Pigtail Tobacco, Brandy, and Other Necessities

New post by Guest Blogger: Joan Barrett

Part One:

When I read on Facebook an invitation to volunteer for work on the LIFTE project from the University of the Highlands and Islands, I immediately responded, offering to help with the transcription of 17th-century Orcadian documents. My grandfather was born on Westray in 1884; his mother’s family traces there to the mid 1600’s. Over many years I had struggled with their wills and sasines, so I thought perhaps that practice would help me to get started.

Handwriting was my first challenge. I spent untold hours with palaeography tutorials from the National Archives and from ScottishHandwriting.com. I became fairly proficient with Secretary Hand, but little could prepare me for the idiosyncratic handwriting used in “accompts” and letters.

Next was vocabulary. Anne Mitchell, our LIFTE group leader, introduced us to the Dictionary of Scottish Language. Soon my transcriptions became weighed down with footnotes containing definitions from the DSL.

Early in the project, I developed an interest in Captain Peter Winchester. When new documents were offered, I greedily took everything relating to him. Of the ninety-seven documents I transcribed for LIFTE, sixty-six pertained to Peter Winchester, including a few concerning his children. Since the conclusion of LIFTE, I have transcribed thirteen more Winchester documents and have one remaining to be finished.

Peter Winchester presents as both a privateer during the Anglo-Dutch wars and as a merchant, plying his trade in Scotland, Norway, the Netherlands, England, Ireland, France, and Spain. The products he carried, bought, and sold allow us a glimpse into his world. Of particular interest is Orkney Archives D14.6.8.Acct resting PW 1663-7.

Types of merchandise mentioned range widely. Building materials include nails (double, door, and window), knapples or knapholts (clapboard), and wooden planks of fir and oak called deals. Practical goods included vinegar, brandy and “wyne,” firkens of soap, flour, nutmegs, bags of pepper, enetseids (aniseeds), prunes, sugar loaves, horn spoons, and courtain frenzie (curtain fringe). Weaponry-related items include shot, a “great large doubell springed stock lock,” a firelock, and a broadsword. Tobacco and pipes include “cutt & dry tobaco & thre disson of pypes,” twist “tobakcoe,” and “10 p[ounds] pigtaill tob[acco] at 12 sh per pund.”

Much of the merchandise was destined for the tailoring trade. Fabrics include stenting (canvas), buckram, red baize, drop silk, and both “inglish” and “orknay cloath.” Many items were used in the construction of garments, such as hooks and eyes, pasboord (a stiffening) and ballen (whalebone), plus lavish embellishments including gold buttons and “drop silver and gold louping.”

Individual items might have been meant for Captain Winchester and his family: a golf ball, “ane pair childrens shoon,” “a pair quhyt chiverings” (white kid gloves), “ane gray leigh (low) crouned hatt and a kease yrto,” a pair of stockings plus “3 paire ditto fyner,” and a “kain with ane quhyt ivorie head.”

In November 1663, items specifically meant for Peter Winchester were “ane coffen (coffin) to his chyld 24 sh, kirk libartie 40 sh” and “for making the graff (grave) and bell at 27 sh 8 d.” The memorial for Peter Winchester’s wife, Jean Baikie, includes the names of three of their children interred at St. Magnus Cathedral. The death dates of Peter and Arthur are later than 1663, so it is likely that it was Alexander whose death is referenced here.

The years during which I spent discovering 17th-century Orkney have been illuminating and enriching. I will always appreciate the opportunity to be part of the LIFTE experience.

Following is a snapshot containing lines numbered 1-17 of this document:

Archive reference: D14/6/8 from the Walter Traill Dennison archive collection

Ploughing On

 

Photo L9670/1 [388.342], by Ian Tulloch, from our Copy Collection

L9477/2 [551.645]

It’s been a beautiful morning in Orkney, the sky is blue, the sun is shining, and the birds have been singing their peedie hearts out.   Even us archive staff have been whistling a merry tune as we kick our heels down the strong-room corridor.  We’ve made it to the end of the month, and we’re also celebrating adding information about February blizzards and some lovely contributions from local people reminiscing about the ‘big snows’ to our current exhibition, 'Isolation and Desolation'.

