Canadian Archaeologist leads team excavating Viking long house at Quoygrew, Westray

24 Pages·2010·1.66 MB·English

Sib Folk News
Issue 19 September 2001
Contents
Page
2 From the Chairman
and the Editor
3 A Flaws Family
-
Canadian Archaeologist leads 8 A Dearness Family
9 A Grandson's Legacy
team excavating Viking 13 Summer Outing
14 The Story Tellers
long house at Quoygrew,
15 William Groundwater
17 Correspondence
Westray
20 finding the Best
Genealogy Programme
Dr Barrett explained to the Editor that the remains of Pictish, Viking
22 Orkney's Gravestones
and medieval remains have been found at Quoygrew.
22 Westrays Lost
The Viking middens (refuse heaps) containing, ash, shells and large Mariners
fish bones, have been exposed by the sea. There is also evidence
of soil having been transported to the site to deepen soil depth in
adjacent fields.
The Newsletter of the Orkney Family History Society
1
Frcm the usually few and far between spondence but there are lots
though! of stories that could be
Chairman Apart from the ongoing work shared. One just has to do a
in the office we have kept a bit of eavesdropping at the
low profile in the public this public meetings to know that.
"Read any good books summer. As usual we have We are considering entering
lately?" had many callers whom we our next journal into the com-
I have just started reading yet were able to help. There were petition run by the Scottish
another Orkney book which many from Australia. One of Association of Family History
came out this year. "In My our visitors this year was none Societies. There's a chal-
Small Corner-Memories of other than our trusty editor. It lenge!
an Orkney Childhood" is writ- was good that Gavin Rendall
ten by Margaret Aitken (nee was able to join us at the com- Nan Scott
Donald) whom I knew at mittee meeting in August.
school. She writes very well
and her sense of humour, The excursion to Stronsay in From the Editor
which I recall, continually June was a huge success.
shines through. The Stronsay members and
In August I took two of my
their families went out of their
grandsons, Jamie (12) and
She remembers, in detail, all way to see that we all had a
Andrew Rendall (10) to Ork-
her relatives and the people good day. It was interesting
ney for the first time and we
she knew who lived near her to visit Papa Stronsay when it
had a wonderful holiday. They
home at the "Munt" She re- was about to undergo a major
thought it the best holiday
members the people she met change in its history. Perhaps
they had ever had. I have to
when on excursions on the next year the society could
confess that I was so busy
mainland and on holiday in have a Papa Stronsay night.
with my grandsons that I did
the North Isles. It is interest-
practically no genealogy re-
ing too how she adds lots of
There will be no meeting in search. However I did attend
Orkney's ancient history in a
September but on October the committee meeting of the
very readable form.
11th 2001 Tom Muir OFHS in their new offices in
We could do with a copy in the
will speak on George Mar- the Strynd. I was very im-
0 F H S office!
wick, Yesnaby's storyteller, in pressed with the work of the
the St. Magnus Centre, Kirk- committee and the facilities
Just recently we received a wall. In November the annual they have built up. They have
package of Orkney books and dinner is to be in the Royal had a very busy time this
maps from Allan and Dorot- Hotel Kirkwall. summer helping visitors with
hea McKenzie, Niagara Fails, their research.
Canada. This was very kind Some speakers are already
of them and we want to thank booked for next year. There Readers of this issue will ob-
them. We appreciate ail the will be a members night in serve the increased number
books, pamphlets, and papers January. Phil Astley who is of articles and correspon-
that we have received in the working in the Hudson's Bay dence. Keep it up. Editors are
past. Company Archives at the mo- never satisfied and my plea
ment may be with us in this time is for photographs, if
One of the highlights of the March. James Irvine will possible, to create interest.
summer for me is the "Sale of speak on "Contemporary Pages of text tend to be bor-
Orkney Books" held in the Sources in the National and ing.
Orkney Auction Mart every Orkney Archives for local and
July. I attend, when I can, family history" in April. Also Two members, in this issue,
hoping to pick up a bargain for Cameron Taylor has offered have made suggestions for
our office or for myself. The to speak on "Genealogy Tour- articles in SFN. If you haven't
sale is regularly supported by ism" at some point put pen to paper or attacked
interesting and interested your keyboard why not have a
people. Members who live My last word to you on this go for the December issue of
outwith Orkney and are book occasion would be to please SFN.
collectors should try to be at
think of sending some items
this annual event or at least
for our journal. The last SFN
get a catalogue. Bargains are
had lots of interesting corre-
Sib Folk News
Issue 19 September 2001
2
Flaws
An Unusual Orcadian Name
by
Bob Flaws
F
laws is not a common surname, at least not that's where we needed to look. Unfortunately, we
in the U.S. When I was growing up, my had nonrefundable plane tickets back to the U.S.,
father and I had a sort of game we played. so a trip to S. Ronaldsay was not possible that visit.
