Hi everyone Recently I came across a birth for George HENDERSON c 26th May 1832 in Latheron, Caithness, Scotland parents James HENDERSON & Jane GORDON my query is is there some very kind sole who would check whatever records there are in Scotland because my George HENDERSON has parents James & Jane GILMORE (NOT GORDON) and we do not have any other information on him the birth date is within reason my George came to Australia in 1855 approx and died here in 1869 look forward to hearing from someone Joy sunny Queensland (where possible I am happy to check Queensland records)

> << It's always referred to as Orkney, not the Orkneys. > >> > Fiona, > I completely agree - except ..... > > Is it too late to revise the title of B.H. Hossack's marvellous book from > over a century ago?? > > Ken Harrison The Orkneys has certainly been used pretty often historically, but it still remains that if anyone nowadays says "the Orkneys" all Orcadians collectively cringe! There's an interesting article on the usage on the Orcadian's website: http://www.orcadian.co.uk/features/articles/theorkneys.htm Fiona Orkney

Alexander Cooper (Cowper) had the following children: James born 1810 and Janet born 1813 Knockinnon, I have recently begun researching my family and would appreciate any additional information, help/ suggestions. Janet married George Miller and had he following children: Barbara born 1839, Benjamin born 1840, Janet or Jessie born 1841, Lucy Gair born 1857 and John unknown birth year. Thank you, Valerie val@cdsinet.net

In a message dated 4/3/02 3:05:22 AM Pacific Standard Time, SCT-CAITHNESS-D-request@rootsweb.com writes: << It's always referred to as Orkney, not the Orkneys. >> Fiona, I completely agree - except ..... Is it too late to revise the title of B.H. Hossack's marvellous book from over a century ago?? Ken Harrison North Vancouver, Canada mcharrison@compuserve.com HARRISON Yorkshire, Staffordshire, London (Highgate/Hampstead) POTCHIT Yorkshire FISHER London (Highgate/Hampstead) GRIFFIN Staffordshire STANLEY Staffordshire SMELLIE Lanark, Orkney, Glasgow, Tasmania STIRRAT Ayrshire & Glasgow BAIN Caithness MILLER Caithness, Swaziland SPENCE Orkney TRAILL Orkney SELKRIG Lanark WICKETSHAW Lanark MORRISON Perthshire, Islay, Dumbarton, Glasgow, Australia (Vic) BAIRD Renfrew HAM Australia (Vic) THOMPSON Suffolk AGGUS Suffolk BRIGHTWELL Suffolk LAWSON Clackmannan McNABB Islay MURRAY Dumfries, Renfrew GILLESPIE Dumfries HENDERSON Dumfries TICKET (TAKET) Dumfries CALDWELL Tyrone, Renfrew GRAHAM Tyrone, Ontario Genealogists never die ... they just lose their census.

Lister, I may not have your name quite correct but you have the worm virus Badtrans, no doubt you are unaware of it. Barbara

Hi I'm presently trying to trace the movements of people with this surname and am assured that they are a sept of clan Gunn.The problem is that my ancestors with this name can be traced back to Magdeburg in Germany during the 17th century and I am wondering if anyone has any idea how they might have ended up there. It is not a German name and there are many of them in the USA and more in the German telephone book than in Caithness or Orkney. Why? Any ideas would be welcome.They are all non conformists, Lutherans, Moravians etc. Peter Shevlin

Hi Dennis You could try asking your question on the Orcadia mailing list (email orcadia-l-request@rootsweb.com to subscribe), the list owner Sigurd Towrie may be able to help. > I am trying to locate some place names from a 14th century (1369) Norwegian > document and suspect they may be from the Orkneys (Orkneyum is mentioned a > few places). Does anyone know where Kirkevaag and Bucchan are? Also, > though of interest but less importance, Rollissey, Teyn, Sanday, Rosce, > Boduel and Mekre? It's always referred to as Orkney, not the Orkneys. Kirkevaag will be Kirkwall, the 'capital' of Orkney and situated on mainland. Sanday is one of the Orkney islands, north of mainland. Rollissey - could this be Ronaldsay - there are two islands called North Ronaldsay and South Ronaldsay, alternatively it could be Rousay, another Orkney isle. Sorry, no guesses as to what the others are, but Sigurd or someone else on the orcadia list with a lot more knowledge than me may be able to help. Fiona Orkney

