Category: Wasbister

Quoydeith was an old croft in Wasbister, about 250 yards east of the old smiddy above Quoygray. Known as Quoydie in the Uthell Buik of 1601, and Quoydeith in a record dated 1721, it was variously occupied by the likes of Andro Smyt, John Alo, Rolland Corss, and in 1706 by Hugh Cooper. According to Hugh Marwick in his book The Place Names of Rousay the origin of the name is uncertain but perhaps derives from the Old Norse word spelt dý, a boggy place.

Thomas Inkster and his wife Christy Marwick were later tenants of Quoydeith and George, their only child, was born there in 1781. He married Jean Marwick, daughter of John and Jean Marwick, at Cogar in 1814 and they had six children, all born at Quoydeith; Hugh, who was born on January 6th 1815, Mary, on March 18th 1816, Margaret, on August 4th 1818, George, on July 7th 1820, Janet, on May 10th 1823, and John, who was born there on February 11th 1827. In 1843 George Inkster was paying an annual rent of £4.10.0.

In 1844 George and Jean’s daughter Margaret married Magnus Alexander of Cairn and between 1845 and 1860 they had six children. In 1849 Margaret’s sister Janet married Robert Inkster of Tou, later Pliverha’, and they had five children. George and Jean Inkster moved to Lingro near Falquoy, and it was there that Jean died in 1857 at the age of 70. Husband George died there ten years later in his 86th year.

In 1847 Hugh Craigie was the tenant of Quoydeith and he was paying rent of £3.0.0 per annum. Hugh was the son of Hugh Craigie and Janet Marwick of Brough, Westside, and he was born in 1778. In 1803 he married 22-year-old Isabel Craigie, and between 1804 and 1828 they had ten children; Hugh was born on September 11th 1804; Janet on May 14th 1807; another Janet was born on July 20th 1808; Henry was born on January 30th 1811; Mary on April 14th 1813 (she died in 1858 at Deith, unmarried); and William who was born on September 7th 1815. All these children were born at Brough.

The family then moved from the Westside to Quandale and the next child, Betty, was born at Nether Quandale on November 19th 1817; the other three children were born at Mid Quandale; Grace, on April 20th 1820; Peter, on June 15th 1823; and finally John, who was born on March 11th 1828.

The census of 1851 described Hugh Craigie as a 73-year-old farmer and his wife Isabel was in her 70th year. Living with them was their 37-year-old unmarried daughter Mary who was ‘employed at home’, and 23 year-old son John, an agricultural labourer.

Isabel had died by 1861, the census of that year describing 83-year-old Hugh as a widower farming seven acres at Qouydeith. In 1856 his son John, a ploughman, married Margaret McKinlay, daughter of William McKinlay and Mary Craigie originally of Curkland, Egilsay, and she was born on October 22nd 1825 when they lived at Fa’doon on the south-eastern slope of Kierfea Hill. In 1864 Quoydeith was pulled down on the orders of the laird, and a new house, named Deithe, was built, higher up the hill, halfway between the present day Breahead and Blackhammer.

John Craigie, who then earned his living as a mason, was its first tenant, paying at that time rent of 17s.6d. In 1873 the extent of the land at Deith covered 13 acres, for which John paid an annual rent of £1 15s, and in 1880 £3.0.0. Like many other Rousay crofters John had his rent reduced in 1888 by the Crofters Commission. His reverted to the sum of £1.15.0.

Still living at Deithe in 1891, John was then described as a 63-year-old crofter and fisherman and wife Margaret was in her 65th year.

Hugh Craigie was the son of Hugh Craigie and Ann Gibson of Turbitail and he was born on August 30th 1866. Hugh later married Margaret Inkster of Upper Cogar, who was the same age as him. After John Craigie passed away Hugh and Maggie moved into Deithe, where they raised a family of five children; Maggie Jessie, born on 5 February 1889; Mary Jane, on November 11th 1890; James Campbell Bruce, on October 2nd 1895; Hugh Gibson, on December 19th 1899; and Barbara, who was born on March 2nd 1893.

Hugh had a joiner’s business at Deithe. He was a highly skilled craftsman by all accounts, whose work can still be seen in many houses in the island. The tools of his trade, pictured below, still exist. Hugh Craigie died at Kirkwall on November 11th 1933 at the age of 67 and his wife Maggie passed away in her 81st year, on November 19th 1947.