Whenever we visited a new town or city, we would However, I did remember what Margaret had told
look in the phone directory to see if any Flawses me.
were listed They never were (until I visited Auck-
land, NZ 8-10 years ago). Not only is my last name A few years later, I was poking about in my
relatively rare, its English meaning caused no end mother's attic among my father's belongings,
of teasing and embarrassment when I was a child. looking for genealogical clues. In an old trunk, I
However, I always knew my surname was not found my grandfather's obituary and his father's
English but derived from Norse. My father had told before him, which said they had both emigrated
me about our family's Orcadian heritage early on. from St. Margaret's Hope on S. Ronaldsay.
Unfortunately, his father had lived far from us and Around this same time, I also discovered the gene-
died when I was only five or six. So I never got to alogy records at our local Church of the Latter
question my grandfather about his parents. When Days Saints (Mormons) as well as on-line geneal-
my father was in his 60s or early 70s, he had tried ogy. Through these means, I was able to get back
to track down his Orcadian forebears, but, by then, another generation to my great-great grandfather.
I had grown up and moved away, and he never Then one day, my mother sent me a newspaper
discussed this with me while he was alive. That clipping from the New York Times about a B & B
meant that, for most of my life, I knew my family in St. Margaret's Hope. I wrote to the proprietors
was from Orkney, but I had no idea from what asking them if they knew of anyone who might
island, parish, town, or croft. help me with my Flaws genealogy. Fortunately,
these good people put me in touch with Helen
One of the perks of my profession (I'm a writer and Manson of Sellardyke who was able to get me back
teacher) is that I get to travel in Europe at least once another couple of generations. Helen is a member
a year. When my own son was young, we tried to of the Orkney Family History Society and a distant
arrange these travels in the summer when my son cousin. I've also received help from other distant
was on vacation so that our whole family could go. cousins over the Internet, such as Lisa Conrad and
Seven or eight years ago, I asked my son Ian (who Pam Thompson, both OFHS members. Below is
was 11 or 12 at the time) where he'd like to visit what I've been able to learn about my Flaws line to
when we were in Europe that summer. To my date.
surprise, he replied Orkney. After my wife's and
my initial surprise, we said, "Why not?" The name Flaws originated in the 15th century
when Orcadians adopted the Scottish practice of
When we got to Kirkwall, the proprietor of the B & surnames as opposed to the older Norse patronym-
B in which we were staying learned we were inter- ics. Like many Orcadians at that time, the family
ested in meeting any Orcadian Flawses, so he which came to be known as Flaws adopted the
called up Magnus Flaws, a friend of his who lived name of the farm they lived on Flaws in Norse or
on Wyre. Magnus was the captain of the ferry that Norn seems to refer to a piece of arable land at the
ran from Mainland to Rousay to Wyre and Egilsay. foot of a hill. It has variously been spelled Flaus,
Magnus said his wife, Margaret, was also a Flaws Fiause, Flauis, Flauies, Flais, Flavis, Flawys, and
and knew the most about the family history. He Flawes. In Norwegian, the name would be spelled
said we should come on the ferry and have lunch Flaas or Flas, and is pronounced in Orkney closer
with Margaret on Wyre, so off we went in the to Flaas than to the American rendition of Flaws.
pouring rain to meet the first other Flawses in my This family seems to have existed on the second
life. When we got to the dock at Wyre, Magnus lent tier of Orcadian society and never seems to have
us his car (he had to continue to Egilsay) and we been either very prolific or prominent According
went to find Margaret. Margaret told us that the to Robert Marwick, the Flawses on Rousay and
Flawses had originated on S Ronaldsay and that, if Wyre must have emigrated from S. Ronaldsay
we really wanted to find out about our forebears before the 18th century, since there are no written
Sib Folk News
Issue 19 September 2001
records linking the Rousay and Wyre families to S. christened on Apr. 15, 1810 in Kirkwall/St. Ola.
