Pride and Prejudice, being taken out 18 times.

Books on history were not very popular. Macaulay’s History of England

was borrowed once, as was one volume of Gibbon’s Decline and Fall of the

Roman Empire, and nobody took out Carlyle’s History of Frederick the

Great.

John Mackintosh’s book about Scotland was borrowed 5 times, but his

books on Germany and Ireland had only one borrower each, and no-one

borrowed his book about Japan.

A few people borrowed books of poetry; there were 7 borrowere of Lord

Tennyson’s poetry and one of Walt Whitman’s.

A book on the theory and practice of the steam engine was borrowed 11

times, and one on practical carpentry 7 times.

Although the library did not lend books after 1918, books could still be

read on the premises in the room where carpet bowls was played.

The Men’s Club eventually ceased altogether in 1980 when the building

was sold.

The Youth House

Miss Dorothy Robertson, who was Warden at the Youth House, has written

this history of the House:

‘The Youth House was built by Mrs. Younger of Mount Melville in 1909 as

a Women’s and Girls’ Club, and she provided a Club Leader and a domestic.

The groundsmen at that time came down from Mount Melville to maintain the

grounds.

‘The Episcopal Church Sunday School was run by the Club Leader for

many years in Youth House, Mrs. Younger being a keen Episcopalian.

‘Guides were started in Strathkinness a year prior to St. Andrews — in

1918 when they were registered, with Miss Chandler as Captain. The W.R.l.

also met in Youth House.

‘During the Second World War the Youth House was requisitioned by the

Home Guard when the late Mr. Alex Gray and Mrs. Gray took up residence

there, and their youngest child, Isla, was born in Youth House — the only child

ever to be born there.

‘In 1944-45 Mr. Murray Stewart, County Youth Organiser, negotiated with

Captain Younger (as he then was) on behalf of his father to obtain Youth

House for the County and this was granted on the understanding that the

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