In his article "Further Notes on Saints' Relics and Burials in St.Magnus Cathedral" (Proceedings of the Orkney Antiquarian Society, volume VI, 1928, p.36) John Mooney states: "A part of the north choir was known as the "Stewart's yle". In his "Kirkwall in the Orkneys" (1900, p.51) Hossack states "Lord Robert Stewart was buried in the Stewart aisle". However this grave has not been found, and I don't think there is any record of who was buried where in the Cathedral during the era of the Stewart Earls. In his "Reminiscences of the Cathedral Church of St.Magnus since 1846", written by Samuel Baikie in 1894 and reprinted in a booklet of the same title published by the St.Magnus Centre Management Committee in 2001) Baikie noted (p.5) that during the repairs to the building in 1847-48 "throughout the Nave and Transepts the floors .... had accumulated to such a height as to conceal all the bases of the columns in those parts and the columns themselves mugged up in rather a hedious manner with memorials of the departed. These were all removed and placed along the sidewalls in an orderly manner as now seen." p.8 of the current (2007) booklet guide "St.Magnus Cathedral" confirms this: "The majority of the tombstones standing against the inside walls of the nave aisles date from the 17th century. Originally these tombstones were on the floor of the nave. However, an arched recess in the south wall is believed to date back to the 14th century and has been identified from its coat of arms as the tomb of a native Orkney family, the Papleys." On p.16 of this booklet is a picture of the Cathedral's oldest surviving tombstone, thought to date from the 13th century, and now standing in the north choir aisle. Reproduced between pp.36 and 37 Mooney's article of 1928 are modern copies of two plans of the nave, crossing and south transept. One is dated 1769 and shows family burial plots seemingly in use during the 18th century. The other is dated 1808 and shows the locations of the graves of 138 named individuals dating from 1791, and updated to 1825. The two plans were reprinted on pp.11-14 of the 2001 booklet. >From the above it is apparent that burials within the Cathedral, probably of relatively wealthy individuals, continued until some time between 1825 and 1847. Extensive details of 52 of the stones placed along the sidewalls, and photographs of 6 of them, are given on pp.126-138 of 12th Report of the Royal Commission on Ancient Monuments of Scotland, Vol II: "Inventory of Orkney", HMSO 1946. 62 of these stones were carefully drawn by the assistant curator Liz Johnston in her "St.Magnus Cathedral Gravestones", printed in 1994. Several other individuals have deposited transcriptions of these stones in the Orkney Archive (see p.52 of my book "Trace Your Orkney Ancestors", published in 2003). The Orkney Family History Society is currently preparing a publication of transcriptions of the inscriptions on the c.6,000 stones in the Cathdral and its surrounding graveyard. James Irvine. Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:50:47 +1000 > From: Bruce Stewart <bruce@brucestewart.com.au> > Subject: Re: [ORKNEY] Stewart "aisle" St Magnus Cathederal Kirkwall. > To: orkney@rootsweb.com > Message-ID: <FC073DC3-F4F7-4AB8-A8CC-29AE78EC2C8B@brucestewart.com.au> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes > > Hi Folks, > > apparently there is a "Stewart" aisle in St Magnus cathedral, > Kirkwall? my question is does anyone have any information on this i.e. > people buried there or plaques, inscriptions, photos etc...I would > appreciate any information on this. > > I am trying to map out who was buried where during the "Earl > Stewartry" period of Orkney and Shetland. > > Thanks from down under > Bruce Stewart > >