Ronaldsay after that time. Likewise, Flawses also His father was Edward Chalmers, and his mother
seem to have emigrated to Shetland by the end of was Rebecca Sinclair.
the 15th century. Although some Shetland Flawses
say they are descended from a Spanish sailor named Children of ROBERT FLAWS and MARY
Flores shipwrecked from the Armada, it is clear the CHALMERS were:
name Flaws pre-existed the Elizabethan era by
almost 100 years. Other Shetlanders say it was two ROBERT FLAWS, b. Dec 3, 1858, S Ronaldsay;
Norwegian brother fishermen who first brought the d. Mar. 12, 1936, Watertown, NY
surname Flaws to those islands. However, Flaws is MARGARET HELEN FLAWS, b Jan 8, 1865, S.
not a Norwegian surname, and it is probable that Ronaldsay, m JAMES MACPHER-
this story is derived from the fact that the two SON. Margaret came over on the
brothers were Norn-speakers, not Norwegians per Anchoria with her brother and hus-
se. band in April 1886. James was a
tailor in Watertown, NY
Although James Flawis was a tacksman in the JESSIE SINCLAIR FLAWS, b. Nov. 10, 1870, S.
urislands of Marwick in 1492, Adam Flawis ap- Ronaldsay; m HENRY LEWIS
pears as a juror at Kirkwall in 1509, Magnus Flawis Jessie Flaws is mentioned as the sur-
witnessed a charter of confirmation in 1545, and viving aunt of Robert Wallace Flaws.
Nicholl Flavis was a juror on an assize court at She is described in his obituary as
Tankerness in 1559, my line of Flawses seems to be living in Moosomin, Saskatchewan.
descended from the Robert Flaws who married MARY FLAWS, b. about 1864, S. Ronaldsay
Mary Arnot on S. Ronaldsay on Jul. 2, 1756. Who JAMES FLAWS, b. Sept. 3, 1872, S. Ronaldsay
Robert and Mary's children were is not completely
clear at this point in time My best guess is that the JAMES FLAWS (SAMUELi, DONALDi, ROB-
Donald Flaws who married Margaret Duncan in ERTi) married ELIZA WHITWAY on Mar 28,
Cleat was Robert's son. However, it is likely that 1850, daughter of ISABELLA WHITWAY She
these two had more than one son since I was always was born on Jan. 18, 1824, and died on Apr 29,
told while growing up that I was the eighth genera- 1898. According to Helen Manson, James was a
tion in my direct line which had a son named tailor in St. Margaret's Hope. Helen Manson gives
Robert. In any case, Donald and Margaret gave James's wife's name as Elizabeth Wethaquoy Her
birth to Samuel Flaws who was born on S. Ronald- surname has also been spelled Whitquoy. The 1851
say in 1786 and died on Sept 10, 1858, He married Census shows James and Eliza newly married and
Helen Budge on Feb. 18, 1815 in S. Ronaldsay, living with Eliza's mother, Isabella Whitway.
daughter of James Budge and Janet Duncan. She
was bom before Mar. 3, 1789 in S. Ronaldsay and Children of JAMES FLAWS and ELIZA WHIT-
died Jan. 27, 1870. The 1841 Census lists Samuel's WAY were:
age as 55, occupation fisherman, residence No 25,
Clett According to Lisa Conrad, Helen and Samuel JAMES FLAWS, b. 1853; d. Apr. 9, 1920
Flaws's marriage was witnessed by James Budge ELIZA WHITQUOY FLAWS, b Jan. 20, 1856
and John Flaws. HELEN FLAWS, b. Oct. 23, 1858
JOHN WHITQUOY FLAWS, b Jul. 31, 1864
Children of Samuel Flaws and Helen Budge were:
MAGNUS FLAWS (SAMlIELi, DONALDi, ROB-
1 ROBERT FLAWS, b. Oct 1829, S Ronaldsay ERTi) married MARGARET MURDOCH TOMI-
2 JAMES FLAWS, b. Mar. 28, 1825, S. Ronald- SON on May 3, 1849 Magnus was christened on
say; d. Dec. 10, 1910 Jan 8,1824 in S. Ronaldsay. His age is given as 15
3. MAGNUS FLAWS, b. Jan 1824, S Ronaldsay in the 1841 Census.
4 BARBARA FLAWS, b. Aug. 18, 1822
Children of MAGNUS FLAWS and MARGARET
Generation No. 2 TOMISON were
ROBERT FLAWS (SAMLIELi, DONALDi, ROB- HELEN BUDGE FLAWS, b. Oct. 1851
ERTi) married MARY CHALMERS on Jan. 1, HENRIETTA FLAWS, b. Oct. 1853 In the 1881
1858 in St. Andrews. Mary was the daughter of Census, Henrietta is listed as Harriet,
PETER CHALMERS and JEAN PETRIE She was 27 yrs., a dressmaker. She was chris-
born in September 1838 in Evie. Mary was chris- tened Oct 19, 1853 on S.Ronaldsay.
