Thanks, Mike, for keeping us informed. That keeps me from trying all day to get something that isn't there--and keeps the Radio Orkney people from having all of us e-mail them when they have enough on their minds. Actually I've been having problems with BBC3 and Radio Scotland, so it may not just been in Kirkwall, and I don't think it's me because my German stations are coming in fine. I don't know what they're talking about, but I hope that some of it will soak in and I'll just wake up speaking Deutsch one day. Karen

Hi Everyone, FYI: Bon appetit magazine (May 2004) is featuring A Taste of Scotland. There are a few pages on Orkney which include a picture of Paul Doull, chef and co-owner of the Foveran, one of my favorite restaurants. Enjoy!! Peggy (Virginia, USA)

Hello, again, I am still tracking Linklaters. Would someone be able to tell me where Duhom (Stromness) might be? Perhaps some other points on the map that I might be able to locate in relation to Duhom might be useful. I have searched on my map in the area where I think it might be but the closest there is, 'Quholm'. Could it be that the person who transcribed the 1841 mistook the spelling of Quholm and wrote Duhom? Any assistance would be appreciated. Glenda

OOOPS! Somehow pressed the wrong button, and this generic mail went to the wrong address. Sorry Kevin! I'm seeking interpretation assistance from anyone who might have the key. Begin forwarded message: > From: stephen davie <stephen.davie@sympatico.ca> > Date: Fri Apr 9, 2004 1:57:01 PM US/Pacific > To: Any Soul Who Can Help > Subject: Stuck in old Ork-Jibe....Help!! > > Still tearing away in Canadian-style frustration at family history, > back now over a thousand years of our family Orkneyism, I have > identified a definite roadblock on the superhighway connecting > ignorance and higher knowledge of Orkney. In fact, I would be > considered "roadkill" on the foggy travelled route of old Orcadian > written history. > > As a result of an overwhelmingly generous contribution in > "translating" about thirty pages of old registered documents, by a > very dear and sincere Orkney person, I find that the most interesting > written elements are disguised in a language that may be rooted in > Norway (or Mars), or carried forth from whomever occupied those 5000 > year old digs we hear of and see thanks to this fine site. It is most > frustrating to have the information translated, and still sit in the > bubbling hot-tub of blissful ignorance and steamy frustration. I feel > embarrassed and humiliated. A year of research that has driven my wife > and kids to thinking I have gone completely mad, and now this! > > For example, in 1509, seems some yesteryear cowboy names Sir William > Sinclair (Son of Henry {Hank the Frank}) who died in the Battle of > Flodden (which I know nothing about but I am sure was a fine and > purposeful bloodletting) arrived on his well -oated beast in the > neighborhood of our old family digs and seemingly resolved a hot > boundary dispute. > > My first wave of misunderstanding is the constant and repeated > references to Sabay and Toop. (perhaps the sober and the afflicted?) > The 'landed men' referred to could well be those Martians again. Must > have been quite a show as all the boys were there, including William > Stewart "brother german to the reverend father in God-Edward, Bishop > of Orkney". What is "brother german"? Some latterday submariner who > ran out of gas off the coast and was rescued, gasping in a herring > net? > There is references to the farm's physical location and identifiers > of boundary lines, which I can sortof understand as one in the land > business here. All kinds of decisions about sheep and stock and where > they can't go, and who can and can't step where and when, and > references to the seashore "the lowest of the sea and sand". I think > old Hank Sinclair must have gotten into the Single Malt before he > rendered his immense legalese dialogue after conducting a trial off > the back of his betartaned battle pony. > > Then, I dive back under the cozy unseen cover of expatriated > ignorance when in this document as in all the others, our lands were > sold and bartered for, generation after generation in varying > circumstances evident by stacks of documents produced for me at the > expense of our own Willy Davie ESQ, a long deceased Kirkwall lawyer > and actually researched by W Spence, a long deceased Chemist and > genealogist , and upon which of our cherished family lands some sort > of taxes were paid to the Scottish cowboys, the currency > being.....ahem...are you ready??....Here we go!........ > > "3 meils grain; 1 lispund of butter in scat" or "of old butter > (cheese?) scat 2 tubs (that sounds tasty!), 2 liespund (lipstick of > seal oil for the ladies perhaps?) and in grain scat of old 7m still > the same and no forcop."( none-for-the-cop? ....policeman is cut out > of the deal?) Take it easy on me folks, for when I went to university > thirty years ago, it took me three years to figure out the difference > between a credit and a debit. And I was a business student. but that > was the sixties. My folks blamed it on the Beatles and the Stones. And onward to....... > > "And in land in the same place 20s conquest land viz (land stolen by > our relative vikinz); other half merk land of old meal 25 a m of grain > the same of flesh" > > Further "Grimbuster (our place) pays in teind 16 meils grain-two part > malt and three parts meal to his Majesties Chamberlane. (Why didn't > they trade in whisky like they did over here with the natives?) > There is in Grimbister one half penny land Kirkland. The Holm of > Grimbister (our wee wet Island) pays 1/2 barrel butter and three parts > meils grain whereof two parts is malt and three parts is meal, > distance from the Kirk half mile. (I guess that is how far the island > is from??? the pub?) > > And on it goes, but I have about a 55% understanding. Seems those > Scottish boys ate well, as we shelled out our sheep, foul, oysters, > grain, butter and probably the shirts off our backs every time the > tartan clad pony brigade came trotting into town. Now I am glad we > don't have a family Tartan!! I can live without haggis as well (is > it true that they take the stomach content and set it aside for gravy? > ) I can see why we hopped aboard with the Hudson's Bay expeditions. > After the Scots got finished scooping the harvest, there was nothing > left! That Orcadians interbred with Scots is not hard to imagine, > considering the hard line demands for taxes in form of goods. I guess > if your daughter married one of these becheckered dress-wearing > pirates, they might lighten your load and let you keep a jug of malt > or a bag of grain in a bad crop year so you could survive the winter > and be there to raid the next year. There, I did it! > > On a more serious note, If anyone knows of a book or reference source > that could provide meaning to all of the unfamiliar words in these > cherished old records, I would be simply grateful for the assistance. > Maybe there is an Oxford Dictionary for Old Orkney. This "English" > language of ours seems like the boiled down result from input which is > so diverse and fragmented and perhaps gives understanding why it is > the wordiest language in the world. We marvel over hear at newcomer > Englishmen, and the oral gymnastics they go through to say howdy or > G'dday, eh!. My wife seems to be able to make more sense old lingo > than I by phonetically mouthing these old notes, for which the > spelling is as diverse as pebbles on the shore. I can only imagine how some excited tourist, bulging at the seams in a country known for it's inwardness, thumbing through the old lore records in Kirkwall, and upon finding the crisp old documents that tie his blood to the soil, discover that it is written in Orcadian Poke-Joke-at-Folk Mumble-jibe, with no computerized translator, no book or no "interpreter" to cast a light in his anxious heart-thumping darkness . > > Anyways, thanks for listening. It is if I have a cherished novel, with > 45% written in a foreign language, and six of the best pages missing > or stained by a spilled glass of vintage red wine. > > At the end of the day, I am just thrilled to have the novel. But it > would be nice to know what it says. > > Happy Easter to all.........Stephen (Canorky) > > > > > > >

