The town is governed by a provost, dean of guild, and four bailies, and as a royal burgh for electing a member of parliament, it is classed with Cupar-Fife, Perth, Forfar, and Dundee.
The manufactures of St Andrews are almost entirely confined to two,—golf-balls and sail-cloth. The former has been long established, and employs about ten or twelve men constantly at work. A good hand makes nine balls a-day. The annual consumption or the place amounts to about four thousand, and they export every year to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Perth, Aberdeen, and other places, upwards of twice that number. The balls are made of strong alumed leather, and stuffed with lea thers, the maker forcing these in at a small hole left in the covering, by a blunt pointed iron instrument, which he applies to his shoulder. They thus acquire a sur prising degree of hardness and elasticity. When dry they are painted with white oil-paint to exclude the water, and render them easily seen. The employment is deemed unhealthy, many of the ball-makers being observed to die of phthisis. It is singular, perhaps, that no manufacture of golf-clubs should be established here, there being so great a demand for them.
The manufacture of sail-cloth was first established, in 1793, by Mr Dempster of this place; who, about five years ago, obtained a patent from government for an in genious improvement in the construction of this valua ble article. The improvement is this: The canvas is made altogether of double sewing twine, of nearly the same size in warp and woof, and is almost double the strength of common sail-cloth, over which it has other important advantages; for it is not liable to rot or mil dew, owing to the twine being properly boiled or bleach ed before it is woven. And being weaved without starch or any other dressing, it is much closer in its texture, and more pliable than common canvas. A cloth of a certain number made for the use of the navy, is requi red to bear a weight of 269 pounds on the inch, where as this patent cloth, of the same number, will sustain the weight of 500 pound on the inch. In short, for strength, durability, and pliability, it far excels all other canvas. Hitherto the patentee has done little more than to esta blish the reputation of his manufacture, having had to struggle with and surmount the opposition of other ma nufacturers of sail-cloth ; but the demand is now much greater than he can supply. Measures, however, are
caking to increase the quantity. Forty looms, and eighty people are at present employed. The annual product is about 160,000 yards.
St Andrews has at present belonging to it nine vessels, from lorty to several hundred tons, employed in the wood and coasting trade. Its harbour is narrow and of difficult access; but a plan has been lately given in by Mr Rennie for enlarging and deepening it. The esti mate is 18,000/. Should this be carried into execution, the advantage arising from it would be great, both to this place, and to the coasting-trade in general, for fre quent accidents happen to vessels in this bay for want of a proper harbour at St Andrews. Its fishings, which were once considerable, are now dwindled to three or four boats, and these seldom employed. It imports wood, iron, coals, &c.; but its exports are limited to grain, and the two species of manufacture already men tioned. The dangerous navigation of the bay, and fre quency of accidents, induced this town to procure a life boat very soon after the publication of that excellent invention.
With respect to the origin of this place, it has been referred to a very early period. Legend informs us, that a Greek monk of the name of Regulus was, about the year 370, commanded by a vision from heaven to leave his native country, and to come and preach the gospel to the Picts, of the island of Albion. He is said to have had a tedious and tempestuous passage, and to have been at last shipwrecked in the bay of St Andrews, where with difficulty lie got ashore, accompanied by a few more monks his companions, and some of the relics of the apostle Andrew. Hergustus, who was then king of the Picts, received the strangers graciously, and in a short time embraced the Christian religion, as did the greater part of his subjects. He afterwards presented the saint with one of his palaces, and some lands at the place where St Andrews now stands, and built him a church, of which the ruins still exist, and which bears the name of Regulus.