Largoward
Largoward is located in Fife
Largoward
Largoward
Location within Fife
Population419 
OS grid referenceNO4694007589
Council area
Lieutenancy area
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townLeven
Postcode districtKY9
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament
List of places
UK
Scotland
56°15′28″N 2°51′29″W / 56.257828°N 2.8580493°W / 56.257828; -2.8580493
Largoward Church

Largoward is a village in East Fife, Scotland, lying on the road from Leven to St Andrews in the Riggin o Fife, 4½ miles north-east of Lower Largo and 6½ miles south-west of St Andrews.[1] It is an agricultural and former mining village, one of the three main villages of the civil parish of Kilconquhar, along with Colinsburgh and the village of Kilconquhar.[2] Coal must have been worked for a considerable length of time in the district, as it is recorded that coal was driven annually from Falfield, just north-west of the village, to Falkland Palace for the use of King James VI.[3]

Largoward and District Community Council covers the northern part of the civil parish of Kilconquhar, plus the Cassingray area to the east (Carnbee parish).[4][5]

The name probably means Largo's field,[6][7] Largo parish and Largo Law being just west of the village. The name Largoward is recorded from the 18th century. Ward or waird is a Scots word meaning an enclosed piece of land, chiefly for pasture. Although in the parish of Kilconquhar, it appears to have had a connection with the parish or barony of Largo as regards tenure.[8] The word ward appears in the neighbouring placenames of Balcarres Ward (Kilconquhar parish),[5] West Ward and Knights Ward (Carnbee parish).[8]

The population of the village and the adjacent settlements is 419 (2011 Census).[9]

Church

Until 1835 the church for Largoward was the parish church at Kilconquhar, about 5 miles away. Because of this distance, the present church building in Largoward was erected as a chapel of ease in 1835.[10] Following a petition presented in July 1857, under the New Parishes (Scotland) Act, 1844, Largoward was made a parish, for ecclesiastical purposes only, in 1860.[11]

References

  1. ^ Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland, by Francis Groome, 2nd edition 1896; article on Largoward
  2. ^ Third Statistical Account of Scotland; volume on Fife, by Alexander Smith, Publ. 1952. Article on Kilconquhar
  3. ^ The New Statistical Account of Scotland by the Ministers of the Respective Parishes, Vol. IX Fife-Kinross. Publ. William Blackwood & Sons, Edinburgh, 1845; article on Kilconquhar
  4. ^ Map of Largoward and District Community Council, publ. by Fife Council publications.1fife.org.uk/uploadfiles/publications/CommunityCouncilMap_Largoward%20and%20District.pdf retrieved May 2016
  5. ^ a b Ordnance Survey 1 inch to 1 mile Sheet 41 - North Berwick Publication date: 1899 available from National Library of Scotland maps.nls.uk as at May 2016
  6. ^ According to Rev Dr Donald MacEwan, former minister of Largoward - see Web site of Largoward and St Monans Church of Scotland Parish Churches www.stmonanslargowardkirk.org retrieved May 2016
  7. ^ "Fife Place-name Data :: Largoward". fife-placenames.glasgow.ac.uk.
  8. ^ a b Glasgow University web site fife-placenames.glasgow.ac.uk/placename/?id=2052 retrieved May 2016
  9. ^ Census of Scotland 2011, Table KS101SC – Usually Resident Population, publ. by National Records of Scotland. Web site http://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/ retrieved March 2016. See “Standard Outputs”, Table KS101SC, Area type: Output Area
  10. ^ Web site of Largoward and St Monans Church of Scotland Parish Churches www.stmonanslargowardkirk.org retrieved May 2016
  11. ^ Edinburgh Gazette, 10 July 1857, p.625
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