the county. For instance, there is a forest of Scotch firs in the Howe of Fife, stretching for many miles in length, on the Leven, Crawfurd, and other estates. I o-rests of all kinds of trees have also been planted on the Raith estate, by Mr Ferguson, the proprietor; and a princely ride along the Cullello Hills, of considerable Iengt , [7:9:544]was formed and adorned with plantation several years ago by Mr Stuart of Dunearn. Indeed there is hardly a proprietor in Fifeshire of the least consequence who has not contributed extensively to the creation of forests and pleasure grounds on his estate. The oldest woods in Fife are round Leslie House, the seat of the Earl of Rothes.

There are a great number of splendid mansions in the county belonging to the nobility and gentry, and situated upon their estates. There are some of these estates pretty large, and a greater number above L.500 Scotch of valuation than in any other county in Scotland. But of the 638 estates which it contained in 1811, 491 were below that amount. The annual value of the real property, as assessed in April 1815, amounted to L.405,770 sterling.

In the year 1811, the number of freeholders entitled to vote for a county member of parliament was only 207. In 1832, the roll of these voters last made up under the old law contained 234 names, and of this number sixty-three were considered as paper voters; that is, two or three were apparent heirs of owners who were on the roll, and the remainder of the sixty-three were merely nominal owners of the estates from which they derived their privilege. The number of voters for the county member at present on the roll, under the act 2 and 3 William IV. cap. 65, is 2228.

The average size of the farms in Fife used to be about 150 acres; few of them were what might be called large, the greater number were small. Of late years, however, the tendency has been to join several together under one tenant. Many of the farmers are now men of capital and enterprise; and under their direction, supported by the liberality of the proprietors, the recent extensive agricultural improvements, which are visible throughout every part of the county, have been undertaken. The most improved implements of husbandry are everywhere in use. Thrashing-mills are to be found on most farms, some of them moved by horses, a few by wind-mills, others by waterwheels, and of late a number by steam-engines, a power which seems to be in progress of superseding all others. The farm-steadings, and the dwellings of the peasantry, have in a great measure been renewed within the last thirty years, and much improved and enlarged; and the greater part of the fields in the county are well enclosed either with stone dikes or hedges.

All the farm crops common in the south of Scotland are cultivated here upon a large scale, and almost always according to the most approved system. Flax is now seldom raised. The crops commonly cultivated are, different kinds of oats, barley, wheat, rye, beans, peas, and tares; clover and ryegrass, potatoes, and turnips; and mangel worzel has in some places been recently introduced. Farm-yard dung, the cleanings of the streets of the many towns and villages, and the sea-weed cast ashore and cut upon the rocks, are the principal manures. Lime is universally used, and marl in a few places. Bone dust has also been tried within the last few years, and, upon the whole, very successfully.

Cattle of the Fife breed have long been in high repute both as fattening and dairy stock. The prevailing colour is black; limbs short and body round; horns small, white, and turned up at the points; bone small in proportion to the carcass; and weighing, when fat, and from three to four years old, from forty to sixty stone. The cows, when well fed, yield from ten to fourteen Scotch pints of milk daily during the best of the grass season, and continue long in milk; yet, except in the neighbourhood of the considerable towns, the dairy is considered as a secondary object. The oxen were formerly much employed in labour, but they are now seldom to be seen at work. Flocks of sheep are not very numerous. The horses are much the same as in all the lowlands of Scotland. A great many pigs have of late years been reared in the county, and many of them are killed and shipped in a fresh state for the London market. Pigeons are very numerous, the pigeon-houses being lately estimated at no less than 300. Rabbits are in some places protected; and hares, pheasants, and partridges are plentiful. There are few grouse or black-cock; and fallow deer have been frequently seen at Lochfittie, Torbain, and other places.

