Maternal Great Grandfather

5th Generation

Born - 22 October 1910 at Smithyhill St, Windygates, Fife 

Died - 23 January 1990 at Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy

Peter was born at Smithyhill Street in Windygates to Thomas and Mary Ann Leitch, the 1911 census gives a snapshot of his family living there when he is only 5 months old. Pictured below is an example of the house they lived in . His brothers John (10), William (8), Thomas (7), James (6) were all at school. Agnes was (3) and Ann (2). His parents had already lost Andrew in 1906. Peter was their sixth boy!

In the 1921 Census they had moved to 173 Denbeath. His brother’s John, Thomas and James were coal miners (Hewers) whilst Agnes, Ann, David and Catherine who were all at school. The house was owned my Wemyss Coal Company, his father was also Coalminer. Wemyss Coal Company built all the houses at Denbeath to house the coalminer’s. Most of the house are still there over 100 year later.

His brother William had died in 1917, aged only 15 of Tuberculous. He also had another brother Murray born in 1913 that died in 1917 and a brother Ebenezer born in 1915 that died in 1917. Three brother’s lost in one year. Then in 1919 Janet died aged only 1 and in 1921 Helen died aged 2. In total he lost 5 siblings before he was 11 years old.

On the 1st November 1923 his brother John, 10 years his senior, emigrated to New Zealand on the ship “Paparoa”, he married an Irish woman and they made a life in New Zealand, he died in 1979. Peter is still only 13 years old when his eldest brother emigrated. he had lost so much in his young life.

In 1931 Peter married my Great Gran, Janet Burnet Rae at the Manse, Methil. My Di was born 4 months later! Peter was a coal miner and they we’re living in Denbeath.

Methil Docks are where most of the men worked in the area and there were 12 pubs along High Street that lead to the docks. Out of the 12 The Steamboat Tavern was run by his dad and the East Dock Bar run by his Uncle.

Peter lived until 1990 – he was 80 years old. I doubt he would have ever forgotten the hardship and loss in his childhood years or the loss of his brother Tommy and his parents in the 1940’s but that didn’t stop him always having a smile on his face.

Peter was a happy man, always smiling, always surrounded by family. He’d spend many a Sunday with both his son’s down at Methil Club – something even I remember from my childhood.

Father – Thomas Rattray Leitch

Mother – Mary Ann Murray

Wife – Janet Burnett Rae

Son – Thomas Rattray Leitch