Hahahaha! Methinks the attempted thwarting of freely treely talkers, is born out of a heart that misses those tall talking wonders of branchy nature. But before kicking this topic off it's fair footing, albeit rooted in democracy and sincerity , might I put a plug in for the book..."Breas Woodland Diary" (2004). This environmental project in Orkney unveils a healthy attempt to return trees and preserve the ecosystems that flourished before sheep and cattle reigned supreme there. The project thankfully involves many Orkney youths and is truly unselfish and wise in the nature of it. Now then, Geoffrey, you bought up the subject of grouse, albeit in a peculiar way. There are are grouse on Orkney. How many? Where? What species? Do they live near trees? oops!! Stephen...LOL On Sep 9, 2007, at 11:46 AM, Norman Tulloch wrote: > [email protected] wrote: > >> Cannot we change the subject? >> Yours, >> Geoffrey >> > > I'm sure we can, Geoffrey. What would you prefer to discuss, then? > > Norman Tulloch > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA- > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message

OK, a new subject. We just adopted two kittens which had been fostered through Cats Protection Orkney and we're having a fantastic time with them. Orkney has an abundance -- many would say an overabundance -- of cats, a lot of them homeless. If you have the time and room, why not consider taking on a couple? (Two are easier than one, actually.)? On a related note, Cats Protection believe that the entire feral cat population of N. Ronaldsay has now been neutered; though that leaves a lot of other islands still to go. Jim --------------------------------------------- This message was sent using the UIA Web Mail Server. ULTIMATE Internet Access, Inc http://www.uia.net/

It is not a matter of discussing anything at all, but not wittering on in a patronising way about trees in Orkney. I often have the impression that those who do not live in Orkney find some areas of life here faintly amusing, and quaint. For me at any rate, the endless comments on "the tree" "yes there are trees in Orkney" becomes simply tedious! That is my response, but it need not be that of anyone else! Yours, Geoffrey

Hi everyone Norman is quite right about the birds, as orkney is host to a quite different selection of birds in winter than summer, not to mention the migrants each spring and autumn. So they add a lot of interest to our winter days. In fact there are frequent fine spells in winter, which are very conduisive to walking, photography, painting, or whatever other outdoor pursuit you might like. So the "long dark winter" is a bit of a myth really in my view. What you never really get used to is the rapid change in day length and the even more rapid changes in weather! Also there are lots of things happening here, so if that is your interest take part.

Jim and Jean, This is straying somewhat from TV, but if you're interested in birds, one thing you'll have to look out for (if it still occurs) is the winter hen harrier roost at Durkadale, though I'm not clear as to its exact location. Presumably your house looks down in that direction, though. Part of an "Orcadian" article from 2002: "The Birsay Moors Reserve is an important area for hen harriers. Orkney is well known nationally for its hen harriers courtesy of the work initiated by Eddie Balfour in the 1940s. "Although Orkney’s hen harrier population has dropped considerably since its peak in 1978, even today this reserve holds as many as 14 nesting harriers, over two per cent of the British breeding population. "However, breeding productivity here continues to be low, a problem that recent research has linked to poor food supplies. The past couple of years have been more successful, thanks to a spell of experimental feeding and a couple of good summers. Perhaps less well known is the important winter roost at Durkadale, at which up to 25 hen harriers gather at dusk. "Viewed from the road it is quite an impressive sight, even though they can be very difficult to pick out against the heather in the failing light." http://www.orcadian.co.uk/features/articles/birdieman3.htm Norman Tulloch

There is more than one tree in Orkney. Though I've found people around the world believe there are none. It's one of the most popular myths about the Isles. _http://www.flickr.com/photos/kareneinmemphis/1116737235/in/set-72157594448497 738/_ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/kareneinmemphis/1116737235/in/set-72157594448497738/) Karen On Sep 9, 2007, at 9:38 AM, Royce Perry wrote: Now that is not totally true Charles. There is a tree on Orkney..I know because some friends sent me a picture of it. ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com