Grain is sold in stock and sample at various weekly markets in Fife, of which the most considerable are at Anstruther, Auchtermuchty, Kirkaldy, Largo, and Newburgh. There are also weekly markets at Dunfermline, Cupar, and other places, for the same purpose; and every town of any consequence has one or two yearly fairs for the sale of cattle, &c. although it must be admitted that the number of the yearly fairs in Fife has been much diminished.

The staple manufacture of this county is linen. Dunfermline has long been famous for its extensive and almost exclusive manufacture of damasks and diapers. Of late years, by the introduction of French improvements in the machinery, and the ingenuity of the workmen, the quality of the fabrics has been much improved, and the trade greatly enlarged. Ticks, checks, sail-cloth, dowlas, and other plain linens and sheetings of every, quality, are made in several towns in the county, but the great seat of the manufacture is Kirkaldy. In 1812, no less than 4,500,000 yards of linen cloth were made by the manufacturers, and stamped of the value of L.280,000; and in 1800, about 600,000 yards of plain linen were supposed to have been made by private families for their own use, which were not stamped. The number of hands employed in all the branches of this manufacture in 1800 was computed at 23,192; but the number of hands now employed is greatly increased. No part of the work of weaving in this county is at present, however, carried on with the aid of steam power. There was one steam-loom factory lately in Kirkaldy, but it has been converted into a spinning mill.

Flax has seldom or never been spun by the hand since the introduction of spinning mills. These now amount to forty-five in number, and include in all upwards of 29,000 spindles. Of these, Mr Fergus of Strathore employs at present, in his great work at Prinlaws, 2684 spindles; and erections have been made at the same work for receiving about 3000 more. Messrs C. Arthur and Sons at Kinghorn run upwards of 2000; Nelson and Co. at Kirkland 1800; Mr John Rutherford, Dunfermline, 1376; Henry Balfour and Co. Leven, 1240; Arthur Aitken and Co. Dunfermline, 1066; W. & J. Yule, Ceres, 1048; Mr Swan, Kinghorn, 1026; Mr George Moon, Russel Mill, 1012; but the various other mills have less than 1000 spindles each at work. Supposing each spindle to spin half a spyndle daily, making suitable allowances for stoppages and holidays, the various mills in Fife will spin 13,000 spyndles daily, 78,000 per week, or 3,900,000 per mill-spinner’s year of fifty weeks; producing yarn to the value of L.438,750, and consuming 6500 tons of flax. The persons employed at these mills consist of hecklers, male and female preparers, spinners, reelers, &c.; and allowing one individual for each twelve spindles, there will be employed at the spinning mills in Fife, of all ages and in all the departments, about 2240 people. Messrs Nelson and Company, at the Kirkland works, manufacture a large proportion of their yarns into sail-cloth and other fabrics, and Mr Rutherford, Dunfermline, converts the greater part of his yarns into threads of all colours. The yarns at the other mills are generally sold as they are spun.

Besides the trades and manufactures of the county ∏ ιa y be mentioned ship-building, which is carried on at Dysart, where there is a wet dock, and a Morton’s slip for raising the vessels out of the water for repair; and at Burntislan , [7:9:545]where there is a good harbour and dry dock; as also at Kirkaldy, Anstruther, and Scotscraig. There are, besides, in the county, forty-eight brewers of ale and beer, the greater part of whom also make malt; fifty-six other maltsters, six extensive distilleries, 1140 retailers of ale and spirits, about 200 retailers of foreign wines, twenty-two dealers in vinegar, 900 dealers in tea, ten manufacturers of tobacco, and about 800 dealers in that article; one soap work and eighteen tallow chandlers; two papermills on the water of Leven, and nine bleachfields on the same stream, four in the neighbourhood of Kirkaldy, and six in other parts of the county; ten brick and the manufactories, and two potteries; four iron founderies, numerous smiths and wrights, ten works for tanning leather, about as many curriers, two skinners, and two glue manufacturers.

