Sib Folk News Issue 16 December 2000

The Newsletter of the Orkney Family History Society

Contents From the Chairman 2

From the Editor 3

From the OFHS Office 3

The OFHS Dinner 4

Book Review 5

Correspondence & Queries 6

The Skaill Proof 10

Unsuspected Ancestors 13

SFN on the Internet 14

The William & Ann Harcus Story 15

The Stromness Kirkyard Puzzle 23

Front Cover.

The photograph was taken by Roddy Simpson, one of the Society's newest members and the author of the article entitled 'Unsuspected Ancestors' in this issue. Skara Brae is said to be the most popular site for visitors to Orkney. It is certainly a must for any-one visiting these islands. It is a Stone Age village which until last century remained undiscovered be-neath sand dunes until a great storm blew the sand away. Archaeologists have dated the village at about 3,200 B.C.

From the Chairman's Desk

Can it be twelve months since I wrote a report for the last Christmas newsletter? It is said that time flies when one is enjoying oneself! Certainly time need not "hang heavy" when family history research needs doing.

The big news this quarter is that we have changed our address. The Orkney Heritage Society has agreed that the Orkney Islands Council can lease the Strynd Community Room to us for two years and on a monthly basis thereafter. We moved in on No-vember 1st and were open for business almost immediately The flitting went smoothly thanks to the enthusiastic volunteers too numerous to men-tion. We are also indebted to the Orkney Island Council for help received with the flitting and for drawing up the lease. The new office is situated quite close to Broad Street. We miss the cupboard space of the old place and are in the meantime surrounded by cardboard boxes.

To go with the new office we have a new secretary. Mrs. Gillian Mooney was appointed general secre-tary at the September monthly meeting just in time to be a signatory to the new lease. Gillian is not new to the society as she has been an office volunteer along with her husband, Olaf, almost from day one. We are grateful to her for taking on this extra duty. I hope you will enjoy reading her reports of the monthly meetings.

On the 4th November I had the pleasure of repre-senting the Society at the Council Meeting of the Scottish Association of Family History Societies. It was held in the Prestonfield Room, John Mclntyre Centre, Pollock Halls, University of Edinburgh. It was a lovely bright day for November and Arthur Seat and the Salisbury Crags were looking their best. The chairman, Mr. Peter Ruthven-Murray, gave a special welcome to the Caithness representa-tive and myself as our societies were represented for the first time. The business took almost three hours. Afterwards there were a lot of people one wanted to compare notes with and I was sorry not to have arranged to stay longer. I would suggest that we endeavour to have a regular representative at these meetings, which occur twice a year.

I would like to thank all our members, for your support through the year and to wish you a very happy time at Christmas. A good New Year's reso-lution for us all could be, "Write an article for Sib Folk News". That would ensure a good year in 2001 for the editor!

Ttcut Scott

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From the Editor's Desk

This, the 16th issue of SFN, completes four years since the start of publication. The Society has devel-oped and matured considerably during these four short years. The newsletter may not seem to have developed in line with the Society but on the other hand the Society started from scratch whereas the newsletter was modelled on WESTRAY ROOTS my own newsletter now in its 39th issue.

The time may have come to make changes to the newsletter. Quotes have been received for printing rather than photocopying. Surprisingly the cost would appear to be cheaper. Certainly the quality would be better. Most family history newsletters are called 'journals' and are printed as A5 booklets.

I have always preferred the A4 size, as the font size can be larger. The A5 size uses smaller fonts and is therefore more difficult to read. Family trees are also much more legible on A4 format. Nevertheless A5 has advantages, such as a more professional look, occupies less space, is easier for storage and is cheaper because less paper is used. (A 'Green' argument here, I guess)

The committee will be discussing this matter at their December meeting and I await their decision. So, this may be the last issue of SFN in this format.

There has been some discussion and communica-tion regarding a move to publish SFN on the web. The Committee voted by a small majority to publish but asked me to make the final decision. Mike Clouston has temporarily suspended publication until he receives authority to proceed. Being some-what an amateur computer boffin I lean towards publication but have a slight gnawing feeling that we could lose members. It has been suggested that publication could have the reverse effect and publi-cise our society. If we include some publicity mate-rial in the home page of Mike's website then readers might be motivated to join our society and reap its benefits. I have included Catriona Groat's discus-sion of the subject on page 14 of this issue.

tyaxtui ^ettcUUl

A Letter from the 'Office Volunteers'

The Orkney Family History Society has grown in the last three years and each year we see more of our friends from overseas and mainland Britain. So many come for just a day or a couple of nights and go home disappointed that their holiday was so short. Very few arrive knowing what the landscape is like and many come thinking it is barren, rocky and treeless. The first sight coming into Stromness harbour or landing at Kirkwall airport changes these ideas. Orkney is so different to the place many of the young men and women left in the 19th. century. Like most other places we have moved with the times. A good description of Orkney in early June would be the Emerald Isles with 'forty shades of green.' As the summer progresses so do the colours and in August the countryside is a patchwork of colour. We are not exactly treeless as there are a few plantations around and Kirkwall has a few tall trees and not just the famous one in Albert Street.

Make 2001 the year

YOU

visit Orkney

Rome was not built in a day and neither can Orkney be seen in a day. Although these islands are mere dots on the world map, transport of some kind is needed to see all the sights. The islands are 'oozing' history. Agriculture is the main industry and a variety of Orkney produce finds its way to some of the top London stores.

Most members want to find the birthplace of an ancestor. Buildings have changed over the years but there are still a number of old ones left in Kirkwall and Stromness. Both places having extended out into the rural areas and not skywards. The isles and the rural areas have newer farm buildings which are more convenient with modem methods of farming but most have some old buildings being remnants of the old home and the old byres. Some of the smaller farms have been amalgamated into larger units and probably only a field name today, but in many cases members can tread the path an ancestor trod and

admire the view. The outline of the hills hasn't changed and there are no great forests of trees or high-rise buildings to mar the view It's so fine to sit awhile and close one's eyes and imagine the life that was or to sit by the shore and hear the waves and the birds, just as our ancestors did long ago.

It takes time to see the islands and the Mainland areas and to speak to long lost relatives. When that 'Grand Tour1 of Europe is being planned make sure Orkney has a special place and extra time. After all 'What is this life if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare? No time to stand beneath the boughs and stare as long as sheep or cows:' Wm. Henry Davies

Orkney Family History Society

Overblikk Restaurant, Orkney College,

11th November 2000

The President, Brigadier S P Robertson, welcomed everyone to the Society's annual dinner held, this year, in the new Orkney College's Overblikk Res-taurant. Forty four members and guests attended and there were apologies from Mr Gavin Rendall, Mrs Mimes Manson, Mr Frank Eunson, Mrs Eileen McGibbon and Mr and Mrs Ian and Betty Cameron

Brigadier Robertson gave a special thanks to the Editor Gavin Rendall, the Treasurer Mr George Gray and the Chair Mrs Nan Scott. He expressed his pride at being associated with all the hardworking, dedicated workers who gave so much of their time voluntarily. Nan took the opportunity to say to the society how grateful we were to be able to benefit from Briga-dier Robertson's wise 'perspicacity'. There will be a committee meeting in December. The next open monthly meeting is a 'Members'

Night' scheduled for January 11th, 2001 in the Supper Room of Kirkwall Community Centre.

Nan attended the Scottish Association of Family History Societies' Conference in Edinburgh re-cently, while on holiday, and will tender a report at the next meeting.

We moved into our new premises in the Strynd on November 2nd and George Gray reported on the great interest shown, particularly in the history of the building, after he placed a notice on Orkney-l@rootsweb.com. The houses were built in 1703 and can boast of a most prestigious visitor in Prince William Henry who later became king. He was entertained by no other than Mrs Traill, an ancestor of George, George then asked for a round of applause for Nan for her work in acquiring the lease for the office.

Nan then said grace before we tucked into an excellent meal prepared by 1st and 2nd year pupils of Kirkwall Grammar School. The restaurant is open twice weekly and provides training for the pupils in all aspects of catering from the basics in the kitchen up to full silver service. The food was delicious and the dessert called "Orkney Mist" was something not be missed.

Thanks to Mr and Mrs Alistair and Anne Cormack who provided us with a little bit of light after-dinner amusement by asking us to compose a limerick. Prizes were won by Mrs Susan Mooney, Mrs Janice Sinclair and Mrs Helen Johnston.

Brigadier Robertson's guest, Sheriff Colin Scott MacKenzie, praised our stable and mature society and spoke of the importance of genealogy, knowing who we are and where we come from, and of the great interest being shown also in Shetland and in his own islands, the Hebrides. He compared life in the highlands and islands to that of big cities where one hardly knows one's neighbour and is often ignorant of one's roots.

