Saturday Closure

 Many apologies dear researchers, the archive search room and Orkney room will be CLOSED tomorrow -Saturday 1st of February.

We shall be open again on Monday the 3rd.

Please accept this image of a man riding a pig taken from William Aberdeen's map of Grain, Kirkwall dated 1766 in atonement:

Update to Sketch Map!

 

Orkney Archive Reference D2/7/3 - Undated sketch chart for soundings at Stromness Harbour 

UPDATE:

We've had some thoughts about the above map sent in by an instagram follower:

Compare it to Murdoch MacKenzie’s map  of Pomona or main-land dated at 1750 – by the NLS  (https://maps.nls.uk/coasts/chart/4143)

Date: 1750.  

 

 

 And Greenvile Collins and  Herman Moll The Islands of Orkney   1693? https://maps.nls.uk/coasts/chart/182

 

 

Look at the depth markings – they are pretty much identical for the MacKenzie map but deeper than the Collins and Moll. Also,  the shading (for shallows, I guess) off the northeast tip of Graemsay is identical.

 

So at a guess, your new old map is either drawn from the Murdoch map or is something that Murdoch used – i.e. c. 1750 maybe a few years earlier?

 

Sketch Map of Stromness Harbour

 Well. This is just extremely pleasing... (click to enlarge)

Orkney Archive Reference D2/7/3 - Undated sketch chart for soundings at Stromness Harbour 

In a time of Giants...

Welcome to Orkney in the time of giants or really peedie hooses and ships...

We just thought we'd brighten up your day with this lovely old map o Kirkwall.


This is part of a plan of Grain surveyed and drawn by William Aberdeen in 1766 for Sir Laurence Dundas.


Orkney Archive Reference: D8/E/19[G3]

A Wee Friday Afternoon Quiz

a) What on earth are these animals supposed to be? Sheep? Rabbits? Goats? Llamas? Wolves wearing ram masks?   (D8/E24)

b) What is this woman thinking?                                (L6524-3)

c) What should we have for our tea?

TGI Friday... except we're working on Saturday...

Pictured above are two of the Orcadians who are to be included in our tie-in exhibition for the 2010 Orkney International Science Festival. We are hoping to have it up by Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning but anyone who could see the teetering piles of documents strewn haphazardly around the room would guess at an inauguration date closer to  September 2020.

It will be fine.

Other events of today have included:

Eating a slice of excellent iced gingerbread which was baked by an unknown member of staff.

Finding old 70s photographs of older staff members and asking them how they got their hair to do that.

Looking for the same missing estate map twice, emptying out the entire map drawer each time.

Taking it in turns to wrap our arms around the ankles of our departing staff member, allowing him to drag us around in his wake.

Watching the Bookbug toddler group to take turns in the lift. (Ours is the only publicly accessible lift in Orkney. Consequently it's quite a hit with the kids. I'm thinking of charging for gos on it.)

It's Friday and I'm tired. It's time for some invigorating East Kilbridey pop:

Dispatches From The Summer Assistant #7: Maps

One of the best things about working in an archive is that you are constantly learning and finding out about new sources of information.

Like this website: http://www.nls.uk/maps/.

 Although I have used the National Library of Scotland's website before, I had not used this feature. The selection of historical maps there is excellent.

Although not related, here is an interesting map. It is a plan of the Orkney Islands published by John Thomson and Co., Edinburgh showing the boundaries of the Earldom and the Bishopric (reference number D7/1/1).

A Riddle and Biscuits (but not riddled biscuits... ew)

2 things for your perusal this gloomy Monday morning.

#1: A letter which mentions biscuits.

#2: a man on a pig.

Biscuit letter reference D2/9/15 (Miscellaneous Manson family correspondence and vouchers mainly relating to William Manson, wright, Kirkwall and his business and his son Captain William Manson's business and activities in Jamaica and Georgia.)

Man on pig reference D8/E/27 [G3] (Map of Sebay, Tankerness Dundas Estate. William Aberdeen c. 1769.)