George Mackay Brown in his Islandman column describes the snow's mischief in returning again so soon.  His column had been delayed by a week as he had been unable to get his copy from his home in Stromness through to Kirkwall where the paper was published.

“It seems, looking back on it, that the first thaw was too swift and sudden to be entirely wholesome.  While most of us were congratulating ourselves  on thick snow-banks visibly disintegrating under our eyes, a few of the wiser ones shook their heads.  The snow was up to no good when it decamped so rapidly.  It was merely going away to gather reinforcements.

And so it turned out.”

The Orkney Herald, Tuesday 8th March 1955 

The county had barely had a chance to thaw out from the January snow-storms when, on the night of Wednesday 16^th February 1955, another fierce blizzard caused chaos, cutting off telephones and power, and bringing all transport to a standstill.  For ten days, hundreds of men dug tirelessly again to keep the roads clear, before gale force winds and driving snow blocked them again with deep drifts.

The Orkney Herald, Tuesday 22^nd February 1955

We are very lucky to have copies of some fabulous photos, taken by Ian Tulloch, which show the County Council workmen trying to clear channels in the roads so that the snowploughs were able to pass.  These were all taken on Wideford Brae, between Kirkwall and Grimsetter airport on the Deerness road.

L9476/2 [551.645]

L9476/4 [551.645]

 L9477/4 [551.645]

At the County Council general meeting of 29^th March, the cost of snow clearing was estimated to be £18,500 – equivalent to just over £412,000 now – and the work of these valiant souls was noted:

 

“During the emergency the number of men employed amounted to approximately 600.

They worked under very difficult conditions - often soaked to the skin - for seven days a week and usually overtime each day.  A good deal of damage had been caused to lorries and ploughs by the heavy nature of the work, and the County Garage employees had done good work in keeping the machines in service, often working at nights in order to have the ploughs ready for the following day.

CO3/1/15 - Orkney County Council Road Executive Committee, 8^th March 1955, pg 256

Although daily life was hard work for people, some were able to take time to acknowledge the beauty of the snowy scenes:

 

L9479/3 [551.645], Trees at Wideford by Ian Tulloch

 

 There is nothing to equal the pure magic of the snow… All the surface of the snow had crystallised into unbelievable ferns of microscopic dimensions, the phone wires had a tinsel sparkle of frost crystals, every twig and stem of grass projecting above the snow bore the same breath-taking perfect frosting of transient feathery foliage.  Hoy looked more Fujiyama than ever, and the Orphir hills, rising above the misty white valley, could, with a little imagination, have been Alpine peaks.

 'JBG', in The Orcadian, Thursday 3rd March 1955

We’ve been so delighted to hear memories about the snowstorms, on social media and in person, and we would love to hear more. If you would like to contribute then you can reminisce below, send us your story on archives@orkney.gov.uk or come and visit, and we’ll add it to our display.

If you’ve not been in to see our exhibition yet, it will be on display until the end of March so do come on down - the price is right (i.e. completely free)!

Wow! Wasbister 1402

 This is our earliest document, it is a disposition by Magnus Andro and Jonet Magnus of ½ penny land in Wasbister in Holm to John Mason and it was written in the year 1402. 

Document reference D5/32/1/1, part of the Sutherland Graeme of Graemeshall Collection

It is mentioned in History of the Church in Orkney in 1901: –

From the Introduction of Christianity to 1558 by Rev. J B Craven Rector of St Olaf’s Church Kirkwall. p101

 “An early Orcadian ecclesiastic of the name was “Schyr Jhon Synclar”, who in 1402, appended his seal, at Kirkwall, to a deed in favour of John Mason, burgess of Kirkwall, of land in Holm.”

 **********************************************************************************

Here is a full transcription from Records of the Earldom of Orkney, published in 1914, p194-195 with an argument by editor Joseph Storer Clouston against the date written on the document.

XCIII - DISPOSITION, MAGNUS ANDREW QUHITQUOY’S SON* AND JONAT MAGNUS CUTHAMY’S DAUGHTER** to John Mason, burgess of Kirkwall, of a half penny land in Wasbister in the parish of Holm.