Mr Harvey Johnston, of the College's management team, and a popular Orcadian speaker, then related an old story (which may or may not be true) from his own area in the parish of Harray dating back to the 8th century when the Vikings spread into Ork-ney and eventually did battle with the Picts in Har-ray. For our members in faraway places Harray is in

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the middle of the main island of Orkney and is the only parish which does not have the sea on any side. After the Pictish king had been captured an angel appeared, in a dream, to the Viking chief making him promise to let the Pictish king and his wife and two children go unharmed and to give him a piece of land. The place name 'Mirbister' may be a combination of the two languages with 'bister' meaning 'homestead' in Norse but there is no Norse equivalent for 'mir' . Could it be a Pictish word?

As Harvey pointed out time is a strange thing. Apparently the Norse language was still attempted in Harray in the 1700's and 1800's, which seems a long time ago, but our grannies could easily have known people who used it.

Harvey's second story concerned a lady born on the island of Wyre in 1647, a relative of his wife. This lady, Margaret Halcro, moved South when she was 19 years old and married a minister but she soon became ill and died. The undertaker noticed her expensive jewellery and at night, after her funeral, and before filling in her grave properly, returned to remove her ring. I won't go into the details concern-ing the method he used but the pain must have awak-ened the lady from a trance and she subsequently made a full recovery and her two sons, Ralph and Ebenezer, founded the first Secession Church in Kirkwall

Nan thanked the evening's speakers, and asked Harvey to pass on our thanks to the restaurant staff. Brigadier Robertson wished everyone a happy jour-ney home after a very successful evening.

The Orcadian Book of the 20th Century

by Howard Hazell.

This time last year we were eagerly awaiting the appearance of "The Orcadian Book of the 20th Century" but it did not make it to the book shops in time for Christmas. Although it has now been on the shelves since February it is still a good buy for this Christmas.

When I first saw the book it reminded me of Arthur Mee's Children's Encyclopaedia. It was big and blue in colour like each of the ten volumes of the encyclopaedia that I had continually dipped into in my childhood. On opening the book I soon realised the quality of the production was even more superior

than my encyclopaedia which has lasted a life-time! As I read at random 1 was again reminded of the enjoyment of my youth when I was allowed to take Peace's Almanacs off top shelf of the "press". These were annual publications that con-tained all that had happened in Orkney during the year and who did it, why, where and when.

The 20th century book is a compilation of well-chosen items from the "Orcadian" newspa-pers 1900-1999. Howard Hazell must have spent many hours of careful research when choosing what to include. The result is a valuable reference book for all Orcadians especially genealogists. As you read you come across helpful additions from Howard. For example Jim Baikie made the news in Cyprus in 1963 when in the R A F and Howard can tell you he is now a cartoonist with interna-tional reputation.

There are a great many black and white photographs. An interesting one on page 133 shows the fourteen middle-aged members of the Groat family from Copinsay taken about 1980. There is one of the great American athlete Jessie Owens pictured with a Sanday wrestler. Like me you may have heard of Jessie Owens but not of Tom Ward! The book contains many interesting things. There is a list of 45 Orcadians, "who made their way in the world", but as you read the book you find the list doesn't stop there. A Roll of honour gives the 603 names of men who died in the first world war as they appear on Orkney's monuments. There are also lists and dates of Ba winners, Stromness Shopping Week queens and many public figures.

The book is published by, and can be or-dered from, The Orcadian, P O Box 18, Kirkwall, Orkney. KW15 1DW. The volume weighs 2 kg but comes extremely well wrapped. One copy costs £31 which includes P&P (U K only). Reviewed by Nan Scott.

Directory of Members Names and Interests

The OFHS office will be producing the next issue of the Directory early in 2001 for distribution with SFN 17. Ensure that your interests, postal address and e-mail addresses are updated if necessary.

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Correspondence The Society does not accept responsibility for the views/opinions expressed in articles and letters published in SFN.

From Jim Wilson (19)

As well as being a member of the OFHS, I also happen to be involved in the BBC-UCL Blood of the Vikings Genetic survey (see SFN 15). One aim of this project is to ascertain the Scandinavian heritage in each of about 25 locations in the British Isles, one of which is Orkney. To this end, we require mouth swab samples from 100 unrelated male volunteers whose paternal grandfathers were born in Orkney. If any readers are, like our editor, interested in participating, or you know of someone who is, please write or e-mail to me at the address below.

jim. wilson @ucl.ac.uk

Galton Laboratory Department of Biology University College London Wolfson House 4 Stephenson Way London NW1 2HE

From Colin Sinclair, Leeds

My g-g-grandfather was William Sinclair who married Janet Linnay. They resided in Holm and had four children -(dates in UK format d-m-y)

Mary (b. 2.7.1832), William (b. 15.3.1834), David (b.25.5.1835), my g-grandfather and

Jane (b.25.1.1844).

David went on to marry Betsy Craigie in Holm Parish (Cof S) Church on 30.7.1868. I think they had four children, Margaret, Elizabeth, Henry and David (b. 18.9.1869), my grandfather. David left Holm to enlist in the Seaforth Highland-ers in the late 1880s and met and married Donald-ina McLean (b. Inverness 12.9.1878). After his military service, David joined the East Sussex County Constabulary and they settled in East Sus-sex where they produced 12 children, ten of whom survived into adulthood - the eleventh child was

(you've guessed it!) David Sinclair - my father. Family "history" has it that my grandfather, before his retirement in 1930, was offered the job of Chief Constable of Orkney, but declined because so many of his family were settled in Sussex and he did not want to leave them behind

I would be interested to hear from anyone who has knowledge of any descendants of William and Janet, especially any living relatives. (Three of my aunts visited the area in the late 70s and made contact). Unfortunately, all have now died and the contacts lost, although a cousin has mentioned that a contact was made at the Post Office at "Donna's Brae"(?)) I have details of some 120+ individual members of David & Donaldina's family.

Yours hopefully Colin Sinclair 2, OakleaRoad Scholes, Leeds, W. Yorks.

E-mail; colinsinclair@compuserve.com

From Bert Baikie, (369) Rnmba3569@aoLcom.

Old Roads

Can anyone help me find the location of old roads running between Birsay and Kirkwall? By old roads I mean the earliest possible records of tracks and roads particularly in the Birsay, Harray and Firth parishes. Any help will be much appreciated.

From Tom Harkness, Bathgate, West Lothian wir8@argonetco.nk

While transcribing headstones in one of the Bath-gate cemeteries I came across an Orkney stray -James Rossie. He was born in Stromness on 25/07/ 1863 and died in Edinburgh 2/02/1932. He had been a medical practitioner in Bathgate for 33 years. If anyone claims Dr Rossie, I would be happy to obtain a literal transcription of the head-stone together with details of his wife and family. I could also take a digital photo of the headstone and put it on my website.

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From Fiona C. Pearson, (424) Manor Farm Bam, Main Street, Bilbrough, York, Y023 3PH

e-mail: fcpearson@hotmail.com

Extracts from Fiona's letter to the Editor

At the moment I am becoming really hooked on this family search, obsessive even! I find my g.grandmother, Ann(e) Williamson so intriguing. I hunger to know more about her, her family and her descendants. By deduction and guesswork in re-reading a photocopied page from the Westray & Papa Westray 1871 Census which George Gray kindly sent me a few months back, I think I have found two other, possible older sisters and I'm hop-ing the full census returns will shed some more light on this.

From the ages of Ann's parents when she was 10 (in 1871) I rather suspected that they would have had older children, besides Ann and her younger brother, John. George Gray did find out an older Agness, married to the 'informant' Peter Harcus, on Ann's mother's death certificate. So from this page of census returns Tve found a 'Barbara* (is it coinci-dence that this is the same name as Andrew's mother), aged 22, living & working at the Logie family grocers. I've also found an 'Anderina' (named after her father perhaps?) aged 16. She was living and working at Ness on the Seator family farm. Agness, then 19, was living and working at Powdykes for the Paterson family. Totally fascinat-ing to me! Tm convinced they are all related, be-cause: They were all bom at Fair Isle;they have this neat 3-year gap between the births. If they axe re-lated, there maybe a missing member of the family in the 13 year old slot but perhaps he/she was work-ing away from Westray (more likely a Tie' at so young an age) or an infantile death in those years. Would there be a record of that? Perhaps Andrew was just away on a very long fishing trip!!

From the OFHS Members' Directory I have been writing and e-mailing quite a few folk interested in the same names. Caroline Shearer, from the U.S. told me about www.familysearch.org where I found Andrew's christening date and his children, Ann and John's christening records but no more siblings recorded. Would this perhaps be because Ann's parents were of a different religion when the (possi-

ble) older children were bom? Did some families not record births and marriages (as I can't find her parents marriage recorded either)? Does this web site only have limited access? I did find out that Ann's father, Andrew, was bom at Dunrossness in Shetland, whereas before, I only knew him as com-ing from Fair Isle.