We have found over the years, that taking the initiative to walk in the cold winter winds, snow and all the worst weather mother nature can muster up in the winter, simply demands a little "mind adjusting" to be totally enjoyable. Often it is in these conditions that I would encounter a bold owl or hawk, a giant deer or moose, or an overstuffed grouse beneath a shrub or a white snowshoe rabbit , knawing the bark of fruitwood brush, or a chickadee stranded in a shimmering windy cedar tree. If this little twist in thinking is applied, the winter becomes indeed totally enjoyable and the health of the convert is dramatically rewarded and improved. Adding seed to a bird feeder deep on your trail, is a rewarding part of this daily ritual. I still have my Norwegian special order cross country skis, which the shopkeeper asked if he could keep in his store till I needed them, as they are ten feet long and 80 mm wide and look like something Sasquatch would wear and every customer entering there gave them the once over. Many countless miles have slid beneath those old hardwood boards. The one chief factor is to abandon the idea of fashion, and acquire functional outer garments that keep you comfortable in any condition, while not binding you up to the extent that your mobility is impaired. In the shoulder seasons here ( much like Orkney winters) I wear Outback gear from Australia, which is just a superiour version of the Barbour wear that Brits wear. ( I do wish however that those Auzzies could understand that the dark brown colour they ship here, is just too much the colour of a twilight moose or deer, and thus somewhat dangerous outwear in some places here where folks are hungry in the wintertime.) Bludstone boots are great too, simply the best for spring and fall, and they have even created one with a maple leaf on it for we grateful Canuks. The Auzzies make great outdoor kit, but not for the frigid extreme weather we get mid winter. Then there is that marvelous creation...the flask. In truly horrible weather, it is a nice thing to tote along...but mindya just a tiny one...like the 4 oz highland park model. (When I visited Orkney I took the outshell of my browning duck shooting garb...light, waterproof and breathable complete with gortex hood.The realtree hardwoods camo pattern drew a lot of stares and comments....but I was dry) The real trauma that besets people in winter is the challenge of warming up when you return to a coolish or drafty farmhouse. So many modern homes do not have the necessary features to get warm again after a stomp in the wild winter winds. First off there used to be a woodstove in the old kitchens of bygone years, and after an outdoor ordeal in a harsh freezing blizzard, you'd simply take a seat very close to that pulsing iron friend that cooked, heated and provided a meeting place for so much of the year, usually with a coffee pot or tea kettle at the go and within easy reach. You could open the fire door and watch the flames flicker, or add wood to get even hotter. The old oak rocker could be placed at the desired distance and temperature, and a snooze in the heat would be the reward. My friend Mabel in Orkney has a neat old red stove that belches away all winter, but it is oil fired. Bruce and Maureen had a nice big stove and a cozy kitchen on Stronsay. Did you ever get your new stove Bruce? hmmm. For the more determined all-weather winter hiker, our Norwegian forbears and friends engage their badstu. In the early 1900's the Norwegian government, after scientific study, installed these things publicly, and I read online that there is indeed one beneath the Norwegian parliament.(Maybe that's why their politicians are so effective, and their economy so brisk) The place I like to stay in Orkney has one, and the lady there claims that their decision to invest in one had everything to do with health in the cold months. Here, in our north, they are commonplace, but more usually referred to by their other Scandinavian name. (google "badstu" and practice your norwegian) The other outdoor item which is nice in the winter, is the hot tub. A smaller rain barrel version with a good insulated encasement and lid, is an easy thing to manage, and delightful to sit in in a snowstorm, or a clear starry cold night. A propane unit would be a good Orkney choice. The combination of the badstu and a shower with the added feature of a hot tub, seem to make the body immune from the negative impacts of dreadful winter weather, and the entire season becomes indeed enjoyable. Our farmhouse featured such facilities in a complete room lined with local white cedar, which kept us healthy and positive when the winter winds howled, and the sun overslept, out of sight and tucked behind the edges of the cold earth. A little adjusting in Orkney, back to those proven historic Scandinavian methods of our forbears, could make any Orkney winters a joy. Someone told me most Orcadian kids were born in the early fall. hmmm. Stephen in Canada

Rule 1A in online forums and discussion groups, he who complains about the current line of conversation has to lead off on a new subject. Trust me,,,that's not as easy as it sounds. Part of the challenge is that there is no way of knowing what will set off a conversation. Sometimes the most brilliant post of all time will just lay there like a dead fish. And frequently a chance throw away remark will escalate into an interesting and protracted thread. I think starting a good thread is about 5% skill and intellegence,,,and 95% dumb luck. For what my opinion is worth, trees and wind are neither silly or boring...but that's just me. R -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of [email protected] Sent: Sunday, September 09, 2007 8:42 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [ORCADIA] Wind I do not want to seem a grouse again, but this silly exchange about trees in Orkney is becoming so boring, and patronising. Looking out of my Stromness window, I can see trees...but do not worry, I shall not continue. Cannot we change the subject? Yours, Geoffrey ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

