Sad Passing of long-term volunteer Coull Deas MBE
It is with sadness that the Scottish Fisheries Museum acknowledges the passing of long-term volunteer William Coull Deas MBE.
Coull passed away at home on the 17th of December aged 98. Our condolences go to Elsie, Willie, Rab and the rest of the family.
Coull was involved with the Museum as a member of the Boats Club for 38 years. He came from a Cellardyke fishing family and was thirteen and a half when he left school in 1939 to go to the fishing at Stornoway in his first boat, the Marjory of St Monans.
Coull joined the Royal Navy in 1943, aged 17, and worked on a mine sweeping vessel during the War where his experience as a fisherman helped him in this dangerous work. After the War, Coull continued in the Navy to sweep for mines in the Mediterranean before returning to fishing in 1947.
He first went back to herring fishing in the Aberdeen boat Cedar Grove, spending 8-10 weeks away at a time at Yarmouth, the West Coast, Ireland and the Clyde. In 1958, he met and married a local St Monans lass, Elsie Guthrie. The young couple settled in Cellardyke where they brought up their three children Elspeth, William, and Robert.
Coull continued fishing locally with the Boy Peter for twelve years, and with the Fruitful II which he co-owned with his brother John for twenty-four years. The Fruitful II was launched at Miller’s yard, St Monans, in 1960. Named after a line of family boats, the Fruitful II was operated by John and Coull, until the brothers retired in 1985.
The brothers worked creels and also trawled for Nephrops (prawns) and white fish. As time went on they increasingly spent all their time at the prawns working day trips and landing their catches in Pittenweem. Coull worked as a deckhand and had particular responsibility for the engine.
Coull continued his relationship with the sea after his retirement, joining the Scottish Fisheries Museum Boats Club in 1985 and acting as Skipper for both the Reaper and White Wing, as well as working in the boatyard on boat repairs.
Coull became known far and wide as the face of the Reaper and the White Wing – he was instantly recognisable and has featured in numerous films and photographs. He was awarded the MBE by Her Royal Highness Princess Anne at Buckingham Palace in recognition of his services to the Reaper and to fishing heritage, something of which he was extremely proud.
Well into in his nineties, he was often still to be found at the harbour, checking on the boats and supporting other community activities such as the revived Cellardyke Sea Queen event and the St Ayles Rowing Club who named their third skiff Coull D in his honour.
Coull carried a lifetime of experience and tales of the sea, and a quiet authority which he brought to all he did. Having started at the sea at such a young age, his command of sailing boats was instinctive and complete – he trusted in the boats and the crew, and they, in turn, trusted him. He will be sorely missed.