I'm very interested to know what life was like in their time: the occupations of the people, the fishing, types of boats, what they caught, who they traded with, the emigrations, the hardships, general health and weather in Orkney in 1800's, the churches, the schooling, whether they had newspapers, how they got news of the outside world What was happening in the rest of Scotland at that time? So much! I'm also very interested to find out what happened to Ann's twin boys, Peter & Charles, who were bom illegitimately at Kirkwall in 1890, and their descen-dants. Would you perchance have a copy of a 1901 census return for Kirkwall? I have a photocopy of the 1891. When and where she married David Ma-cLeod, whether she had any more children? My father, Charles Williamson, 1902 Glasgow - 1992 never mentioned his grandmother that I recollect. He had a stepmother called 'Ceena'- I don't know how that was spelt She was also an Orcadian that his widowed father met through some Orcadian society or church in Glasgow in the 1920-30's. My mother, Alice Helen Cochrane, who died in May this year, seemed to indicate that this had been a marriage of convenience as opposed to a love match. She deduced that William would have needed a housekeeper and mother figure for bis three young children (but actually his daughter would have been in her early teens I think). 'Ceena1 (Have you ever heard that name before?) was completely deaf ap-parently and I don't think she had ever been married before.

I am sorry to burden you with so many findings and deductions - you will now see how besotted I am about all this!! But if I don't ask as many people as I can, I'm not going to get much further. My idea is that one of these names might stir within you or a reader a memory or a contact.

Can you recommend any books pertaining to life in Orkney at that time, non-fictional or fictional? Both title and publisher please.

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From the Editor: I have published this letter as some member may like to correspond with Fiona. I can answer two of her questions. The 1901 census will not be available to the public until 2001 at the earliest. The 100 year rule forbids census returns being published until the expiry of 100 years. We are all waiting in expectation for its publication. Fiona's second question regarding a source of in-formation on how Orkney people lived etc. can be found in Alexander Fenton's THE NORTHERN ISLES: ORKNEY AND SHETLAND. Published by John Donald Publishers, Edinburgh, in 1978. ISBN 0 85976 019 7. I do not know whether it is still in print or if copies can be obtained from bookshops. The book contains all the subjects Fiona lists plus many more. The book is well illus-trated with black and white photographs, graphs, an index and bibliography. Readers may know of a more recent book which they can recommend to Fiona.

I do not wish to crow about my own publication WESTRAY ROOTS but I would direct Fiona's attention to that publication which over the last 12 years has covered many of the topics mentioned in her letter and in particular, Westray, the island which fascinates her so.

The OFHS publishes the WESTRAY census re-turns, details of which are contained in this issue of Sib Folk news.

Finally the Orcadian pronunciation o f ' j ' in Jean is 'ch' hence 'jean' is pronounced 'Cheen* or 'Cheeno'. Maybe this is the 'Ceena' you mention.

From Ken Harrison, Vancouver, (108) mcharrison@compuserve.com

The following is a description of what I know about my great-great-grandparents, one an "incomer" and the other a native daughter of Orkney. I would appreciate any and all comments, advice or criti-cism that any reader can offer.

James Smeltie (1774-1852)

James was born on 1 November 1774 in Anstruther Easter, a small coastal town in Fifeshire across the Firth of Forth from Edinburgh, the second and last child of Archibald Smellie and Giizal McCallay.

He was christened soon after, on 13 November 1774, in his family's "home town", Carstairs, Lan-arkshire. His father died when James was eleven months old, and it appears that his mother took him and his sister Elizabeth back to the Carstairs area. He studied at Glasgow University, and likely acted first as a schoolmaster, until he could obtain a post in a church. One family story suggests that he taught in New Monkland (east of Glasgow) for a while.

It is unknown how he came to move to the Orkney Islands, but it may have involved political manoeu-vering of the Honyman family. Sir William Hony-man of Graemsay, Orkney (Lord Armadale) bought, in 1792, the estate of Dr. William Smellie in Lanark. Although no connection between our family and Dr. Smellie has been proven, it is a good possibility. The half-brother of Lord Armadale, Robert Honyman, was elected in 1802 MP for Orkney & Shetland, the year that James Sinellie is first known to be in Kirkwall.

James was licensed to preach in the Church of Scotland parishes of St. Andrew's and Deemess on 19 August 1802, and ordained there on 2 May 1805. I have his original handwritten sermons for the first year, bound in hard cover. In 1830 Deerness was made a separate parish and he remained in charge of St. Andrew's until 1843, when he seceded to the Free Church and moved with most of the congrega-tion to a new church of the same name which they built on a hill overlooking the old one. He then remained in charge of that church until his death in 1852, dying (as his memorial stone says) "in the 79th year of his age and 48th of his ministry".

The "Annals of the Free Church of Scotland" state that he signed the Act of Separation from the Church of Scotland. I have visited the headquarters of the Free Church in Edinburgh and viewed the original document, but was unable to find his signa-ture. Neither does his name appear on the typed transcription of the signatures. Perhaps he signed a satellite document which was circulated to the out-lying parishes, and which is now lost.

St. Andrew's parish covers most of the island of Pomona (Mainland Orkney) east of Kirkwall, an area which includes the estate of Tankerness. The graveyard is adjacent to the Hall of Tankerness and the ruined Church of Scotland manse is a quarter

mile away, with the Church another quarter mile away. The Free Church and its manse are about another half mile away, all four sites within eye-sight of each other. James died in his sleep on 22 December 1852, presumably at the Free Church manse. He appar-ently suffered from palsy for a short period prior to his death, and was paralyzed (possibly from a stroke) in his final days. No official record of his death has been located. A stone in his memory stands at the eastern side of the St. Andrews parish graveyard, but it is uncertain whether this marks his grave.

At his death, only six of his eighteen children were alive. He had himself given them all a liberal and classical education, three sons becoming Free Church ministers, one son a medical doctor and one son a businessman in Ontario. His obituary in the "Edinburgh Witness" in 1853 said "He de-tested all guile and deceit. His opinions were avowed with openness and unshrinking manliness; for plain honesty and fearless uprightness were striking features of his character."

James was married twice, his second wife being Helen Spence, the widow of Capt William Irvine and eldest daughter of James Spence of Pow, near Stromness. They were married 3 May 1831, and had no children, although she would have been in charge of caring for the surviving 12 children from his first marriage, who at the time of her marriage ranged in age from 3 years to 25 years of age. She died two years after him, on 1E February 1855.

He was first married, on 5 November 1805 in Kirkwall, to

Margaret Spence (1787-1829)

Margaret was the eldest child of David Spence and Lucia Traill. She was bom in Kirkwall on 29 April 1787 and was baptized there on 3 May 1787. In her 23 years of married life at the old St An-drew's manse, she gave birth to 18 children (no twins). Margaret died on 4 July 1829 at the old St. Andrew's manse, possibly in childbirth to a nine-teenth child who also did not survive the birth. Some records have incorrectly given her death date a year earlier, on 14 July 1828, at the birth of her eighteenth child, John.

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Parishes: 1821 Census: Deerness, Orphir, St Andrews, Sandwick, South Ronaldsay and Burray, Stromness.

1851 Census: Birsay, Deemess, Eday & Pharay, Evie and Rendall, Firth and Stenness, Hairay, Holm & Paplay, Hoy and Graemsay, Kirkwall & St Ola North Ronaldshay, Orphir, Rousay & Egilshay, St Andrew's, Sandwick, San-day, Shapinshay, South Ronaldsay and Burray *, Strom-ness *, Stronsay, Walls and Flotta.

Price: AS4.00 each or * AS4.50, # AS5.00 (incl. p & p). Discounts 10% on 5-9 sets, 20% on 10-24 sets. Agents: Aberdeen and North East Scotland Family History Society, Ontario Genealogical Society. Email: davidrti@iinet.netau

Please make payment to> D.S. Armstrong, P.O.Box 136,

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SFN Publishing Dates 2001

Last date Target for for receipt of Publishing

articles

SFN 17 Feb 5 Feb 28

SFN 18 May 7 May 31

SFN 19 Aug 6 Aug 31

SFN 20 Nov 5 Nov 30

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Genealogical Information from the

"Skaill Proof 1843"

This listing has been supplied by Tom Scott of Yapton, West Sussex (31). Tom was bom at Skaill in Westray and is the brother of our Chairman's husband, Jack Scott. The listing will prove of interest to readers researching relatives from Westray or in the case of the Traill family and others, from wider afield. The Editor.

The Skaill Proof, 1843

This book recorded information from witnesses re-garding a petition presented to the Lords of Council and Sessions at the instance of Mrs. Jane Traill or Forster residing at Low Felling, County of Durham and Hudson Blackburn Blackett, mariner in Newcas-tle on Tyne against Thomas Traill Esq. of Holland and Miss Robina Sinclair residing in Kirkwall involv-ing the legitimate ownership of Skaill, Westray, fol-lowing the death of Dr. George Traill, the third laird of Skaill. The following list records genealogical information given by the witnesses during their state-ments.

Anderson, J . Rev., in the Orphir Manse, Synod clerk for Orkney, provided two Books of Births for Ork-ney. No records for Westray before 1733.

Angel, William, age 45, born 1798, wife Mary Ren-dall, residing at Leaguoy on Skaill estate.

