I am enquiring about Black's Hotel located on Ayre in Kirkwall, and looking for possible descendants of George M Black who was the owner of the hotel in 1892. I understand that this is currently the Ayre Hotel, and I have emailed them but have not received a response confirming whether this is the same hotel. I have been told by what I believe is a reliable source, that they are the same place. The 1881 census show the following: Ayre 16 George M Black - Head - m - 52 - temp hotel keeper, working on own account x, Bauffshire, Bohaus? ???? Black - wife - m - 49 - temp hotel keeper, Aberdeen Betsy Thomson - serv - unmarried - house maid domestic - Orkney, Linghope I have an unidentified picture that was taken by John B. Russell, King Street, Kirkwall. The connection to this hotel and George Black is that my grandparents, David Douglas Menzies and Alison Thomson Kirk, were married there in 1892, and one of the witnesses was George M. Black, the owner of the hotel. I am thus wondering if this by chance, is his picture. For those who may be researching people, the other witness at their wedding was Alexander Horne. According to the 1881 censuses for Orkney for Alexander Horne, there are two shown. One appears to be the father and the other the son. The son was a board school teacher, as was my grandfather David Menzies. This Alexander Horne lived at Nasbister? School House, Rousay There is also the possibilty that this is a picture of him. I would suspect that George Black, being married, would have had his wife in the picture as well, but this is only speculation. I have a scan of the picture for anyone interested or who think they could possibly identify this person. Regards Jim Menzies

Jim, I think you are referring to the 1891 census for Kirkwall rather than the 1881 census. If it helps any John B Russell was a photographer in Kirkwall from 1878 -1892. The Ayre Hotel is changing hands this week so that could be the reason for not receiving a reply. I would be delighted to have a scan of the picture and will check with the Kirkwall Library Photographic archives to see if they can help. George Gray, Orkney ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Menzies" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, November 12, 2005 3:17 AM Subject: [Orkney] Blacks Hotel - George M Black >I am enquiring about Black's Hotel located on Ayre in Kirkwall, and looking > for possible descendants of George M Black who was the owner of the hotel > in > 1892. > > I understand that this is currently the Ayre Hotel, and I have emailed > them > but have not received a response confirming whether this is the same > hotel. > I have been told by what I believe is a reliable source, that they are the > same place. > > The 1881 census show the following: > > Ayre 16 > George M Black - Head - m - 52 - temp hotel keeper, working on own account > x, Bauffshire, Bohaus? > ???? Black - wife - m - 49 - temp hotel keeper, Aberdeen > Betsy Thomson - serv - unmarried - house maid domestic - Orkney, Linghope > > I have an unidentified picture that was taken by John B. Russell, King > Street, Kirkwall. > > The connection to this hotel and George Black is that my grandparents, > David > Douglas Menzies and Alison Thomson Kirk, were married there in 1892, and > one > of the witnesses was George M. Black, the owner of the hotel. I am thus > wondering if this by chance, is his picture. > > For those who may be researching people, the other witness at their > wedding > was Alexander Horne. > > According to the 1881 censuses for Orkney for Alexander Horne, there are > two > shown. One appears to be the father and the other the son. > The son was a board school teacher, as was my grandfather David Menzies. > This Alexander Horne lived at Nasbister? School House, Rousay > > There is also the possibilty that this is a picture of him. I would > suspect > that George Black, being married, would have had his wife in the picture > as > well, but this is only speculation. > > I have a scan of the picture for anyone interested or who think they could > possibly identify this person. > > Regards > Jim Menzies > > > ==== ORKNEY Mailing List ==== >>>>>List Rule: Do not post regarding Virus, Infected E-mails or Spam > Many worms, trojans, or viruses forge (copy) the "From" e-mail address, > making them appear to come from someone you know (such as RootsWeb.com). > Or, they may have a file name that would make it look like a legitimate > e-mail address. Spam, or an infected e-mail might indicate a message came > from RootsWeb.com, or from a mailing list at RootsWeb.com, when it didn't. > An infected computer is sending these forged messages to you privately. > RootsWeb.com cannot prevent these forgeries, nor the bounces for failed > deliveries > > ============================== > Search Family and Local Histories for stories about your family and the > areas they lived. Over 85 million names added in the last 12 months. > Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13966/rd.ashx > >