Be it kend till all men be this present writ, vs Mawnus Andro Quitquiysson and Jonat Mawnus Cuthamys dochtyr, witht consent of our vmbythisman, witht hand and handband till haue sauld analiit [sic] a half penny land lyand in Wasbuster in the parochan of Hom, till a discrete man, Jhon Masoun, burgess of Kirkwau, for the sowme of fyve cronis of vsuale mone of Skotland and twa ky, gevin till vs be the said John in our gret necessite, the first penny and the last witht all thar betuix; of the quhilk we, the said Mawnus and Jonat, quytelamis the said Jhon, his aris, executoris, and assignais, the said half pennyland, witht rothe, rycht, fredomis, asyamentis, and profittis quhatsumeuer; to be haldin fra ws the saidis Mawnus and Jonat, our aris, executoris, and assignais, for euer, withoute reuocatioun or ganecall of vs or ony of ouris; with the houss of Wasbustyr. In witnes of the quhilk thyng, we the saidis Mawnus and Joat havand na selis of our awne, has procurit with instance the selis of two worthe men, Schir Jhon Synclar and Jhon Peyrson to be hungin to this present wryt befor this witnes, Mawnus Flete, Fene Skatht [Scarth], James Pase, and Jhon Bolloke, with otheris diuerse, at Kirkwau, the xvi day of Februare, the yere of God a thousand four hundreth [auchty] and twa yeris.

 Notes by transcriber J Storer Clouston

"The actual date in the deed itself is “four hundreth and twa yeris”; but this is clearly wrong for these reasons: It is improbable that an Orkney charter would be written in Scots at that date (although it is possible). The names of John Mason, Sir John Sinclair, John Pierson, and magnus Flett are all found about 1480, and it would be too remarkable a coincidence if a group of duplicate personages (representative men, as all these early witnesses were) existed eighty years previously in Kirkwall. A comparison with the proceeding deed (no. xcii) will show that it is practically word for word the same. No. xcii is dated 1481, and though it is only a duplicate it is a certified copy, and the names in it establish the date as correct."

 *i.e. Magnus the son of Andrew of Quhitquoy.

**i.e. Janet the daughter of Magnus of Cuthamy. Cuthamy can hardly be other than Quoythome in Paplay (none included in the parish of Holm).

 ***************************************************************************

An attempt at a modern English translation by Dusty:-

Be it known to all men by this present writ (legal document), us Magnus, son of Andrew of Quhitquoy (or Whitequoy) and Janet, Magnus Cuthamy's daughter, with consent of our agent (or representative), with the joining of hands to make a bargain to transfer a half penny land lying in Wasbuster in the parish of Holm, to a trusted man, John Mason, burgess of Kirkwall for the sum of 5 crowns of usual money of Scotland and two cattle, given to us by John in our great necessity. The first penny and the last with all that in between, which we, the said Magnus and Janet give up title to the said John, his heirs, executors. and assignees, the said half pennyland, without rothe*, right, freedoms, easement and profits whatsoever; to be held from us the said Magnus and Janet, our heirs, executors, and assignees to the said John Mason, his heirs, executors and assignees, forever, without revocation of us or any of ours; with the house of Wasbuster. In witness of that thing, we the said Magnus and Janet having no seals of our own, have procured with instance the seals of two worthy men, Sir John Sinclair and John Peyrson to be hung to this present writ before these witnesses, Magnus Flett, Fene Scarth, James Peace and John Bolloke, with others diverse, at Kirkwall, the 16th day of February, the year of God one thousand four hundred and two years. 

*rothe: the unchallengeable title to ownership of land enjoyed under the udal system. 

First mentioned here on Twitter and then here on our blog. 

Orkney At War (Aug-Oct 1914) Exhibition Taster

As promised here are a few of the items we have used in our exhibition:

BRITAIN AT WAR
_____

There has been great activity in Naval and Military circles in Orkney for over a week, and whilst it is not yet advisable to go into details, it may be of interest to state that so long ago as Wednesday of last week special service sections of the Orkney Artillery were called out and sent to their appointed stations. On Sunday the remainder of the force was mobilised, and further detachments at once sent forward to certain points which are understood to be of strategic value. The remainder of the men were allowed to proceed home but had instructions to hold themselves in readiness for an immediate call. The orders to mobilise came on Monday evening and all night long the men from the out-stations were arriving at headquarters, where the Kirkwall companies had already reported for duty. The calling out of the Orkney Artillery at such an early stage in the crisis created great excitement in Orkney, especially in view of the fact that at one time it was decided to disband the corps, and it was only with great exertion on the part of those concerned that this was averted.