tened in Kirkwall/St. Ola. Peter Chalmers was
Issue 19 September 2001 Sib Folk News
4
JOHN TOMISON FLAWS, b Apr 19, 1857, S. bara, and Suzie are all buried in the North Water-
Ronaldsay town Cemetery
ELIZABETH TOMISON FLAWS, b. Mar. 2,
1859, S. Ronaldsay Children of ROBERT FLAWS and BAR-
ISABELLA SUTHERLAND FLAWS, b Mar. 4, BARA WALLACE were:
1866, S. Ronaldsay. In the 1881
Census, Isabella is listed as a 14 CLARA FLAWS
year old scholar, i.e., student. She ROBERT WALLACE FLAWS, b Nov 21, 1882,
was christened on Mar. 4, 1866. St. Margaret's Hope, S Ronaldsay;
MARY KENNEDY ALLAN FLAWS, christened d. Jan. 1951, Watertown, NY
on Jul. 9, 1850, S.Ronaldsay WILLIAM J FLAWS, b. Nov. 24, 1886; d. Nov.
WILLIAM FLAWS, b. about 1862 1969, Buffalo, NY. William ran
away to sea at 16 years old and did
BARBARA FLAWS (SAMUELi, DONALDi, not have any contact with his
ROBERT\) married WILLIAM SINCLAIR on brother after that. Many years later,
Dec. 23, 1852 in S. Ronaldsay, son of JAMES when notified of William's death,
SINCLAIR and BARBARA GROAT William he did not attend his funeral. Based
was bom on Nov. 16, 1825 on S. Ronaldsay, and on Social Security records, William
died on Apr. 6, 1881 in Sandwick, S. Ronaldsay. may actually have died in Roches-
Barbara was christened on Aug. 22, 1822, and her ter. His brother's obituary lists him
age was given as 15 in 1841 Census. as living in Rochester, not Buffalo.
Children of BARBARA FLAWS and WILLIAM JAMES FLAWS (JAMES\ SAMUELi, DON-
SINCLAIR were: ALDi, ROBERT^ first married ELIZABETH
WHITEWAY. She was bom on Jan. 10, 1856 and
CATHERINE CROMARTY SINCLAIR, b. Jul. died on Mar. 2, 1935. He later married HELEN
3,1859 WEBSTER SIM on Aug. 9, 1894 in Aberdeen,
JESSIE CROMARTY ALLEN SINCLAIR, b Scotland. The 1881 Census lists James as a cutter.
Aug. 20, 1857 Helen Manson says he was a tailor like his father.
MARGARET SINCLAIR, b 1855 He probably was a cutter in his father's shop until
JESSIE CROMARTY ALLEN SINCLAIR, b his father retired and he took over.
1858
Children of JAMES FLAWS and ELIZABETH
WILLIAMINA SINCLAIR, b 1864 WHITEWAY were:
Generation No. 3 ELIZA FLAWS. Eliza Flaws appears never to
ROBERT FLAWS (ROBERT\ SAMUELx DON- have married. I say this because she
ALD*, ROBERT\) first married BARBARA is identified simply as Eliza Flaws
WALLACE on Oct 5, 1882, daughter of ROB- in an "historical note" in Sir John
ERT WALLACE and BARBARA MCKAY She Arnot of Barswick and the Family
was bom on Oct. 1,1859 in S. Ronaldsay and died of Arnot in South Ronaldsay written
in April 1894 in Watertown, NY. He married later by J.B. Craven, D.D., and pub-
SUZIE BAXTER on Jan. 1,1907 in the Church of lished in Kirkwall in 1913. Accord-
the Redeemer in Watertown. Suzie was daughter ing to Eliza, she was descended on
of CHARLES BAXTER and SUSAN ?. She was her Whiteway side from the Isabel
bom on May 23, 1875 in Maribank, Ont. and died Amot who married James Gray in
on Nov 21, 1969 in Watertown, NY. Robert first Sandwick on Feb. 12, 1756.
