Doug & Barb, Perhaps if I can get my own Fotheringhams extended later than about 1710, we might be able to have a reunion! I did a quick check in the excellent reference book "Trace Your Orkney Ancestors" by James Irvine, in curiosity at Doug's statement that "the OPR begins in 1735". I see in the book that this is true, for Lady Parish, for records held at GROS. However, there are records for Cross & Burness for Baptisms 1704 to 1707 and for Marriages 1711 to 1733 which are NOT at GROS but are available on microfilm. There is too much information for me to copy here (after all, that is why Mr. Irvine wrote the book!), and I recommend that if any of us are really serious about finding sources for Orkney research (including some "lateral thinking") we get a copy of the book. Mr. Irvine will send you a copy direct and can be contacted at <[email protected]>. I have no financial concern in this reference book, but am a "happy user". Ken Harrison > Sun, 26 Jun 2005 9:04:03 -0400 > From: <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: Re: [Orkney] Back on List > > Hello Barb, > > I was checking my email at my cousin's house near Chicago (on my way to > Wisconsin) and saw your posting. Actually, I've done a lot of work on our Orkney > line, having been in Kirkwall and out to Sanday. I also extracted every > FOTHERINGHAM(E), MUIR, SKEA/SKAE, TOWRIE/TOWERS, SMITH and several others from > the Sanday OPRs. I'd be happy to send you a copy (but it's long). There is > no good way, just from the OPRs to tell which Thomas F. is the correct person. > I'm wondering how you know he was born in 1746? I've also looked at the > kirk session records in the National Archives (Edinburgh), but got nowhere on > this question. The OPR begins in 1735 and so there is not much to go on to > push the line back further. However, there is a lot of under-utilized material > in the Orkney Archives in Kirkwall and I'm hoping to get up there for a week > the next time I'm in the U.K. (in 2006). The bigest grouping of records > which may help is the Trail-Dennison papers. These are estate papers! > of the owners of the land where our ancestors were tennants. I have an > annotated index of them and could send you a copy for your perusal if you're > interested. Among those documents are some tantalizing items that I am anxious > to see, but only time (and working on them) will tell if they are of use. > > Since I'm on my cousin's computer, I don't have my family records at hand, > but will be able to check more closely when I'm in the office in Wisconsin, > where I'll have a computer on the desk hooked up to the 'net and my own laptop > with all my stuff next to it. > > Hope all is well and I look forward to seeing if you get any worthwhile > feedback from other readers on the Orkney list. By the way, are you a member of > the Orkney FHS. They have a most interesting journal/newsletter. I've been a > member since it began. > > All the best, > > Doug