The Orcadian, 8 August 1914

In his diary, James Marwick, Lieutenant/Captain in the Royal Garrison Artillery (Territorial Division) wrote on Monday 3rd August:

"Mobilised at Drill Hall Stromness 3pm. I was there in full marching order ready to go"

On Wednesday 5th August he was in Rackwick:

"The  tents were pitched on flat piece of ground between Mucklehouse and Black Neave near a low wall which Mr Taylor had built. Three tents for men to live in; one cook's store tent; one Guard Tent on level space...Serg. Mackay & I lived in Test house. There were a couple of chair beds and blankets &c in it and we just took possession of these..."

Orkney Archive Reference D1/1118

A very different perspective came from Stewart Isbister who was a new recruit to the Royal Garrison Artillery (Territorial Division) in 1914. In his memoir, having been posted to Kirkwall Drill Hall from Finstown,  he wrote: "I cannot begin to tell you of the lonesomeness of those days, my first away from home and the new Army life I found so bewildering. "

Orkney Archive Reference D1/1177 

 

In Scapa Bay construction work was ongoing as, on 13 August 1914, less than two weeks into the First World War Admiral Jellicoe requested that anti submarine patrols by seaplane be flown in defence of the fleet in Scapa Flow.  As a result a seaplane base was quickly constructed at the head of Scapa Bay.

 

 

The canvas covered hangars used were, however, no match for the winter gales which often blow in Orkney and a more sheltered site was found at Houton Bay in the parish of Orphir.

 

 

Orkney Archive Reference CO7/7/4 (plan dated c.1920)

Our current exhibitions chart Orkney's experience of WW1 at home through the use of official documents, letters home, newspaper articles, diaries and photographs. We have three so far, each covering three months of the war.

Click on the label "Orkney at War" below to see more blog posts on this subject.

Orkney At War (Aug-Oct 1914)

We have a new exhibition! 

"Orkney at War: August - October 1914" is the first in a series of new exhibitions in the Orkney Archive to commemorate WW1. This one concentrates on the first three months and the impact war had on these islands. We show extracts from three war diaries from very different perspectives, an article on the history of the postal service, emergency town council minutes on finding extra hospital accommodation, a plan of a hastily built seaplane station at Scapa, reports from the Orcadian newspaper on the war at home and abroad, and many more archive items.

This exhibition is available to see during Archive opening hours
(http://www.orkneylibrary.org.uk/html/archiveopening.htm)

For those of you who can't visit the exhibition I'll be sharing some of the documents used over the next few months.

TOG

Norwegian Constitution Day is celebrated in Orkney on the 17th May.

Every year there is a grand procession or tog through the streets of Kirkwall towards the cathedral. For more information visit the webpage of the Orkney Norway Friendship Association here

As a wee tribute we thought we'd look out a few archives which show the relationship of these two countries over the years.

The Orkney Room is home to our local studies collection where we have many copies of the Orkneyinga Saga - the history of the Norse Earls in Orkney.

The Norse Earls ruled over Orkney and Shetland until 1468 when they were mortgaged to Scotland as part of the marriage contract between James III and Princess Margaret, daughter of Christian I King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

Here is an extract from the original document:

We have a digital print copy of the original Contract of 1468 here in the Orkney Archive and there is an extract transcription in Records of the Earldom of Orkney edited by J Storer Clouston and published in 1914 on p55-57.

In the Proceedings of the Orkney Antiquarian Society there a list of the Burgesses from Orkney in Bergen from 1558-1745, here is a short extract:











In 1729 we have papers relating to a voyage to Norway by John Fea with bere and meal and "black stuff" in the James of Burntisland.