came to the U S in 1883, two months before his HELEN FLAWS
son, Robert Wallace Flaws, was born He returned JESSIE ANN FLAWS
to Scotland in 1886, when he saw his son for the JOHN FLAWS, b Jun 30, 1864
first time. Then the family travelled to the U.S. on
the Anchoria of the Anchor Line, landing in North Children of JAMES FLAWS and HELEN SIM
America in April of that year Accompanying the were:
Flaws family were Donald M. Macleod, later a
tailor in Watertown, and Mr. and Mrs. James ERNEST JOHN WHITEWAY FLAWS, b. Jun
MacPherson. Mrs. MacPherson was a sister of 3, 1895, St. Margaret's Hope,
Robert Flaws and of Mrs. MacLeod Robert, Bar- S.Ronaldsay
Sib Folk News Issue 19 September 2001
5
RUTH FLAWS, b. Mar. 2, 1897, St. Margaret's JOHN FLAWS (JAMESi, JAMES*, SAMUEL\
Hope, S.Ronaldsay DONALDi, ROBERT\) married ANNIE E. GOOD-
CONSTANCE HELEN FLAWS, b Apr. 13,1899, MAN on Jun. 07, 1897 in Standish, MI.
St. Margaret's Hope, S Ronaldsay
MURIEL FLAWS, b. Sept 3, 1904, St. Margaret's Children of JOHN FLAWS and ANNIE GOOD-
Hope, S Ronaldsay MAN were:
EUNICE FLAWS, b. Oct. 7, 1901, St. Margaret's
Hope, S.Ronaldsay JAMES WILLIAM FLAWS, b Aug. 1, 1901, St
ARNOT GORDON FLAWS, b Aug. 25, 1906, St Margaret's Hope, S.Ronaldsay
Margaret's Hope, S.Ronaldsay ETHEL FLAWS, b. Jan. 12, 1903, St Margaret's
Hope, S.Ronaldsay
HELEN BUDGE FLAWS (MAGNUS«, SAMUEL\ MARY FLAWS, b. Sept. 3, 1904, St Margaret's
DONALDx ROBERTij was christened on Oct. 12. Hope, S.Ronaldsay
1851, S-Ronaldsay.
Generation No. 5
Child of HELEN BUDGE FLAWS was: GEORGE
FLAWS, b. Dec. 30, 1872. There's obviously a ROBERT JOSEPH FLAWS (ROBERT WAL-
story here. IACEa, ROBERT), ROBERTx SAMUELi, DON-
ALDi, ROBERTi), my father, married HELEN
Generation No. 4 MAY SUTTON on Jul. 19, 1941 in Hasbrouck
Heights, NJ, daughter of CORNELIUS
CLARA FLAWS (ROBERTi, ROBERTA, SAM- KINGSLAND SUTTON and HELMA BAR-
UELi, DONALDz, ROBERT\) married JAMES TOSCH She was bom on May 22, 1916 in Has-
ROSS CORMACK on Sept 23, 1914 in Water- brouck Heights, NJ. My father graduated as a
town, NY. He was the son of ALEXANDER COR- National Honor student from Watertown High
MACK and HELEN ROSS and was born on Jun, School in Watertown, NY. It was the Great Depres-
20, 1887 in Lybster, Caithness, Scotland. sion, and his family was too poor for him to go to
college, so he went to work for the St Regis Paper
Child of CLARA FLAWS and JAMES COR- Co, in Oswego, NY. Later, he became a salesperson
MACK was: BARBARA CORMACK, m. KEN- out of their NY office. During WWII, my father
YON A. PLUMPTON. served in North Africa and Italy. By war's end, he
was a captain or a major. (He may have been
ROBERT WALLACE FLAWS (ROBERTs, ROB- promoted to major in the reserves.) After WWII,
ERT4, SAMUELi, DONALDh, ROBERTi), mmyy father went to work as a real estate salesman in
grandfather, married PAULINE GABRIEL MAR- Rutherford, NJ. Five or six years later, he went to
RIAN on Dec. 01, 1913 in Watertown, daughter of work at my grandfather's business, Triangle En-
JOSEPH MARRIAN and AGNES SIMPSON. She graving Co. in NYC and worked there until that
was born on Aug. 20, 1887 in Watertown and died company went out of business when my father was
on Feb. 27, 1963 also in Watertown. Robert W. 72. After that, he went back to selling real estate in
Flaws's obituary says that he was a member of northern New Jersey. During the late 1960s and
Company C of the load national guard unit and was 70s, my father served as City Councilman and
once sergeant of that company. It also says that he Police Commissioner of Rutherford, NJ. He then
was a member of the Lincoln League, serving as went on to serve as County Commissioner for
president from 1931-1935. Further, he was a mem- Bergen County, NJ. My father liked to travel and
ber of the Watertown Lodge of Elks. Pauline Mar- liked fine food and wine. My father was very proud
rian attended Rideau Street Convent in Ottawa, of his Scottish heritage, though, interestingly, he
Ont. As a young girl, her family were quite well to never visited Orkney
do. However, her father lost everything before he
died, and her financial circumstances changed dras- Children of ROBERT FLAWS and HELEN SUT-
tically. At her time of death, she was a member of TON are/were.