Hi Peter, I have no specific info but would suggest a couple of hypotheses to play with. 1. The name appears to be, like many Caithness/Orkney names, a Norse patronymic. It may have arrived in Germany from a non Scots origin (e,g, Norway, Faroes, etc.) 2. Thousands of Scots served in Germany in the thirty years war (1618-1648). Gustavus Adolphus had several regiments of Scots in the Swedish army. Some with your name may have remained behind. Best of luck in your quest. Don Munro Germantown, MD ----- Original Message ----- From: "Peter Shevlin" <peter.shevlin@virgin.net> To: <SCT-CAITHNESS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, March 03, 2002 11:55 AM Subject: Ganson > Hi > > I'm presently trying to trace the movements of people with this surname > and am assured that they are a sept of clan Gunn.The problem is that my > ancestors with this name can be traced back to Magdeburg in Germany > during the 17th century and I am wondering if anyone has any idea how > they might have ended up there. It is not a German name and there are > many of them in the USA and more in the German telephone book than in > Caithness or Orkney. Why? Any ideas would be welcome.They are all non > conformists, Lutherans, Moravians etc. > > Peter Shevlin > >

I am trying to locate some place names from a 14th century (1369) Norwegian document and suspect they may be from the Orkneys (Orkneyum is mentioned a few places). Does anyone know where Kirkevaag and Bucchan are? Also, though of interest but less importance, Rollissey, Teyn, Sanday, Rosce, Boduel and Mekre? Regards, Dennis

Hi, Last year I was intouch with a girl from Australia who was searching the Coghill name from Wick Caithness. As my computer crashed in my home in Ontario & I lost all my email address would she contact me at this email address in Florida. Regards Sharon C

Hello Mark, Could you kindly make contact with me as I have lost your email & I wish to discuss a couple of things with you. Regards, Barbara Stirling

Hello Can anyone help me with the parents of Janet Donaldson born about 1800 at Halkirk married to James Wright. I have her parents as Robert Donaldson (miller) and Janet Bain, but that is all I have - taken from Janet Donaldson's death record 1882; both of her parents had died by then. Thank you Susan ________________________ Susan Simmons searching for: Wright, Hughes & Kellett in India Wright, Donaldson, Bain & Green in Caithness

Thank you for responding to my need for help when I lost my Caithness e-mail. It was a great help. Still searching. Barry

Hello Listmembers, I am interested to discover the circumstances of the death of Joseph MURRAY, a fisherman, the 21 year old husband of Williamena WARES and father of Elizabeth Davidson MURRAY, who was born in March 1868. It would appear to have been a shipping accident with possibly other people involved. Any information would be gratefully received. Regards. Stuart, Edenbridge,

Dennis L. Haarsager" wrote: > Now, if someone could just explain to me why my taste in Scotch runs to > Islay rather than Highland malts... > Please, please...... not Highland malts, fine as they are, if you want to honour your ancestry. Caithness is really Orkney malt territory.... try Old Pulteney.... as Caithness as you get. Bruce H

Hi Liz, Further to what has already been posted, here's the list of Provosts of Wick from Calder's history.... 1790 Sir John Sinclair of Ulbster 1811 George Sinclair younger of Ulbster 1814 William Macleay 1818 George Sinclair younger of Ulbster 1820 George Macpherson Grant of Ballindaloch and Invershie 1822 Right Hon. Lord Francis Leveson Gower 1831 James Loch 1833 John Kirk 1836 William Bruce 1838 Josiah Rhind 1839 William Bruce 1843 Josiah Rhind Feb 1858 William Waters Nov 1858 Alexander Bruce 1863 James Louttit 1870 Alexander Adam of Lynegar 1871 Alexander Corner 1874 William Rae 1886 James Reiach Hope this helps, sorry I couldnt remember your ancestros name as I deleted the original message. Regards Sara Donaldson http://members.aol.com/sjdancestry/home.htm

