Hi Everyone I recently received 8 dated between 1882-1903. These letters were sent to me from a cousin and they were passed down to her after her mothers death. Her great grandmother corresponded with relatives in South Ronaldshay, Orkney Islands. One letter is from her uncle Robert Thomson who lived a Greystone, another from her uncle James who lived at NEWHALL South Parish and another from a cousin Jeannie Duncan Thomson who was the daughter of Robert Thomson. These letters are a gold mine of information. My question would be, does anyone on the list know where NEWHALL SOUTH PARISH is located? I have previously been given the location of GREYSTONE, which according to the letters is a stone house with only six rooms. Are these places still standing today? Thanks for any assistance you can give me on this. Diane Davison Ontario

Who are Betsy McKay's parents?? I'm looking for any family of Frances Sinclair & William MacKay. One of their daughters was named Betsey MacKay born June 9, 1844. Lou Kabel ---------- > From: Heather <crafty@mb.sympatico.ca> > To: ORKNEY-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: [ORKNEY-L] WYLIE, Betsy McKay;S.Ronaldsay > Date: Friday, February 26, 1999 6:40 AM > > Betsy McKay Wylie married John Budge in April 1885 in South Ronaldshay. > They had 14 children (I have all their names) some of which moved to New > Zealand & Australia. 2 daughters came to Canada after they had married 2 > Kirkness brothers. > Researching Surnames: GRIFFITHS, CLOAKEY, > KIRKNESS, WYLLIE >

Betsy McKay Wylie married John Budge in April 1885 in South Ronaldshay. They had 14 children (I have all their names) some of which moved to New Zealand & Australia. 2 daughters came to Canada after they had married 2 Kirkness brothers. Researching Surnames: GRIFFITHS, CLOAKEY, KIRKNESS, WYLLIE

Looking for info on Ann Bichan married William Kirkness Sept. 1881 in Deerness, Orkney. They had 2 sons John b. 1883 and Thomas B ? Any info greatly appreciated. Heather Manitoba, Canada Researching Surnames: GRIFFITHS, CLOAKEY, KIRKNESS, WYLLIE

Hi everyone! I've been watching the pages with great interest and finally about to list my interests. I'm looking for information about Janet CRAIGIE who married James MARWICK on 5 Aug 1836 at Eastaquoy, Westside, Rousay. They had 6 children together ( Janet being James Marwick's second wife) John MARWICK ( came to Australia in 1860) Eleanor Traill MARWICK Hugh MARWICK Craigie MARWICK Mary MARWICK and David MARWICK I can find no information about Janet's parents etc and would love to hear from any decendants of any of the children. We're visiting Rousay in May ,hoping to find the crofts & areas etc - you know the way it goes - " in the steps of the forefathers" I have Robert Marwick's book "Rousay Roots" and most of the family is mentioned there - but Janet CRAIGIE remains a mystery. Cheerio, Judy Evans - Australia

Jim & Penny Lee wrote: > > Can anyone tell me what the name kirkyard means? Is it the same thing as > cemetery? > Thanks, > R J Lee Hello, The answer is yes. from an auld scot

Can anyone tell me what the name kirkyard means? Is it the same thing as cemetery? Thanks, R J Lee

At 06:14 PM 2/24/99 -0800, G/L Spence wrote: >Hopes this info. helps someone in the SPENCE tree. If anyone has any >further info. on any of the above names, please post to this list as I >think it gives more benefit to more people than e-mailing directly, as >proven by Polly reading Gordon's post and my reading both posts. Not only that but the list is archived and searchable so people search for leads years from now benefit from our on-list discussions of today. Regards, Anne M. Rendall volunteer host Orkney GenWeb and Orkney-L http://rendall.net/orkney/

Janine, Thanks for the web address. I will bookmark it and spend some time searching. Marcia (MacKersie)

Gordon, By any chance would you have a Robert SPENCE b:abt1850 in Orkney in your family tree? David

