SIB FOLK NEWSISSUE No 44 DECEMBER 2007 NEWSLETTER of the ORKNEY FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY 2 NEWSLETTER of the ORKNEY FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY Issue No 44 December 07
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SIB FOLK NEWSISSUE No 44 DECEMBER 2007 NEWSLETTER OF THE ORKNEY FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY 2 NEWSLETTER OF THE ORKNEY FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY Issue No 44 December 07 ORKNEY FAMILY HISTORY NEWSLETTER From the chair Issue No 44 December 2007 Our winter programme got off to a great start when a gathering of 40 - 50 people met at Orkney College CONTENTS in October. Harold Esson, an ardent collector of FRONT COVER memorabilia and artifacts pertaining to the West Winter over Scapa Bay mainland, captured the audience with his fascinating stories about people and properties, gleaned from PAGE 2 local people and his own experiences of the trades From the Chair folk and worthies of Beaquoyside in Birsay. In his own PAGES 3,4,5 particular style and with a fair bit of humour, he had In Search of a Name everyone enthralled. He concluded his presentation By Tom Corston by showing a selection of unique slides taken on the PAGE 6 island of Fair Isle. John O'Groats I had the opportunity, along with our President Bad weather caused the postponement of the Nan Scott, to attend the Scottish Association Society's Annual Dinner by a week with the PAGE 7 of Family History Societies Council Meeting event being well supported. 'Tumbledown' By Alan Clouston on 20th October in Edinburgh. We were Our first event in 2008 is a Members Night in fortunate to hear from George Mackenzie, February. This will enable members to tease PAGES 8 & 9 the Keeper of Records in Scotland; Paul out their own research queries; to hear of Early Connections Parr, the Depute Registrar General and Dee other members' stories and to make full use to South Ronaldsay Williams of the New Family History Centre of the Society and Orkney Archive resources. on its progress towards a spring 2008 opening. Our full 2008 programme can be seen on page PAGES 10 & 11 Specific highlights were an insight into the 9 of the newsletter. How the HBC Got Ahead work being done on the digitisation of the vast Among OFHS members across the world, as archive of paper records. They have already we say goodbye to 2007, there will undoubtedly PAGES 12 & 13 passed their 9 millionth page and hope to be happy memories but also sad times. 2007 An Orkney Son from have digitised 10 million by the year-end. We has been a busy and productive year for the Rousay can look forwardover the next couple of years Society and I hope you appreciate the benefits PAGE 14 to have on-line access to vital information on of your membership. The Horseman's Church records, Sasines, Catholic records, I thank you for your continued support and Word Soldiers wills, Court records, OPR deaths on behalf of the Society, wish you a Merry and Valuation rolls. The latter is likely to be Christmas and a happy and healthy New PAGES progressed initially with a midpoint inter- Year 15,16,17,18 census year. Further refinements and easier The Shadow on the Alan Clouston Blanket search methods are planned. PAGE 18 A Blot in the Burn PAGES 19 & 20 William Smellie PAGE 20 Robert Whitton's update PAGES 21 & 22 Our Stromness Hero PAGE 22 Picture Puzzle PAGE 23 A Thank you, A totem pole and a dinner When Alan and Nan were at the SAFHS meeting held in the Mull room, Gillis Centre, Strathern Road, Edinburgh they were pleased to meet the Shetland representative, Mary Barron. She is a Shetlander living in Edinburgh and is a genealogist of some repute. PAGE 24 While in Edinburgh Alan left the OFHS report for the next SAFHS bulletin with the newly appointed editor, Janet Bishop, and Membership members might like to look out for that. Issue No. 44 December 2007 NEWSLETTER OF THE ORKNEY FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY 3 In Search of a Name Tom Corston tells of his pilgrimage in May to Orkney, the ancestral home of the Corston Family Since I was very young I have thought of the Corston as “workers” for the company. Orkney has always been a name as being somewhat unique. land of subsistence farming. Life was hard for the “croft- In the 1960’s my mother, Frances Corston, began a re- ers”, with few breaks from the long days of eeking out a search into the Corston history. From that I came to real- living. Hence, Orkneymen were hardened, not afraid of ize that there was a history attached to the name that hard work and well used to lives of lone- is a part of Canada’s rich tapestry itself. My personal liness