I remember that tree from when I was a child and when we visited a couple of times. It is on Main Street and had a black wrought iron fence around it for protection. There are also trees in an area that was called "The Willows". I used to live in a house on Willow Road called Willowdale - not a willow tree in sight however. I remember that the Willows had lot of small trees and that a Mr. Leach looked after them and would yell at the kids who went into the area where the saplings were growing. There was a burn and a well too. On Sep 9, 2007, at 9:38 AM, Royce Perry wrote: Now that is not totally true Charles. There is a tree on Orkney..I know because some friends sent me a picture of it. It's on the main street in Kirkwall. They said there is a sign there explaining what it is, and the schools bring the children there to show them what a tree is. OF course these are the same friends that sent (in the same batch) a picture of the farmstead he grew up on outside of Kirkwall and tried to tell me it was some place in the Russian steppes. I have always suspected they were having me on about that one,,,could be both? <g> R -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Charles Tait Sent: Sunday, September 09, 2007 7:37 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [ORCADIA] Wind In Orkney we have the benfit of the wind, unrestricted by all those trees! ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message Evelyn, Emma, Robbie & Spencer Sweet Pea Digory waiting at the Bridge (12/8/89 - 11/8/96) Help support Corgi Aid -- http://www.corgiaid.org/ Ohio Corgi Picnic - June 22, 2008 in Marion, Ohio http://homepage.mac.com/evelynhlabse/Home/home.html If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

I can vouch for the Big Tree - lived in one of the flats which look out onto it.!

I do not want to seem a grouse again, but this silly exchange about trees in Orkney is becoming so boring, and patronising. Looking out of my Stromness window, I can see trees...but do not worry, I shall not continue. Cannot we change the subject? Yours, Geoffrey

Now that is not totally true Charles. There is a tree on Orkney..I know because some friends sent me a picture of it. It's on the main street in Kirkwall. They said there is a sign there explaining what it is, and the schools bring the children there to show them what a tree is. OF course these are the same friends that sent (in the same batch) a picture of the farmstead he grew up on outside of Kirkwall and tried to tell me it was some place in the Russian steppes. I have always suspected they were having me on about that one,,,could be both? <g> R -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Charles Tait Sent: Sunday, September 09, 2007 7:37 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [ORCADIA] Wind In Orkney we have the benfit of the wind, unrestricted by all those trees! ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Sian, Thanks for the TV tips and your other suggestions. Jean and I are both constant readers, but Jean's also a keen gardener so she may miss that during the winter, although people tell us there's still lots to do in the garden then. We've been coming to Orkney in the summers for years and have found people generally welcoming. Perhaps our living in a sparsely populated rural area has something to do with that. We get along fine with all the local farmers, many of whom have gone out of their way to make us feel welcome -- though not all of them are speaking to each other! If I may ask, what part of Orkney do you live in, and where did you move here from? We came from sourthern California, and no, we don't miss the weather there, or the traffic, smog, noise and crime. Regards, Jim (and Jean) --------------------------------------------- This message was sent using the UIA Web Mail Server. ULTIMATE Internet Access, Inc http://www.uia.net/

Hello All A couple of years ago some research was done concerning the houses in Wigtown. I was interested & rather amused to discover that a Robert Chalmers of Stromness owned the house I now live in. He was an Inspector of Customs in 1881 aged 57 b.1824. His mother? Grace born Kirkwall also lived here & his cousin Alice Tulloch. His father, another Robert of Stromness b.1791, was also in the customs business. By the 1891 census he had lost his mother & cousin but gained a wife 20 yrs his junior, a father in law ( also with a wife 20 years younger & also in the customs business) & a servant. Robert seems to have spent most of his adult life in the Ayr/Dumfries & Galloway area living with Robert & Grace & working for the customs except for 1851 when he was a draper. In the 1841 census there is a Robert senior & junior who would match this family but it's a little difficult to work out given the limited information in the Scottish census especially in this particular census. Castle, Stronsay Lady Kirk is the address . Ther are 2 Roberts who just about match for age, the senior is a miller. There is a Cathrine mentioned who could have been his first wife ( which is why I put the query on Grace as mother of Robert junior) There is also William, probably a younger brother of Robert junior. I haven't done any intensive research but I'd be interested to have any further info. Regards Moi BTW : It's amazing how many versions of the spelling of Stromness the people who transcribed the documents have managed to create. M.E.McCarty, Bookseller 13 North Main Street, Wigtown, Newton Stewart Scotland DG8 9HL ++44 (0)1988 402062 VAT Reg. No. GB 430 2058 03