Dennis, I presume you've read the version of the battle in Calder's 'History'? although its noted as Kringelen. I makes fascinating reading along with the poem called 'The Massacre of Kringelen' If you want a copy of the poem I could copy it out for you if you havetn seen it. Regards Sara Donaldson http://members.aol.com/sjdancestry/home.htm

I have asked this before but thought I would try once again. I am looking for the MI for William LYALL/ or LEAL and his wife Catherine HARPER.I am sure they died in Watten, and it would be after 1784 and probably before 1800. Many Thanks, Allan in New Zealand.

Many thanks for the responses, mostly off list, from several of you. Based on what I've learned, it would seem that the chances are quite good that my ancestor, Aage (a given name there), from Rissa, Norway was with Sinclair rather than Ramsay on the doomed expedition through Norway and therefore came from Caithness where he likely had the surname Oag or Og. If anyone has any such names in their database for 1590 +/- 6-7 years, I would be grateful to hear from you. To read the rest of the story of the 1612 battle of Kringen, check out: http://www.clansinclairusa.org/ev_cru_kringen.htm http://www.sinclairsclub.net/ http://members.lycos.co.uk/Pillarguri_Days/1612_Battle.htm Now, if someone could just explain to me why my taste in Scotch runs to Islay rather than Highland malts... Dennis http://www.stadsbygd.org

What astounding information!! My family's name, OAG, has always been said in family lore to have had Norse origins. Not to mention blond(e) hair just this side of platinum. i'd love to hear input from othe listers on this topic. Caithness was land-locked from the rest of the isle for so long, comings and goings by sea were virtually exclusive. Laurie in Ontario, Canada. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dennis L. Haarsager" <dennis@h2a.net> To: <SCT-CAITHNESS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, February 16, 2002 1:58 AM Subject: Ogee/Aage > I recently learned that one of my 8th great grandfathers in Norway was a > Scot who, according to local legend, escaped from the Battle of Kringen, > August 26, 1612, in Gubrandsdalen (the valley of Gubrand), Norway. I've > been able to find quite a lot of interesting information about the > battle. Of around 500 Scottish mercenaries traveling across Norway on > their way to be outfitted in Sweden, most were killed, eight were taken > captive, and an unknown number escaped. The Scots were under the command > of Colonels Ramsay and Sinclair. The former's troops were primarily > prisoners from southern Scotland, while the latter's were men from > Caithness (mostly Wick). > > Two of the escapees, one named Walter and the other named Aage (pronounced > OH-geh), surnames unknown, made their way to the Trøndelag district near > Trondheim where they settled on the north side of the fjord in what is > today Rissa (also spelled Rissen and Ritsen), then part of the Stadsbygd > parish. I'm descended from Aage, born ca. 1580. The names Walter and Aage > (sometimes combined as Walter Aage) have been passed on to many generations > of males from this community. > > The local legend has it that the name Aage is a Norwegian approximation of > the original Scottish name which has been written as Ogee. There has been > speculation that the name might be a nickname based on a Scottish word > indicating the size of the individual. > > I'm sure there is no surviving roster of the men who served on this mission > 400 years back (wouldn't that be great!), but I would be interested in > comments on origins of the Ogee/Aage (spelled Åge today) name in > Scotland. If it can be identified, is it more common in Caithness than in > southern Scotland or vice versa? Is it possible that since the Caithness > area had substantial Norse contact and early settlement that the name was > one carried over from Old Norse? > > Many thanks! > > Dennis > http://www.stadsbygd.org > >