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Inverkeithing

Inverkeithing (Inbhir Chèitinn) is a coastal town, parish and historic royal burgh in Fife, Scotland, on the Firth of Forth, 9.5 miles northwest of Edinburgh and 4 miles south of Dunfermline.

A town of ancient origin, Inverkeithing became an important centre of trade and pilgrimage during the Middle Ages and was granted royal burgh status by 1161. The town witnessed the Battle of Inverkeithing in 1651, a major conflict in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Following the Industrial Revolution, Inverkeithing developed industries in distilling, quarrying, and ship breaking.

Today, Inverkeithing town centre is a conservation area, home to 41 listed buildings, including the best-preserved medieval friary in Scotland. Inverkeithing railway station is a main stop for trains running over the nearby Forth Rail Bridge, and the town is home to the Ferrytoll Park & Ride. Around half of Inverkeithing's workers are employed in Edinburgh or Dunfermline. The town has a population of 4,820 (2020), and the civil parish has a population of 8,878 (2022).

Inverkeithing lies on the Fife Pilgrim Way and the Fife Coastal Path, one of Scotland's Great Trails.

Toponymy
The name is of Scottish Gaelic origin, Inbhir Céitein. Inbhir is a common element in place names with Celtic roots and means "confluence, inflow" (see Aber and Inver), thus "mouth of the Keithing/Céitein". The Keithing is the name of a small river or burn that runs through the southern part of the town. Simon Taylor notes that the name Keithing probably contains the Pictish (Brythonic) *coet, "wood", so the Keithing burn would have meant "stream that runs through or past or issues from woodland". William Watson in 1910 hypothesised an etymological link between the hydronym Keithing and the Welsh cethin, "dusky" (c.f. Bryncethin).

Townscape
Inverkeithing lies on the north shore of the Firth of Forth at its narrowest crossing point, about 2.5 miles from South Queensferry, 9.5 mi from Edinburgh city centre and 6 mi from Edinburgh Airport. The nearest city is Dunfermline, 4 mi northwest.

Topographically, Inverkeithing is situated on a raised terrace sloping down towards Inverkeithing Bay, which cuts in to the south of the town, separating it from the North Queensferry peninsula. There are views from the town centre across the Firth of Forth to Edinburgh, Arthur's Seat, and the Pentland Hills.

The town is bounded to the south by the North Queensferry peninsula and to the east by Inverkeithing Bay and Letham Hill. Its medieval centre lay along High Street and Church Street, but the town has since expanded to encompass areas to the north, east, and west. Modern Inverkeithing is almost contiguous with the neighbouring settlements of North Queensferry, Rosyth and Dalgety Bay.

The Keithing Burn flows from forest plantations to the northeast of the town between Dalgety Bay and Aberdour, past the railway junction, before falling into the Inner Bay of Inverkeithing Bay 1/4 mi south of the town centre.

Landscape
Inverkeithing lies on the Fife Coastal Path, a long-distance footpath designated as one of Scotland's Great Trails. Coming from North Queensferry, the path winds around the Inner Bay, through Inverkeithing proper, and past the Ballast Bank public park towards Dalgety Bay. The Fife Pilgrim Way also passes through Inverkeithing. Rising from the Inverkeithing stretch of Fife Coastal Path is Letham Hill Wood, a strip of broadleaved woodland 1.5km long, forming a hilly barrier between Inverkeithing and Dalgety Bay popular with walkers and mountain bikers. The approach to the hill passes Prestonhill Quarry, which has high cliffs of igneous and metamorphic rock and native species of fish in the resulting quarry water pools. Inverkeithing has two sandy beaches: Inverkeithing Bay Beach located off the Fife Coastal Path, and another located on the south shore of Inverkeithing's inner bay. Inverkeithing Bay Beach has a mean tidal range of approximately 4.9 meters.

Climate
Inverkeithing follows a temperate maritime climate, with weather data very similar to nearby Edinburgh, albeit with slightly warmer summers.

Roman period
Inverkeithing has ancient origins: there is some evidence that during the Roman conquest of Britain, Roman governor Agricola established an encampment in the area between AD 78–87 during his war against the Caledonians. By AD 142, when construction on the Antonine Wall began on the southern shores of the River Forth, it is likely any Roman settlement ended.

Medieval period
The town's early history is tied to the founding of a church by a holy man named St Erat, supposedly a follower of St Ninian. Local tradition (recorded in a plaque on the parish church) holds that St Erat founded a church in Inverkeithing in the 5th century, but he might be identical to a "St Theriot" venerated in nearby Fordell, who is thought to have lived in the 8th century. Because the first written references to St Erat come from the 16th century, they do not provide hard evidence for Inverkeithing's early history, or even for the existence of the saint.

Inverkeithing is first documented in 1114, when it is mentioned in the foundation charter of Scone Abbey granted by King Alexander I. In 1163 it appears—as "Innirkeithin"—in Pope Alexander III's summons of the clergy of the British Isles to the Council of Tours. Inverkeithing was made one of Fife's first royal burghs—which brought with it legal and trading privileges—in the 12th century. While the precise date is unknown, its burgh status may have been bestowed during the reign of David I, and it is mentioned as an existing burgh as early as 1161 by Malcolm IV. The settlement was an obvious choice to be created a burgh, as its location at the narrowest crossing point of the Firth of Forth and its sheltered bay were both strategically important.

One of the earliest accounts of life in Inverkeithing comes from the 14th-century Lanercost Chronicle. At Easter 1282, the Chronicle relates, the parish priest of Inverkeithing had "revived the profane rites of Priapus, collecting young girls from the villages, and compelling them to dance in circles to the honour of Father Bacchus, [...] singing and dancing himself and stirring them to lust by filthy language." When the priest exhibited similar behaviour during Lent, a scandalised citizen stabbed him to death.

The town was the last place that King Alexander III was seen before he died on 19 March 1286. The King had crossed the Forth from Dalmeny in a storm to pay a birthday visit to Queen Yolande, who was staying in Kinghorn. On arriving in Inverkeithing, the party was met by one of the burgesses of the town, Alexander Le Saucier (whose name indicates he was either linked to the King's kitchen, or the master of the local saltpans), who tried to convince the King to stay the night. However, the pleas fell on deaf ears, and Alexander set off into the rainy night with two local guides. The group lost its way near Kinghorn and got separated from the King, who was found dead at the bottom of a steep embankment on the next day, having presumably fallen from his horse.

Edward I ("Longshanks") stayed in Inverkeithing on 2 March 1304 on his return to Scotland during the First War of Scottish Independence. This is evidenced by letters written here as he made his way from Dunfermline to St Andrews.

Throughout much of the Middle Ages, Inverkeithing was an important resting place and staging post for pilgrims. Travelers on their way to the shrines of Saint Margaret in Dunfermline and Saint Andrew in St Andrews would often stop in the town after crossing the Firth of Forth via the Queen's Ferry. A hostel for pilgrims in Inverkeithing is documented as a possession of Dryburgh Abbey as early as 1196. A Franciscan friary was established in Inverkeithing in the mid-14th century, which was also intended to serve religious travelers. It is one of the few remnants of a house of the Greyfriars to have survived in Scotland. Due to Inverkeithing's importance for medieval pilgrims, it is one of the towns along the Fife Pilgrim Way established in 2019.

In 1487, an Act of Parliament during the reign of James III specified that the Convention of Royal Burghs would be held annually in Inverkeithing. Evolving in parallel to the Parliament of Scotland, the Convention was an important representative assembly of trading towns. While the Act specified Inverkeithing as the host, it is unclear how many meetings were held there before the Convention moved to Edinburgh in 1552.

16th century
In November 1504 there was a plague scare at Dunfermline Palace, and four African women with John Mosman, the court apothecary, came to stay in Inverkeithing before crossing to South Queensferry.

Inverkeithing was one of the few Scottish burghs to have four stone gates—known as "ports"—around its medieval settlement. Stone walls were added in 1557, the last remains of which can still be found on the south side of Roman Road. Until that time, Inverkeithing enjoyed a successful trade in wool, fleece and hides, and served as a hub of commerce for Fife. The town's flourishing was evidenced by its weekly markets and five annual fairs.

17th century
However, trade had begun to decrease by the 16th century, and Inverkeithing slowly became poorer than its neighbouring settlements. Due to political and social instability, caused by both plague and war, this downward trend continued in the 17th century. In 1654, Dutch cartographer Joan Blaeu mentions Inverkeithing as "formerly a flourishing market" in his Nova Fifae Descriptio.

Inverkeithing was a hotbed for witch trials in the 17th century. In 1621 six local women were tried for witchcraft in the Tolbooth. Between 1621 and 1652, at least 51 people were executed for witchcraft in Inverkeithing, an unusually large number for a town of this size; the much larger Kirkcaldy only saw 18 executions in the same period. The reason is believed to be a combination of cholera outbreaks, famine, and the appointment of Rev. Walter Bruce—a known witch hunter—as minister of St Peter's. Bruce also played a pivotal role in initiating the so-called Great Scottish witch hunt of 1649–50. The executions were carried out at Witch Knowe to the south of town, which today is partially within Hope Street Cemetery.

On 20 July 1651, the Battle of Inverkeithing was fought on two sites in the area, one north of the town close to Pitreavie Castle, the other to the south on and around the peninsula of North Queensferry and the isthmus connecting it to Inverkeithing. The battle took place during Oliver Cromwell's invasion of the Kingdom of Scotland following the Third English Civil War. It was an attempt by the English Parliamentarian forces to outflank the army of Scottish Covenanters loyal to Charles II at Stirling and get access to the north of Scotland. This was the last major engagement of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms and led to Scotland passing into Cromwell's control. Cromwell's 4,500 troops defeated a Scottish force of roughly equal size, forcing the Covenanters to abandon Stirling and march south to support Charles II. Of the estimated 800 MacLean clansmen who fought in the battle, only 35 were said to have survived, although Covenanter officer Sir James Balfour estimated the clan's losses at around 100. An apocryphal account states that the Pinkerton Burn ran red with blood for three days afterwards. This was a significant episode in the history of Clan MacLean, and the 20th century poet Sorley MacLean mentions Inverkeithing in one of his poems.