Were there any Halcros who were buried in St Magnus Cathedral? I seem to recall reading, many years ago, a description of the Halcro armorial bearings in one of John Mooney’s books. Jim Halcrow James Irvine wrote: > In his article "Further Notes on Saints' Relics and Burials in St.Magnus > Cathedral" (Proceedings of the Orkney Antiquarian Society, volume VI, 1928, > p.36) John Mooney states: "A part of the north choir was known as the > "Stewart's yle". > > In his "Kirkwall in the Orkneys" (1900, p.51) Hossack states "Lord Robert > Stewart was buried in the Stewart aisle". However this grave has not been > found, and I don't think there is any record of who was buried where in the > Cathedral during the era of the Stewart Earls. In his "Reminiscences of the > Cathedral Church of St.Magnus since 1846", written by Samuel Baikie in 1894 > and reprinted in a booklet of the same title published by the St.Magnus > Centre Management Committee in 2001) Baikie noted (p.5) that during the > repairs to the building in 1847-48 "throughout the Nave and Transepts the > floors .... had accumulated to such a height as to conceal all the bases of > the columns in those parts and the columns themselves mugged up in rather a > hedious manner with memorials of the departed. These were all removed and > placed along the sidewalls in an orderly manner as now seen." > > p.8 of the current (2007) booklet guide "St.Magnus Cathedral" confirms this: > "The majority of the tombstones standing against the inside walls of the > nave aisles date from the 17th century. Originally these tombstones were on > the floor of the nave. However, an arched recess in the south wall is > believed to date back to the 14th century and has been identified from its > coat of arms as the tomb of a native Orkney family, the Papleys." On p.16 > of this booklet is a picture of the Cathedral's oldest surviving tombstone, > thought to date from the 13th century, and now standing in the north choir > aisle. > > Reproduced between pp.36 and 37 Mooney's article of 1928 are modern copies > of two plans of the nave, crossing and south transept. One is dated 1769 > and shows family burial plots seemingly in use during the 18th century. The > other is dated 1808 and shows the locations of the graves of 138 named > individuals dating from 1791, and updated to 1825. The two plans were > reprinted on pp.11-14 of the 2001 booklet. > >>From the above it is apparent that burials within the Cathedral, probably of > relatively wealthy individuals, continued until some time between 1825 and > 1847. > > Extensive details of 52 of the stones placed along the sidewalls, and > photographs of 6 of them, are given on pp.126-138 of 12th Report of the > Royal Commission on Ancient Monuments of Scotland, Vol II: "Inventory of > Orkney", HMSO 1946. 62 of these stones were carefully drawn by the > assistant curator Liz Johnston in her "St.Magnus Cathedral Gravestones", > printed in 1994. Several other individuals have deposited transcriptions of > these stones in the Orkney Archive (see p.52 of my book "Trace Your Orkney > Ancestors", published in 2003). The Orkney Family History Society is > currently preparing a publication of transcriptions of the inscriptions on > the c.6,000 stones in the Cathdral and its surrounding graveyard. > > James Irvine. > > Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:50:47 +1000 >> From: Bruce Stewart <bruce@brucestewart.com.au> >> Subject: Re: [ORKNEY] Stewart "aisle" St Magnus Cathederal Kirkwall. >> To: orkney@rootsweb.com >> Message-ID: <FC073DC3-F4F7-4AB8-A8CC-29AE78EC2C8B@brucestewart.com.au> >> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes >> >> Hi Folks, >> >> apparently there is a "Stewart" aisle in St Magnus cathedral, >> Kirkwall? my question is does anyone have any information on this i.e. >> people buried there or plaques, inscriptions, photos etc...I would >> appreciate any information on this. >> >> I am trying to map out who was buried where during the "Earl >> Stewartry" period of Orkney and Shetland. >> >> Thanks from down under >> Bruce Stewart >> >> > > > ------------------ > List Archives, information on contacting list administrator, Subscribing and UnSubscribing can be found at: > > http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/intl/SCT/ORKNEY.html > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORKNEY-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >

Thanks so much James, I sincerely appreciate the effort you have put in here. Trouble now is I'll have to go buy a whole bunch of books!..... Thanks again from Oz down under. Bruce Stewart On 26/09/2008, at 3:05 AM, James Irvine wrote: > In his article "Further Notes on Saints' Relics and Burials in > St.Magnus > Cathedral" (Proceedings of the Orkney Antiquarian Society, volume > VI, 1928, > p.36) John Mooney states: "A part of the north choir was known as the > "Stewart's yle". > > In his "Kirkwall in the Orkneys" (1900, p.51) Hossack states "Lord > Robert > Stewart was buried in the Stewart aisle". However this grave has > not been > found, and I don't think there is any record of who was buried where > in the > Cathedral during the era of the Stewart Earls. In his > "Reminiscences of the > Cathedral Church of St.Magnus since 1846", written by Samuel Baikie > in 1894 > and reprinted in a booklet of the same title published by the > St.Magnus > Centre Management Committee in 2001) Baikie noted (p.5) that during > the > repairs to the building in 1847-48 "throughout the Nave and > Transepts the > floors .... had accumulated to such a height as to conceal all the > bases of > the columns in those parts and the columns themselves mugged up in > rather a > hedious manner with memorials of the departed. These were all > removed and > placed along the sidewalls in an orderly manner as now seen." > > p.8 of the current (2007) booklet guide "St.Magnus Cathedral" > confirms this: > "The majority of the tombstones standing against the inside walls of > the > nave aisles date from the 17th century. Originally these tombstones > were on > the floor of the nave. However, an arched recess in the south wall is > believed to date back to the 14th century and has been identified > from its > coat of arms as the tomb of a native Orkney family, the Papleys." > On p.16 > of this booklet is a picture of the Cathedral's oldest surviving > tombstone, > thought to date from the 13th century, and now standing in the north > choir > aisle. > > Reproduced between pp.36 and 37 Mooney's article of 1928 are modern > copies > of two plans of the nave, crossing and south transept. One is dated > 1769 > and shows family burial plots seemingly in use during the 18th > century. The > other is dated 1808 and shows the locations of the graves of 138 named > individuals dating from 1791, and updated to 1825. The two plans were > reprinted on pp.11-14 of the 2001 booklet. > >> From the above it is apparent that burials within the Cathedral, >> probably of > relatively wealthy individuals, continued until some time between > 1825 and > 1847. > > Extensive details of 52 of the stones placed along the sidewalls, and > photographs of 6 of them, are given on pp.126-138 of 12th Report of > the > Royal Commission on Ancient Monuments of Scotland, Vol II: > "Inventory of > Orkney", HMSO 1946. 62 of these stones were carefully drawn by the > assistant curator Liz Johnston in her "St.Magnus Cathedral > Gravestones", > printed in 1994. Several other individuals have deposited > transcriptions of > these stones in the Orkney Archive (see p.52 of my book "Trace Your > Orkney > Ancestors", published in 2003). The Orkney Family History Society is > currently preparing a publication of transcriptions of the > inscriptions on > the c.6,000 stones in the Cathdral and its surrounding graveyard. > > James Irvine. > > Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:50:47 +1000 >> From: Bruce Stewart <bruce@brucestewart.com.au> >> Subject: Re: [ORKNEY] Stewart "aisle" St Magnus Cathederal Kirkwall. >> To: orkney@rootsweb.com >> Message-ID: <FC073DC3-F4F7-4AB8- >> A8CC-29AE78EC2C8B@brucestewart.com.au> >> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes >> >> Hi Folks, >> >> apparently there is a "Stewart" aisle in St Magnus cathedral, >> Kirkwall? my question is does anyone have any information on this >> i.e. >> people buried there or plaques, inscriptions, photos etc...I would >> appreciate any information on this. >> >> I am trying to map out who was buried where during the "Earl >> Stewartry" period of Orkney and Shetland. >> >> Thanks from down under >> Bruce Stewart >> >> > > > ------------------ > List Archives, information on contacting list administrator, > Subscribing and UnSubscribing can be found at: > > http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/intl/SCT/ORKNEY.html > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORKNEY-request@rootsweb.com > with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and > the body of the message