Sourin – Rousay Remembered

Pow, Faraclett, & Scockness

Max Fletcher — Sun, 17 May 2020 12:36:15 +0000

POW The earliest mention of Pow is in an early rental of 1743-44, its occupant at that time being David Craigie. It is not until the census of 1841 that names and dates become clearer, with John Gibson and his family living at and working on the surrounding land at Pow, located south-west of the farm of Faraclett. John earned his living as a farmer and fisherman. He was born on December…

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Breck & Myres

Max Fletcher — Sat, 16 May 2020 17:20:49 +0000

BRECK Breck was a croft in Sourin, between Myres and Hurtiso. It was occupied by Alexander Gibson in 1734 and William Craigie in 1738. In the census of 1841 it was spelt Braik, and was occupied by William Marwick, the fourth oldest of the ten sons of son of Hugh Marwick, Scockness, and Betsy Sinclair [another of her ‘ten devils], and he was born on December 13th 1800.

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Nethermill to Hurtiso

Max Fletcher — Sat, 16 May 2020 15:59:43 +0000

Nethermill, Lopness, Guidal, & Hurtiso Tommy Gibson tells us about the Sourin Mill The Sourin Mill is a large well-built stone building of three storeys, situated at the end of the Sourin burn near Lopness and Nethermill. This was the largest building in Sourin, and today still stands as straight and square as it was when it was built. On the west end of the building four plaques have…

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Bigland, Broland, & Essaquoy

Max Fletcher — Sat, 16 May 2020 13:19:20 +0000

BIGLAND Bigland is a very old Sourin farm, and referred to in the 1595 Rental as being skatted, or taxed, as a 3d. land. Its name probably came from the Old Norse word bygg-land, ‘bere-land,’ the word bygg meaning bigg or bere, a kind of barley. The discovery on this farm of the now famous Rinyo settlement indicated human occupation from a very early date. This is where we have proof of…

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Fa’doon

Max Fletcher — Sat, 16 May 2020 10:12:44 +0000

Fa’doon is a croft in Sourin, Rousay, situated on the south-eastern slope of Kierfea Hill, lying at the foot of an abrupt and precipitous slope outside an old hill-dyke. What a view! William Craigie, a farmer and fisherman, lived here in 1851. He was the son of William Craigie and Betty Leonard and was born at Cruar on November 14th 1807. On January 18th 1839 he married Janet Inkster…

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Lee to Swandale

Max Fletcher — Fri, 15 May 2020 17:35:05 +0000

Lee, Blossom, Swartifield, & Swandale LEE Lee was the name of a cottage high up on the eastern slope of Kierfea Hill above Digro. Its first recorded occupants were John Pearson and his wife Janet McKinlay, both born c.1786. They were married on December 19th 1806, and had four children: James was born in May 1808; twins, John and Mary, were born in August 1810; and Robert…

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Re-roofing Swartifield – 1890

Max Fletcher — Fri, 15 May 2020 16:49:16 +0000

In his book The Little General and the Rousay Crofters, William P L Thomson tells of estate regulations in general making no mention of mining or quarrying. In 1881, the laird, Frederick William Traill Burroughs, was optimistic about the mineral potential of his Rousay estate, so a clause was added to the regulations reserving the right of the landlord to open a mine or quarry on a…

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Digro

Max Fletcher — Fri, 15 May 2020 13:20:59 +0000

Digro was a small croft on the east slope of Kierfea Hill, Rousay. Peter Leonard, a 40-year-old wool weaver, lived there in 1841. He was the son of Thomas Leonard and Isabella Inkster and was born in 1798. He married Isabella McKinlay, daughter of William McKinlay and Isabella Lero of Essaquoy, Sourin, and between 1820 and 1837 they had ten children, seven girls and three boys :- They were…

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Knapper to Cruannie

Max Fletcher — Fri, 15 May 2020 10:48:05 +0000

Knapper, Grindlay’s Breck, Feeliha’, & Cruannie KNAPPER Knapknowes is the name of a vanished house close to the Westness dyke, just below the Quandale school building. It was also the name of an old Sourin croft, as recorded in a Rousay Birth Register of 1825. That house is now called Knapper, and is situated east of Brendale. Hugh Marwick tells us the Old Norse word knappar, plur.

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Ervadale & Brendale

Max Fletcher — Thu, 14 May 2020 17:39:03 +0000

ERVADALE In the 1503 land rental of Rousay, Ervadale was taxed as a 3-penny land farm in Sourin on the southern breast of Kierfea Hill between Wasdale and Brendale. Called Ovirdaill in 1563, and Overdale in another Rental of 1595, Hugh Leonard and James Craigie were joint tenants in 1653, and in 1740 John Craigie was the sole tenant. The land was valued in terms of early Norse money as…

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