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A collection of Hugh’s woodworking tools, found in the old byre here at Deithe. Some of these have been passed on to his great-grandson in Canada who is also a fine craftsman in wood.

Maggie Jessie married Hugh Inkster of Westness and had a son, Hugo, who grew up to be a renowned fiddler, and Mary Jane married Jock Sutherland of Stromness. Hugh Gibson Craigie emigrated to Canada in 1923, living initially in Ontario, then Owlseye Lake, Alberta and finally settling in British Columbia.

In 1930 James Campbell Bruce Craigie married Maggie Jessie Flaws of Hammerfield, Wester, and they had three children; Neil, Francis, and Thomas.

Jim playing his Stroh fiddle in the early 1970s – an ideal instrument for playing at dances in the days before amplification. The photos were taken by Nigel Firth, Vacquoy, a talented musician in his own right.

James was a postman, firstly in Rousay and later in Sandwick where he lived at Ravenswood, Quoyloo. He is best-known for his fiddle music, having composed many, many tunes over the years. Tunes with a Rousay flavour such as Maggie Watson’s Farewell to Blackhammer, Netherbow, The Road the Hammer-Chunky, Whal’s Rost – the list is endless, and his music is still played and recorded today by a wealth of Orkney musicians. Jim o’ Deithe ended his days at St Peter’s House in Stromness and died in 1977 at the age of 82.

The following obituary, written by Nigel Firth, was published in The Orcadian.

On March 10 came word of the death that morning, in hospital in Aberdeen, of Mr James C. B. Craigie, of Deithe, Rousay. He had been in poor health for some time.

James Campbell Bruce Craigie was born at Vacquoy, Rousay, in 1895, one of five children. His father Hugh Craigie, a joiner, was related to the widespread Gibson family of Langskaill, and his mother, Margaret Inkster of Barebraes, was a descendant of the Inksters who owned the Saviskaill estate for a few years in the early 19^th century.  Mr Craigie was named after his uncle, J. C. Bruce, who came from Ballachulish and was for many years teacher in Wester.

In 1899 the Craigie family moved from Vacquoy to Deithe after the death of Chekki o’ Deithe (John Craigie – no known relation). Mr Craigie attended the Wester School until he was 14. It happened that his first teacher was Jessie Marwick, a sister of Dr Hugh Marwick.

In the summers he worked part time as a hirdie boy at Innister, Fealquoy and Langskaill, going to school each day from his place of work. In those days there were few wire fences and not every field was dyked, so cattle had to be kept off growing crops by tethering (on the smaller farms) or by hirding (on the larger).

On leaving school he started full time farm service at Langskaill with David Gibson, for three years. At 17 he was hospitalised by a kick from a horse and afterwards he started an apprenticeship with his father. In 1914, aged 19, he enlisted, serving two years ay Hoy Battery and then with the Royal Artillery in France. He had at least one narrow escape. A front-line position his unit had occupied for weeks was wiped out by shellfire a few hours after they had been ordered to a new position.

Mr Craigie was demobbed in 1919 and worked at the naval airdrome scheme at Swanbister; then from 1920 was three years in Glasgow as a joiner at Beardmore’s shipyard, fitting prefabricated woodwork into liners. He then returned to Rousay as a joiner. One of his jobs was the making of new wooden teeth for the gearing of the Sourin mill. In the twenties he and his father usually did three weeks’ fencing in the district each spring. This mostly comprised fence-shifting. Only the grazing fields were fenced at that time, so the crop rotation meant that one or two fences had to be moved each year.

In the late twenties he started with the Post Office. At first, deliveries were on foot, then by push bike. When mail vans were introduced fewer men were needed and Mr Craigie was offered a job as postman in Quoyloo. He accepted and was there 17 years, until his retirement in 1955. He came back to Rousay in 1957.

In the short time I have known Jim o’ Deithe I have come to value his friendship highly. His humour, his kindness, his independence, his originality of thought and synoptic outlook, his painstakingness and regard for excellence have made a deep impression. In two areas we were both interested in – music and local history – I learned much from him and came to respect his achievement. I suspect this would have been true in several other fields as well, could I have judged them. We are sad at his passing, but are richer for having known him. He will not soon be forgotten.

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Before and after: Now I’m the owner of Deithe…and very proud to say so too.