The shipping of the county is pretty extensive, and the vessels belonging to it are of such burden as to trade to all parts of the world; a number of them being engaged in the whale fisheries, and others in the Baltic, American, and Australian trade. The exports are the manufactures already mentioned, and the produce of the whale fisheries, coal, limestone, lime, potatoes, and grain of all sorts; and the imports from foreign parts are timber, bark, hides, tallow, flax, hemp, tar, iron, &c.; and coastwise, pavement and slates, groceries, and other articles required for home consumption. For the state of the harbours and the extent of their trade, see the articles Forth and Tay.

The banking business of the county is extensive. It is managed by branches of the Bank of Scotland at Dunfermline, Kirkaldy, and St Andrews; of the Commercial Bank of Scotland at Cupar, Colinsburgh, Dunfermline, and Kirkaldy; of the National Bank of Scotland and of the Glasgow Bank at Kirkaldy; and of the British Linen Company at Cupar.

Fifeshire contains thirteen royal burghs with parliamentary privileges. St Andrews, Cupar, Anstruther Easter, Pittenweem, Crail, Kilrenny, and Anstruther Wester, with a constituency at present of 635, send one member to parliament; Kirkaldy, Dysart, Burntisland, and Kinghorn, with a constituency of 415, send another; and Dunfermline, having a constituency of 500, and Inverkeithing of thirty-eight, join with Stirling, Q,ueensferry, and Culross in electing a member to represent them. The voters in these thirteen Fife burghs have now increased their constituency to 1588, instead of the 304 individuals who formerly composed their corporations.

The courts in the county for the trial of crime and civil suits consist, 1+ of the burgh courts, the magistrates of which have jurisdiction within their respective royalties or burgh territory only; 2<7Zy, of the sheriff courts, for similar purposes, which are held at Dunfermline for the parishes in that presbytery, and at Cupar for the other parts of the county, at each of which towns the cases are tried either by the sheriff in person, or by substitutes, of whom he has for the purpose one constantly resident at Cupar, and another at Dunfermline, he himself being usually resident in Edinburgh; 2dly, of the justice of peace courts, which are held periodically at Cupar, Auchtermuchty, Anstruther, Colinsburgh 4 Kirkaldy, and Dunfermline, for trying actions of debt under five pounds, and petty criminal matters.

The principal jails in the county are at Dunfermline, Kirkaldy, Cupar, and St Andrews. There is also a small jail attached to the town-hall of almost every burgh in the county, but many of these are seldom used for the recep-t on °f prisoners. With the exception of the jails of Cupar, ⅛kaldy, and Kinghorn, which are the best in the county, having been erected within the last twenty-five years, none of them have airing ground attached to them for the use of ae prisoners, or are well fitted as places of confinement.

The great turnpike-roads of the county, which are madfe and maintained by the revenue of the toll-bars, and the ∣ye-roads, which are maintained by a tax on householders, on carriages, and on each plough-gate of land, are under the charge of parliamentary trustees, consisting chiefly of the justices of the peace, and commissioners of supply for the county. Each of the four presbyteries forms a district for managing its own roads. The accounts of the turnpike trustees are printed and published annually. The accounts of the bye-road trusts have however not yet been published. The turnpike-roads and many of the bye-roads are in excellent order, great attention being paid to the introduction of the most recent improvements in road-making. Private railways of wood or iron have been used for many years in transporting for several miles the produce of the coal and lime quarries to the harbours where they are shipped. The most extensive of these railroads is that belonging to the Earl of Elgin. It proceeds from near Dunfermline to Charleston harbour, and has been lately opened to the public for the use of rail coaches carrying passengers.

Fifeshire is divided into sixty-one parishes, belonging to the four presbyteries of St Andrews, Cupar, Kirkaldy, and Dunfermline, which compose the synod of Fife; but there are four parishes besides in the presbytery of Dunfermline, and one in the presbytery of Kirkaldy, which are not situated in this county.

The population of Fifeshire in 1801 was 93,743; in 1811, 101,272, an increase of eight percent.; in 1821, 114,550, an increase of thirteen per cent.; and in 1831, 128,800, an increase above the preceding census of twelve per cent.