Balfour, George, age 80, born 1763, wife Margaret Hewison, father David Balfour, residing at Gateside, Westray.

Beattoo, Barbara age 67, born 1776, at Uffts, Tren-aby, husband John Gray. Her father David Beatton and maternal grand father John Logie who had a son John.

Cooper, Jerome, age 49, bora 1794, on Noltland Estate, farmer at Beltowers on Skaill.

Couper, Mary, age 83, bom 1758, Aikerness, hus-band James Meil d.1839, resides Cold, Westray.

Dennison, Margaret, bom Noltand, husband George Traill. Father Jerome Dennison. Drever, William, bom at Ness, Papa Westray, first husband of Jean Smith, resides Ness.

Fraser, Robert, age 76, bom 1768, resides Shet-land.

Gray, Louisa, age 61, bom 1782, at Touquay. First husband Mr Linay's mother Janet Stevenson died 1821 aged 75. Louisa resides at Skaill.

Groat, Elspeth, age 69, bom 1775, father Wil-liam Groat, mother Jean Traill. G.father David Traill of Skaill. G.mother Jean Jacobson from Shetland. Elspeth resides P. Westray.

Groat, Thomas, father William Groat, mother Jean Smith. G.father David Traill of Skaill. Tho-mas resides Lightcost

Harcus, Walter, age 89, bom 1763, at Wantis, Westray. Resides Southvia P.Westray.

Harcus, Elizabeth, age 69, bom 1774, at Sken-nes, P.Westray. Father Benjamine Harcus, mother Betty Pottinger. Elizabeth resides Southill, P.Westray.

Hewison, Margaret, age 84, bom 1759, Wes-tray, husband George Balfour whose father David was tenant of Skaill, then Bu and later Brough. Margaret resides Gateside.

Hewison, Janet, age 65, bom 1779, resides P.Westray.

Jameson, Elizabeth, age 79, bom 1765, resides Lerwick. Widow of Robert Winwick farmer of Uyeusound, Shetland.

Kelday, Barbara, age 74, bom 1769, bom Rack-wick, resides at Pow, Westray.

Lamb, William, age 90, bom 1754, Unst, resides Unst, Shetland.

Laurenson, Robert, age 84, bom 1760, Unst, resides Unst, Shetland.

Linnay, Margaret, age 66, born 1777, resides Hardbraes. G .mother Elspet Taylor from P.Westray.

10

Logie, George, age 30, born 1814, Pole. Father Andrew Logie, resides Pole, Westray.

Logie, Andrew, age 66, bora 1778, father of George Logie, resides Pole, Westray.

Logie, George, age 93, born 1750, Rackwick, resides Pierowall, Westray.

Logie, Jane, age 85, bora 1758, Queenabreckan, father James Logie. She now resides atNorthhouse, Pierowall, Westray.

Manson, David, an Elder in the Established Church Westray in 1843.

Meal, Elizabeth, age 79, bora 1765, on Skaill estate, widow of James Tulloch, she had 5 older brothers and 4 sisters. Her father was Arthur Meal d. 1818; mother Jean Murray d. 1824. She resides

atCottofHuan.

Meal, James, wife Mary Couper. He resided as servant at Skaill many years.

Moncrief, Jane, age 69, born 1775. Widow of L t Robert Sinclair of O.&S. Fenciblesm. 9/6/1798. He died 1/11/1806 at Lodge, Shapinsay. She resides in Kirkwall.

Paplay, James, age 93, bora 1750, resides Veil, Westray.

Paplay, Elizabeth, age 57, born 1787, husband Sinclair Rendall. Father James Paplay bom Westside, Westray and died 1843 aged 93.

Paplay, Margaret, widow of William Rendall, father James Paplay. She resides Veil, Westray.

Pottinger, Jane, age 66, bom 1775, resides at Knugdale. Her uncle-in-law James Meil was born at Skaill. He died in 1839 aged 91.

Pottinger, Kirsty, age 53, born 1790. Husband ? Tulloch, her mother Mary Couper of Cowald.

Pottinger, William, age 62, bom 1781, resides Muckensey, Westray.

Reid, Thomas, age 78, bom 1765 Voldegar, Wes-tray; resides Aberdeen.

Reid, Ann, age 80, born Voldegar, Westray, resides Aberdeen. Reid, Janet, age 59, born 1784 Breck, Aikerness, husband John Reid one time tenant of Skaill.

Reid, Margaret, age 46, born 1798, widow of William Groat. Father Robert Reid tenant of Linean for 50 years where he died aged 83.

Rendall, Marion, age 67, born 1776, mother Petrie Elspeth born at Breck, Aikemess. Marion resides at Ring, Westray.

Rendall, Mary, age 41, bom 1802, resides Leaquoy, Westray.

Rendall, John, age 27, born 1817. Father Sinclair Rendall, mother Elizabeth Paplay.

Rendall, William, age 71, born 1772 Halloyce, resides Guild, Westray.

Rendall, George, resides Breakaskaill, Westray.

Scott J e r o m e , age 69, born 1772, Wantisse, resides Cleat. Father John Scott d. 1789, mother Margaret Harcus died P.Westray 1830, aged 98 years.

Scott, Simon, age 76, born 1768, resides How, near U.F. Church. Father George Scott, mother Margaret Reid.

Seatter, Charles, age 72, born 1771, resides Bern-dale, Westray.

Seatter, Ann, age 78, bom 1773, Noltland, resides 11 Richmond Street, Edinburgh. Husband was James Shearer a tailor in Kirkwall.

Seatter, John, age 61, born 1783. Westray Session Clerk, resides Hellyea, Westray.

Sinclair, Robert, bom in Bull, Rapness.Lt. in the Fencibles. Married Jane Moncrief 9/6/1798, died 1/11/1806. Children William d. infant; Robina b. 21/10/ 1804.

Sinclair, William, resides Bull, Rapness. Father Thomas Sinclair, mother Barbara Traill. Barbara was daughter of Traill, Holland and Mary Graham.

Barbara was a sister of George Traill, 1st. laird of Skaill.

1

Smith, Izatt, age 50, born 1793, Piggar, resides Robertson Street, Glasgow.

Smith, Elizabeth, age 63, born 1780, resides Newark, Westray; widow of William Corse. Her mother Jane Stevenson d. 1822 aged 74.

Spence, Marjory, age 79, born 1765, widow of Andrew Traill, son of Thomas Traill and grandson of David Traill of Skaill, Westray.

Taylor, William, age 84, born 1759, Bucklesberry, resides at Bucklesberry, Westray.

Taylor, Mary, age 40, born 1803, resides Buckles-berry, Westray; husband Thomas Rendall.

Thompson, James, age 55, born 1788 P.Westray, resides Tower of Brough, Westray.

Traill, George, wife Elizabeth Kirkness. Father a Traill of Holland, mother Mary Graham.

Traill, Jean, bom Shetland, father David Traill, mother Janet Jacobson. Jean died P. Westray 1804/5 * Children Jean by Peter Smith; husband William Groat and children George, David, Elspit and Ann. * Jean could not be a witness as she was dead. Perhaps it was her mother who died in 1804/5!

ORKNEY ANTIQUITIES RAISE FUNDS FOR RESCUE ARCHAEOLOGY

The Friends of Orkney Archaeological Trust are offering the following items for sale. The profits will go towards funding rescue archaeology in Orkney

The first item is a facsimile of a paper printed by The Kirkwall Press in 1936 as the written record of a paper read on 8 October 1903 in Dounby. This paper, by George Marwick, is titled The Old Roman Plough However, speaking in 1903, George Marwick describes it as the plough used by "our grandfathers and great-grandfathers" and was also known as the Side Plough and Stilltie. According to the introduction, the paper covers

(a) Names of Parts (b) Methods of Construction and Proportion of Parts (b) Various Legends and Notions of the Olden Times in connection therewith. The booklet is a fascinating mixture of fact, folklore and an insight into life in nineteenth century Orkney. It is now

available in a limited edition of 500. Care has been take to match the colours of the original as closely as possible. The first 100 copies have been reserved for members of FOAT

Also available are two facsimile maps. The first is of the Parish of Orphir compiled by A W Johnston in 1813 and covering Clestron, Petertown, Houton, Midland, Orphir, Swanbuster, Smoogro, Greenigoe and Groundwater. It shows the "supposed track of Swein's flight to Dam say", "the great stone, with thumbmark thrown from Hoy", together with many other historic and legendary sites. The second map is of the Tun of Orphir by James Johnston of Coubister and drawn about 1820. It provides a more detailed picture of the area around Oiphir Bay, the kirk, Gyre and the old commonty. The maps are printed on vellum type paper, \6V2 x 1VA in (42 x 30 cm) and arrive rolled in a tube. They are suitable for reference or for framing.

Both the booklet and the maps make interesting gifts and are easy to post Copies of The Old Roman Plough (£5 + 5 Op p&p), the map of the Parish of Orphir (£3.50 + 25p p&p) and the map of the Tun of Orphir (£3.50 + 25p p&p) can be ob-tained from Liz Gilmour, Brough View, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2LT.