Try www.cursiter.com Janine ---------- > From: MLDurgan@aol.com > To: ORKNEY-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: [ORKNEY-L] Mackersie/MacKersie/McKersie > Date: Wednesday, February 24, 1999 11:12 AM > > Hello, > > I am searching for information on my ggggrandfather, William MacKersie, who > was born in the Orkneys c1740-1780. I don't know where. That is all the > information I have. He later relocated to Glasgow, where a son was born in > 1802. William was a weaver. If anyone runs across this name, would you > please contact me? Most anxious to find him! > > Thank you. > Marcia MacKersie Durgan >

Hi to Polly and Gordon Thank you very much for the information you both posted. I don't know yet if your SPENCEs are connected to those listed below, but here is some of the information that I have gathered to date re: my husband's Orkney ancestor, John William SPENCE, and his Canadian family. I have the following census from 20 May 1891 from the Province of Manitoba, District No. 8 Provencher, S.District D. Franklin: 171? Spence/ Name/Sex/Married or Widowed/Relation to head of family/Country or Prov. of birth/French Canadian/Place of birth of Father/Place of Birth of Mother/Religion/Profession John/M/52/M/(head)/Scotland/Scotland/Presb/Farmer Jane/F/45/M/(wife)/Ont/-/Ireland/Ireland/Presb/- William/M/25/-/(son)/Ont/ James/M/22?/-/(son)/Ont/ Thomas/M/19/-/(son)/Ont/ Jane/F/17/-/(dau)/Ont/ Margaret/F/15/-/(dau)/Ont/ David/M/14/-/(son)/Ont/ Christopher/M/10/-/(son)/Ont/ Andrew/M/7/-/(son)/US/ Annie/F/5/-/(dau)/Man/ Henry/M/3/-/(son)/Man/ The following information is from the "Marriages - United Church Archives" The son James,(of John and Jane) was born in MacNab, Ontario. At age 24, in Dominion City, Manitoba, Jan 9, 1893, he married Janet GILCHRIST, daughter of Duncan GILCHRIST and Ann MCNABB. Witnesses were Duncan GILCHRIST and Mary MCNABB. The son, William John,(of John and Jane) was born in Carleton, Ontario. At age 29, in Greenridge, Manitoba, Dec. 10, 1895, he married Isabella MCLENNON, age 23, dau. of Roderick MCLENNON and Amry Ann NEIL. Witnesses were Thos. SPENCE and Sarah MCLENNON. The following info. is from the Registration of Marriage (North Qu'Appelle) for persons listed. The son, Christopher, (of John and Jane), was born in Arnprior, Ontario. At age 28, Dec. 01, 1909, he married Agnes Lucy VIDAL, age 24, born in Katepwa, Saskatchewan, daughter of James VIDAL and Lucy BECK. I am now searching for the parents of John William SPENCE born abt 1839 in Orkney Isles. Hopes this info. helps someone in the SPENCE tree. If anyone has any further info. on any of the above names, please post to this list as I think it gives more benefit to more people than e-mailing directly, as proven by Polly reading Gordon's post and my reading both posts. Bye for now, Linda Spence in BC, Canada spencejc@intergate.bc.ca

Hi Gordon I believe that we can help each other, I am a descendant of Magnus Spence as well, and have William Spence and Janet Allein in my pages, parents to Magnus, he married Christiana Cree and they had a daughter, Chistianna Spence who married Peter Whitford, of which I come from thios line by the way are you on the metisgen list at all? thanks Julie -----Original Message----- From: Siriuspace@aol.com <Siriuspace@aol.com> To: ORKNEY-L@rootsweb.com <ORKNEY-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Tuesday, February 23, 1999 8:14 PM Subject: [ORKNEY-L] Orkney Isl Spences >I am looking for my early Spence ancestors from the Orkneys. They are as >follows: >1. William Spence b say 1720, m Janet Alleine b say 1725, prob. Orkney Isl >2. Magnus Spence, Sr, b 1755 Birsey, Pomona, Orkney Isl, d 1845 Red River >Settlement, Hudson Bay Co, Canada, m Christiana (fullblood Cree) b abt 1770 >3. John Spence b 1793 Canada m Jane Taite > >A professional researcher examined the Old Parish Records located in Edinburgh >in 1980 and came up with an 8 generation genealogy of the early Spences of the >Orkneys. The earliest of these were as follows: >1. Magnus Spence b pos. 1640, lived in Orkney Isl. >2. John Spence I b 1669 Stromness, Pomona, m Jean Clouston >3. Peter Spence b 1700 Stromness, m 12/7/1725 Helen Moar >4. William Spence b pos abt 1725 Orkney Isl - He had brothers Thomas and >Magnus (or Magness). >There is a James Spence b abt 1753 in Birsey who also joined the Hudson Bay >Co, and could be a brother of my Magnus Spence. >I am wondering if the two William Spences above could be the same. >Does anyone know more about these early Spences. >Gordon W. Pace >siriuspace@aol.com >