Turbitail was the name of a cot-house of Langskaill on the bank of a burn known thereabouts as the Burn of Turbitail, situated on the western slope of Kierfea Hill above the parish of Wasbister. There is no reasonable explanation for the origin of the name – Hugh Marwick in his ‘Place-Names of Rousay’ admits defeat, explaining ‘origin therefore obscure’!

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In 1841 it was occupied by the Craigie family. James Craigie at that time was a 50-year-old army pensioner. His wife Margaret Shearer was the same age as her husband, and they had five children; Gilbert, born in 1821; Eleanor in 1827; Margaret in 1828; Isabella in 1830; and Hugh, who was born on May 4th 1834.

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By 1861, another Craigie family was living at Turbitail. Hugh Craigie was the son of James Craigie and Betty Marwick of Milnhouse, Sourin, and he was born on November 22nd 1825, the family having moved to nearby Guidall. He married 23-year-old Ann Gibson on February 27th 1852. She was the daughter of George Gibson and Ann Mainland of Langskaill, who was born on September 3rd 1829. They had five children; Ann was born on December 27th 1854; Lydia, on October 27th 1858; Mary Jean, on May 5th 1860, but she died in 1873; Hugh, born on August 30th 1866; and Maggie, born on September 25th 1868. In 1887 Hugh paid £7.0.0. rent but only £5.0.0. in 1888, having been adjusted by the Crofters Commission, and by this time Hugh was farming 17.622 acres.

Daughter Lydia married Robert Gibson of Langskaill. She drowned at the age of 35 with three of her children when the Rousay mail-boat was overturned in a storm in Eynhallow Sound in October 1893. The boatmen, who were also lost, were James Sinclair of Newhouse and John Reid of Tratland.

Lydia’s brother Hugh, born in 1866, married Margaret Inkster of Upper Cogar. Pictured above, they lived at Deithe and had five children; Maggie Jessie, born on February 5th 1889; Mary Jane, on November 11th 1890; Barbara, on March 2nd 1893; James Campbell Bruce, on October 2nd 1895; and Hugh Gibson, on December 19th 1899.

Lydia and Hugh’s father died in 1906 at the age of 81, and their mother Ann died soon after, on April 3rd 1907 when in her 78th year.

Langskaill, in Old Norse langi-skali, ‘long-hall’, is the largest farm in the present Rousay parish of Wasbister. It formed a 9d. land or half-urisland which the 1503 Early Rentals states “wes evir to the Kingis scattis” (i.e. had always paid skat, or land tax, to the Earl), but it had been “haldin be the bischop in all my tyme bygane, and Bischop William quhen he had our Soverane landis in tak wes the first that evir began to tak ony of the Kingis scattis contenit in this buik.” Bishop William Tulloch had the earldom property in tack, circa 1475, and perhaps he thought that it was only appropriate that his services in facilitating the transfer of Orkney to the Scottish crown should be rewarded by the ‘conveyance’ to the Bishopric of the various skats of which complaints are recorded in the 1503 Early Rentals.

Towards the end of the 18th century Langskaill was occupied by David Gibson. He and Barbara Craigie of Burness had twin sons, Hugh, and another unnamed, who were born in 1792. [Hugh Marwick later described the arrival of the twins as the result of ‘an adventure his great-grandfather had with a woman up at Burness’! – Burness was a cot-house of Langskaill, high up in the valley of the Burn of Turbitail.]

David then married Jean Marwick and they had five children; George, born on March 12th 1797, Robert in 1799, Katherine on February 23rd 1801, Isabella on June 14th 1802, and David, who was born in 1805.

David then married Isabel Mainland and they had three children; Alexander, born on November 7th 1807, John on August 2nd 1809 and Nicol on July 7th 1811. David married a third time, on March 9th 1828. His bride was Betsy Marwick, whose maiden name was Sinclair. David died in 1837.

In 1841, farmer George Gibson, born on March 12th 1797, the oldest child of David Gibson and Jean Marwick, was head of the household at Langskaill. His wife was Ann Mainland, the daughter of Nicol Mainland and Ann Craigie Mainland of the Bu, Wyre, who was born on February 3rd 1803. George and Ann Gibson had nine children, three boys and six girls; David was born on December 14th 1825, Isabella on March 9th 1827, Ann on September 3rd 1829, John on December 2nd 1831, Robina on February 28th 1834, Mary on August 28th 1836, Jane on November 27th 1838, Lydia on June 28th 1842, and David, who was born on April 29th 1844.