Ys, you are correct, it was the 1891 census, I will send the picture direct in a separate email. I did some looking up of the photogrpaher, John b. Russell in Kirkwall and he and his family were there in 1881 cenusus but nowhere to be found in all of Orkney in 1891 census. Thus I am assuming the picture was taken pre 1891 if this is any help. Jim Menzies -----Original Message----- From: George Gray [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Saturday, November 12, 2005 4:56 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Orkney] Blacks Hotel - George M Black Jim, I think you are referring to the 1891 census for Kirkwall rather than the 1881 census. If it helps any John B Russell was a photographer in Kirkwall from 1878 -1892. The Ayre Hotel is changing hands this week so that could be the reason for not receiving a reply. I would be delighted to have a scan of the picture and will check with the Kirkwall Library Photographic archives to see if they can help. George Gray, Orkney ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Menzies" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, November 12, 2005 3:17 AM Subject: [Orkney] Blacks Hotel - George M Black >I am enquiring about Black's Hotel located on Ayre in Kirkwall, and looking > for possible descendants of George M Black who was the owner of the hotel > in > 1892. > > I understand that this is currently the Ayre Hotel, and I have emailed > them > but have not received a response confirming whether this is the same > hotel. > I have been told by what I believe is a reliable source, that they are the > same place. > > The 1881 census show the following: > > Ayre 16 > George M Black - Head - m - 52 - temp hotel keeper, working on own account > x, Bauffshire, Bohaus? > ???? Black - wife - m - 49 - temp hotel keeper, Aberdeen > Betsy Thomson - serv - unmarried - house maid domestic - Orkney, Linghope > > I have an unidentified picture that was taken by John B. Russell, King > Street, Kirkwall. > > The connection to this hotel and George Black is that my grandparents, > David > Douglas Menzies and Alison Thomson Kirk, were married there in 1892, and > one > of the witnesses was George M. Black, the owner of the hotel. I am thus > wondering if this by chance, is his picture. > > For those who may be researching people, the other witness at their > wedding > was Alexander Horne. > > According to the 1881 censuses for Orkney for Alexander Horne, there are > two > shown. One appears to be the father and the other the son. > The son was a board school teacher, as was my grandfather David Menzies. > This Alexander Horne lived at Nasbister? School House, Rousay > > There is also the possibilty that this is a picture of him. I would > suspect > that George Black, being married, would have had his wife in the picture > as > well, but this is only speculation. > > I have a scan of the picture for anyone interested or who think they could > possibly identify this person. > > Regards > Jim Menzies > > > ==== ORKNEY Mailing List ==== >>>>>List Rule: Do not post regarding Virus, Infected E-mails or Spam > Many worms, trojans, or viruses forge (copy) the "From" e-mail address, > making them appear to come from someone you know (such as RootsWeb.com). > Or, they may have a file name that would make it look like a legitimate > e-mail address. Spam, or an infected e-mail might indicate a message came > from RootsWeb.com, or from a mailing list at RootsWeb.com, when it didn't. > An infected computer is sending these forged messages to you privately. > RootsWeb.com cannot prevent these forgeries, nor the bounces for failed > deliveries > > ============================== > Search Family and Local Histories for stories about your family and the > areas they lived. Over 85 million names added in the last 12 months. > Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13966/rd.ashx > > ==== ORKNEY Mailing List ==== To browse or search the archives of this list: http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/intl/SCT/ORKNEY.html ============================== Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.362 / Virus Database: 267.13.0/167 - Release Date: 11/11/2005