Hi Polly Looks like we are cousins, I am a descendant of Magnus Spence as well, and live in Airdrie, alberta Are you on the Metisgen list? julie -----Original Message----- From: polly <p.mccullough@shaw.wave.ca> To: ORKNEY-L@rootsweb.com <ORKNEY-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Wednesday, February 24, 1999 1:15 AM Subject: Re: [ORKNEY-L] Orkney Isl Spences Halloooooooo Gordon! *S* Sorry I can't help you with the SPENCEs....but you can SURE help me! My husband is descended from Magnus SPENCE...who worked for the HBC. I am on the Orkney list in search of McLEODs, so imagine my surprise to see Magnus SPENCE mentioned. Here is our connection: Magnus SPENCE Sr. married Christi (a native woman)....your "Christiana" is prob right, as a lot of this stuff was just handed to me, and I have not verified all the dates etc. Their daughter Mary SPENCE b. 1797 married a James WHITFORD b. abt. 1795. Their daughter Sarah (Sally) WHITFORD married William NORN Their daughter Ann NORN married William McLeod b. 1841 Their son William McLeod 1871-1918 married Flora Maria GULLION 1880-1948 Their daughter Matilda McLeod 1897-1975 married Robert Ivan McCULLOUGH 1893-1977 Their son William Thomas (Tom) McCULLOUGH 1920-1998 married Reta Rose SAVAGE 1924-1986 Their son Richard Thomas McCULLOUGH b 1956 married ME! *S* Paulette Belinda Hall b. 1956 Now...hurry and tell me your connection before I bite all my fingernails down to the bone! *L* I'm SO excited! polly in Calgary Alberta ps...Oh, excuse my manners...Pleased to meet you! *extending hand* p.mccullough@shaw.wave.ca