Between 1845 and 1847 George and his brother David Gibson were joint tenants of Langskaill paying £41 0s 0d rent and in 1849 they paid £43 2s 3d plus interest on the cost of improvements made to the property.

In 1851 Langskaill was a 60-acre farm. George and David’s brothers Robert, and Alexander and their families lived and farmed there as well. 45-year-old David was married to Mary Inkster. Robert, then aged 52, was married to Robina Irvine of Rendall, and they had five children. Alexander, the youngest at 43 years of age, was married to Lydia Mainland, and at the time of the census that year they had a 9-month-old son christened Nicol.

George Gibson died in 1864 at the age of 67, and his wife Ann died in 1868, aged 65 years.

By 1871, the area of land farmed at Langskaill had increased to 195 acres. Robert Gibson senior was now in his 72nd year and he now had the assistance of his 32-year-old son Robert. He had married Isabella Craigie of Hullion on October 27th 1859, and they had five children.

The other tenant at this time was John Gibson, son of George and Ann Gibson, who was then 39 years old. He was married to Jane Gibson, and between 1855 and 1879 they had nine children. The eldest, Mary Jane, born on April 14th 1855, later married William Cooper, a teacher at Wester. They had seven children, one of which was Anna May. She was teacher at the Wester school 30 years after her father.

Tragedy struck the Gibson family in 1875. On August 26th 36-year-old Robert Gibson junior drowned with his 8-year-old son David. This was due to a heavy land sea below Saviskaill when they came ashore in an open boat.

The 1881 census describes his 42-year-old wife Isabella as a widow and their 20-year-old son Robert as farm manager. At least they had John and Jane Gibson to help with the running of the Langskaill farm, which by now had increased to 207 acres in size.

In 1882 John Gibson was the sole tenant, and by this time more land on Kierfea Hill was added to Langskaill, and the rent for this year was £170, including rent charge on improvements. In 1900 his son David was tenant, paying £150 on land which covered 180 acres arable and 130 acres pasture.

The picture above shows David Gibson of Langskaill, later Sunnyside, St Ola, and his wife Ann Mainland of Tratland, with their daughters: Maggie, Sarah, Mary, Jeannie, Rosalie, and Ida.

David was one of ten children born to Robert Gibson and Robina Irvine, mentioned above, and he was born in July 1845. Ann was the daughter of James Mainland and Margaret Sinclair, Tratland, and she was born in March 1847. Daughter Jeannie married Alexander Leask, who later became Rector of Kirkwall Grammar School.

[Photo courtesy of Orkney Library & Archive]

Whitemeadows is the name of a croft in Wasbister, high up on the western slope of Kierfea Hill, close to the Loch o’ Wheethamo. The Old Norse word hvíti-mór means ‘white moor, or heath’. White cotton grass used to grow in abundance here, hence the name of the croft – Whitemeadows.

According to the census of 1841 it was occupied by George Sabiston, a 70-year-old pauper, his wife Margaret, who was 50 years of age, and their young son George. Between 1841 and 1862 the annual rent was 15 shillings.

By 1861 young George, then 31 years of age and employed as an agricultural labourer, was head of the household at Whitemeadows. He was married to Barbara Harrold, the daughter of William Harrold and Elizabeth Grieve of Hammermugly (now known as Blossom), who was born on November 7th 1824. They had six children; Margaret, born on September 1st 1854; Mary on February 26th 1855; James on September 29th 1856; John on March 22nd 1858; William on November 24th 1859 and Alexander, who was born on April 22nd 1863. William and Alexander died during an outbreak of diphtheria in 1867. George was later classed as a pauper and the family lived at Whitemeadows rent-free.

Fisherman Hugh Marwick, his wife Mary Inkster and their four children moved up to Whitemeadows from Quoys. Between June 1869 and October 1880, Mary gave birth to another six children there. James Mowat was born on June 3rd 1869; William on July 10th 1871; Thomas on June 23rd 1873; John on November 26th 1875; Alexander on December 10th 1878, and Magnus, who was born on October 14th 1880.

Both Hugh and his wife Mary died in 1882, within a month of each other. He was aged 54 and she was 46. Seven of the children were younger than 18 when they were orphaned.