St. Patrick's church in Watertown.
ROBERT SUTTON FLAWS, b. Feb 20, 1946,
Child of ROBERT FLAWS and PAULINE MAR- Teaneck, NJ (the author)
RIAN was: ROBERT JOSEPH FLAWS, b Feb. PATRICIA FLAWS, b. Sept 6, 1949, Teaneck,
07,1915, Watertown, NY; d. Jun. 3, 1991, Ruther- NJ; d. Sept. 8, 1949, Teaneck, NJ
ford, NJ PAMELA FLAWS, b Sept 6, 1949, Teaneck, NJ;
d Sept 8,1949, Teaneck, NJ
Issue 19 September 2001 Sib Folk News
6
Generation No. 6
ROBERT SUTTON FLAWS (ROBERT JOSEPHi, ROBERT WALLACE\ ROBERTs, ROBERT\
SAMUELs, DONALDx ROBERTO, the author, married HONORA LEE WOLFE May 20, 1979 in
Boulder, CO, daughter of RUSSELL JR. and MARTHA LEE. Honora was bom on May 20, 1948
in Cleveland, OH.
Child of ROBERT FLAWS and HONORA WOLFE is: IAN ANDREW9 FLAWS, b Oct 29,1981,
Denver, Colorado, USA.
Readers of this article are invited to e-mail the author or the edi-
tor if they are able to contribute or comment on this interesting
family name.
Bob Flaws' e-mail is [email protected]
A pony and trap or in Westray 'talk', a 'pownie and geeg'. The Shetland pony,
called Jenny, is rather small for the trap. This was the mode of transport com-
mon in Orkney upto the introduction of cars. The photograph is of Tom Rendall
of Sunnybank, Westray with the Editor's two grandsons, Jamie and Andrew.
Sib Folk News Issue 19 September 2001
Dearness
A 19th Century Family
land, with only Joseph remaining in Sunderland
From Pamela V Irving, 4 Wingfleld Close, after the death of his parents. All the others seem
New Haw, Weybndge, Surrey, KTl 5 3BX to have returned to Stockport to live out their adult
e-mail pamirving@hotmail. com lives.
I
would like to share information about my great Family tradition has it that there was an aunt Dear-
grandmother Margaret Jane Dearness. She ness who lived in Stockport (possibly c 1900-
was a daughter of William Dearness and Mar- 1930), who was head of a girls grammar school. It
garet Ann Hall. William was born in Kirkwall, is said that a stained glass window was inserted at
Orkney around 1828 (and may be the William the school in her memory when she died, addition-
Dearness bom on 27th Nov 1827 to John Dearness ally or alternatively an oak table was dedicated to
& Jean Muir, source IGI), Margaret Hall was born her memory at the Stockport church she had
around 1825 in London. Margaret Jane was bom attended.(both of course could be true)
in 1857 in Sunderland, Co Durham, at that time
William was a seaman (mate) in the merchant If anyone can shed any light to any of this, particu-
service. She had an older brother also William larly information about William or Jane; who Aunt
born around 1855 and a younger sister Jane (Janet) Dearness was and why she was in Stockport rather
bom in 1862 both also born in Sunderland. than Sunderland; details of the marriage of Wil-
liam and Ann, (which may not have taken place in
I find Margaret most intriguing. She was a certifi- England) or anything else relevant, (for example
cated teacher. She can be found in the 1881 census there is a John Dearness in South Shields at the
at the age of 24 living away from home teaching at same time, was he related?) I would be delighted
St Mark's school Dunham Massey, Cheshire, liv- to know about it, and will of course be happy to
ing the life of a modem career girl with a Mary share relevant details not included here.