On 10 April 2004 06:29, Kevin and Glenda Fagg wrote: > Could it be that the > person who transcribed the 1841 mistook the spelling of Quholm and > wrote Duhom? I suspect so. There's no Duhom and its almost certain to be an error in the record taking. The "holm" element in "Quholm" is pronounced "hom", as opposed to its normal pronunciation "home", which makes me convinced the census refers to Quholm. -- Sigurd Towrie Blackhall - Kirbister - Stromness - Orkney Heritage of Orkney: www.orkneyjar.com Home: sigurd@orkneyjar.com Work: sigurd.towrie@orcadian.co.uk

Yes, Stella, I couldn't get there by the link from Orcadia - then I did a search for Radio Orkney on Google & got the website, but again it bounced me out when I tried the Orkney link. Instead I went to the local bulletin page & got it there. By the way, I just returned from my very first trip to Orkney, and fell in love with it. People were very friendly and interested, when I mentioned my family's roots in Burray, and I was able to find my ggg-grandparents' former property, now in ruins, and talked to several elderly people in the vicinity who knew of my Bremners, telling me stories about the area. What a treat! Did not spot any Orkney voles or woodpeckers, however. Also had a wonderful view of Stroma on the return ferry. I'm saving my money for my next trip! Charlie Petersen from Washington ----- Original Message ----- From: "Stella" <sra1@ispwest.com> To: <ORCADIA-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, April 09, 2004 8:52 PM Subject: Re: [<orcadia>] Radio Orkney > Thanks to all who have tried to put me on the right path. > > I finally got there by using > > http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/radioscotland/view/show.shtml?news > > When I used > > HREF="http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/radioscotland/view/show.shtml?news">BBC > - Scotland - Radio Scotland - Programmes</A> > > I got the BBC home page and a note saying > "an error occurred while processing this directive" > > Does anyone else get the same thing ???? > > Radio Orkney is off the air now but I am enjoying Radio Shetland > > Stella > still somewhat mystified in the Californian central valley. > > > > ==== ORCADIA Mailing List ==== > To unsubscribe from the Orcadia mailing list, send an e-mail with the word > 'unsubscribe' in the message body to orcadia-l-request@rootsweb.com > >

Thanks to all who have tried to put me on the right path. I finally got there by using http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/radioscotland/view/show.shtml?news When I used HREF="http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/radioscotland/view/show.shtml?news">BBC - Scotland - Radio Scotland - Programmes</A> I got the BBC home page and a note saying "an error occurred while processing this directive" Does anyone else get the same thing ???? Radio Orkney is off the air now but I am enjoying Radio Shetland Stella still somewhat mystified in the Californian central valley.

Friends, The spring 2004 Historic Scotland magazine features an article by Richard Welander, collections manager for the HS, and talks about (there are some interesting photographs too) the carved stones found in the late 1920s. It is called "Give me the tools..." A very interesting piece. Regards, Vikram/ Pennsylvania, USA. PS: For those who had requested the NGS article that I had referred to (Jun 1998), I have been in touch with NGS for reprints to be distributed exclusively for Orkneyjar, and expect to hear from them. They are deciding on this weighty issue!

Hello to everyone and Happy Easter. I am researching my Linklater family and was wondering if there was someone kind enough to be able to check the 1821 Census for a family of William abt40 wife Margaret (Brown) abt 36, chn Mgt 13 and Helen 9. This family is larger in 1841 with ages of Wm 59, Mgt 56, Mgt 33, Helen 29, Ann 18, Wm B 15 Robina 11. There is a big gap between Ann and Helen, so there may be other children. Ann and Mgt may have also flown the coup. Any help would be appreciated. Glenda

{> on 4/7/04 1:11 PM <} - Sigurd Towrie wrote -- It's called Geomap or something like that. Still in the early stages of development I believe. -------- Thanks, Sigurd! It runs until October 2. For reference see www.orcadian.co.uk/exhibitions.htm - normally I try to keep this as up-to-date as possible. But although I updated the page last Friday, it looks like I've forgotten to upload it! Oops. -------- Thanks for the link; glad to hear it is through early October, as there is a chance I may get to Orkney again maybe in September. Lisa.

On 07 April 2004 17:51, Lisa Conrad wrote: > - What was the name of that computer program mapping Orkney that they > described some folks were working on, a type of computer-3-D virtual > tour or somesuch? It's called Geomap or something like that. Still in the early stages of development I believe. > - How long is the Orkney Museum's new interactive, hands-on "show" > going to run? Will it end at the end of the year? Or, at the end of > the summer? It runs until October 2. For reference see www.orcadian.co.uk/exhibitions.htm - normally I try to keep this as up-to-date as possible. But although I updated the page last Friday, it looks like I've forgotten to upload it! Oops. -- Sigurd Towrie Blackhall - Kirbister - Stromness - Orkney Heritage of Orkney: www.orkneyjar.com Home: sigurd@orkneyjar.com Work: sigurd.towrie@orcadian.co.uk

It's back on line now, Stella -- Mike Clouston Mike Clouston wrote: > Hi Stella, > > It was OK here earlier, but I've just checked and there does seem to > be a problem at the moment. > All I can suggest is that you leave it for a short while and come back > to it later. Maybe they'll have sorted it by then. > > -- > Mike Clouston > > Stella wrote: > >> i am having trouble finding radio Orkney this morning. I'm getting >> one of those "page not found" notices but no hint as to where I might >> find radio Orkney in the drop down menu. HEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLP >> Stella, lost and confused in the central California >> valley >> >> > > > ==== ORCADIA Mailing List ==== > To unsubscribe from the Orcadia mailing list, send an e-mail with the > word > 'unsubscribe' in the message body to orcadia-l-request@rootsweb.com > > >