18th century
Daniel Defoe, writing of Inverkeithing in his Tour thro' the Whole Island of Great Britain in 1724, found the town to be "still populous, but decayed, as to what it has formerly been". Defoe also relates that Inverkeithing had briefly become known in England in the early 1700s for a crime of passion in which Robert Balfour, 5th Lord Balfour of Burleigh, murdered an Inverkeithing schoolmaster who had married a woman Balfour loved—the nobleman was later sentenced to death, but escaped captivity by exchanging clothes with his sister. Defoe's sentiments about Inverkeithing were echoed by Sir William Burrell when he toured Scotland in 1758, who found it a "mean, miserable, paultry town, teaching us what to expect from its neighbouring villages". At the time, the parish had a population of over 2,200, and industry had become both smaller in scale and more diverse. Lead and coal were mined, with coal being exported in substantial quantities. There was an iron foundry and, by the late 18th century, the town had a brewery, tan works, soap works, a salt pan and timber works. A whisky distillery, using the water of Keithing Burn, was opened in 1795, and operated until the mid-19th century. Its buildings, near the railway line in Keith Place, were later used for oil works. The importance of fishing declined in line with increasing industrialisation and, by 1891, Inverkeithing only had 14 resident fishermen.

19th century
In 1821, merchant and politician Sir Robert Preston directed the development of Preston Crescent, a new road to the south of the town on the banks of the Inner Bay. Alongside a small stone bridge (today a C-listed building), a number of plain classical houses were built to accommodate retired sea captains, with most of the buildings surviving to this day. Nearby Preston Hill is also named for Sir Robert, who erected a flagpole there intended to aid marine traffic.

By the mid-19th century quarrying, engineering and shipbuilding were major industries in the area and, in 1831, the population increased by over 600 in a decade, due to an influx of labourers employed in greenstone quarries. The quarries provided material for major works, such as the extension of Leith Pier and some of the piers of the Forth Bridge. By 1870, engineering and shipbuilding had largely ceased, and the harbour lost freight traffic to the railways. As a result, Inverkeithing was no longer on a through route for freight. The opening of the Forth Bridge in 1890, however, led to another surge in population and new building. By 1925, quarrying remained a major operation and, whilst the saltworks, iron foundry and sawmill had closed, a papermaking industry had developed at the harbour. Caldwell's paper mill would remain in operation until 2003, with the factory being demolished in 2012.

20th century onwards
At the beginning of the 20th century, Inverkeithing became known for its shipbreaking at Thos. W. Ward's yard on the Inner Bay. Among others, the revolutionary battleship HMS Dreadnought was dismantled there in 1923, as was the hull of the Titanic's sister ship RMS Olympic in 1937, the Nazi Party cruise ship Robert Ley in 1947, and the second RMS Mauretania in 1966. Today, the yard is a metal recycling facility.

Historic landmarks
Inverkeithing is home to 55 listed buildings, including 6 of category A; the highest possible level of classification for "buildings of national or international importance, either architectural or historic; or fine, little-altered examples of some particular period, style or building type". The heart of the medieval town was located around High Street, Bank Street, Townhall Street, and Church Street.

St. Peter's Church
The B-listed parish church of St. Peter stands in its large churchyard on the east side of Church Street. The church was founded by Waltheof of Allerdale, son of Gospatrick, as a wooden Celtic church before being adapted into a Norman stone structure, which was bequeathed by the monks of Dunfermline Abbey in 1139. The Norman foundations were reused for the 13th century Gothic structure, and a tower was added in the 14th century. In pre-Reformation times the church had altars to St. Michael, the Holy Blood, John the Baptist, St. Catherine, the Holy Rood, St. Laurence, St. Ninian and St. Mary. In 1611 it absorbed the adjacent parish of Rosyth.

Extensive fire damage in 1825 reduced it to the height of its lower window sills, although the tower survived, but it was rebuilt. The main part of the church is thus a large plain neo-Gothic 'preaching box' of 1826–27, designed by James Gillespie Graham. Built of soft sandstone, the tower—the only remaining part of the pre-Reformation church—is very weathered, and has been partially refaced. The tower is crowned by a lead-covered spire from 1835 designed by Thomas Bonnar, whose elaborate gabled dormers saw clock faces being added in 1883.

The church's roomy interior—now deprived of its galleries—is graced by one of the finest medieval furnishings to survive in any Scottish parish church. This is the large and well-preserved sandstone font of around 1398, which was rediscovered buried under the church, having been concealed at the Reformation. Its octagonal bowl is decorated with angels holding heraldic shields. These include the royal arms of the King of Scots, and of Queen Anabella Drummond, the consort of King Robert III. The high quality of the carving is explained by it being a royal gift to the parish church, Inverkeithing being a favourite residence of Queen Anabella. Most of the interior visible today was designed by Peter MacGregor Chalmers and dates from 1900. Notable ministers include Robert Roche (Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1613) and witch hunter Walter Bruce, who served the unique church role of 'Constant Moderator' from 1662 until 1673.

Hospitium of the Grey Friars
On the High Street lies one of the best surviving examples of a friary building in Scotland, the category-A listed Hospitium of the Grey Friars (also known as the Franciscan order). The friary could date from the late 13th century, with a charter in 1268 mentioning the building of a church and convent for the Franciscans. It may have been founded by Philip Mowbray, Lord of Barnbougle on the opposite shore of the Forth. There are no further mentions of the friary until 1384, but at the time, it would have been a thriving hub for pilgrims to Dunfermline and St Andrews, comprising accommodations, cloisters, storage cellars, and a chapel. The friary was sold to a private buyer in 1559 during the Scottish Reformation and remodeled into a tenement.

The hospitium visible today once formed the west end of the friary, and it was the only building preserved during the 16th-century alterations, while the rest of the complex was used as a quarry. An antiquarian renovation in 1932–1935 restored the 14th-century details for which there was evidence, and otherwise retained the 17th-century finishes. The building was originally cruciform, but only its central part remains, including several tunnel vaults formerly used for storage. The foundations of the north range of the complex, together with a well and several cellars, can be seen in the public gardens next to the hospitium. The building is now mainly used as a community centre.

Inverkeithing Mercat Cross
Inverkeithing contains one of the oldest and finest remaining examples of a mercat cross in Scotland, dating from 1389. The cross, a category-A listed historic monument, is believed to have been built as a memorial of the marriage between the Duke of Rothesay and the daughter of the Earl of Douglas. Originally, the cross stood on the north end of the High Street, before moving to face the Tolbooth and then to its present site at the junction between Bank Street and High Street, further up the road. As of 2021, there are plans to move it to a more prominent position in the Market Square, as part of a £3.6 million, five-year programme of improvements to the town centre. The core of the mercat cross is thought to date from the late 14th century, with the octagonal shaft from the 16th century. Two of the shields on the cross bear the arms of Queen Anabella Drummond and the Douglas family. Later, a unicorn and a shield depicting the St Andrew's Cross were added in 1688, the work of John Boyd of South Queensferry.

Inverkeithing Town House
On Townhall Street is the A-listed Inverkeithing Town House (also known as the Tolbooth), which displays the old town coat of arms above the front door. The Renaissance tower, at the western end of the building, is the oldest part of the tolbooth, dating from 1755. A three-storey classical building followed in 1770 as a replacement for the previous tolbooth. The building featured a prison or 'black hole' on the ground floor, the court room on the middle and the debtors' prison on the top. The building was fully renovated and remodeled for community use from 2022 to 2024.

Other historic landmarks
The Burgh Arms Hotel and Pub dates to 1664 with an extension from 1888, making it one of the oldest pubs in East Scotland. The pub is a category-C listed historic building and is still in operation.

Fordell's Lodging is opposite St Peter's Church and is an A-listed L-plan tower house which dates from 1671 and was built by Sir John Henderson of Fordell. On King Street is the much altered B-listed Rosebery House, once owned by the Rosebery family, and possibly the oldest surviving house in the burgh. The unusual monopitch lean-to roof is locally known as a 'toofall', and dates the house to no later than the early 16th century. It was owned by the Earl of Dunbar before being purchased by the Earl of Rosebery.

Inverkeithing Harbour is a historic B-Listed narrow rubble-built harbour at the point where Keithing Burn debouches into Inverkeithing Bay. The harbour was first recorded in 1587, and was a probable landing place for the Queensferry passage during the 12th century. It was the terminus of the 18th century Halbeath Waggon Way. The Keithing Burn enters the head of harbour through square bull-faced rubble sluice installed in 1840, over which runs a 20th century metal footbridge.

Inverkeithing Railway Station dates from 1877, and was significantly expanded in 1890 as a dual track railway following the completion of the nearby Forth Rail Bridge. The East Block is original, and now forms a large waiting block, and is category B listed by Historic Scotland. Part of the Railway's infrastructure includes tunnelling under Boreland Road Bridge at the immediate south exit from the station, built in the late 18th century to span over the river Keithing for the original Halbeath Waggon Railway (now category-B listed). The Waggon Way, opened in 1783, is now used as a footpath.

Moffat Cottage on Heriot Street was the home of missionary Robert Moffat, father-in-law of Victorian explorer David Livingstone. Information from local sources and a commemorative plaque indicate that Livingstone occasionally stayed at the cottage, including after his first return to Britain during 1856/57; he also may have built the summerhouse. Today the cottage is a category-C Listed building.

St. Peter's Episcopal Church, dated 1908, is a classic example of Edwardian church design, built to accommodate the growing number of episcopal residents following the church's re-establishment in Edinburgh in 1878. The church lies at the southern end of the town, and is a category-C listed historic building.

Thomsoun's House is located on Bank Street, between numbers 2–4, dates from 1617, and was reconstructed in 1965. Its carved sandstone pediment includes thistle-shaped finials and the initials of the first owners John Thomson ("I.T.") and Bessie Thomsoun ("B.T.").

Parks and gardens
Ballast Bank is Inverkeithing's largest public park. Located on the shore of the Inner Bay next to Inverkeithing harbour, the park features a public athletics track, children's playpark and skatepark. The park is home to Inverkeithing Hillend Swifts football club, and hosts the Ballast Bank Community Centre run by Fife Council.

Behind the Hospitium of the Grey Friars lie Inverkeithing Friary Gardens, which are publicly accessible; next to these lie the Inverkeithing Community Gardens. Next to St. Peter's Church is Inverkeithing War Memorial Gardens, which feature a memorial for those lost in the First and Second World Wars. Witchknowe Park is a small park to the south of the town, near where those accused of witchcraft were executed in the 17th century.

Inverkeithing is home to cemeteries at Hope Street Cemetery, which features Commonwealth War Graves, as well as Inverkeithing St Peters Kirkyard, no longer in use and with graves dating back to 1606.

Beaches
Inverkeithing Bay Beach is a sandy beach located adjacent to the Fife Coastal Path is it runs past Inverkeithing town towards Dalgety Bay. The beach has a mean tidal range of approximately 4.9 meters. Inverkeithing Inner Bay Beach is a small sandy beach located off Cruickness Road, and is accessible by car. It overlooks the harbour and town.