Pearson also 24 (who was bom in Lancashire and
became head of the school). In December 1881 she
married Joshua Clarke, of Heaton Norris (Stock-
Dearness
port), who also has his moments, but that's another
story They had five children, William Dearness,
Joseph Shottin, Thomas Edward, Joshua and Ruth. Extract from Gregor Lamb's
The family moved frequently in the Stockport area ORKNEY SURNAMES
and then moved to Sunderland around 1902,
Joshua died there in 1925 and Margaret herself Note that the spelling of the name is different
died in 1931. from the name of the parish which is Deerness A
common name in Orkney today, concentrated in
Much of this information comes from the 1881 Sandy and South Ronaldsay but absent from the
census records, which show William Dearness age West Mainland.
53 working in Sunderland as a dock waterman,
with Ann his wife age 56, William jnr age 26
working as a carter, and Jane 19 working as a
housemaid
The Sunderland Dearnesses appear in local trade
directories up to 1887, but do not appear in the
1887-91 death registers, so they may simply have
moved within Sunderland, although it is possible
that they moved to Stockport to join Margaret.
The Clarke family seem to have maintained con-
nections with Stockport after their move to Sunder-
Issue 19 September 2001 Sib Folk News
8
A Grandson's Legacy
Fact or Fiction?
by Alan D Spence
A
s a second generation New Zealander, I tated his admission to the only hospital that would
never knew my Orcadian grandfather. In- take him - a lunatic asylum George died two
deed, my father really didn't know him weeks later aged only 52, leaving a 37-year-old
either, for he was only eleven years old when his widow with five children ranging in age from
father died. Consequently, much about grandfather eleven down to just a few months.
Spence remains a mystery.
Because of the stigma then attached to lunatic
What we do know is that George Robert Spence asylums, the memory of George was forever asso-
was born in 1862, the youngest of eight children to ciated with this, and consequently neither his death
Magnus Spence of Bigging, Greeny, Birsay, and nor even he was ever talked about, and so the
Ann Spence of nearby Hammer, Greeny. Magnus children grew up fatherless. They all died never
was the schoolmaster at Twatt before taking over knowing exactly how their father died or much
the Bigging property on the death of his father, about him at all - except for two things.
another Magnus. Robert would have known from
Firstly, they knew that he was an Orcadian, his
an early age that, with three older brothers, there
widow recording this fact on the monumental
was no possibility of his inheriting Bigging and
inscription. Secondly, they were always told "the
that he would have to look elsewhere for his live-
Spences were pirates".
lihood.
And that is my Legacy.
We know that George was still living at home at
the time of the 1881 census, but by the 1891
census he had left Scotland. Where he first went The Search for the Legacy
we still do not know, most likely to one of the
I eventually became very interested in family his-
colonies - Canada, South Africa or Australia He
tory and from research have come to know
reappeared on his quoted arrival in New Zealand
George, his siblings, and his ancestors very well
in 1899, when he took up farm work in Southland
indeed. But my Legacy continued to haunt me as
at the very south of New Zealand in the part of the
all of George's children had died long before I was
new colony that the Scots were settling.
ready to ask about him, and I had no current
Within three years he had met and married a Glas- Orkney family connections.
gow born girl who had emigrated with her coal-
My first visit to Orkney was as a tourist for a few
mining/missionary father and family some twenty
days in 1997, at a time when I had only taken my
years earlier. It was not long after marriage that
first tentative steps in research. I had arranged a
George was persuaded to take up mining by ac-
brief visit to the Orkney Archives, solely to locate
quiring 14 acres of freehold and another 14 acres
a missing 1908 obituary for great-grandfather
of crown leasehold coal mining land in the remote
Magnus Spence that is referred to in old family
inland rural town of Nightcaps. The (and was
correspondence still in my possession. I was sur-
adjacent to a similar block being opencast mined
prised on arrival at the Archives to be handed an
by his father-in-law, but the coal seam ran deeper
archive known as the Magnus Spence Collection.
on George's property, necessitating pit mining.