In 1883 we have a short account of a cruise to the Western Isles, Orkney, Norway and Denmark on the Pembroke Castle with passengers including the Prime Minister W E Gladstone and his poet laureate Alfred Tennyson, whose son Hallam kept a journal.
  At Kirkwall "The illustrious pair were feted in beautiful weather through narrow-winding streets by throngs of people in holiday mood" They then decided to cross the sea and visit Norway. The account states: "Gladstone wrote to Queen Victoria apologising for not asking royal permission to visit a foreign country. She was not amused and later delivered him a sharp rebuke..."
  "They reached Christiansand on Saturday 'before luncheon' and trekked on horseback to the Torridal waterfall. Gladstone thought the Norwegians 'a most courteous and apparently happy people'"


In 1960-62 Ernest Marwick corresponded with Eilert Lund from Bergen about placenames common to Norway and Orkney. A short extract from one of Eilert's letters is shown here:

And in 1968 Orkney held a Quincentenary Conference when delegates from Orkney, Scotland and Scandinavia attended to discuss the Contract and the 500 years of history since then.

These are just a few of the many hundreds of references we have regarding Norway in the Orkney Archive.

References:  D1/840 Voyage of the Pembroke; D31/1/4/7 Qunicentenary Conference; D31/60/5 E Marwick correspondence; D14/1/13 Voyage of James of Burntisland; D112/Y1/12/A2 Treaty of Matrimonial Alliance.

It's that sieve again!

Here's an update on the use of sieves in punishments. While reading some very entertaining pages of the Presbytery of Orkney Minute book for 1639-1646, I found a curious entry about a woman called Janet Sutherland from South Ronaldsay:

"Ordaines the Brethren to make search in their congregations for Janet Sutherland fugitive from South Ronaldsay for turning the sieve and shiers, and to use diligence to put her home to her owne congregation to undergo orderly tryall" From the minutes for 3rd November 1643.

It turns out (pardon the pun) that sieve is another name for riddle, and in the Scottish National Dictionary there is the following definition and example of an explanation from 1825:

"As in English, a coarse-meshed sieve. Phrs: the riddle and the shears a method of divination (1) Fif., e Lth. 1825 Jam.:The riddle is set on its side, the points of a pair of large scissors being so fixed in it (separate from each other), that the riddle may be suspended by the hold taken of it by the scissors. One handle of the scissors is placed on the finger of one person, and the other on that of another. Some words, to the same purpose with the following are repeated : By St Paul and St Peter, did A.B. steal my yarn? or whatever is lost. If the person be innocent, the riddle remains motionless, if guilty it immediately turns round...This, among the other superstitious customs common on Halloween is also used as a mode of divination in regard to marriage."

This could be the reason why, as mentioned in a previous blog, the man was punished by being made to wear a sieve on his head. 

Reference OCR/4/1 Presbytery of Orkney Minutes 1639-1646

Our first encounter with sieves here.

Pirates & Privateers

We have a new archive display [Now over] in the Archive Searchroom! Its all about pirates and particularly Orkney's famous pirate John Gow.

Gow was born in Wick in 1697. His family then moved to Stromness where he grew up before running away to sea. He rose to be second mate on the ship The George by 1724. When sailing from Santa Cruz on 3rd November that year, he and a few others of the crew mutinied, took over the ship and renamed it Revenge. They plundered around the coast of Spain and Madeira for a while, then came up to Orkney in 1725. Gow wanted to plunder the houses of the gentry. They raided the Honyman mansion, the Hall of Clestrain in Orphir and then headed up to Carrick House on Eday. It was here at the Calf of Eday that his ship ran aground and he was captured.  He was later tried and hanged in London.

Gow was the inspiration for Captain Cleveland in Sir Walter Scott's novel The Pirate.

Another pirate mentioned in the display is John Fullarton who, according to Ernest Marwick, possibly came from Stromness or Orphir and was known to be smuggling around the Channel Islands in the 18th century before becoming a privateer for the Royal Navy. Privateers had permission from the government to rob enemy vessels at sea. He soon became greedier and became a partner in a pirate ship with a Royal Navy captain called Keppel. He made a lot of money, some of which he spent on an estate in Orkney for his family. He was eventually shot by the wife of Captain Jones of the Isabella. She was then known as 'Mary Jones, the Pirate-Slayer'.

If you are in Orkney, please come along and see our display. It will be up until the end of June 2011 in the Archive Searchroom and I hope to put a copy of it on the wavy-wall in the library soon too.

References: D31/2/5 Ernest Marwick Collection - Orkney's Other Pirate John Fullarton and D36/3/5 R.P. Fereday papers - extract from The Pirate's Who's Who by Philip Gosse, 1924.