Orkney Image Library

What a wonderful old picture. My ancestors were Burray Lairds. Anyone know his parents or descendants?
Is the building behind him now the Sands Hotel?

Hello my late grandmother was Diana Laird and I think this is her brother. Also my father was born in Burray and he left when he was 16 his name was Marcus and his brother was Marshall Kidd and he's burried at his home cemetery in Burray my father is still alive in New Zealand.
I would be very happy to hear more about the Laird family.

Simon, I did email you. Your grandmother's brother was born in 1909 so was to young to be the man in the picture. It may be Andrew Laird married to Robina Johnston . He died in 1935 aged 74. He was a descendant of the Tillydelph Lairds, just like you and I. Anyone know who he is?

Thanks to Orkney image library I am now in touch with a long looked for cousin in Australia! This is not his grandmother's brother. I believe this is Andrew who married Robina Johnston and died in 1936. In the Burray 1901 census he is at the Point as boatman. Both Andrews are descended from Wm. Laird m. Betsy McKay from Tillydelph, Burray. I was born in Burray, live in USA in touch with an Australian cousin, thanks to the Internet and Orkney Image Library. Anne.

Andrew Laird is the Gt. Grandson of James Laird, b.1763 and Margaret Wards, b.1768, who were from Stroma. A James Laird is named 3 times on the 1811 map of the Island of Stroma showing the layout of the run-rig system of crofting at that time. My ancestors, Smith, Banks, Robertson, are also mentioned.

James Laird, d.1834 Burray, Margaret Laird, d.1857 Burray. Their son William, died at Tilidelph 1876. He would have been Andrew's Grandfather. James, Andrew's father,d.1910 in Burray.

Thanks Nicol for confirming the tree.
Simon this how you are related to this Andrew. His grandparents are your gt. gt. gt. Grandparents.

William Laird married Betsy mcKay ........Tillydelph farm.
Their son James married Jane Petrie.
Their son, the Andrew from the picture, m. Robina Johnston.

This is your tree. William Laird and Betsy McKay had another son William married to Jane Norn, from Ophir. Farmed Tillydelph.
Their son James married Diana Allan Laird. Farmed Gallowhill.
Their daughter Diana married James Dewer Kidd.
They had a son Marcus married unknown.
They had Simon.

The Andrew in the picture is your 1st cousin 3x removed.
He is your dad's 1st cousin 2x removed.
He is your grandmother's 1st cousin 1x removed.

Andrew and Robina had a son John Robert Laird. He married Jane Kennedy, Ina Kennedy's sister. I have a great picture of them holding hands. If you like I can send it to you. He would be your 1st cousin 2x removed.

If anyone has old pictures of Tillydelph before it was a ruin, or Gallowhill I would love a copy.
Thanks.

I would like to trace the daughter of the above mentioned Marshall Laird Kidd who died in 1977 and is buried in St. Lawrence cemetery, Burray. Her name might be Christina or Christine. She may have her mother's surname, don't know it. She was born in Scotland, not Orkney.
She visited Burray in the late 1900s approximately. She visited her grandmother's friend Irene Sutherland then and my mother at Gallowhill, Burray, where her uncle Marcus and her grandmother was born.
Her grandmother had a brother James. I am his daughter.
Marcus family in Australia would like to be in touch with her also. Any information on her would be appreciated.

My great grandmother was Margaret Allan Laird (b. 1863) who I think left Burray, Orkney and married a James May but I don't know if he was from Orkney originally also. One of their daughters was my grandmother Margaret Allan May. Reading the post above I believe my great grandmother was a sister of Diana Allan Laird?

Yes Sheena, your Gt. Grandmother Margaret Allan Laird and my grandmother Diana Allan Laird were sisters.

My Great Grandparents were George Laird & Margaret Petrie, which makes Andrew my Great,Great Uncle.

Are you James born 1965 married to Helen?

Yes I am. We went to Orkney at the beginning of June and visited the site of the photo. The houses in the background are not the sands bar but two houses to the right.

Hello, I am becoming increasingly interested in my paternal Grandmother's family; Jane Laird married William Shearer, my Father (William Shearer, age 83) is one of their sons and I am one of his daughters.

Jane Laird had a brother James (Jamsie). James was my father.

Yes that is right and Andrew and Dina; were there others? It is nice to make your acquaintance and, if I may, where do you live?

Hi, Hoping someone might know if there are local descendants of Mary Ann Laird, born in Brackdale 1871 to John Laird and Margaret Marwick. She was the mother-in-law of my great grandfather, and arrived in Maryborough, Queensland, Australia aboard the ship Scottish Lass on November 10, 1889.