The following is the inscription on their gravestone in the Wester kirkyard:-

Erected by their family in loving memory of Hugh Marwick,
who died 22nd March 1882, aged 53 years,
and Mary Inkster his wife,
who died 17th April 1882, aged 46 years.

“Weep not for us our children dear,
because we died and left you here.
Our heavenly Father thought it best,
to call us home and give us rest.”

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Castlehill, or Castal-hills, was a cot-house high up the valley of the Burn of Castlehill in Wasbister, occupied in 1841 by Hugh Craigie and his family. Hugh was born at Upper Geo, Wasbister about 1786, and he married Christian Gibson on January 22nd 1816. They had two children, Margaret and Sally, who were born in 1821 and 1823 at Upper Geo. They then moved to Castlehill where four more children, another Sally, Hugh, Mary, and James, were born between 1825 and 1837.

Shoemaker James Harrold and his family were the occupants of Castlehill in 1851. James was the son of Alexander Harrold and Marabell Corston of Wyre, and he was born at Boray, Gairsay, about 1820. He married Bella Gibson, the daughter of Hugh Gibson and Janet Marwick of Lower Burness, and she was born on August 20th 1821 when they lived at Newark. also in Wester. James and Bella had four children; Ann, Margaret, John, and James, born between 1848 and 1856.

James Harrold later married Margaret Mainland of Cruseday, Frotoft. Margaret was one of the only set of triplets to be born in Rousay – on February 23rd 1839 – to Alexander Mainland and Janet Kirkness. She and James, who earned a living as a mason and a shoemaker, lived at Mid Cruseday.

In 1881 Castlehill was occupied by Robert Pearson, a 35-year-old fisherman who used to live not far away at Kirkgate. He married Henrietta Harcus, the daughter of John Harcus and Jean Read of Garson, on Rousay’s Westside, who was born about 1845. They had six children; Robert, James, William, Mary, George, and Alexander, who were born between 1873 and 1885. In 1876, Robert paid rent of £3.10.0. for the 8.8 acres at Castlehill and £4.10.0 in 1887. By 1888 the acreage had increased to 10.286 and the rent, having been fixed by the Crofters Commission, was £3.5.0.

Map section showing Burness and Upper Burness in proximity to Turbitail, Castlehill and Whitemeadows

Upper Burness was a cottage high up in the valley of the Burn of Castlehill above Wasbister. In 1851 it was occupied by 73-year-old farmer William Craigie and his family.

Ten years previously Upper Burness was added to Langskaill and William was classed as a sub-tenant, paying 10 shillings a year rent. William was the son of Thomas Craigie and Robina Marwick of Onzibist, Egilsay, and in 1822 he married Charlotte Gibson, daughter of Hugh Gibson and Janet Inkster of Skatequoy, who was born in 1794. They had six children: William, born on November 8th 1823; Thomas, on September 27th 1825; Janet Inkster on December 12th 1827; Hugh on April 20th 1830; James Gardner on July 6th 1832; and Mary who was born in 1837. – William Craigie died in 1862 at the age of 84 and his wife Charlotte died in 1874 in her 80th year.

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Burness, lower down the hill, was also a cot-house of Langskaill. In 1841 it was where worsted weaver Hugh Gibson and his family lived. In 1792 Hugh was one of twin sons born out of wedlock to David Gibson of Langskaill and Barbara Craigie of Burness. Hugh married Janet Marwick of Quoys in 1813. In 1814 he married another Janet Marwick, then living at Cogar. They had four children, Jean and Bella, who were born at Newark in Wester in 1815 and 1821 respectively, and James and William, born at Geo, Westness in 1825 and 1828. Hugh then married Margaret Harcus and they had two children, both born at Geo, John in 1834 and Mary, in 1835.

Hugh Gibson, his father David, and his uncle Alexander, were each married three times.

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In 1851 Hugh and Margaret Gibson were joined at Lower Burness by their daughter Jean and her family. She was married to David Johnston of Heatherhouse, Sourin and they had three children: Margaret, Bella, and John. On November 19th 1843 Jean married fisherman Gilbert Craigie, of Turbitail and they had seven children, though three of these died at an early age. Gilbert died in 1882 at the age of 62 and Jean passed away in 1892, in her 77th year.