Other places of interest
Inverkeithing Civic Centre and Library is a large public venue on Queen Street with a library, computer use area, café, public toilets, council information desk and a small museum.

Prestonhill Quarry is a former quarry filled with water with steep cliffs. The quarry is popular for fishing, diving, kayak and open water swimming and other leisure use. Fife council have warned those entering the water to be careful and responsible.

Governance
For the UK Parliament, Inverkeithing forms part of the Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy constituency, as of 2024 held by Melanie Ward for the Labour Party. For the Scottish Parliament, Inverkeithing is part of the Cowdenbeath constituency, as of 2024 represented by Annabelle Ewing of the Scottish National Party.

Fife Council is the local authority for Inverkeithing, which is part of the Inverkeithing and Dalgety Bay (ward).

Inverkeithing Community Council handles local town matters, and as of 2024 is chaired by Helen Doig. Like other community councils, it is a voluntary organisation that acts as a voice for the area, and is involved in community planning partnerships.

Economy
Inverkeithing is known as a commuter town of both Edinburgh and Dunfermline; of Inverkeithing's workforce of 2,000 people, over 550 work in Edinburgh and over 400 work in Dunfermline (2022). The town is demographically very mixed, with an especially wide range of residents with professional and nonprofessional jobs, part-time and self-employment, and high and low educational attainment.

Town centre
Inverkeithing town centre provides the local area with a variety of services including a Post Office, a Scotmid supermarket, pharmacies, bakeries, pubs, restaurants, and hairdressers. In 2022, Inverkeithing had the lowest number of vacant shops among all Fife town centres.

Other economic activity
A mile away from Inverkeithing town centre but within its administrative boundary is Belleknowes Industrial Estate, which as of 2024 houses 27 companies including several autocare and DIY stores. On the former Thos. W. Ward shipbreaking site on the south side of Inverkeithing Bay lies Robertsons Metals, which deals in, and exports, recycled metal.

Transport
Inverkeithing railway station is a main stop for the following services:

 * Scotrail's Fife Circle line services including:
 * Edinburgh to Glenrothes with Thornton via Kirkcaldy and Burntisland.
 * Edinburgh to Cowdenbeath via Dunfermline.
 * Edinburgh to Glenrothes with Thornton via Cowdenbeth.
 * Scotrail's Edinburgh to Dundee service via Leuchars for St Andrews.
 * Scotrail's Edinburgh to Perth service.
 * LNER Aberdeen to London King's Cross service, via Newcastle and York.
 * CrossCountry's Aberdeen to Penzance service via Bristol Temple Meads and Plymouth.

Passengers en route to Edinburgh travel across the Forth Bridge.

The town is served by regular direct bus services by Stagecoach and Bay Travel to Edinburgh, Edinburgh airport, and much of Fife. Inverkeithing and its surroundings are also served by the Ferrytoll Park & Ride to the south of the town, which provides car parking and access to bus services to Edinburgh city centre, Edinburgh Airport, Livingston, South Gyle, other parts of Fife, as well as links to the Scottish Citylink coach network.

Inverkeithing is bypassed by the M90 motorway, accessed at the south of the town via Hope Street and at the north of the town via the A921, which links Fife to Lothian and Edinburgh via the Queensferry Crossing. Cycling commuters travelling south to Edinburgh cross the Forth Road Bridge, which is open exclusively to cyclists, walking and public transport.

Major unrestricted public car parks in Inverkeithing include Ferrytoll Park and Ride free car park; King Street free car park and Belleknowes free car park for the train station; and Hope Street free car park, Queen Street free car park and Chapel Place car park.

Football
Inverkeithing United was hosted in the town from 1906 to 1963, winners of the Scottish Junior Cup in 1912–13. The team were reformed as a community football club in early 2017, and currently play as an SFA Quality Marked accredited community football club, with a community based football pathway from U5's to U17's.

Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts, founded in 1996, entered their senior team into the pyramid in 2018 and currently compete in the. The club played at Ballast Bank on the Inner Bay until 2021, when the home games were moved to Dalgety Bay; the condition of the grounds at Inverkeithing would otherwise prevent promotion to the Lowland League.

Bowling
Inverkeithing Bowling Club was founded in 1901, and is located at Alma Street. The club was one of the first Bowling Clubs in Scotland to admit female players starting 1919, and has produced Scottish national players at the British Isles Championships and Scottish triples winners.

Inverkeithing Highland Games
The Ballast Bank grounds also play host to Inverkeithing's annual highland games, which have been staged here since at least 1914, and in the town since 1646, and which draw crowds of up to 5000 spectators. In 2014, the Inverkeithing Highland Games were featured in season 7, episode 1 of the US television show Duck Dynasty, in which cast members participated in some of the events. In conjunction with the games, the town hosts its annual Lammas Fair Celebrations, which traditionally celebrates the first harvest of the year and involves market stalls and a funfair. The fair was described in the Inverkeithing Burgh records of 1648 as "a great day for fun, frolic, fit races, ale and drunken folks, gentle and simple".

Religion
Inverkeithing has four active places of worship: Inverkeithing St Peters Parish Church (Church of Scotland) on Church Street, Saint Peter in Chains (Catholic Church) on Hope Street, St Peters Church (Episcopal Church) on Hope Street and Inverkeithing Baptist Church (Baptist Church) on Church Street.

Community venues
Inverkeithing High School Community Use offer sports, leisure and adult education classes. The centre offers classes for children including swimming lessons, football, and creative arts, as well as for adults including painting, yoga, and swimming. Inverkeithing Civic Centre and Library is a large public venue on Queen Street with a library, computer use area, café, and council information desk. The Centre also offers indoor sports and senior table tennis, yoga, and table tennis, in addition to children's birthday parties and meetings.

Ballast Bank Community Centre offers activities for all age groups, and individuals, clubs and organisations can hire the facilities for birthday parties and some indoor sports.

Allotments
Inverkeithing Community Gardens is a community project run by volunteers. The group provides opportunities for horticultural therapy, social contact and producing crops. The gardens features an orchard. Inverkeithing Hope Street Allotments is a large south facing community allotments run by Fife Council.

Other community groups
The Inverkeithing Trust is a non-profit charity run by local volunteers that aims to help build a strong, vibrant community in Inverkeithing. Events organised by the trust include an annual garden competition and flower show. The 68th (Fife) Scouts group occupy BP Hall on Hope Street, and caters to children aged 4 to 14. The Freemason Lodge St John 60 was constituted in 1754, and is now located on Hope Street; the lodge is occasionally used as a public meeting place.

Education and services
The town is served by Inverkeithing Primary School and Inverkeithing High School, both located on Hillend Road to the northeast of the town centre. The high school's catchment area includes most of the surrounding towns such as Dalgety Bay, Rosyth, and North Queensferry, resulting in a school population of over 1,500. Post high school education can take place at Fife College's nearby Rosyth campus. The nearest universities to Inverkeithing are Herriot Watt and the University of Edinburgh.

The original primary school—a C-listed building from 1894, located behind Fordell's Lodging—was destroyed by a fire in 2018, after having been disused for a number of years. As of late 2023, plans for the primary school site are still being developed.

For healthcare, Inverkeithing is served by Inverkeithing Medical Centre, an NHS practice. The nearest A&E services are at Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline or the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh.

For police services, the nearest Police Scotland station is Dalgety Bay police station at Regents Way, Dalgety Bay. For fire services, Dunfermline Fire Station or South Queensferry fire station.

Notable residents
This list contains famous or notable people who were either born, residents, or otherwise closely associated with Inverkeithing, Scotland.

Royalty and religion

 * Queen Annabella Drummond of Scotland (1350–1401), Queen of Scotland from 1390 to 1401. Inverkeithing was among her favourite residences as Queen.
 * Richard de Inverkeithing (d. 1272), 13th-century cleric, Bishop of Dunkeld, Chamberlain of King Alexander II and guardian to the young Alexander III.
 * Rev Alexander Stoddart Wilson (1854–1909), minister and botanist, professor at the University of Glasgow, died in Inverkeithing and is buried there.

Military and politics

 * Samuel Greig (1735–1788), Russian admiral and 'Father of the Russian Navy'. Appointed Knight of the Order of St Andrew by Catherine the Great.
 * Natalie McGarry (1981–), SNP politician and former Member of Parliament for Glasgow East.
 * David Spence (1818–1877), recipient of the Victoria Cross for his actions during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

Science, engineering and exploration

 * David Livingstone (1813–1878), explorer and missionary, occasionally lived in Inverkeithing between 1855 and 1865.

 * Sir Duncan McDonald CBE FRSE (1921–1997), engineer and industrialist, developer of Britain's first 275,000 volt transformer for the National Grid.
 * Robert Moffat (1795–1883), missionary to Africa, the first man to translate the bible into an African language, and father-in-law of explorer David Livingstone.

Sport

 * Billy Bostock (1943–1996), professional football player for Cowdenbeath F.C.
 * Gordon Durie (1965–), professional football player for Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Glasgow Rangers, and internationally for Scotland, studied at Inverkeithing High School.
 * Jock Gilfillan (1898–1976), football player for Portsmouth F.C.
 * Craig Levein (1964–), footballer, Scotland manager 2009–2014, manager at Heart of Midlothian 2017–2019, studied at Inverkeithing High School.
 * Stephen Hendry MBE (1969–), former professional snooker player and multiple world champion, studied at Inverkeithing High School.
 * Douglas Morgan (1890–1916), professional football player for Hull City and casualty in World War I.

Miscellaneous

 * James Anderson, manager of Mount Vernon, the estate to which George Washington retired after his presidency; convinced Washington to establish a whisky distillery on the estate
 * Alexander Bell Donald (1842–1922), New Zealand merchant and founder of one of Auckland's major Pacific island trading companies.

title: Inverkeithing


text:
Communist Party of India (Marxist)

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (abbreviated as CPI(M)) is a communist political party in India. It is the largest communist party in India in terms of membership and electoral seats, and one of the national parties of India. The party was founded through a splitting from the Communist Party of India in 1964 and it quickly became the dominant faction.

The 34 years of CPI(M) led Left Front rule in West Bengal was the longest-serving democratically elected communist-led government in the world. It has been also the third largest party of parliament several times. Presently, CPI(M) is a part of ruling alliances in two states - the LDF in Kerala, which it leads, and the SPA in Tamil Nadu. It also has representation in the legislative assemblies of seven states.

The All-India Party Congress is the supreme authority of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). However, during the time between two party congresses, the Central Committee is the highest decision-making body. The Central Committee shall elect from among its members a Polit Bureau including the General Secretary. The Polit Bureau carries on the work of the Central Committee between its two sessions and has the right to take political and organisational decisions in between two meetings of the Central Committee.

