Orkney Image Library

Hi, Peter. I remember a story about Johnnie which was told around the Harbour front that the Coventry Family thought Johnnie looked like a Viking and gifted him the Island of Sweynholm. Hence Johnnie became known as the "Laird of Sweynholm". When word got about the Water Front, especially Jeck Millers shop at the Kiln Corner which was a gathering place for smokers in for Fags. There was quite a few well known regulars in Office and my late father was among them. Johnnie came in and they looked at him expectantly, after a little lull, he said !Yur jist jealous and then a big grin on his face showing of his gold capped teeth which he was famous for. Comment Peter please.

A perfectly true story Phil.
He was indeed gifted Sweynholm when the Coventry family left Orkney, for services rendered while the family lived there.
I quite believe the story of the encounter at Jeck Miller's. It's just the sort of statement he would have made.
He eventually sold the island of course.

I remember my grandmother telling me this story when I was a child. She gave him the island because he used to ferry her, my aunt Maria and their guests to and from Gairsay, also they could go shopping, he also collected and delivered her mail.