This consisted of a number of notebooks and
Letters to an Orkney brother before 1908 indicated scrapbooks from George's brother Magnus who
that mining was going so well that a family trip had been schoolmaster at Deerness for many
back to Scotland was being suggested. The family years. Among other things, Magnus was famous as
grew quickly and there were four children in 1911 being the first person to publish in 1893 the now
when George returned to his working roots, and accepted theory on the origin and purpose of the
purchased 214 acres of newly opened up country Standing Stones and Maeshowe of Stenness. In one
suitable for mixed sheep and dairy farming. scrapbook was found a clipping of the missing
obituary
Tragedy struck in 1914 when George had a sudden
stroke with consequent epileptic fits that necessi-
Sib Folk News Issue 19 September 2001
9
But - there was more material of even greater interest! Much research followed in the next four years, both
in and from New Zealand on piracy and Gow in
What immediately caught my eye were Magnus's
particular, but it soon became clear that there was a
hand-written extracts from an 1878 book Reminis-
missing link that had to be found if I was going to
cences by Charles Cowan of Fife in which John Gow,
prove my pirate ancestry. And that link stubbornly
the Orkney Pirate, was referred to, and furthermore
failed to surface. Was my gold to be just "fool's
for whom a line of succession was given. My Legacy
gold"?
suddenly started to get flesh on its bones. It was to be
fleshed out further when later visiting the Tankerness My second visit to Orkney in May this year was for
House Museum I found for sale a lone copy of the a week and specifically to research my Legacy as
small book John Gow, The Orkney Pirate by George well as to meet recently discovered second cousins.
Watson (Caithness Field Club, 1978). This is a sum-
The result of this, and other research in Edinburgh,
mary of John Gow's life and exploits, brought to-
unfortunately still leaves me with the question - is my
gether from many sources.
Legacy fact or fiction?
In my eager haste to put two and two together, 1
I therefore present the evidence I have so far discov-
assumed that this was the Spence pirate connection,
ered and documented, and invite you, the reader, to
otherwise why else would Magnus have so carefully
help me decide.
recorded the Cowan extracts? I thought I had struck
gold.
Extract The Evidence
• John Gow was definitely the Orkney Pirate. The
John Gow was known as the "Orkney Pi-
ultimate treatise on the subject is The Pirate
rate". Born in Wick, he moved to Strom-
(Tow by Daniel Defoe (John Applebee, London,
ness with his parents when a child, and later
1725), published just after Gow's hanging. De-
became a seaman. In 1724, together with
foe had extensively interviewed Gow in prison
others in the crew, he took charge of a
before his execution. Most other books in the
vessel, murdering the captain and others,
Kirkwall Library's Orkney Room with a refer-
and became a pirate for a few short months
ence to Gow are noted in the indices as simply
He was eventually captured in Orkney after
quoting Defoe, and this is indeed the case. Wat-
a struggle, taken to London for trial by the
son (above) added slightly to the Orkney ending
Admiralty Court, found guilty of murder
of the story Gow never seemed to have married,
while a pirate, and publicly hanged in
but was clearly a ladies' man, having been be-
1725 He asked the hangman to pull on his
trothed twice that we know of. And so he could
legs to ensure he died quickly, but let Dan-
quite possibly have fathered at least one child,
iel Defoe (of Robinson Crusoe fame) tell
perhaps even being unaware of its existence My
the story - [he] "fell down from the Gibbet,
Legacy depends on this child of Gow having
the Rope breaking by the Weight of some
existed
that pull'd his Leg to put him out of Pain;
he was still alive and sensible, tho' he had • Orkney was once proud of its pirate, with Sir
Hung four Minutes, and able to go up the Walter Scott visiting Orkney and subsequently
Ladder the second Time, which he did with basing his 1821 novel The Pirate loosely around
very little Concrn'd, and was Hang'd the Gow story Sadly, this pride no longer seems
again." It was ordered that his body to be in vogue Charles Tait's The Orkney Guide
be tarred and hung in chains, out over the Book, which almost every tourist to Orkney
Thames, as a warning to other would-be buys, illustrates the odd conical shaped monu-
pirates. ment to Gow in Kirkwall. But try finding it, as I
did, is very difficult. Almost nobody knows it
exists, let alone where it is. In fact, it is in the
centre of a small square now used for car park-
ing, and virtually inaccessible to the enquiring
tourist. The monument is in disrepair and carries
no plaque to identify what it is or indeed what
the purpose of it was with its now boarded-up
4
doorways. Have the facts, including the child,
therefore been deliberately forgotten along with
the monument?
[Memo to the Orkney Council: How about re-
pairing, labelling, signposting and making this
Issue 19 September 2001 Sib Folk News
10