CPI(M) had a total income of ₹1,620,000,000 in fiscal year 2021–22. The party reported zero funding from Electoral Bonds.

Name
CPI(M) is officially known as भारत की कम्युनिस्ट पार्टी (मार्क्सवादी) [] in Hindi, but it is often known as मार्क्सवादी कम्युनिस्ट पार्टी (, abbreviated MaKaPa) in press and media circles. During its initial years after the split, the party was often referred to by different names such as 'Left Communist Party' or 'Communist Party of India (Left)'. The party has used the name 'Left' because CPI people were dubbed 'rightist' in nature for their support of the Congress-Nehru regime. During the Kerala Legislative Assembly elections of 1965, the party adopted the name 'Communist Party of India (Marxist)' and applied to obtain its election symbol from the Election Commission of India.

Background
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) emerged from a division within the Communist Party of India, which was formed on 26 December 1925. The CPI had experienced an upsurge in support during the years following the World War II, and had led armed rebellions in Telangana, Tripura, and Kerala. However, it soon abandoned the strategy of armed revolution in favor of working within the Parliament framework. In 1950, B. T. Ranadive, the CPI general secretary and a prominent representative of the radical sector inside the party, was demoted on grounds of left-adventurism.

Under the government of the Indian National Congress party of Jawaharlal Nehru, independent India developed close relations and a strategic partnership with the Soviet Union. The Soviet government consequently wished that the Indian communists moderate their criticism towards the Indian state and assume a supportive role towards the Congress governments. However, large sections of the CPI claimed that India remained a semi-feudal country and that Class conflict could not be put on the back-burner for the sake of guarding the interests of Soviet trade and foreign policy. Moreover, the Indian National Congress appeared to be generally hostile towards political competition. In 1959 the central government intervened to impose President's rule in Kerala, toppling the E. M. S. Namboodiripad cabinet (the sole non-Congress state government in the country).

Formation of CPI(M) (1964)
The basis of difference in opinion between the two factions in CPI was ideological – about the assessment of the Indian scenario and the development of a party programme. This difference in opinion was also a reflection of whether the Communist Party in India would toe the lines of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) or follow an independent path based on the concrete analysis of the Indian situation. The alleged 'right-wing' inside the party followed the Soviet path whereas the 'left-wing' wanted to follow the mass party with a class line with national characteristics, based on the 'independent' development of socialism in accordance to the India situation. Moreover, the faction of CPI which later became CPI(M) referred to the "right" strategy as a national approach of class collaboration, a damning charge within the communist movement, in which the prioritization of working-class interests and independence is considered paramount. Ideological difference also grew on the analysis of the role and character of the Indian bourgeoisie and the character of the Indian revolution. While the 'right wing' in the Party sought the Indian bourgeoisie to have a 'progressive' character and called for a national democratic revolution, the 'left wing' sought the character of the Indian bourgeoisie to be essentially reactionary and called for a peoples' democratic revolution. However as the 'left wing' grew, the Congress and the Party's 'right wing' dubbed them as pro-Chinese and essentially made extensive efforts to incriminate them of committing 'anti-national' activities. This ideological difference later intensified, and ultimately gave rise to the establishment of CPI(M).

Hundreds of CPI leaders, accused of being pro-Chinese, were imprisoned. Thousands of Communists were detained without trial. The Communist Party CPI(M) has a strong history of championing labor rights and it supports the rights of industrial laborers, demanding fair wages, safe working conditions, and the right to unionize.

In 1962, Ajoy Ghosh, the General Secretary of the CPI died. After his death, Shripad Amrit Dange was installed as the party chairman (a new position) and E.M.S. Namboodiripad as general secretary. This was an attempt to achieve a compromise.

At a CPI National Council meeting held on 11 April 1964, 32 Council members walked out.

The leftist section, to which the 32 National Council members belonged, organized a convention in Tenali, Andhra Pradesh 7 to 11 July. In this convention, the issues of the internal disputes in the party were discussed. 146 delegates, claiming to represent 100,000 CPI members, took part in the proceedings. The convention decided to convene the 7th Party Congress of CPI in Kolkata later the same year.

Marking a difference from the official sector of CPI, the Tenali convention was marked by the display of a large portrait of the Communist leader of China, Mao Zedong.

At the Tenali convention, a Bengal-based pro-Chinese group, representing one of the most radical streams of the CPI left-wing, presented a draft program proposal of their own. These radicals criticized the draft program proposal prepared by Makineni Basavapunnaiah for undermining Class conflict and failing to take a clear pro-Chinese position in the ideological conflict between the CPSU and the CPC.

After the Tenali convention, the CPI left-wing organized party district and state conferences. In West Bengal, a few of these meetings became battlegrounds between the most radical elements and the more moderate leadership. At the Calcutta Party District Conference, an alternative draft program was presented to the leadership by Parimal Das Gupta (a leading figure amongst far-left intellectuals in the party). Another alternative proposal was brought forward to the Calcutta Party District Conference by Aziz ul Haq, but Haq was initially banned from presenting it by the conference organizers. At the Calcutta Party District Conference, 42 delegates opposed M. Basavapunniah's official draft program proposal.

At the Siliguri Party District Conference, the main draft proposal for a party program was accepted, but with some additional points suggested by the far-left North Bengal cadre Charu Majumdar. However, Hare Krishna Konar (representing the leadership of the CPI left-wing) forbade the raising of the slogan Mao Tse-Tung Zindabad (Long live Mao Tse-Tung) at the conference.

Parimal Das Gupta's document was also presented to the leadership at the West Bengal State Conference of the CPI leftwing. Das Gupta and a few others spoke at the conference, demanding the party ought to adopt the class analysis of the Indian state of the 1951 CPI conference. His proposal was, however, voted down.

The Calcutta Congress was held between 31 October and 7 November, at Tyagraja Hall in southern Kolkata. Simultaneously, the CPI convened a Party Congress in Mumbai. The group which assembled in Calcutta would later adopt the name 'Communist Party of India (Marxist)', to differentiate themselves from the CPI. The CPI(M) also adopted its own political program. Puchalapalli Sundarayya was elected general secretary of the party.

In total, 422 delegates took part in the Calcutta Congress. CPI(M) claimed that they represented 104,421 CPI members, 60% of the total party membership.

At the Calcutta conference, the party adopted a class analysis of the character of the Indian state, that claimed the Indian bourgeoisie was increasingly collaborating with imperialism.

Parimal Das Gupta's alternative draft program was not circulated at the Calcutta conference. However, Souren Bose, a delegate from the far-left stronghold Darjeeling, spoke at the conference asking why no portrait had been raised of Mao Tse-Tung along with the portraits of other communist stalwarts. His intervention was met with huge applause from conference delegates.

Early years of CPI(M) (1964–1966)
The CPI (M) was born into a hostile political climate. At the time of the holding of its Calcutta Congress, large sections of its leaders and cadres were jailed without trial. Again on 29–30 December, over a thousand CPI (M) cadres were arrested and detained and held in jail without trial. In 1965 new waves of arrests of CPI(M) cadres took place in West Bengal, as the party launched agitations against the rise in fares in the Calcutta Tramways Company and against the then-prevailing food crisis. Statewide general strikes and hartals were observed on 5 August 1965, 10–11 March 1966, and 6 April 1966. The March 1966 general strike resulted in several deaths during confrontations with police forces.

Also in Kerala, mass arrests of CPI(M) cadres were carried out during 1965. In Bihar, the party called for a Bandh (general strike) in Patna on 9 August 1965 in protest against the Congress state government. During the strike, police resorted to violent actions against the organizers of the strike. The strike was followed by agitations in other parts of the state.

P. Sundaraiah, after being released from jail, spent the period of September 1965 – February 1966 in Moscow for medical treatment. In Moscow, he also held talks with the CPSU.

The Central Committee of CPI(M) held its first meeting on 12–19 June 1966. The reason for delaying the holding of a regular CC meeting was that several of the persons elected as CC members at the Calcutta Congress were jailed at the time. A CC meeting had been scheduled to have been held in Thrissur during the last days of 1964, but had been canceled due to the wave of arrests against the party. The meeting discussed tactics for electoral alliances and concluded that the party should seek to form a broad electoral alliance with all non-reactionary opposition parties in West Bengal (i.e. all parties except Bharatiya Jana Sangh and Swatantra Party). This decision was strongly criticized by the Communist Party of China (CPC), the Party of Labour of Albania, the Communist Party of New Zealand, and the radicals within the party itself. The line was changed at a National Council meeting in Jalandhar in October 1966, where it was decided that the party should only form alliances with select left parties.

Naxalbari uprising (1967)
At this point, the party stood at crossroads. There were radical sections of the party who were wary of the increasing parliamentary focus of the party leadership, especially after the electoral victories in West Bengal and Kerala. Developments in China also affected the situation inside the party. In West Bengal, two separate internal dissident tendencies emerged, which both could be identified as supporting the Chinese line.

In 1967, a peasant uprising broke out in Naxalbari, in northern West Bengal. The insurgency was led by hardline district-level CPI(M) leaders Charu Majumdar and Kanu Sanyal. The hardliners within CPI(M) saw the Naxalbari uprising as the spark that would ignite the Indian revolution. The CPC hailed the Naxalbari movement, causing an abrupt break in CPI(M)-CPC relations.

The Naxalbari movement was violently repressed by the West Bengal government, of which CPI(M) was a major partner. Within the party, the hardliners rallied around an All India Coordination Committee of Communist Revolutionaries. Following the 1968 Burdwan plenum of CPI(M) (held on 5–12 April 1968), the AICCCR separated itself from CPI(M). This split divided the party throughout the country. But notably in West Bengal, which was the center of the violent radicalized stream, no prominent leading figure left the party. The party and the Naxalites (as the rebels were called) were soon to get into a bloody feud.

In Andhra Pradesh, another revolt was taking place. There the pro-Naxalbari dissidents had not established any presence. But in the party organization, there were many veterans from the Telangana armed struggle, who rallied against the central party leadership. In Andhra Pradesh, the radicals had a strong base even amongst the state-level leadership. The main leader of the radical tendency was T. Nagi Reddy, a member of the state legislative assembly. On 15 June 1968, the leaders of the radical tendency published a press statement outlining the critique of the development of CPI(M). It was signed by T. Nagi Reddy, D.V. Rao, Kolla Venkaiah, and Chandra Pulla Reddy.

In total, around 50% of the party cadres in Andhra Pradesh left the party to form the Andhra Pradesh Coordination Committee of Communist Revolutionaries, under the leadership of T. Nagi Reddy.