A tack, according to the 6th entry for the word in http://www.dsl.ac.uk/dsl/ , was a lease, usually for a given period; the term could also apply to the property leased. And a tacksman was "one who holds a lease, a lessee, specifically one who leases land, a tenant farmer, or one who leases land to sublet, also a lessee of property, mills, fishings, the collection of customs, teinds, dues, etc. This I am sure is the usage in the Rothisholm connection: it simply meant the individual who held a lease of these lands. At one end of the spectrum a tacksman was thus "just" a tenant farmer, at the other the term was often applied to the lessee of the earldom estate. In the latter case this tacksman paid an annual tak, in exchange for which he was entitled to collect the superior dues and the rents of the sub tenants of earldom lands. After good harvests the tacksman was involved quite a bit of work to collect his entitlements, but a very nice profit could be made. However after a bad harvest the earldom tacksman could be out of pocket, and after a series of bad harvests he could be bankrupted - as was Alexander Brand in the 1690s. James Irvine.

Anne Slater wrote: > In other words "taxman". Well, not really, Anne — or at least not a "taxman" in the usual sense of the word, despite one of the possible spellings shown below. From the "Dictionary of the Scots Language": "Tak(k)isman, Tacksman, Taxman, n. ...One who holds a lease, a lessee. Specif. one who leases land, a tenant farmer, or one who leases land to sublet, also a lessee of property, mills, fishings, the collection of customs, teinds, dues, etc." http://www.dsl.ac.uk/dsl/ I don't know whether your forebear was simply a tenant farmer or if he leased land at Rothiesholm in order to sublet to others. I'd be inclined to think, though, that if he was just a tenant farmer he would have been described as a farmer rather than as a tacksman. Certainly some of my own ancestors who rented land in Eday and Evie are just described in the censuses as farmers or in one case (in the census of 1861) as "formerly crofter". I'd suspect that your ancestor must have been a bit further up the social scale than my lot and did sublet to others, though he probably farmed on his own account as well. Norman Tulloch

Gotcha.... Yes, James's farm was pretty sizeable in acreage, although the amount of arable land next to negligible. I have a photograph of him: he is a very "burgerliche" looking gent. I can't describe how grateful I am to all who have contributed to my understanding of my family, of how (and where) they lived, and of the etymologies of words, place names, and vocational implications of same. Anne, succumbing to the crickets and the whirring of fans On 9/7/07, Norman Tulloch <[email protected]> wrote: > Anne Slater wrote: > > In other words "taxman". > > Well, not really, Anne — or at least not a "taxman" in the usual sense > of the word, despite one of the possible spellings shown below. > > From the "Dictionary of the Scots Language": > > "Tak(k)isman, Tacksman, Taxman, n. > > ...One who holds a lease, a lessee. Specif. one who leases land, a > tenant farmer, or one who leases land to sublet, also a lessee of > property, mills, fishings, the collection of customs, teinds, dues, etc." > > http://www.dsl.ac.uk/dsl/ > > I don't know whether your forebear was simply a tenant farmer > or if he leased land at Rothiesholm in order to sublet to others. I'd be > inclined to think, though, that if he was just a tenant farmer he would > have been described as a farmer rather than as a tacksman. Certainly > some of my own ancestors who rented land in Eday and Evie are just > described in the censuses as farmers or in one case (in the census of > 1861) as "formerly crofter". I'd suspect that your ancestor must have > been a bit further up the social scale than my lot and did sublet to > others, though he probably farmed on his own account as well. > > > Norman Tulloch > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