and deprivation…just the kind of love of all things historical instilled within me a desire worker the “honourable company” needed to know more of its origins. Due mostly to her research, to staff her isolated outposts in the James taken on in later years by cousin, Randy Corston, there and Hudson Bay region. For many, the last grew within me a desire to go to the source of the family sight of their homeland from the deck of name…Orkney. the HBC ship as it slipped out to sea was In 2003 that opportunity presented itself. Unfortu- the village of Stromness, the cliffs of the nately, it amounted to only a half-day tour, but enough “Old Man of Hoy” and ever diminishing to instill within me the desire…indeed, the very need, to from their sight the rolling hills of their return. I was “smitten” with this ancient island, sitting beloved Orkney. out in the north Atlantic off Scotland. The first “Corston” recorded with the The Corston name originated on the Islands of Ork- HBC was a “Hugh” Corston who appar- ney. Originally the remote, wind-swept islands belonged ently starved to death near Little Whale to Norway and its ancient history is closely linked with River, (northern Quebec) in 1754. The Old Man of the nomadic Vikings. Historical evidence in Orkney today Our family actually begins with a Wil- Hoy, a spec- proves that Nordic Viking communities thrived centuries liam Corston of Rendall, Orkney, born in tacular sea stack before the birth of Jesus Christ. Ancient sites, such as the 1819. Evidence shows that he signed on some 300ft high. “Ring of Brogdar” and the “Standing Stones of Stenness”, with the Company on February 19, 1836 as as well as numerous other excavations, continue to inter- a labourer for a five year term at £16 per anuum. He dis- est archeologists, historians and tourists alike. embarked at Moose Fort on September 3, 1836 and was The earliest record of the name is of a “Magnus” Corston immediately posted to Rupert’s House, Quebec, arriving in 1492 who owned a farm and a flour mill in Harray par- on September 27th. His history as a faithful employee of ish on Orkney’s main island. The name was pronounced the HBC is well documented. He worked in many posi- “Korshtan”. (“Orkney Family Names”, by Gregor Lamb, tions in numerous posts along the east coast of James 2003). Not much else is known other than there is some Bay, inland as far as Mistassini and in Ontario to Ogoki small evidence that Magnus entered into a dispute with Post, far inland along the Albany River*. He and his wife a neighbour over land rights. Nothing seems to be known Margaret McKay raised seven children…four daughters as to the outcome of that dispute. According to Lamb, the and three sons. William retired in 1893 after 57 years of Corston name continued in the Stromness area until the faithful service and continued to live at Eastmain, Que- early 1900’s, but then seems to have disappeared from bec, on James’ Bay’s eastern coast... He died on April 7, local history 1898 in his 80th year. It is from this man that our branch Many Orcadians came to Canada with the Hudson’s of the family descends. (From “A Summary of the Corston Bay Company. The HBC ships always put in at the sea- Family in Canada”, by Randy Corston, Chapleau, On- side village of Stromness, to take on fresh water and sup- tario, 1994) plies before heading across the north Atlantic to Canada’s JOURNEY LONG AWAITED… outposts. It was here that many Orkneymen signed on Browsing the internet one day in 2006, I came across a notice inviting all Canadians of Orcadian ancestry to join an “Orkney Homecoming” tour in May, 2007. It sounded compelling. I mentionedA This is Stromness where the Orkney HBC agent was located. For many young Orcadians the view of the town nestling below Brinkies Brae was the last glimpse of their homes as the ship carried them away to their new life in Canada. 4 NEWSLETTER OF THE ORKNEY FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY Issue No. 44 December 2007 Fit to my mother and we decided to sign on. It turned out land” which included such to be the long-awaited journey of a life-time that brought sites as the “Churchill Bar- me back to the very heart of the rich history of Orkney riers”, which were erected and of my family name. by Italian POW’s in the last On May 15 of this year we joined with 52 other de- war following the destruc- scendents of Orkney in Glasgow, Scotland. The trip had tion of the great battleship been arranged by “The Great Canadian Travel Company” “HMS Royal Oak” which of Winnipeg, Manitoba…the home of many Canadians was lying at anchor at of Orcadian ancestry. In 2004 the governments of Mani- One of the Churchill Barriers today Scapa Flow.