Dismissal of United Front governments in West Bengal and Kerala (1967–1970)
In November 1967, the West Bengal United Front government was dismissed by the central government. Initially, the Indian National Congress formed a minority government led by Prafulla Chandra Ghosh, but that cabinet did not last long. Following the proclamation that the United Front government had been dislodged, a 48-hour hartal was effective throughout the state. After the fall of the Ghosh cabinet, the state was put under President's Rule. CPI(M) launched agitations against the interventions of the central government in West Bengal.

The 8th Party Congress of CPI(M) was held in Kochi, Kerala, on 23–29 December 1968. On 25 December 1968, whilst the congress was held, 42 Dalits were burned alive in the Tamil Nadu village of Kizhavenmani. The massacre was a retaliation from landlords after Dalit labourers had taken part in a CPI(M)-led agitation for higher wages.

The United Front government in Kerala was forced out of office in October 1969, as the CPI, RSP, KTP, and Muslim League ministers resigned. E.M.S. Namboodiripad handed in his resignation on 24 October. A coalition government led by CPI leader C. Achutha Menon was formed, with the outside support of the Indian National Congress.

Elections in West Bengal and Kerala
Fresh elections were held in West Bengal in 1969. CPI(M) contested 97 seats and won 80. The party was now the largest in the West Bengal legislative. But with the active support of CPI and the Bangla Congress, Ajoy Mukherjee was returned as Chief Minister of the state. Mukherjee resigned on 16 March 1970, after a pact had been reached between CPI, Bangla Congress, and the Indian National Congress against CPI(M). CPI(M) strove to form a new government, instead but the central government put the state under President's Rule.

Land Reform
Though land reform was successfully done in three Indian states (West Bengal, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu), India's first land reform was done in West Bengal in 1967, under the leadership of two Communist leaders: Hare Krishna Konar and Benoy Choudhury, in which Hare Krishna Konar played a leading role in getting surplus land held by big land owners in excess of land ceiling laws and kept ‘benami' (or false names) vested with the state. The quantum of land thus vested was around one million acres (4,000 km2) of good agricultural land. Subsequently, under the leadership of Hare Krishna Konar and Benoy Choudhury land was distributed amongst 2.4 million landless and poor farmers. Later after 1970 the united front government of west Bengal fail and the land reform was also stopped for seven years and after left front came in West Bengal in 1977 this land reform was renamed to Operation Barga and this barga was the notable contribution to the people from Left Front Government of West Bengal. To begin with, group meetings between Officials and Bargadars were organized during "settlement camps" (also called "Reorientation camps"), where the bargadars could discuss their grievances. The first such camp was held at Halusai in Polba taluk in Hooghly district from 18 to 20 May 1978. In noted camp, two Adibashi Borgaders objected procedure adopted by the official for Barga Operation. They suggested to start it organising people in the field instead of sitting in the houses of rural rich people or the places dominated by them.

Formation of CITU (1970)
Centre of Indian Trade Unions, CITU is a National level Trade Union in India and its trade union wing is a spearhead of the Indian Trade Union Movement. The Centre of Indian Trade Unions is today one of biggest assembly of workers and classes of India. It has strong unchallengeable presence in the Indian state of Tripura besides a good presence in West Bengal, Kerala and Kanpur. They have an average presence in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

According to the provisional statistics from the Ministry of Labour, CITU had a membership of approximately 6,040,000 in 2015.

Tapan Kumar Sen is the General Secretary and K. Hemalata is the president of CITU. K. Hemalata was the first woman President in CITU who was elected after A. K. Padmanabhan. It runs a monthly organ named WORKING CLASS.

CITU is affiliated to the World Federation of Trade Unions.

Outbreak of war in East Pakistan (1971–1972)
In 1971, Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan) declared its independence from Pakistan. The Pakistani military tried to quell the uprising. India intervened militarily and gave active backing to the Bangladeshi rebels. Millions of Bangladeshi refugees sought shelter in India, especially in West Bengal.

At the time, the radical sections of the Bangladeshi communist movement were divided into many factions. Whilst the pro-Soviet Communist Party of Bangladesh actively participated in the rebellion, the pro-China communist tendency found itself in a peculiar situation as China had sided with Pakistan in the war. In Calcutta, where many Bangladeshi leftists had sought refuge, CPI(M) worked to co-ordinate the efforts to create a new political organization. In the fall of 1971 three small groups, which were all hosted by the CPI(M), came together to form the Bangladesh Communist Party (Leninist). The new party became the sister party of CPI(M) in Bangladesh.

Boycott of Assembly and Emergency rule (1972–1977)
In 1975, the Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi imposed a State of emergency on the premise of internal disturbances suspending elections, legitimising rule by decree and curbing civil liberties. The proposition for the declaration of the emergency and the formal draft of the ordinance were both notably corroborated to have been forwarded by Siddhartha Shankar Ray. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) emerged as one of the primary opposition to The Emergency (India). The following period witnessed a succession of authoritarian measures and political repression, which was particularly severe in West Bengal. The members of the CPI-M's labour union became the first subject to political repression and mass arrests while the rest of the members of the CPI-M went underground.

With the initiation of the Jayaprakash Narayan (JP)'s movement, the CPI-M began providing support to it and went on to participate in discussions for the creation of a united front under the umbrella of the Janata Party. Several of the leaders of the CPI-M were also influenced by JP with Jyoti Basu noted to be one of his prominent admirers having worked under him in the All India Railwaymen's Federation during the 1940s. The involvement of the Hindutva movement however complicated matters, according to JP the formal inclusion of the marxists who had undergone a splintering and whose organisation was localised in particular region would have been detrimental to the movement as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh members would switch sides if they joined. JP and Basu eventually came to an agreement that the CPI-M would not formally join the Janata Party as it would weaken the movement. After the revocation of the emergency, the CPI-M joined an electoral alliance with the Janata Party in the 1977 Indian general election which resulted in an overwhelming victory for the Janata Alliance.

West Bengal
CPI(M) West Bengal under the leadership of Jyoti Basu fought the 1977 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election. Initially the election was planned to fight in alliance with the Janata Party but the negotiations between the parties broke down. This led to a three sided contested between the Indian National Congress, the Janata Party and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) led Left Front coalition. The results of the election was a surprising sweep for the Left Front winning 230 seats out of 290 with the CPI-M winning an absolute majority on its own, Basu became the Chief Minister of West Bengal. From the 1977 election the CPI(M) led Left Front won 7 continuous elections till 2011. Under Jyoti Basu's leadership the Left Front won, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1991, 1996 elections. For the next 23 years he was the Chief Minister of West Bengal making him longest serving at this position.

In the late 2000s the Left Front saw a change in leadership. Under the leadership of Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, the Left Front won the elections of 2001 elections and 2006. From 2000 to 2011, remained the Chief Minister of West Bengal for 11 years.

Following the events of 2007 Nandigram anti land acquisition violence and the 2006 Singur anti land acquisition violence, led by opposition parties in West Bengal. In the 2011 assembly election lost the elections marking the end of 34-year rule of Left Front, the longest-serving democratically elected communist government in the world, a fact that was noted by international media. After 2021 elections the Left Front has no representatives in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly.

Kerala
After the CPI split in 1964, prominent communist leader in Kerala E.M.S. Namboodiripad, A. K. Gopalan and K. R. Gouri Amma stood with the Communist Party of India (Marxist). One year after the split, in the 1965 elections CPI(M) which was splinter faction of CPI, emerged as the largest party in the assembly with 40 seats. Where CPI settled with 3 seats only. However no single party could form a ministry commanding majority and hence this election is considered abortive. President's rule was invoked for the fourth time.

In the 1967 Kerala assembly election both communist parties - CPI (M) and CPI - along with smaller parties including SSP and Muslim League contested this election as a United Front. A total of seven parties contested in the front, and the front was known as Saptakakshi Munnani. The CPI(M) led front won the election with a record 113 seats out of 133 seats and formed the government under E.M.S. Namboodiripad.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, two main pre-poll political alliances were formed: the Left Democratic Front (LDF) led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Communist Party of India and the United Democratic Front (UDF), led by the Indian National Congress. These pre-poll political alliances of Kerala have stabilized strongly in such a manner that, with rare exceptions, most of the coalition partners stick their loyalty to the respective alliances (Left Democratic Front or United Democratic Front).

LDF first came into power in Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1980 under the leadership of E. K. Nayanar who later became the longest serving Chief minister of Kerala, ever since 1980 election, the power has been clearly alternating between the two alliances till the 2016. In 2016, LDF won the 2016 election and had a historic re-election in 2021 election where an incumbent government was re-elected for first time in 40 years. Pinarayi Vijayan is the first chief minister of Kerala to be re-elected after completing a full term (five years) in office.

Tripura
Under the leadership of Nripen Chakraborty, the CPI(M) led Left Front won the 1977 assembly elections. Nripen Chakraborty, became the first Chief minister of Tripura from CPI(M). In the next 1983 assembly elections the incumbent government of Left Front was again re-elected and therefore it was in the government for 10 years. In 1988 assembly elections CPI(M) was out of power for 5 years despite being the largest party by seats won. In 1993 assembly elections, the Left Front won the elections and Dasarath Deb sworn in as the Chief minister of Tripura.

From 1993 to 2013, the Left Front won 5 elections continuously. Since the 1998 assembly elections, Manik Sarkar was the Chief minister of Tripura for 20 years making him the longest serving at the position in Tripura. Under his leadership the Left Front has won 1998, 2003, 2008 and 2013. Currently, CPI(M) is the main opposition party in the Tripura Legislative Assembly.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) is the dominant party in the coalition. The other four members of the Left Front are the Communist Party of India, the Revolutionary Socialist Party, the All India Forward Bloc and the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation.

International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties
In 2009, CPI(M) hosted 11th International Communist Parties Meeting in New Delhi. The summit was attended by 57 communist parties from 48 countries.

Leadership
The current general secretary of CPI(M) is Sitaram Yechury. The 22nd party congress of CPI(M), held in Hyderabad 18 April 2018, elected a Central Committee with 95 members including two permanent invitees, six invitees and a five-member Central Control Commission. The Central Committee later elected a 17-member Politburo:

Politburo members
The 23rd party congress newly inducts Ramchandra Dome, Ashok Dhawale and A. Vijayraghavan into the Politburo.

General Secretary
Article XV, Section 15 of the party constitution says:

"'No person can hold the position of the General Secretary for more than three full terms. Full term means the period between two Party Congresses. In a special situation, a person who has completed three full terms as General Secretary may be re-elected for a fourth term provided it is so decided by the Central Committee with a three-fourth majority. But in no case can that person be elected again for another term in addition to the fourth term.'"