Map here, Anne http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=330695&y=1009560&z=4&sv=330695,1009560&st=4&ar=Y&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf The Mill is immediately opposite the phone box depicted by a phone handset -- Mike Clouston Anne Slater wrote: > Not at all aware of that!!!!! Oh, my that is very interesting! > And the Peter (T)Watt in the biographies was my great-grandfather. So it's > his mother I am working on,. > Thank you so much, Mike! > Anne > > On 9/7/07, Mike Clouston <[email protected]> wrote: > >>> I am desperately searching for the REAL roots of my >>> great-great-grandmother and namesake, Ann Sclater. The 1861 census >>> says for her place of birth "Ireland" and I can't find her death cert. >>> which I had hoped would give me more information on where in Ireland. >>> (She married James Twatt of Rothiesholm and lived on Stronsay until >>> she dies in 1878) >>> >> I take it, Ann, that you are aware that 'Ireland' is a township in the >> parish of Stenness in Orkney and does not necessarily refer to the >> country. >> >> The Mill of Ireland, sometimes 'Eyrland' is on the left-hand side of the >> road between the Brig o' Waith and Orphir, heading towards Orphir. >> >> -- >> Kind regards >> Mike Clouston >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the >> quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> >> > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >

> I am desperately searching for the REAL roots of my > great-great-grandmother and namesake, Ann Sclater. The 1861 census > says for her place of birth "Ireland" and I can't find her death cert. > which I had hoped would give me more information on where in Ireland. > (She married James Twatt of Rothiesholm and lived on Stronsay until > she dies in 1878) I take it, Ann, that you are aware that 'Ireland' is a township in the parish of Stenness in Orkney and does not necessarily refer to the country. The Mill of Ireland, sometimes 'Eyrland' is on the left-hand side of the road between the Brig o' Waith and Orphir, heading towards Orphir. -- Kind regards Mike Clouston

Patricia Long wrote: > Anne, > > A tacksman rented land from the Earldom and then re-let it for as > much as he could. I gather that he's unlikely to just have been > tacksman of Rothiesholm, as that seems to be too small an area to > have been rented on its own. It sounds as if your ancestor was a man > of substance. Anne and Patricia, I approach this subject with a certain trepidation because I'm well aware that I don't much much about it. However... I think you're correct in your description of the role of the tacksman, Patricia, but he didn't necessarily rent land from the Earldom. For example, according to William Thomson, in the 1470s, "Management of Orkney was entrusted to him [Bishop William Tulloch] in a series of short tacks whereby, for a stipulated annual payment, he was granted the rights to the king's revenues. In 1474 he was given the tack for the payment of fifty chalders of bere (barley), one hundred and twenty salt marts (cattle slaughtered and salted) and £120 in money... In addition to collecting rents, the bishop was responsible for the administration of justice and he had custody of that ultimate symbol of authority, the Castle of Kirkwall... As far as the king was concerned, the management of his new property was an easy matter. The produce of the tack was delivered by the tacksman to Leith where the bere was converted to malt and loaded aboard the king's ships, presumably for export. For the tacksman it was not so simple. He had to collect a very large number of small payments, partly in money, but mainly in butter, malt, grain and 'flesh'... In practice the bishop delegated his business affairs to factors... They in turn dealt with a network of sub-tacksmen at parish level..." At that time, therefore, the tacksman rented Orkney from the king (or later from the Earldom), had to make an annual payment to his superior (the king or the earl) and could otherwise see what profit he could make out of controlling the islands. That was what a "top tacksman" did in Orkney. Basically, however, a tack is just a lease or a tenancy. Though men like Bishop William had a lease of the whole of the king's or the earl's lands in Orkney, a tack could be much more humble. Bear in mind that Anne's referring to the 19th century, long after the earldom had disappeared. Who owned Stronsay at that time? Was it the Laing family? I don't know. However, I assume that Anne's ancestor would just have had been tenant of Rothiesholm. (Is that the area where the wind turbines are now?) Possibly the terms of his lease from the owner of Stronsay might have allowed him to sublet some smallholdings to others. I suppose a census of the time would indicate how many smallholdings there might have been in Rothiesholm at the time. Is Rothiesholm an area of good agricultural land? It's my impression that it may contain a fair amount of poorish moorland but I could be wrong. I therefore don't know how big a deal it would have been to be tacksman of Rothiesholm. Since you seem to have your great-great-grandfather's will, Anne, I suppose that would give a pretty fair indication of just how prosperous he was. Incidentally, I should think that some of the servants would have been farm workers, but quite possibly others would have been domestic servants — housemaids or maybe dairymaids, for example. I take it that this page refers to your forebears, Anne: http://www.buyorkney.com/roots/biographies/peter_twatt/ There certainly is a farm called The Bu marked on the map in Rothiesholm. Presumably that would have been — maybe still is — the main farm in that area and the one that the tacksman would have occupied. James Irvine's your man for this sort of query, should be happen to come along! Norman Tulloch