Please make cheques payable to Friends of Orkney Archaeological Trust.

Traill, Margaret, age 72 born Holland P. Westray, husband Rev. John Simpson resides Manse, Stronsay, father Thomas Traill. Husband one time minister in Delting, Shetland.

Traill, David, resides Skaill in later years. Father George Traill. Mother possibly Margaret Deran, P. Westray.

Traill , George, born Skaill, resided Skaill. Father George Traill, mother Elizabeth Kirkness. George (2nd. Laird of Skaill) at 60 years married Margaret Dennison of Noltland, they had children George and Betty.

Traill, William, born Skaill, resided and farmed Breck of Aikemess. Father George Traill, mother Elizabeth Kirkness.

Traill, George, bom Skaill, resided Scotland. FatherGeorge Traill, mother Margaret Dennison. George (3rd. laird of Skaill), Trained as a doctor, rarely visited SkaiU and died in Crieff, Scotland.

Twatt, Rob in a, age 63, bom Hookin and resides Hookin, P. Westray, husband George Kelday tenant of Hookin from Thomas Traill of Holland.

12

UNEXPECTED ANCESTORS By Roddy Simpson

2 Clarendon Crescent, Linlithgow, West Lothian, EH49 6AW. E-mail: simpson.Iithgow@nationwideisp.net

I have been visiting Orkney reguJarly for holidays for about thirty years without ever thinking that 1 might have Orkney ancestors.

It was the writing of George Mackay Brown that first attracted me to Orkney in 1971. The impression from that visit brought me back and I now feel deprived if I don't have my two weeks in Orkney each summer.

I had thought that I knew a reasonable amount about my family history but to pursue the interest more thoroughly, and because I no longer had my parents to ask, I enrolled on a Scottish family history evening class at Edinburgh University in the autumn of 1999. The class was very useful in making me aware of the methods of research and the sources of information. It also included a visit to New Register House to demonstrate how to use the statutory registers. This was when 1 found out that my great-grandmother was bom in Sandwick.

For the evening visit to New Register House I de-cided to try and get information about my father's mother, Agnes Duff. She had died in 1913 when my father was an infant and my grandfather had remar-ried. My father had told me that her family was from Aberdeenshire but contact had been lost after her death.

I found the birth certificate of Agnes Duff. She was bom on 26 January 1876 at Rhyme, Aberdeenshire. It also showed that her parents, James Duff and Mary Moar, were married in Sandwick. This was totally unexpected. I was excited to find out more and, with the help of my tutor, I made good progress on that first night. James DufFand Mary Moar were married at Sandwick Manse by the Rev Charles Clouston on 27 April 1865. James Duff, 21, was a farmer at Yeldidee and Mary Moar, 25, was a domestic servant there. From the OPRI found that Mary was baptised on 17 August 1839 and that her father was George Moar and mother Elisabeth Harvey. The OPR showed that they had been married in Sandwick on 9 January 1838.

It had turned out to be a frantic evening and the significance didn't really sink in. When I had the chance to reflect I just found it uncanny that I had been attracted to Orkney for all these years and now found there was a family link.

Over the next few months I was able to visit New Register House on a couple of occasions to do some more research. There are many Moars in Sandwick and I found the censuses particularly useful as they gave a fuller picture of this family name. I was also able to go further back. From the OPR I found Mary Moar's father, George Moar, was baptised on 27 August 1809 and his father was also George Moar and his mother Jannet Brass. They resided at Quoy-loo.

My great, great grandfather George does not appear on the 1841 census but his wife Betty Moar, a straw platter, and daughter Mary are shown at Scarwell. In the 1851 census George is living at Esco. His family has grown and in addition to his wife, now described as Betsy, and his daughter Mary, there is another daughter Anne, aged nine, and a son George, one year old. In this 1851 census George is described as a seaman while in later censuses, 1861 and 1871, he is the farmer at Quean, Sandwick. I do not think this unusual for Orkney but it revealed another coincidence. Both my father, Robert Roy Simpson, and his elder brother, James Duff Simp-son, were master mariners although, there was no previously known family link with the sea. Also, during the Second World War my father served for a time on a hospital ship in Scapa Flow. It is strange to think that he had no awareness of his close family ties to the area.

My holiday in Orkney during the summer of 2000 took on a new perspective as it was an opportunity to pursue some family research. Visits to the Family History Society and the Archives proved very useful and with the help and advice I got there I was able to add to my information. However, visiting the places associated with my ancestors was the most fulfilling. Yeldidee, although a ruin, was very

13

atmospheric. I had found from the Orkney Ar-chives that my great, great grandfather Robert Duff, the father of James, was the tenant from 1863 - 69. He had possibly been brought to Orkney from Aberdeenshire by the Laird of Skaill, William G Watt, as part of the agricultural improvements of that time. There are no Duffs in the 1871 census so Robert appears to have returned to Aberdeenshire, taking James and Mary with him. Mary does not seem to have returned to Orkney, dying at Rhyme, Aberdeenshire on 12 February 1923 and James Duff predeceasing her on 22 June 1904.

The churchyard overlooking the Bay of Skaill was a very special experience. I don't think I have ever visited Orkney without spending time on the beach or visiting Skara Brae. I little realised that I had ancestors in the nearby graveyard. I was delighted at the gravestones I found. There was my great, great grandfather George Moar who died on 14 March 1878. The gravestone was erected by his second wife, Ann Brass. There was the gravestone of his son, George, who had taken over Quean, Newgarth, who died on 15 March 1910 age 60 years and another stone listing several of his sons: William K Moar who died on 2 March 1942 aged 56, David Moar who died I August 1967 aged 83 and George P Moar who died 30 September 1978 aged 85 years. There were also other Moars but I will need to do further research to find out their significance. 1 didn't visit Quean as there did not appear to be any of the old buildings there. All I could see from the road was a modern house.

I would like to find out about great, great grandfa-ther George Moar's seafaring activities because of my father and uncle's careers at sea. This will be something to pursue. By chance I came upon an interesting detail in the Stromness Museum. On the wall is displayed a ship's agreement from the whaler "Neptune" which lists the crew who boarded at Stromness on 19 April 1831 and one of these is James Moar. It may have no relevance but there could be a family link to George Moar.

There is a lot of research still to be done but I plan to do bits and pieces over the coming years and build up a fuller picture and family tree. There is no doubt that this family link has enhanced and added a different dimension to my holidays in Ork-ney.

Discussion generated by Catriona Groat

(320) on the merits of publishing SFN on

the Internet

I have recently had a discussion with Mike Clouston about the merits of the SFN being on-line. The following is my view on the subject.

Mike, as an OFHS member (of some two years or more) and a user of this forum, I think what you have done is excellent and agree that to some existing members, the benefits of membership may not be perceived as worth paying for when SFN is freely available on-line. However these members must surely be those who see the Sib Folk News as the only resource available through membership!!

I would support the delay in on-line publishing for three months, which you propose. Perhaps this would show folk what they are missing by not taking out membership. The index of the issue currently available by snail mail, but not on-line, would whet their appetites until it was made available. Publishing only the main article and contact details, in my opinion, would be a poor reflection of the value of SFN or OFHS member-ship.

To attract more members (and therefore income! ) it is vital to show the variety of areas in which the Society is involved and how the Society can help. Making a list of resources and the newsletter available as publicity material, will help to achieve this. I presume, like other Family History Societies, the OFHS lodges a copy of its newslet-ter in the local library - this is then freely available to non-members, albeit on a smaller more local scale. To attract members from further afield (where so many Orcadians seemed keen to go!) the OFHS must engage in more widespread pub-licity and the newsletter on-line is a very effective way of doing this in today's computer-oriented age. There are many amateur genealogists around the world for whom the Internet is the first way of doing research. Taking the OFHS to them via an on-line Sib-Folk News is eminently sensible!

Continued on page 22

14

William Harcus and Ann Sinclair A teaching double act which equipped many Westray boys and

girls for life beyond Westray*s shores From the diary of their Daughter

Ann Harcus By kind permission of Nigel Fairley

First published in WESTRAY ROOTS 23, in August 1994

My mother's father was Robert Sinclair, a sailor. I never heard much of his father and mother, but they belonged to a set or clan of Sinclairs, Balfours, Smiths and Hewi sons who kept themselves sepa-rate, intermarried and went in for more education and perhaps culture than the rest of the islanders, in so far that they were nicknamed the "North Shore Dons". Some said that there was Spanish Armada blood but mother would not have that. She said the Sinclairs came from Caithness.

A grand uncle of mother sent his three daughters to London for their education. That meant something in those days.

There is a story of a man who lived at the farm of Noup who had twelve daughters. These daughters named Rendall, married into the clan and it is said that each of them, when she got married, was given a quaich full of gold by her fa-ther. Where the gold origi-nally came from I never heard, but the marriages were traced by a descendant, David Bal-four, who was in a lawyer's office in Edinburgh, when he wrote the family tree. David Balfour went to Jamaica, and became a judge and died there. His widow, who still lives in Jamaica, may have the document I remember seeing it and our family's connection with one of the Rendall ladies set down in it, but there was no trace of the gold in our day.