Principal mass organisations

 * Democratic Youth Federation of India
 * Students' Federation of India
 * Centre of Indian Trade Unions
 * All India Kisan Sabha
 * All India Agricultural Workers Union
 * All India Democratic Women's Association
 * Balasangam
 * Bank Employees Federation of India
 * Ganamukti Parishad, Tripura
 * Tribal Youth Federation, Tripura
 * Adivasi Kshema Samithi, Kerala

International affiliation
Communist Party of India Marxist is internationally affiliated to IMCWP and Unity for Peace and Socialism. Its members in Great Britain are in the electoral front Unity for Peace and Socialism, with the Communist Party of Britain and the British-domiciled sections of the Communist Party of Bangladesh and the Communist Party of Greece (KKE). It stood 13 candidates in the London-wide list section of the London Assembly elections in May 2008.

Presence in states and politics
, the CPI(M) heads the state government in Kerala. Pinarayi Vijayan is Chief Minister of Kerala. In Tamil Nadu it has 2 MLAs and in the Government with SPA coalition led by M. K. Stalin. The Left Front under CPI(M) governed West Bengal for an uninterrupted 34 years (1977–2011) and Tripura for 30 years, including 25 uninterrupted years between 1993 and 2018. The 34 years of Left Front rule in West Bengal is the longest-serving democratically elected communist-led government in the world. CPI(M) currently has three MPs in Lok Sabha. CPI(M)'s highest tally was in 2004 when it got 5.66% of votes polled in and it had 43 MPs. It won 42.31% on an average in the 69 seats it contested. It supported the new Indian National Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government, but without becoming a part of it. On 9 July 2008, it formally withdrew support from the UPA government explaining this by differences about the Indo-US nuclear deal and the IAEA Safeguards Agreement in particular.

Andhra Pradesh
After formation of CPIM, CPIM came victorious in nine seats in 1967, one seat in 1972, eight seats in 1978, five seats in 1983, 11 seats in 1985, in six seats in 1989, 15 seats in 1994, two seats in 1999, nine seats in 2004 and one seat in 2009. In 2014, CPIM won in one seat, which subsequently went to Telangana state. However, in 2019 CPIM won no seats. CPIM came victorious for many times in local body elections. During the 1988 Lok Sabha election, Tammineni Veerabhadram, one of prominent politicians of CPIM, gathered 352,083 votes (39.01%), finishing in second place, becoming the most voted CPI(M) candidate up to then outside of the left strongholds like West Bengal and Kerala.

CPIM had MPs in Andhra Pradesh rajyasabha multiple times including M. Hanumantha Rao from 1988 to 1994, Yalamanchili Radhakrishna Murthy from 1996 to 2002 and Penumalli Madhu from 2004 to 2010.

Assam
CPIM has a moderate presence in Assam and had run Government in the state once. CPIM first time entered Assam Legislative Assembly in 1978 by winning 11 seats followed by two seats in 1983, two seats in 1985 and two seats in 1991. In the 1996 elections, CPIM won two seats with 1,76,721 votes. and along with Asom Gana Parishad they were in coalition government headed by Prafulla Kumar Mahanta for 1996–2001. But in 2001 elections, it drew blanks. In 2006, the CPI (M) had won two seats. Ananta Deka, Uddhav Barman represented CPIM from Rangia and Sorbhog seats. In 2011 and in 2016, CPIM drew blanks. In 2021, CPIM made a comeback with Mahajot winning one seat from Sorbhog by a margin of around 10,000 votes. Sorbhog is considered as a left bastion in the state.

In lok sabha from Assam, CPIM first won in 1974 when Nurul Huda was elected in a by-election in Cachar lok sabha constituency in early 1974 by-elections. He defeated the Indian National Congress candidate and former Minister Mahitosh Purkayastha by a margin of 19,944 votes. CPIM had also won one seat in 1980, one seat in 1991 and one seat in 1996.

Bihar
CPIM Bihar has its large roots in the peasant movements by undivided CPI in the state. Communists were actively involved in various movements from the 1920s. All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) was founded in 1936, which predominantly became active in Bihar. By 1942, AIKS and communists dominated the peasant movement in the country. The members of AIKS or Kisan Sabha were mostly communists. This created a political and social base for communists in Bihar. Sahajanand Saraswati, Karyanand Sharma, Bhogendra Jha were most notable leaders of the movement. Afterwards Bakasht movement (1946–1952), Madhubani movement, Darbhanga movement mobilised Left politics in the state. Though after 1967, neither CPIM nor CPI(ML), which was formed in 1969, grew as an alternative to CPI until the 2000s.

CPIM won four seats in 1967, three seats in 1969, 18 seats in 1972, four seats in 1977, seats in 1980, one seat in 1985, six seats in 1990, two seats in 1995, two seats in 2000, one seat in February 2005, and a seat in October 2005. The party drew blanks in 2010 and 2015; howeverm it did come back in 2020 elections by winning two seats. CPIM fought election in alliance with Rastriya Janata Dal and fared well. It is also speculated that if more seats were given to the left parties, the election could be won with majority.

CPIM had representatives in Lok Sabha from Bihar only for three times: 1999, 1991 and 1989; each year, it won only one Lok Sabha seat. CPIM also has good presence in the panchayats.

CPIM supported JD(U), RJD and INC to form coalition government in Bihar in August, 2022. However, it did not take part in the government.

Chhattisgarh
CPIM registered its first victory in polls in the Chhattisgarh state in the 2019 municipal corporation elections, in which it bagged two wards. Surthi Kuldeep won Bairotil ward and Rajkumari won in Monkre ward.

Gujarat
CPIM has a limited presence in Gujarat. The party never won any Vidhan Sabha or Lok Sabha seat from Gujarat, though a bit number of panchayat seats are often won. But in 2020, CPIM's student wing SFI historically won the elections of Central University of Gujarat, which is considered as a right-wing bastion in India.

Himachal Pradesh
CPIM has the presence in Himachal Pradesh in areas like Summer Hill, Shimla city, Theog etc. CPIM's student wing SFI has considerably presence in the Himachal Pradesh University. CPIM had representatives in the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly in 1967 and 1993. In 1993, Rakesh Singha won from Shimla seat. However, CPIM managed to win many seats in the municipal and panchayat elections.

In 2012, Shimla Municipal Corporation election, CPI(M) won the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor in Shimla Municipal Corporation with a huge majority with a total of 3 seats.

In 2016, CPIM won 42 seats out of 331 seats contested and received only two district panchayats. In the 2017 Shimla Municipal Corporation election, CPI(M) managed to win only one seat despite being a kingmaker in previous elections.

In 2017, CPIM made a comeback in Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly after 24 years by winning Theog assembly seat. Rakesh Singha, a former CPIM Central Committee member won the seat by a margin of 1,983 seats. CPIM contested for 14 seats in the election. After the election, the presence in state started to increase.

In 2021, panchayat elections, CPIM increased its tally by jumping to 337 seats. 12 zila parishad (ZP) members, 25 panchayat samiti members, 28 panchayat pradhans, 30 vice-pradhans and 242 ward members got elected from CPIM. Also, CPIM candidates got elected for president in 25 panchayats and vice-president in 30 panchayats.

Karnataka
CPIM has not won any seat in Karnataka since 2004. In 2004, CPIM won 1 seat; in 1994, it won 1 seat; in 1985, it won two seats and in 1983, it won two seats in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly.

Kerala
Kerala has a strong presence of CPIM and left parties in its politics and society. CPIM had the most of its electoral success from Kerala after 2011. After 2021 Kerala Legislative Assembly election, it historically formed Government twice breaking the 40 year old political practice of the state. CPIM currently has 62 seats in the assembly.

In Kerala, the CPIM has pursued a policy of massive investment in poverty alleviation, including the distribution of procurement cards that provide almost free access to basic foodstuffs and the introduction of a minimum wage twice the national average, as well as in education and health. According to geographer Srikumar Chattopadhyay, "The communists also strongly developed the panchayat system, the village councils that allow everyone to participate in the development of the state."

Madhya Pradesh
CPIM has entered in Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly only once. In 1993 CPIM won 1 seat.

Maharashtra
Currently the party has one representative in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. CPI(M) candidate Comrade Vinod Nikole, an Adivasi leader and CPI(M) Maharashtra State Committee member won the Dahanu by a margin of 4,742 votes. As of 2020, he is also the State Secretary and Thane-Palghar District Secretary of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU). Notably, the seat was won by CPIM simultaneously from 1978 with just a single exception of 2014.

Manipur
CPIM never won a single seat in Manipur since the party participated in 1995 Legislative Assembly election for the first time in the state. Currently, CPIM is a part of Manipur Progressive Secular Alliance, an alliance led by Indian National Congress.

Odisha
Presently, CPIM has only one representative in Odisha Legislative Assembly from Bonai.

Punjab
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Punjab has an eventful history, connected with the state's socio-political landscape and its struggle for workers' rights, agrarian reforms, and social justice. The roots of the CPI(M) in Punjab can be traced back to the early 20th century with the emergence of various revolutionary movements. Two significant organizations that played a crucial role in shaping the communist movement in Punjab were the Gaddar Party, formed in 1913, and the Lal Communist Party, established in 1928. While the Gaddar Party aimed at seeking India's independence from British colonial rule through armed resistance, the Lal Communist Party focused on empowering peasants and labourers through revolutionary means.

After India gained independence in 1947, the Communist Party of India (CPI) was formed through the amalgamation of various leftist groups, including the Lal Communist Party. However, ideological differences within the CPI led to a split, resulting in the formation of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M) in 1964. The CPI(M) in Punjab has consistently advocated for land reforms, workers' rights, and social equality. It has garnered support among the rural and urban poor, particularly in areas with a strong agrarian base. The party actively participated in various social and political movements, aiming to uplift the marginalized sections of society and improve their living conditions.

During the 1980s, Punjab faced a crisis with the rise of the Khalistan movement, seeking a separate Sikh state. The Khalistan movement posed a significant challenge to not only the Indian state but also to Punjab. During this period, the CPI(M) opposed the Khalistan movement and stood for a united India. In the late 1990s, the CPI(M) faced internal divisions, leading to a significant split. One prominent faction led by Mangat Ram Pasla formed a new party called the Communist Party of Marxist (CPM) in Punjab, pursuing its own ideological path. This internal rift had an impact on the party's organizational structure and electoral presence.

Over the years, the CPI(M) experienced a waning presence on the electoral front in Punjab. The changing political dynamics, rise of regional parties, and the diminishing appeal of communist ideology in a globalized world contributed to its reduced influence in electoral politics. Despite the challenges, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Punjab continues to be active in advocating for workers' and peasants' rights and participating in social and political movements. Its history reflects the complexities of Punjab's political landscape and its contribution to the larger communist movement in India.