At the time the 1901 census was taken Burness was occupied by farmer James Alexander and his wife Sarah Ann Marwick. James was the son of Magnus Alexander of Cairn and Margaret Inkster of Deithe and he was born in 1854. Sarah Ann was the daughter of Hugh Marwick of Quoys later Whitemeadows, and Mary Inkster of Innister, and she was born in April 1862. Living with them at Burness was Sarah’s 16-year-old son James Smith who was employed as a blacksmith’s apprentice and her 20-year-old brother Magnus who was classed as ‘feeble minded’.

James Alexander and Sarah Ann Marwick of Burness

Photo courtesy of Tommy Gibson

Breckan and Hammer

Breckan was a farm in Wasbister, on the slope west of the loch, below Innister. Early tenants included Henry Corsie in 1736; Edward and Hugh Corsie in 1737; Marjory Moar in 1786; and James Louttit between 1792 and 1798.

In 1841 the surrounding land was farmed by 55-year-old William Louttit. He married Christian Craigie of Egilsay in 1807 and they had two children; Isabella, born in 1811, and Jane, born in 1816. William’s parents were James Louttit and Ann Mainland and Christy’s were Andrew Craigie and Isabel Hourston. Isabella Louttit married James Alexander in 1844, and it was he who took over 29-acre farm on the death of William Louttit in 1861.

Joint tenant of Breckan in 1841 was 60-year-old farmer James Alexander, originally from Cubbidy. In 1810 he married Barbara Marwick. She was the daughter of Magnus Marwick and Christy Craigie, and between 1811 and 1827 they had eight  children, most of them being born when they lived at Cutclaws, an old house on the Westside. William, the youngest child, was lost over the cliffs there.

In 1861 Breckan was occupied by the second oldest of James and Barbara’s children. He too was christened James, having been born on February 24th 1815. In 1844 he married Isabella Louttit, the daughter of William Louttit and Christian Craigie, who was born in 1811. They had three children; William, born in 1846; James, in 1848; and Ann, born in 1850. Isabella’s father lived with them at Breckan, but he died in 1861 at the age of 80.

Above is a view of Wasbister from the Nuggle, with Innister just above and left of the stones, and Breckan, nearest buildings to the right.

In the latter years of the 19th century Breckan was farmed by Samuel Craigie. He was the son of Hugh Craigie and Jane Seatter of nearby Hammer, and was born on March 4th 1851. In 1876 he married Ann Craigie, daughter of William Craigie and Martha Mainland of Laro, and she was born on January 15th 1857. They moved to Breckan when the farm of Hammer became incorporated with Innister. Between 1876 and 1900 they had twelve children. Hugh, the fourth eldest born on March 7th 1884, fell to his death over the Quandale cliffs. The family was still at Breckan in 1891, but later they moved over to the Bu on the neighbouring island of Wyre.

The nearby farm of Hammer [of which no evidence now exists], spelt Hammyir in the 1503 Early Rental, and its neighbouring farm of Gorn later became incorporated with the larger farm, Innister.

The 1503 Rental states that: “Wasbustar wes evir to the Kingis scattis ane uris terre, and thairof the bischop takis the haill scattis of IIIId. terre ½ callit hammyir…..” That is – Wasbister was a whole urisland (18d. land) which paid scat to the King (or Earl), but in some unexplained way 4½d. lands had become bishopric land. That portion apparently went with a house known as Hammyir, a name we can still recognise today in Hammer.

Among the farms enumerated as paying landmail or rent to the earl were: Gore, 2d. land (no longer a farm, but still remembered as Gorn); Quoyostir (Quoyostray), 3d. land; Force (Furse), 1d. land; Grudwick, 1d. land (probably near Grithin); Calgir (Cogar), ½d. land; and Savirscale, 3d. land’

In the early 1800’s farmer David Craigie lived at Hammer. He was the son of William Craigie and was born in 1776. He married Marian (Mary Ann) Craigie in 1801, and between 1802 and 1819 they had eight children. Janet was born on February 4th 1802, Betty on October 8th 1804, James on March 1st 1807, Mary on April 3rd 1809, David on February 24th 1812, Isabel on February 12th 1815, William on August 20th 1817 and Hugh, who was born on July 7th 1819.