Hi Stella, It was OK here earlier, but I've just checked and there does seem to be a problem at the moment. All I can suggest is that you leave it for a short while and come back to it later. Maybe they'll have sorted it by then. -- Mike Clouston Stella wrote: >i am having trouble finding radio Orkney this morning. I'm getting one of those "page not found" notices but no hint as to where I might find radio Orkney in the drop down menu. HEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLP > Stella, lost and confused in the central California valley > >

I got today's show fine. But sometimes it takes a couple of tries, or I have to go back later. Something may be busy on this end, or that one, or who knows....some little electron flew off the wrong direction. It's all a miracle that we can get what we do! I usually connect from <A HREF="http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/radioscotland/view/show.shtml?news">BBC - Scotland - Radio Scotland - Programmes</A> http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/radioscotland/view/show.shtml?news which doesn't use a drop down menu, so it may be a different link than the one your using. Click on "Orkney" for the morning show, and on the day of the week for another. If you have another audio player running when you try to connect, that can stop it too; close that one first. Karen

Speaking of Radio Orkney, did anyone catch yesterday's show (it was approx. yesterday, that is, what with the time difference from Seattle) ---- Two questions: - What was the name of that computer program mapping Orkney that they described some folks were working on, a type of computer-3-D virtual tour or somesuch? Did anyone catch that, and have more information? It sounded like a great idea! I think I caught on the show yesterday that it can be a sort of programmed to be a "time sensitive" virtual tour as well, with the potential ability to view Orkney as it was in the past... Also - How long is the Orkney Museum's new interactive, hands-on "show" going to run? Will it end at the end of the year? Or, at the end of the summer? many thanks, Lisa {> on 4/7/04 8:35 AM <} - Stella wrote -- i am having trouble finding radio Orkney this morning.

i am having trouble finding radio Orkney this morning. I'm getting one of those "page not found" notices but no hint as to where I might find radio Orkney in the drop down menu. HEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLP Stella, lost and confused in the central California valley

I've been meaning to post a few pictures from last autumn...but the months just seem to have gone by with no action on my part. Anyway, I finally got around to it. A few pictures of the Barnhouse settlement remains, inside St Magnus' Cathedral, Skara Brae, the Hoy cliffs, Ring of Brodgar and Stones of Stenness. http://www.ancient-scotland.co.uk/Sept2003/Barnhouse/ http://www.ancient-scotland.co.uk/Sept2003/Brodgar/ http://www.ancient-scotland.co.uk/Sept2003/Hoy/ http://www.ancient-scotland.co.uk/Sept2003/Magnus/ http://www.ancient-scotland.co.uk/Sept2003/SkaraBrae/ http://www.ancient-scotland.co.uk/Sept2003/Stenness/ I hope you like them. Martin -- Martin McCarthy /</ http://www.non-prophet.org marty@ancient-scotland.co.uk \>\ http://www.ancient-scotland.co.uk /</ http://www.ehabitat.demon.co.uk

Last one for tonight - new panorama added to the Ring o' Bookan page. http://www.orkneyjar.com/history/worldheritagesite/bookan.htm -- Sigurd Towrie Blackhall - Kirbister - Stromness - Orkney Heritage of Orkney: www.orkneyjar.com Home: sigurd@orkneyjar.com Work: sigurd.towrie@orcadian.co.uk

New pictures of the Broch o' Borwick in Sandwick are now online, along with an expansion on the site's details. See http://www.orkneyjar.com/history/brochs/borwick And http://www.orkneyjar.com/portfolio/scenes/borwickbroch -- Sigurd Towrie Blackhall - Kirbister - Stromness - Orkney Heritage of Orkney: www.orkneyjar.com Home: sigurd@orkneyjar.com Work: sigurd.towrie@orcadian.co.uk

I said: > Lower Arsdale. When in doubt, ask CANMORE (or one of its derivatives). > :-) > http://www.rcahms.gov.uk/ows-bin/owa/details?inumlink=2222 CANMORE seem to be changing their URLs. This might work better: http://lmid1.rcahms.gov.uk:7777/pls/portal/newcanmore.details_gis?inumlink=2222 M -- Martin McCarthy /</ http://www.non-prophet.org marty@ancient-scotland.co.uk \>\ http://www.ancient-scotland.co.uk /</ http://www.ehabitat.demon.co.uk