Hi Everyone, I have Thomas SPENCE b. Sep 07 1880 in Stoursdale, Stennis, Orkney Islands who came to Racine WI, USA around 1915. He married Margaret Marie POTTINGER b. 21 Jun 1889 in Lycippus, PA. Margaret's parents were William POTTINGER and Jane MILLER both from Westray, Orkney Islands. Does anyone know who Thomas's parents are? Thanks, Teresa Pottinger Geiger -----Original Message----- From: Pam Thomson <pthomson@bc.sympatico.ca> To: ORKNEY-L@rootsweb.com <ORKNEY-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Wednesday, February 24, 1999 1:44 PM Subject: [ORKNEY-L] Re: SPENCE >I have a SPENCE connection. Helen married into the Wallace family and >I have tentatively assembled a tree for her. ( I believe that her >mother Helen Thomson and John Wallace's mother Elizabeth Thomson may >be related.) What I find very interesting is that she and her husband >went to Canada where their first two children were born but by the >next census were back in South Ronaldsay. This is what I have: >John SPENCE > b. abt 1810, OKI, Scotland > d. bef 1910 >& Helen THOMSON > b. abt 1810, OKI, Scotland > d. bef 1910 > m. 8 Mar 1832, South Ronaldsay, OKI, Scotland >| Helen SPENCE >| b. 6 Jan 1836, S. Ronaldsay, OKI, Scotland >| d. bef 1934 >| & John Thomson WALLACE >| b. 1834, S. Ronaldsay, OKI, Scotland >| d. 10 Mar 1910 >| m. 2 Apr 1857 >| | Mary Ellen WALLACE >| | b. 1859, Canada >| | d. bef 1959 >| | Elizabeth WALLACE >| | b. 1862, Canada >| | d. bef 1962 >| | Jemima WALLACE >| | b. 10 Aug 1865, S. Ronaldsay, OKI, Scotland >| | d. bef 1881 >| | Robina WALLACE >| | b. 10 Aug 1865, S. Ronaldsay, OKI, Scotland >| | d. bef 1881 >| | John WALLACE >| | b. 1 Feb 1868, S. Ronaldsay, OKI, Scotland >| | d. bef 1968 >| | John WALLACE >| | b. 1870, S. Ronaldsay, OKI, Scotland >| | d. bef 1970 >| | Malcom WALLACE >| | b. 28 Nov 1870, S. Ronaldsay, OKI, Scotland >| | d. bef 1881 >| James SPENCE >| b. 15 Apr 1841, Scotland >| d. bef 1941 >| & Mary Stewart CROMARTY >| b. 8 Aug 1843, South Ronaldsay, OKI, Scotland >| d. bef 1943 >| | Thomas Thomson SPENCE >| | b. 15 Apr 1865, Scotland >| | d. bef 1965 >| | William Cromarty SPENCE >| | b. 9 Apr 1863, Scotland >| | d. bef 1963 >| John SPENCE >| b. 13 Jan 1833, Scotland >| d. bef 1933 >-- >Pam Thomson >British Columbia, Canada >Proud to be a Rootsweb Sponsor >http://www3.bc.sympatico.ca/TownSquareNetwork > >

I have a SPENCE connection. Helen married into the Wallace family and I have tentatively assembled a tree for her. ( I believe that her mother Helen Thomson and John Wallace's mother Elizabeth Thomson may be related.) What I find very interesting is that she and her husband went to Canada where their first two children were born but by the next census were back in South Ronaldsay. This is what I have: John SPENCE b. abt 1810, OKI, Scotland d. bef 1910 & Helen THOMSON b. abt 1810, OKI, Scotland d. bef 1910 m. 8 Mar 1832, South Ronaldsay, OKI, Scotland | Helen SPENCE | b. 6 Jan 1836, S. Ronaldsay, OKI, Scotland | d. bef 1934 | & John Thomson WALLACE | b. 1834, S. Ronaldsay, OKI, Scotland | d. 10 Mar 1910 | m. 2 Apr 1857 | | Mary Ellen WALLACE | | b. 1859, Canada | | d. bef 1959 | | Elizabeth WALLACE | | b. 1862, Canada | | d. bef 1962 | | Jemima WALLACE | | b. 10 Aug 1865, S. Ronaldsay, OKI, Scotland | | d. bef 1881 | | Robina WALLACE | | b. 10 Aug 1865, S. Ronaldsay, OKI, Scotland | | d. bef 1881 | | John WALLACE | | b. 1 Feb 1868, S. Ronaldsay, OKI, Scotland | | d. bef 1968 | | John WALLACE | | b. 1870, S. Ronaldsay, OKI, Scotland | | d. bef 1970 | | Malcom WALLACE | | b. 28 Nov 1870, S. Ronaldsay, OKI, Scotland | | d. bef 1881 | James SPENCE | b. 15 Apr 1841, Scotland | d. bef 1941 | & Mary Stewart CROMARTY | b. 8 Aug 1843, South Ronaldsay, OKI, Scotland | d. bef 1943 | | Thomas Thomson SPENCE | | b. 15 Apr 1865, Scotland | | d. bef 1965 | | William Cromarty SPENCE | | b. 9 Apr 1863, Scotland | | d. bef 1963 | John SPENCE | b. 13 Jan 1833, Scotland | d. bef 1933 -- Pam Thomson British Columbia, Canada Proud to be a Rootsweb Sponsor http://www3.bc.sympatico.ca/TownSquareNetwork