My grandfather Robert Sinclair, was about to be married to Betsy Smith. His house was built and ready, when he was taken by the Press Gang and put in a man-o-war. It was in the Bonaparte wartime, and sailors were liable to be taken forcibly. I don't know how long he served, but in the battle with the

French, he helped in the taking of a French man-o-war and got the offer of prize money or his liberty. As he was eager to get home to be married, he took his liberty and came home.

After the marriage he sailed as captain of a schoo-ner. Four children were born in the house at Pierow-all, Westray. Robert, Hannah, Ann and William. Then his young wife died when William was a baby. Their Auntie Annie, Captain Sinclair's sister came to look after them. He continued sailing but he was killed by falling down the hold of his ship at Newcastle when William was four years old. He

was buried there and no friends saw his grave until his grandson, William Harcus, discovered it in the Sailors' Burying Ground, when he and his wife were on their honey-moon. There was part of a stone left with the inscription erected by the Master Mari-ners of Newcastle "to the memory of Captain Robert Sinclair," Robert Sinclair's two grandsons and a great grandson, combined and put

up a new stone, leaving the old stone beside it. There could not have been much money left, as grandfather came out of the Navy with none, and there hadn't been much time to gather since, so that Auntie Anne must have had a tough time bringing up the four children. Robert, the eldest, left for Leith when he was thirteen and never came back to Westray again, but his house, when he got married and lived in Edinburgh, was home from home for many branches of the family who found their way south in later years. Hannah and Ann, mother's sisters, started dressmaking in the house, and got on well. William went to sea as soon as he was old enough.

William and Ann's parents & family

Robert m Betsy Thomas m Marrion Sinclair Smith Harcus Harcus

1 \

Robert Hannah i

William i

John Nellie 1

Thomas

Ann m William Sinclair I Harcus

i 1 1 ' 1 1 1 Betsy John William Margaret Ann Robert

15

Now we come to where mother, Ann, starts her distinctive life. The secession preachers had been coming to Westray and gathering a nucleus of a congregation, especially among the young people. Mother was one of them. Mr. Re id, the first minis-ter of the new congregation, was a pioneer reformer. He wanted to start a school, and looking out for teachers, fixed on mother for one. She didn't want to be a schoolmistress, but he persevered until he got her started with little girls, and she kept at it for 53 years. There wasn't any work for women except farm work and Mr. Reid wanted to start some work for the winter evenings to give them a chance to earn some money. He sent mother to Edin-burgh to learn the Ayrshire needle-work, now called "Broderie Anglaise" At the school in Edin-burgh, an exami-nation was held when she had been there a fort-night. She got the silver medal in-scribed "Pre-sented to Ann Sinclair for Profi-ciency in Needle-work"

An agency was formed with a Glasgow firm for the work, and mother taught the women to do it. Her school be-came a centre for other islands as well as Westray, and women and girls took lodgings in the village. She taught all sorts of needlework. Women all over the islands remember their schoolmistress yet, and thank her for not only teaching, but for the influence she had on their young lives.

My father, William Harcus, was born in Skelwick, Westray. His father, Thomas Harcus, was a farmer and had six brothers and three sisters, most of who lived beyond 80. Two brothers were sailors. One, Matthew, when home on leave was in danger of the Press Gang, but my grandfather hid him in the corn

stack, and when the boat sailed away with the Press Gang he got across the Westray Firth. He crossed to Caithness and walked from there to Burntisland where his brother Alexander lived. Sadly he caught cold on the journey and died. Another brother, Pollerfen, was drowned off the coast of Africa.

My father had two brothers and one sister. John, the eldest, died a young man. He was married and his widow, our Auntie Nellie, was a great favourite with us. Uncle Thomas and Auntie Marion were staying at home people, never out of Westray, but

they took an inter-est in the outside world, and were interesting people themselves.

The secession re-vival had been the stirring point in their young lives. Their father had joined the new congregation The New Kirk -but his laird was from the Old Kirk, so he was turned out of his good farm and had to set to and make a living out of poor hill ground. My father used to tell of the 41st Psalm being

sung at worship the night before they left their house.

Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble.

Father went to sea when he was a lad. He was at the Greenland whale fishing when he was eight-een. He measured 6' 2" in his stocking soles then. He sailed for some time on coasting vessels but Mr. Reid, the minister, had been keeping his eye on him. I expect in the winter when he wasn't sailing, he would be one of the young men attend-ing some of his classes. 1 knew he wanted to send him south to be trained as a doctor. Mr. Reid had

16

influential friends that he could draw upon for funds, but father didn't want to be so dependent, so he got him to be a teacher. He must have first stayed at home as I find a book here dated 1833 with William Harcus, teacher, Skelwick, written upon it. His school was at the New Kirk, a site for which had been given by Mr. Traill, the Laird of Papa Westray and part of Westray. This was a good distance from father's house so he came to live in Pierowall, a bachelor's life in a house near Hewison's shop. Mr. Reid had classes in his own house for his teachers; and there my father and mother must have met. They were married in 1839 1 think, but I do not know the exact date. My mother was the first one to marry out of the clan. She was one of the wee Sinclair Dons. He was a big man from the farm, an Uitlander in fact, but 1 think, we, the descendants have to be thankful for the combination. She was smart with brains, tongue, hands and feet. He was the slow philosopher, except when the berserk mood was on, but a bom teacher. He had only a few months at a time tuition, partly with the Rev Mr. Buchan of Holm who was a Latin scholar, and a time at Madras College in St Andrews The rest was self-taught, but his scholars could go out into the world and keep their place with anyone.

Well, the household was set going, but there wasn't much of the filthy lucre to keep it going. A small salary from the Brough-ton Place Church, Edin-burgh, for father and fees mostly paid in kind, rigs of potatoes, oatmeal, and butter sometimes. In some cases, whole fami-lies were taught and paid nothing Had it not been for mother's wonderful pluck and cleverness with her hands, the family could not have been brought up so well as they were. Bigger girls came to leam all kinds of nee-dlework so they might get work to earn money. There were eighty in the house when I was a baby. Between times she did dressmaking and millinery.

She told me that when we were wee, she wakened at 4 a.m., sat up in bed and made bonnets before the rest wakened. Then there were the babies:

Betsy was bom on Dec 22,1840, John on Sept 27, 1842, William, Feb 7, 1845, Margaret, March 12, 1847, Anne Catherine, July 16,1850, Robert Sinclair, May 7, 1853.

Margaret died before I was bom. That was one of the bad times in mother's life. She never forgot it Margaret took scarlet fever and died. Father, Betsy and John also took it. They were very ill, father especially. Mother nursed them. She had a good maid who took charge of William in the kitchen. He escaped the fever, and learned to read while isolated from the others. The neighbours were frightened of the fever and wouldn't come near, except one old man who brought the provisions we needed. Mr. Reid, the minister, also helped. It was a hard time for mother but she was thorough and her patients recov-ered.

One of my recollections was of Robert, the baby, having rheumatic fever and going to hide to escape his cries when father lifted him. He must have had infantile paralysis in one leg. Though he got over it,

there was a weakness in one side, which handi-capped him all his life.

The next memory I have is of being wakened early in the morning by John who was leaving for Leith. Then I see a picture of the sands at Pierowall Bay, a boat going off to the Mary Traill schooner with father and John on board, mother and Betsy standing crying at the first break in the family, and this at four o'clock on a lovely summer morning. John would be fifteen or

. sixteen, and was going to a situation in the General

Steam Shipping Company's office in Edinburgh, and to live with mother's eldest brother, Uncle Rob-

17

ert and his wife, who had offered to take the boys when they were ready for situations.

One of my pictures is of William, a red headed boy, coming in excited with the news that Sebastopol had fallen. I had been put to bed in the kitchen owing to my usual ailments and father and mother were sit-ting by the fire.

John and Wil-liam were kept at school until they were old enough to go south. In their harvest holi-days they went fishing or went to Skelwick and helped Uncle Thomas work his harvest. He was married but had no family, and the boys were great favourites of his. William was a great reader. He laid up stories which helped him in his later career. His difficulty was to get a quiet place to himself for reading, as our house was so filled with women and girls coming to be taught by mother. I remember one time mother wanting him for something, and he was discovered hidden behind some barrels in a loft, his red hair betraying him as he was seen peeping out Mr. Reid was a friend of the boys. William used to help him with his pony. He rode to church on Sundays. After William had seen him settled in the saddle he would ask him for his supplement. (Ed. by

this I think Ann meant passenger) This was Bob who was still lame as a result of his illness. William lifted him up and Mr. Reid rode up the brae to the church.

But the time came for William to go too. When he was fifteen he left for Edinburgh, Uncle and Aunt

taking him in charge. He got a situa-tion in Gird-wood's office, Wool Brokers, in Tanfield Hall, Gold-

enacre Road. It was handwriting that got him the chance at first and he remained in that office, latterly as cashier, until he left to study for the degree of M.A. at the University, thence to the United Presbyterian College and from there to Westminster College, London.