Rajasthan
In the 2008 Rajasthan Legislative Assembly election, CPIM secured three seats from Anupgarh, Dhod and Danta Ramgarh. Along with six other parties, CPIM formed Loktantrik Morcha in 2013. However, CPIM could not win any seats in the 2013 Legislative Assembly election. The party made a comeback in the state by winning two seats out 28 seats they contested in the 2018 Legislative Assembly election.

Tamil Nadu
CPIM, as a part of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam front in 1989 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, won 15 seats. In 2006, CPIM was the part of the alliance led by DMK. The party contested in 13 seats and won 9 seats. In the next election, CPIM joined All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam coalition and won 10 seats out of the 12 seats they contested. But the party was unable to secure any seat in 2016. In 2019 Indian general election, CPIM won two seats from Coimbatore and Madurai in Tamil Nadu. In 2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, CPIM made a comeback by winning two seats. In 2022, CPI(M) won many seats in the municipal corporation elections. T. Nagarajan of CPI(M) got the post of Deputy Mayor in Madurai Municipal Corporation.

Telangana
In 2014, CPIM won in one seat in Andhra Pradesh, which subsequently went to Telangana state. However, in 2018 CPIM won no seats. In 2022 Munugode by-election, CPIM supported the candidate fielded by Bharat Rashtra Samithi. In 2023, CPIM will contest the election in alliance with BRS.

1967 general election
In the 1967 Lok Sabha elections, the CPI(M) nominated 59 candidates. In total 19 of them were elected. The party received 6.2 million votes (4.28% of the nationwide vote). By comparison, CPI won 23 seats and got 5.11% of the nationwide vote. In the state legislative elections held simultaneously, the CPI(M) emerged as a major party in Kerala and West Bengal. In Kerala, a United Front government led by E.M.S. Namboodiripad was formed. In West Bengal, the CPI(M) was the main force behind the United Front government formed. The Chief Ministership was given to Ajoy Mukherjee of the Bangla Congress (a regional splinter group of the Indian National Congress).

1971 general election
With the backdrop of the Bangladesh War and the emerging role of Indira Gandhi as a populist national leader, the 1971 election to the Lok Sabha was held. The CPI(M) contested 85 seats and won in 25. In total the party mustered 7510089 votes (5.12% of the national vote). 20 of the seats came from West Bengal (including Somnath Chatterjee, elected from Burdwan), two from Kerala (including A.K. Gopalan, elected from Palakkad), two from Tripura (Biren Dutta and Dasarath Deb) and one from Andhra Pradesh.

In the same year, state legislative elections were held in three states; West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Odisha. In West Bengal CPI(M), had 241 candidates, winning 113 seats. In total the party mustered 4241557 votes (32.86% of the statewide vote). In Tamil Nadu CPI(M), contested 37 seats but won none of them, obtaining 259298 votes (1.65% of the statewide vote). In Odisha, the party contested 11 seats and won in two. The CPI(M) vote in the state was 52785 (1.2% of the statewide vote).

1977 general election
In the 1977 Lok Sabha election, the CPI(M) fielded its candidates on 53 seats scattered around in 14 states and union territories of India. It won 4.29% of the average votes polled in this election. The party had won 17 seats from West Bengal, three from Maharashtra, and one each from Odisha and Punjab. This election was done shortly after the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi and reflected a wide uproar of masses against her draconian rule. A coalition of Opposition parties was formed against the Congress regime; CPI(M) too supported this coalition by not fielding its candidates against the Janta Party.

1980 general elections
The Janta Party coalition did not last long, and two years after its formation India faced the 1980 Lok Sabha election. This election saw an increase in the vote percentage of CPI(M) and the party secured more seats than the previous elections. The Party had contested elections in the 15 states and union territories of India and fielded its candidates on 64 seats. The party had won 37 seats in total. It won 28 seats in West Bengal, seven in Kerala, and two seats in Tripura. The party emerged out as the whole sole representative of the people of Tripura in this election.

2014 Lok Sabha election
Nine CPI(M) candidates were elected in the 2014 Indian general election, as well as two CPI(M)-supported independents. This is further down from the previous number of 16. The national vote share of CPI(M) has also shrunk from 5.33% in 2009 to mere 3.28% in 2014. This is a significant 38.5% reduction within a span of five years which is consistent with the overall decline of the left in India. CPI(M) did not win a single seat in Tamil Nadu and its seats went down from 9 to 2 in West Bengal where it is being heavily eroded by Mamata Banerjee governed AITC. Kerala is the only state where CPI(M) gained one more seat but this is mainly attributed to the splitting of anti-LDF votes between the UDF and emerging NDA. The NDA saw a sharp spike in vote share in decades which came coupled with a sharp decline in UDF votes. Thus, it is assumed that the NDA cut into UDF votes thereby facilitating victory for LDF. This was again mirrored during the 2016 Kerala Legislative Assembly election, which saw the NDA getting entry into the State Assembly for the first time as BJP veteran O. Rajagopal wins the Nemom seat and CPI(M)'s Pinarayi Vijayan forming the LDF-ruled government.

2019 general election
The CPI(M) contested on 69 seats nationwide and won three in the 2019 general election. One seat was won in Kerala, where the CPI(M) is leading the state government. Two other seats were won in Tamil Nadu, where the CPI(M) contested within the DMK-led coalition.

2024 general election
The CPI(M) contested on 52 seats nationwide and won four in the 2024 general election. One seat was won in Kerala, One seat in Rajasthan and two more in Tamil Nadu under the-DMK led coalition.

2002 presidential election
In the 2002 Presidential election, Left Front announced Captain Lakshmi Sehgal as its presidential candidate. Against her was the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. CPI(M)'s leadership announced that in form of Captain Lakshmi, they were fielding an 'Alternative Candidate'. They said that though it was clear that Captain Lakshmi could not become president because of the opposition of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Indian National Congress to her, yet through this Presidential Election, the Left wished to raise key national issues and make them heard by the masses. Captain Lakshmi herself pointed out that this Presidential election reflected the opposition of the Indian Left to the communal-sectarian politics of BJP, and the Left's solidarity with the religious minorities who had suffered greatly under the NDA's leadership.

2012 Presidential election
While CPI(M) supported Pranab Mukherjee as presidential candidate in 2012 presidential election, it was in favour of a non-Congress candidate for the post of the Vice-President.

List of Rajya Sabha members

 * Bold indicates CPI(M) leader in Rajya Sabha

Splits and offshoots
A large number of parties have been formed as a result of splits from the CPI(M), such as
 * CPI(ML)L
 * CPI(ML)RF
 * RMPI
 * MCPI(U)
 * PDS in West Bengal,
 * Janganotantrik Morcha in Tripura
 * Lok Sangharsh Morcha in Punjab,
 * OCP in Odisha
 * CMP(J) in Kerala.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Communist Party of India (Marxist)


text:
Inveraray

Inveraray ( or ; Inbhir Aora meaning "mouth of the Aray") is a town in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is on the western shore of Loch Fyne, near its head, and on the A83 road. It is a former royal burgh, the traditional county town of Argyll, and ancestral seat to the Duke of Argyll.

During the Second World War the Combined Operations Training Centre, located close to the town, was an important military facility.

Coat of arms
The town's coat of arms depicts a net cast out over the ocean, entangled in which are five herrings and the Latin motto "SEMPER TIBI PENDEAT HALEC" (possible English translation: "may a herring always hang to thee").

Arthur Charles Fox-Davies, in his 1909 book A Complete Guide to Heraldry, notes the following:

"There is no doubt of its ancient usage. ...and the blazon of the coat, according to the form it is depicted upon the Corporate seal, would be for the field: 'The sea proper, therein a net suspended from the dexter chief and the sinister fess points to the base; and entangled in its meshes five herrings,' which is about the most remarkable coat of arms I have ever come across."

Inveraray Castle
In 1744 the third Duke of Argyll decided to demolish the existing castle and start from scratch with a new building. The castle was 40 years in construction, and the work was largely supervised by the Adam family, still renowned to this day as gifted architects and designers. The end product was not a castle in the traditional sense, but a classic Georgian mansion house on a grand scale, Inveraray Castle.

Over the years the castle has played host to numerous luminaries; Queen Victoria visited it in 1874, and the Royal connection was further cemented when her daughter, Princess Louise, married the heir to the Campbell chieftainship, the Marquess of Lorne, in 1871, illustrating the elevated position of the Argyll family in the social order of the times.

Rebuilding the town
In 1747, William Adam had drawn up plans for the creation of a new Inveraray. By 1770, little had been done, and the fifth Duke set about rebuilding the town in its present form. Some of the work on the rebuilt Inveraray was done by John Adam. The Inveraray Inn (formerly known as the New Inn, Great Inn, Argyll Arms Hotel and Argyll Hotel) on Front Street being his, as well as the Town House. Much of the rest of the town, including the church, was designed and built by the celebrated Edinburgh-born architect Robert Mylne (1733-1811) between 1772 and 1800.

The end product was an attractive town which included houses for estate workers, a woollen mill, and a pier to exploit herring fishing, which was to grow in later years to play a major role in the town's economy. The finished product is one of the best examples of an 18th-century new town in Scotland, and the vast majority of the properties in the centre of Inveraray are considered worthy of protection because of the town's architectural significance.

Tourist attractions
In addition to the castle, the Georgian Inveraray Jail in the burgh is now a museum. Other attractions include the Argyll Folk Museum at Auchindrain. The Celtic Inveraray Cross can also been seen in the town. The Clyde puffers VIC 72, Vital Spark. The Bell Tower dominates the town, and contains the second-heaviest ring of ten bells in the world. The bell tower is open to the public, and the bells are rung regularly.

Dun Na Cuaiche, Tower
Is a folly of a ruined watch tower over looking Inveraray and Loch Fyne.

Media
In autumn 2014, PBS premiered a series, Great Estates of Scotland. Inveraray was featured in one episode, as was the present Duke of Argyll, head of the Campbell clan.

title: Inveraray


text:
Roger Davis (television actor)

Jon Roger Davis (born April 5, 1939) is an American actor and entrepreneur. He is best known for acting in the television series Dark Shadows and Alias Smith and Jones. He has also appeared in an episode of The Twilight Zone.

Education
Davis was born in Louisville, Kentucky, on April 5, 1939, and graduated from Columbia College in 1961, where he was classmates with Dark Shadows co-star Don Briscoe and director Brian De Palma.