Hello, I am searching for information on my ggggrandfather, William MacKersie, who was born in the Orkneys c1740-1780. I don't know where. That is all the information I have. He later relocated to Glasgow, where a son was born in 1802. William was a weaver. If anyone runs across this name, would you please contact me? Most anxious to find him! Thank you. Marcia MacKersie Durgan

Halloooooooo Gordon! *S* Sorry I can't help you with the SPENCEs....but you can SURE help me! My husband is descended from Magnus SPENCE...who worked for the HBC. I am on the Orkney list in search of McLEODs, so imagine my surprise to see Magnus SPENCE mentioned. Here is our connection: Magnus SPENCE Sr. married Christi (a native woman)....your "Christiana" is prob right, as a lot of this stuff was just handed to me, and I have not verified all the dates etc. Their daughter Mary SPENCE b. 1797 married a James WHITFORD b. abt. 1795. Their daughter Sarah (Sally) WHITFORD married William NORN Their daughter Ann NORN married William McLeod b. 1841 Their son William McLeod 1871-1918 married Flora Maria GULLION 1880-1948 Their daughter Matilda McLeod 1897-1975 married Robert Ivan McCULLOUGH 1893-1977 Their son William Thomas (Tom) McCULLOUGH 1920-1998 married Reta Rose SAVAGE 1924-1986 Their son Richard Thomas McCULLOUGH b 1956 married ME! *S* Paulette Belinda Hall b. 1956 Now...hurry and tell me your connection before I bite all my fingernails down to the bone! *L* I'm SO excited! polly in Calgary Alberta ps...Oh, excuse my manners...Pleased to meet you! *extending hand* p.mccullough@shaw.wave.ca

I am looking for my early Spence ancestors from the Orkneys. They are as follows: 1. William Spence b say 1720, m Janet Alleine b say 1725, prob. Orkney Isl 2. Magnus Spence, Sr, b 1755 Birsey, Pomona, Orkney Isl, d 1845 Red River Settlement, Hudson Bay Co, Canada, m Christiana (fullblood Cree) b abt 1770 3. John Spence b 1793 Canada m Jane Taite A professional researcher examined the Old Parish Records located in Edinburgh in 1980 and came up with an 8 generation genealogy of the early Spences of the Orkneys. The earliest of these were as follows: 1. Magnus Spence b pos. 1640, lived in Orkney Isl. 2. John Spence I b 1669 Stromness, Pomona, m Jean Clouston 3. Peter Spence b 1700 Stromness, m 12/7/1725 Helen Moar 4. William Spence b pos abt 1725 Orkney Isl - He had brothers Thomas and Magnus (or Magness). There is a James Spence b abt 1753 in Birsey who also joined the Hudson Bay Co, and could be a brother of my Magnus Spence. I am wondering if the two William Spences above could be the same. Does anyone know more about these early Spences. Gordon W. Pace siriuspace@aol.com

Dear all, Thanks for your help. It is warming to have such prompt support! Jacquie Cox. ---------- > From: Anne Rendall <anne@rendall.net> > To: ORKNEY-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: (was Re: [ORKNEY-L] Orkney author) > Date: Tuesday, 23 February 1999 1:26 > > At 04:28 PM 2/21/99 +1000, you wrote: > >Help please! We are trying to find a bookseller or distributor in Australia > >who could order books by George Mackay Brown. So far my mother has been > >unable to locate a bookseller who even has a computer listing for the > >books. If anyone could post the publishing details or a retailer in the UK > >we could use, we would appreciate it. By the > > way George, my mother is currently researching her Mowat ancestors! > >Thanks, > >Jacquie Cox <jacqgreg@tpgi.com.au> > >---------- > > > > Try Amazon UK at http://www.amazon.co.uk/ you can order the books yourself > over the internet or obtain the ISBN numbers if you prefer to order the > books locally. > > Anne Rendall