The family at home was dwindling. I remember mother saying she was sorry to see Bob growing so fast. He would soon have to go and at fifteen his turn came. John and William, who were now in lodgings in Cumberland Street, Edinburgh, sent for him and he got a position in the General Steam Navigation office, Waterloo Place, where John had been since he came to Edinburgh. Betsy and I were

William Marcus J u n i o r ' s fami ly , left to r ight , f r o m the back .

Robert Harcus Andrew Drummond Harcus William Harcus,junr.

Jeannie Margaret Harcus Jane Drummond William Sinclair Harcus (wife of William jnr)

18

left at home until she got a situation as a teacher in Tankerness five miles from Kirkwall. Mr. Bookie, Laird of Tankerness, had heard of her through work that mother and she had done for a presentation to the Countess of Zetland (embroidered collars). Mr. Baikie wished her to start a school for the benefit of the boys and girls on his estate and he gave her the post as teacher. She was there for some time and proved a success but she had had a breakdown with housemaid's knee before she left home. After some time there it was threatening to come back so she took me back with her after her autumn holidays. I was fifteen then and this was my start out in life. Betsy managed to hold out for the winter but in spring she had to be taken into Kirkwall for medical atten-tion. She was there in a cousin's house for some time. I kept the school going for her but it was an ordeal. When she had to be taken home to Westray, I can see the picture now of her be-ing carried down the Kirkwall Street on a Sunday night by the men from the Oread i a. The steamer was sailing straight to Westray that night and it was thought to be a good chance. I walked alongside feeling rather forlorn and on Mon-day morning faced the school with a new sense of responsibility and loneliness. I managed to keep the school going up to the holidays and came home to find my sister better. She went back and took up the school again. I stayed at home. I had had enough of teaching and someone had to stay with father and mother. Betsy went from Tankerness to a school on the Cotachy Estate, kept up by the then Countess of Airlie. The housemaid's knee began to trouble her again and my brothers took her to Edinburgh. She stayed with our cousin. Mrs. Archer, until it

mended. Then she went to Moray House and got her certificate as a teacher. Her first situation as a boarding school teacher was in Bathgate. The next in Hawick. She left there to be headmistress in a girls' school in Hull. After a successful period there she left to be married to James Logie, a widower from Westray. She returned to Westray and pr<£ vided a happy rendezvous in Beach House for those of us who were out in the world to meet at holiday times and renew family ties.

But I have been travel-ling too fast. I must come back to the life at home when the three brothers and one sister had gone away, and I was the only girl left be-hind. Father and mother continued their teaching for fifty years. Father taught lads

girls from the Left to right., back row. Jane Drummond, William jnr 's wife, Ann Harcus snr, Ann Harcus jnr.

Front row. William Harcus, snr, William Harcus, jnr, Betsy Harcus.

and village and surround-ing districts. Some of the lads went to situations in Edin-burgh or Glasgow. I remember six bright

young fellows coming in one evening to say good-bye to him and father fainting after they went out I think I lost interest in the school after they went There was no one to compete with. Father was disappointed when I left. In the winter, sailors who were at home came to learn navigation and father evidently was a good teacher of it, because different sets came most winters, and they must have passed their examinations after.

William Harcus was reported in the Orcadian of 29th March 1858 as having calculated the position of a ship from which a bottle had been thrown. See WR 21, page 12.

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Mother kept her school for little girls, and young women came from Eday and Papa Westray as well as our own island to be taught all sorts of needle-work. Our house was the centre for the village. After the school hours, the girls who were at leisure would gather in our bedroom and get the schoolmis-tress to tell old stories. I have often wished I had taken notes, or had her gifts. I might have made a mark in the world, for she could make things live in the telling.

Along with the schools and the teaching, the Kirk filled a big place in our lives. Father was an elder, session clerk and treasurer, first in the Secession, then the United Presbyterian Church, for as long as I can remember. Until we left Westray to come to Edinburgh the interest and welfare of the congrega-tion lay very near his heart. He worried more over its affairs, if things weren't going very well, than he did over his own. Mother did her bit too. She was interested in missions and all kinds of church activi-ties. They had come to be, in the life of the village, the counsellors and helpers in times of trouble. They were called for night and day where there was a death or sore sickness, and I have been struck some times, when I was with them, to see how calm and strong they were in comforting and helping.

John came home for his first holiday visit in seven years. That was a great event in our lives. He and William had stayed with their uncle and aunt while serving their apprenticeships, and repaid after, what it had cost to keep them. That meant no holidays for some time.

William, after he had been some time at Gird-wood's, was sent to Orkney in spring as traveller to the farmers for the wool from their sheep, and was allowed a ten-day holiday with us before he re-turned to Edinburgh. I remember the walks to Skel-wick to visit our Uncle Thomas, and the talks on the way home when uncle gave us a Scottish convoy. (Ed. See notes) John and William were favourites of his and he did enjoy hearing of their life and work in Edinburgh. I got the benefit too. The brothers were very good in sending papers and books to us, so we kept in touch with all that was going on in the world.

One of William's visits home was at the close of Moodie and Sankey's first campaign, and Mr. Cruickshanks, who was minister then, asked him to

give an account of the work in Edinburgh. William sang two or three of the Sankey hymns, "There were ninety and nine," "Yet there is room," "There are angels hovering around". These were all new to us then and his beautiful voice ringing them out through the full church on a fine Sabbath evening was something to be remembered, and was spoken of by the people who were there, for many a day

Ann Harcus continues her story for another eleven A4 pages of her memoirs describing her journeys to Edinburgh, her work there, her brothers' marriages and all that happened when her mother and father left Westray to live in Edinburgh. The following are extracts relevant to Westray. Anne recounts the time when she began work.

I returned from Edinburgh where I had been on holiday with my brothers. It was spring and I found my chums waiting to get me to make their summer dresses. They were going to Kirkwall for some special function and I had to sit up one whole night in that first week to get the dresses finished (over buttons I fell asleep and sewed them on in green).

Thus I began my career as a dressmaker. I was eighteen then and except for a few weeks, I kept on until I retired at seventy three. I had now settled down at home and the life in the village, though quiet, had its own interests. Our U P. Church was fiill of life at that time. Mr. Cruickshanks was min-ister, and he, and his newly married wife had a wonderful influence over the island, especially among the young people. His bible class was worth attending. Mrs. Cruickshanks inspired the young women to new ideas of life. I used to stay at the manse for a whole week or a fortnight helping her with sewing and enjoying the life there for there was never dullness where Mr. Cruickshanks was. He was full of life and fun and would spend himself night and day for the good of others. He and his wife spent many a happy evening at our fireside. One of his amusements was to get his big dog "Towser" to try and take a pancake from father's outstretched hand. Father's arms measured six feet across and Towser couldn't manage it. Father enjoyed working with Mr. Cruickshanks in the interests of the con-gregation, and it was a grief to all when he left to go to Glasgow. But his friendship lasted, and their house in Glasgow was a second home to us until he died two years ago.

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After Mr. Cruickshanks left Westray, father had charge of affairs in the church, looking after proba-tioners etc. This and his own work in the school and his garden kept him busy. Mother and I were full of work, she in her school, and I with my dressmaking. That, in the summer time, meant working from morning to night, but 1 could take my work outside at times and enjoy the fresh air and the sunshine. Then in the late summer, the visitors came The brothers when they could get and Betsy in her vaca-tion. I enjoyed the holiday along with them one summer. William and Robert came together. This was a very happy time, the talks at meal times, the walks to Skelwick and the picnics It was a beautiful summer and dry. William got a cart and went away to the hills to fetch water from a spring as we could hardly get enough from the well to make good. Jane Gunn was with us at that time too. When we had visitors there were lots of presents for mother -fowls, eggs, butter, homemade cheese etc. She was the general adviser and helper of everybody and they repaid her in kind Our village and island had lots of visitors in the summer as nearly every household had someone out in the world, either in the Colonies, in Edinburgh, Leith or Glasgow, or perhaps sailing the seas somewhere. That kept us in touch with the outside world. Steamer days were the events of the week. I remember how mother kept looking out from our east window until she got the first glimpse of the Orcadia crossing from Papa. Then came the wait until father went to the post office and came back with the letters. Sometimes it was a blank and father would come in and say "No letters the day, the mail boat couldn't cross." Then another wait for three days or more

Things were happening in politics which had an effect on Westray The Education Act of 1870 had been passed. Mr. Smith, the parish school teacher, had been appointed by the School Board as the teacher. I have a letter, written by father, complying with a request of the School Board to tell all the scholars over eight years of age to leave. This was a heartbreak to father and to the senior scholars but the law had to be obeyed, so William and Robert thought it better for father and mother to be removed from the difficulties and disappointments. They took a flat at 282 Leith Walk, Edinburgh and we set to clear things up and go south. I bad my business to wind up. Work came flowing in when people knew that I was leaving. Friends came mourning and la-menting that the schoolmaster and the schoolmis-

tress were going away until they upset the two of them. When it came to the Wednesday - we were to leave on the following Monday - 1 was at my wits end how I was going to manage, when the door opened and Bob walked in. William and he had talked it over on Monday evening and thought it would be too much for me. Bob got passes on the steamer and came right away on Tuesday morning. The whole load fell off me when I saw him and the two of us worked away that week and brought father and mother away from the lamenting crowd that followed them to the steamer. That was the finish of their fifty years' work in and for Westray. But the results are not to be tabled here They are evident in the colonies and places where scholars have gone to live out the lessons taught by them. Friends in Westray got up a subscription and pre-sented father with a purse of sovereigns and mother with a silver tea service

(The Harcuses settled in Edinburgh for a while and later moved to be with Ann in Dunfermline. Wil-liam died there and his wife some years later.)