Acting career
Davis first appeared on television in 1962. He portrayed Pvt. Roger Gibson in the television series The Gallant Men. In 1963, he co-starred with Richard Egan in the series Redigo. In 1964, Davis appeared in one episode of The Twilight Zone, "Spur of the Moment", co-starring Diana Hyland, and had a supporting role in the 1964 film Ride the Wild Surf. He guest-starred twice in the western TV series Bonanza, as Harold Stanley in 1966 and Bert Yates in 1971.

From 1968 to 1970, Davis garnered attention playing multiple characters on the daytime Gothic soap opera Dark Shadows. He played Peter Bradford, Jeff Clark, Ned Stuart, Dirk Wilkins, and Charles Delaware Tate.

In 1971, Davis narrated the voiceover theme sequence for the western series Alias Smith and Jones, starring Pete Duel as Hannibal Heyes/Joshua Smith and Ben Murphy as Jedidiah "Kid" Curry/Thaddeus Jones. He also appeared in one of the episodes ("Smiler with a Gun") as slick gunfighter Danny Bilson. Bilson has the distinction of being the only character kind-hearted Kid Curry was ever driven to kill during the series. Also in 1971, he appeared in season 12, episode 17 of Bonanza.

When Pete Duel committed suicide at the end of 1971, Davis replaced him as Hannibal Heyes. However, after Davis completed just 17 episodes, it was clear the show would not achieve the same level of popularity it had with Pete Duel. The series ended in 1973 when competition from the popular Flip Wilson Show siphoned the show's ratings.

Davis continued to act in guest-starring roles on TV series throughout the 1970s as well as the occasional film appearance in movies such as Killer Bees (1974), Flash and the Firecat (1975), Nashville Girl (1976), Ruby (1977), and Aspen (1977), and he has been a voiceover actor for thousands of TV and radio commercials. In 2000, he appeared in the film Beyond the Pale. Davis regularly attends fan conventions for both Alias Smith and Jones and Dark Shadows, and in 2011, he reprised his role of Charles Delaware Tate in both The Blind Painter and The Crimson Pearl, new audio plays of Dark Shadows. In 2019, Davis appeared as himself in the documentary movie Master of Dark Shadows, a direct-to-DVD release.

Business career
Davis developed land and built luxury homes in southern California until 2010, and continues to design and renovate luxury properties in the greater Los Angeles area as of 2022. He owns an interest in movie developer Lonetree Entertainment in Los Angeles. He also renovated the famous Seelbach Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, and built a luxury condominium building there, known as 1400 Willow. His family owned Davis Tire Company in Louisville.

Personal life
In 1968, Davis married actress Jaclyn Smith. After a brief separation, they divorced in January 1975. During his second marriage to Ohioan Suzanne Irwin (Emerson), Roger became a father to a daughter Margaret in 1981. The family resided at Spring Station, Louisville, Kentucky's oldest home, built in 1791. After a divorce in 1983, Davis was married to realtor Alice LeGette from 1985 to 1988. In 1991, Davis married Los Angeles attorney Donna Jenis; they divorced in 1996.

title: Roger Davis (television actor)


text:
A. Charles Muller

A. Charles Muller (born September 19, 1953) is a Japan-based academic specializing in Korean Buddhism and East Asian Yogacara, having published numerous books and articles on these topics. He was one of the earliest developers of online research resources for the field of Buddhist Studies and the founder and managing editor of the Digital Dictionary of Buddhism, the CJKV-English Dictionary, and the H-Buddhism Scholars Information Network, along with having digitized and published numerous reference works.

Early life and education
Muller was raised in Yaphank, New York. He was the youngest of three children. He became interested in East Asia when he began taking karate classes in high school after being bullied.

Muller first took college classes at the University of Dayton in 1971, on a pre-med path. However, he later dropped out. In 1980 he returned to college at Suffolk County Community College, where he studied for a year before transferring to Stony Brook University. Muller's academic study of Buddhism began at Stony Brook, where he majored in Religious Studies under the guidance of Sung Bae Park, a specialist in Seon and Korean Buddhism.

After graduating, he spent two years studying in Japan, after which he spent one year in the graduate program in Religious Studies at the University of Virginia. In 1988, he left UVA to return to Stony Brook, where he completed a PhD in Comparative literature, once again with Sung Bae Park as his principal advisor. He also studied Christian Theology with Peter Manchester, Islam with William Chittick, and postmodern literary criticism with Michael Sprinker and Hugh Silverman. His dissertation, "Hamhŏ Kihwa: A Study of His Major Works," was accepted in 1993, after which he spent six months in Korea as a research associate at the Academy of Korean Studies, before taking up an academic position in Japan, at Toyo Gakuen University.

Career
From 1994 to 2008, Muller taught courses in philosophy and religion at Toyo Gakuen University, during which time he published books and articles on Korean Buddhism, Zen, East Asian Yogacara, and Confucianism. While active in numerous academic organizations such as the American Academy of Religion and the Japanese Association for Indian and Buddhist Studies, he also created online research resources. In 1995, he set up a website called Resources for East Asian Language and Thought, which features online lexicons, indexes, bibliographies, and translations of classical texts. In 1997, he started the Budschol listserv for the academic study of Buddhism, which would, in 2000, become part of H-Net, under the name of H-Buddhism.

He also initiated two major dictionary projects, the Digital Dictionary of Buddhism and the CJKV-E Dictionary. His work in the area of online reference works and digitization led him into the field of Digital Humanities, with his principal area of expertise lying in the handling of literary documents using XML and XSLT. In 2008, Muller was invited to join the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Tokyo, where he taught courses in Digital Humanities, Chinese Philosophy, and Korean Philosophy and Religion.

He retired from UTokyo in March 2019 and moved to Musashino University, where he is director of the Institute of Buddhist culture and teaches courses in Buddhist Studies.

Selected works

 * Korea's Great Buddhist-Confucian Debate: The Treatises of Chŏng Tojŏn (Sambong) and Hamhŏ Tŭkt’ong (Kihwa), 2015.
 * A Korean-English Dictionary of Buddhist Terms, 2014.
 * Wŏnhyo's Philosophy of Mind, 2011.
 * The Collected Works of Korean Buddhism: Volume I: 元堯 Wonhyo: Selected Works, 2012.
 * The Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment: Korean Buddhism's Guide to Meditation, 1999.
 * Digital Dictionary of Buddhism
 * CJKV-English Dictionary

title: A. Charles Muller


text:
Roger Davis (film actor)

Roger Davis (January 20, 1884 – March 3, 1980) was an American actor.

Career
Davis was born in Maryland, and played small parts in a number of Hollywood films of the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. They included A Social Celebrity, (1926), Are You There? (1930) and Youth Takes a Fling (1938). He played roles such as butlers and waiters, and appeared in two of the Tracy-Hepburn vehicles, Adam's Rib (1949) and Pat and Mike (1952). Davis died of cancer on March 3, 1980, at the age of 96.

title: Roger Davis (film actor)


text:
Yateley

Yateley is a town and civil parish in the English county of Hampshire. It lies in the north-eastern corner of Hart District Council area. It includes the settlements of Frogmore and Darby Green to the east. It had a population of 21,011 at the 2001 census. The four wards that comprise Yateley and their 2001 populations are Yateley East (5,168), Yateley North (5,078), Yateley West (5,149), and Frogmore & Darby Green (5,616). The 2009 projection was 20,214, according to the Hart District Council website. Yateley Town Council is one of the few local councils to have been recognised under the national 'Quality Council' award scheme.

In 2011 Hart district was named the UK's most desirable place to live, and Yateley was mentioned on a BBC News article as one of the towns within the district.

History
The name Yateley derives from the Middle English 'Yate' meaning 'Gate' (into Windsor Forest) and 'Lea' which was a 'forest clearing'. Although in historic records, variations of the spelling include Hyatele, Yateleghe, Yatche, Yatelighe, Yeatley, Yeateley and Yatelegh.

Amenities
The parish church is St Peter's. It was badly damaged in a fire in 1979 and subsequently restored. Its outstanding feature is an early 16th century wooden bell tower, housing a ring of eight bells. The tower survived the fire but the bells were cracked and had to be recast. The church is a Grade II listed building. The White Lion pub, is also Grade II listed.

Transport
Yateley was never served by the railway network; the nearest station is 1.5 mi away at Sandhurst. Great Western Railway operate services on the North Downs Line from Reading to Guildford, Redhill and Gatwick Airport.

Stagecoach South operates bus route 3 between Yateley and Camberley every 15 minutes except on Sundays; alternate services extends to and from Aldershot.

Sport
Yateley Football Club was established in 1927 for men's football and Yateley Juniors FC was formed in 1967; in 2008, both of these clubs, and two others, merged to form a single club called Yateley United FC. Yateley United currently compete in the Thames Valley Premier League and play their games at the newly developed Sean Devereux Park.

Yateley Cricket Club (YCC) was established in 1881, playing originally at the Cricketers Pub on Cricket Hill and then on The Green on the Reading Road. In 1999, YCC moved to a new purpose-built ground and clubhouse at Sean Devereux Park.

Education
Following the closure and amalgamation of St Peter's Church of England Junior School and Yateley Infant School, a new primary school opened in September 2010. Named Cranford Park CE Primary School.

Yateley School is the largest secondary school in north-east Hampshire. It caters for children aged 11 to 16 and has an attached sixth-form college.

Frogmore Community College is another secondary school in Yateley.

Yateley Manor School is an independent school catering for around 500 pupils aged 3 to 13.

Notable people

 * Singer Alexa Goddard attended Yateley School.
 * Flora Thompson, author of the trilogy of novels 'Lark Rise to Candleford' is recorded in the 1901 Census as living and working in the Yateley Post Office. These books have since been adapted for television by the BBC.
 * Sonny Black a leading UK acoustic guitarist also lives in Yateley.
 * Contemporary artist James Robert Ford grew up in Yateley and attended Yateley School. A number of his projects, including House Gymnastics, General Carbuncle, and 33 Things to do before you're 10, have taken place in Yateley.
 * Chris Benham, a Hampshire cricketer, grew up in Yateley and attended Yateley School.
 * Author Danny King grew up in Yateley and attended Yateley School.
 * Sean Devereux, a charity worker in Somalia, came from Yateley. He was assassinated and Sean Devereux Park is named after him.
 * David Copeland, known as the "London Nailbomber" after a 13-day bombing campaign in April 1999 aimed at London's black, Asian, and gay communities, grew up in Yateley, though residing in nearby Cove in Farnborough at the time of the attack.
 * Robert Morgan, stop-motion animation filmmaker, grew up here.
 * Jed Wallace, a professional footballer playing for West Bromwich Albion attended Frogmore Community College.
 * Aaron Kuhl, a semi-professional former Reading footballer, currently playing for Slough Town, lives in Yateley.

title: Yateley