The word ‘flaa’ in the Orkney dialect means a strip of green grass standing out distinctly against a heathery background. In a Rousay lawsuit of 1825 Hugh Marwick, a Wasbister witness, depones that ‘he knows the road called the Strandygate……that David Cray of Hammer has two flaws of land which run across said road, making two riggs on each side of the road, or in other words the road divides the riggs in two, the ends touching the road on each side……John Inkster has two riggs in one place and a tae or half rig which cross the road, that is the road intersects these rigs and tae……all the rest of the land on each side of the road belongs to the petitioner consisting of eight flaws crossing the road and from these flaws extend riggs parallel to the road towards the shore lying on each side of it also belonging to petitioner……that the lands belonging to Lord Dundas……do not lie together but are intermixed and runrig with the flaws above deponed to belonging to the petitioner.’ [Kirkwall Sheriff Court Record Room.]

In 1851, David was 73 years of age, and Marian was in her 71st year. Their unmarried daughter Mary lived with  them,  and  was  described  in the census as a 35-year-old servant. Her older brother James, now a 44-year-old fisherman, married 25-year-old  Margaret  Alexander  in  1838. She was the daughter of James Alexander and Barbara Marwick of Breckan, and she and James also lived at Hammer.

The youngest of David and Marian’s children was Hugh, born in 1819. He married 26-year-old Jane Seatter of Saviskaill in 1849, and by 1851 they had two children; Mary Ann, born on August 2nd 1849 and Samuel, born on March 4th 1851, and they were living at Hammer as well.

By 1861, Hugh Craigie was head of the household at Hammer and farming its 26 acres. Jane had given birth to two more children; William on June 2nd 1853, and Jemima in 1856. Hugh’s mother had died by this time and his father, in his 84th year, lived with them, though he died in 1863. Hugh’s wife Jane died, and in 1871 he was farming 35 acres at Hammer, but he died himself in 1878 at the age of 59.

Then the new tenant of Hammer was Hugh Inkster. Hugh was the son of James and Margaret Inkster of Gorn, and he was born on February 25th 1845. He married Georgina Harcus, the daughter of John Harcus and Barbara Smith of Westray, who was born in 1848. Between 1867 and 1889 they had nine children, seven sons and two daughters.

Until 1878 Georgina and  Hugh, who had been in ill health for many years, had lived with Hugh’s mother, but then Hugh, rather unwisely, took over the tenancy of Hammer, now a 15-acre croft with a house in poor condition. The stock had been provided by Hugh’s mother who gave up her own croft, Gorn, on the death of her husband and moved in with them, but, because of Hugh’s ill health, he had never been able to work the land very effectively. Hugh’s sister Margaret, who also lived with them, was an agricultural labourer, and she provided the only real income.

In 1881 the land was taken away from them, but they were allowed to continue living in the house. The laird, General Frederick William Traill-Burroughs, had built a steading on the neighbouring farm of Innister, but discovered it was too big and consequently decided to enlarge Innister at the expense of Hammer and two other crofts.

The plight of the Inksters became increasingly desperate. Hugh was unable to work, his mother was elderly and Georgina was encumbered by a family of young children; but for two years they survived on the money they received from the sale of their stock.

In 1883 that money was exhausted, the last being spent of sending Hugh to the infirmary in Edinburgh. Left destitute, Georgina applied for relief, only to discover that no-one was willing to make a decision while the laird was away on holiday in Germany. This was at the time of unrest in Rousay, due to the conflict between the crofters and the ‘Little General,’ as the unpopular laird was known.

The loss of the lands of Hammer caused feelings to run high and the whole district took sides. A row between the wives ended with Georgina throwing a bucket of dirty water over Ann Inkster, the wife of David Inkster who farmed the land at Innister, the incident leading to a Sheriff Court appearance.

Ploughs and scythes were broken at night, sheep belonging to one of the farmers disappeared and there were other violent incidents. John MacRae, Burroughs’s personal lawyer, ex-factor, and Procurator Fiscal, paid a visit to Wester to collect evidence for further charges against the crofters, but found the people sullen and uncooperative. Both the General and his factor had visited some of the troublemakers and, with tensions running high, the unfortunate school-master had chosen this moment to visit the destitute Hugh and Georgina with a demand for the payment of school fees. This resulted in the Sheriff having to deal with another case of assault!

By 1891, Hugh and Georgina had moved to Geo at Westness, and later they moved to Knapper. Hugh died in 1933 at Myres, aged 88, and Georgina died in 1934 at the age of 86.