Back in Westray, Betsy was doing her part in the life of the islands and her own household, bringing up her stepson, Tom Logie, who is now in Vancou-ver, and her own son, Willie, now a farmer in Saskatchewan, married to Winifred Pride. Besides her work at home she took a great interest in the work of the U P. Church. Rev Donald Reas, who was minister there for seven years, called her his 'female elder'. There were many happy family gatherings in Beach House, in the holiday times, where James Logie, her husband, joined with her in giving us a good time. Willie was in their own shop for some time after he left school but wanted to learn a trade and came to Dunfermline where he served his apprenticeship and stayed with me. Then he went to Canada, where he has remained and prospered by dint of hard work and grit, combined with business skills

When James Logie died, my sister was left alone, so it was thought better for her to come and stay with me in Dunfermline she died in 1915 in the middle of the 14/18 war.

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The Orkney Census Returns Published by

The Orkney Family History Society.

The following census returns are currently available from the Society's Office. The costs are variable according to the size of the parish. There are six census returns for each parish. All census returns are bound and contain an index of names for easy reference. The census returns are for the years 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871,1881, 1891. In addition the following parishes have a census return for 1821. Deerness, Orphir, Saint Andrews, Sandwick, South Ronaldsay and Bur-rey, Stromness.

Postage is extra on these prices. Please re-quest an order form from the office.

Census returns at £2.00 for members and £3.00 for non-members.

Deemess, Harray, Hoy & Graemsay, North Ronaldsay.

Ann Harcus Ann survived all her brothers and sisters and she wrote these memoirs at the age of 79 in 1929. She con-cluded with a verse from Psalm 23.

Surely goodness and mercy have followed me all the days of my life.

SFN on the Net continued from page 14.

As long as the appropriate search engines pick it up, it will be an excellent vehicle for the Society to publicise and market itself. I am constantly amazed by the num-ber of people in both this country and abroad who have never heard of the OFHS, yet are researching their family roots in Orkney. I have directed several in the last three months alone. In fact the Chairman's report in SFN Issue 15 highlights this very phenomenon on the home patch! Perhaps if the SFN was seen to have another role as a publicity tool, members could recon-cile their problems with on-line publishing. If only one relative / member is found through on-line browsing that would surely support the aims of the OFHS. I feel certain that not one, but many new members will come through this, especially as they realize that Sib Folk News is only the tip of the iceberg as far as OFHS membership resources and benefits are concerned. I wonder if perhaps this discussion is highlighting the need for the OFHS to have a 'defined policy' on its Internet presence - a fact of our modern communica-tions technology!

Census returns at £2.50 for members and£3.75 for non-members.

Eday & Pharay, Evie & Rendall & Gairsay, Firth & Stenness, Holm & Paplay, Orphir, Rousay, & Egilsay & Wyre, Saint Andrews, Sandwick, Shapinsay, Stronsay.

Census returns at £3.00 for members and £4.50 for non-members.

Birsay, Walls & Flotta. Census returns at £3.50 for members and £5.25 for non-members.

Sandy. Census returns at £4.00 for members and £6.00 for non-members.

Stromness, Westray & Papa Westray. Census returns at £4.50 for members and £6.75 for non-members.

South Ronaldsay & Burray. Census returns at £7.00 for members and £10.50 for non-members.

Kirkwall & St Ola.

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The Stromness Kirkyard Puzzle Further observations

by Peter Groundwater Russell (161)

The correspondence relating to the tombstones in Strom-ness Kirkyard [see SFN 13, page 6] also captured my imagination and I would like to share the findings of my research into this interesting little conundrum. Although Alan Watts' 'solution' seems plausible enough and in-deed may well prove to be the right one [see SFN 15, page 15], 1 was not entirely convinced with the 'fall' theory, which persuaded me to look for an alternative explanation.

According to the Scots Dictionary, the abbreviation for the word 'fall' is 'Fa', not 'Fl' or 'FL', and, consequently, it is hard to see how it could have been confused with 'Ft' or 'FT', meaning 'foot'. Also, the first correspondent stated that "A218 is a heart shaped stone lying on the ground and quite apart from any other stones." Can we be absolutely sure that it marks the actual spot where the "Dear Children" were buried?

This uncertainty and the strange reference to 'both of his three children' prompted me to obtain the full inscription on stone A26, which Ethel Young was kind enough to provide. It reads:

"In memory of Thomas Robertson, late merchant, Stromness, d 9th December, 1830, aged 27. Three of his children, James d 19th February 1836, aged 7; Tomima Margaret, d 20th January, 1837, aged 5 (both interred 3 ft N.E. by N. of this stone). John Spence, d Edinburgh, 25 th November, 1838, interred in Grey friars Burying Ground, aged 11. Thomas, their youngest son, d 10th April 1843, aged 13. Margaret Murray, relict of the said Thomas, above, d 11th February, 1862, aged 65".

The first thing 1 noticed is that this stone was clearly erected some 25 years after the death of young Tomima. It is, therefore, not unreasonable to assume that the present inscription would have replaced an earlier ver-sion and this, I believe, accounts for why some of the information appears to be less accurate than it otherwise might have been. Did the stonemason, or a relative of the deceased, misread an '8' for a '3'? Perhaps the number T was inadvertently omitted? Should it read '8 ft' or '13 ft N.E. by N. of this stone'? We may never know.

On the other, of course, the inscription could well be correct as there appears to be no firm evidence to prove that these particular children were not interred 3ft NE by N of stone A26, that is, in someone else's tomb, as it was

quite common in Orkney for several generations of the same family to be buried in close proximity to each other. Do any of the headstones lying in a north-easterly direc-tion bear the surname lsbister, Robertson or Sabiston? If so, at what distance are they from A26?

To my mind, an equally intriguing question is, why was it deemed necessary to bury James and Tomima in an-other part of the cemetery when apparently there was sufficient room in A26 to accommodate two more 'resi-dents' - Thomas, junior, and his mother, Margaret Mur-ray?

The mystery deepens still further when we learn that Tomima Margaret [baptised 28 October 1832] tnay not have been Thomas' daughter after all! If the IGI is to be believed her parents were his brother, James Robertson, and Isabella Sabiston.

Finally, what did I discover about this unfortunate fam-ily? And will it help to solve the puzzle? Thomas Robertson, senior, was baptised on 1 August 1803, the youngest of three sons of James Robertson and Margaret Isbister, He married Margaret Moar Murray [possibly in Edinburgh on 24 April 1826] by whom he had three children - John Spence [bapt 20 March 1827]; James [bapt 18 October 1828] and Thomas [bapt 31 January 1830], all born in Stromness parish. Mary Moar Murray was baptised in Eday on 9 August 1801, daughter of David Murray and Mary Ann Spence [probably from Kirkwall], and would have been 60, not 65, at the time of her death. However, one would need to visit the Strom-ness Kirkyard and study the old parish registers, census returns for 1821-1861, civil registration, valuation rolls, wills, court records, etc., to verify this information.

1 realise that I have raised many more questions than I have answered but feel that until such time as new evidence comes to light we cannot be absolutely sure that the heart-shaped stone was dedicated to James and To-mima Robertson. As far as I am concerned this is yet another genealogical puzzle waiting to be solved, which is one of the reasons why 1 find family history such an absorbing and fascinating pastime!

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The Orkney Family History Society M e m b e r s h i p . Subscr ip t ions , etc.

Membership of the Society runs from [ March to 2X; 2eJ February and subscriptions should be renewed during the month of Mil rc!)

New members joining before I December will receive back copies of the three magazines for the current yeat. From I Decem-ber new ni em hers will receive membership for ihe remainder of the current year plus the fol lowing year but will not receive the back copies of I lie magazine

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Articles in this newsletter are copyright to the Society, and its authors, and may not be reproduced without permission of the Editor The Society is a registered chanty in Scotland, and a member o f the Scottish Association o f Family History Societies The Society does not necessarily accept the v iews expressed in letters and articles published within The Society's newsletter

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N.B. The editor's e-mail address has been changed but westroot(2>nildram.co.uk will remain until January 2001.

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