Orkney Image Library

Was his mother Anne Cantley and did they later live in St Ola, then Manclett near Brims? I'm not related but have done some work on North Walls and Brims folk in the 1861 and 1871 censuses. If this is the same Charles Smith, I 'lost' two of this brothers and a sister by 1871 and am interested in any clues on where they went to.

Jane I may be clutching at straws but was the late Crissie Corse nee Smith anything to do with the people you are reserching??.I believe she had conections here in "Waas" probibly Snelsetter.

I intended to respond to your question Jane, but must have failed to hit the Submit button. Yes I believe his mother's maiden name was Cantley. I know nothing of their moves, nor of Grandad's siblings unfortunately. I'll make sure of hitting the button this time, and if nothing appears we'll blame Steven.

[Get to the back of the queue- Steven]

No idea I'm afraid. I'm stuck in a bit of time warp, having just looked at these folk in the 1861 and 1871 censuses. I know very little about them before or after that time unfortunately.

I believe my greatx3 grandfather Abraham Corrigall of Walls drowned off'the fishing rocks' just below Snelsetter in 1836. Is anyone connected?

A story our mother used to tell was of two old men at the fishing rocks below Snelsetter at a place locally called "Langaberry". One fell in the other could only give him a hold of his fishing rod but was not able to pull him out and after some time the man who was in the water just shook his head and let go and was gone.
Now she said one of the men was old Davy Heddle's father, I dont know which one drowned. I remember Davy Heddle, he would have died in the late 50's a old man maybe in his eighties. He was quite disabled from birth. So it is possible that your GGGG Grandfather was the same man in Mothers story although I must say I thought that it was the Heddle man who drowned. Does anyone know anything about this piece of local history?.

John Heddle was a witness at the marriage of Abraham Corrigall in 1825 to Jane Gray. Abe was a 'pilot and farmer of Longhope'aged 37 at drowning, and as I learn more about Longhope from comments attached to Orkney Images I realise 'the fishing rocks' could have been anywhere, although my gut feeling favours "Langaberry". Anyway thanks for that story , John. Abe's older brother Donald's family farmed at Stonequay and his younger brother John's at Hall of Seattar for a couple of generations. His widow and three daughters emigrated to New Zealand.

Sally, the farm of Hall of Seatter was a very well run holding in its time,I have seen a photograph in an Orkney book and the holding is held as being very well cared for,there is a photograph of a wind driven thrashing mill on the farm.
I'm sorry to say that when I first knew the place it was very run down, later both Hall of Seatter and Upper Seatter became part of Stonyquoy and was then very well farmed by the Budge family (no relation!!) untill about four years ago when it was sold on to another party .

Jock O' the Ha', was the gravedigger at St Johns Kirkyard,usually dug the graves during the night, he gave Jimmy Simpson fae Upper Seatter a hell o a fright wan night, he had heard Jimmys bike squeeking as he cycled by , and stood up in the grave and shouted , "is that u Jimmy".....

If you go to Scotlands Places website and search on Hall of Seatter, you will find the picture that I think John is referring to. It is from the Erskine Beveridge Collection. Here is the exact link

John, Jimmy and Jane, thanks a million for your comments. I nearly fell off my stool laughing at the gravedigger story,This is the gold of history.

Sally I am glad you enjoy our old tales, what else can an old man do but reflect on the past!!.I did not live on the side of the island where Jock -O-The-Ha resided but he was legendary in his time, I am sure Jimmy has more such tales from the "Ha". I believe he was a very strong man and could do a heavy days work but needed a lot of fuel tae fill his belly afterwards. His dog wisna over fed so when a neebours daughter wiz gettan married the food for the wedding was dropped off at the road end, Jock's dog broke into the boxes and ate the whole bl**dy lot. Enough for a lot of guests as you can imagine, The dog would have sleps for a week!!. Jimmy will know much more than me of (Jock -o-the-Ha) stories than I can relate.

To add another grave digging story about Jock o' the Ha'. A young Stronsay chap who worked at Lyness Base was visiting a young lass on by St John's - on his way back to the Base late at night he saw a light rise oot o' a grave - he was back in Lyness at top speed and it wisn't a motor bike he wis on! As told to me by the man himself who married his lass.

There must be lots of stories about grave diggers.
I heard one about a grave digger in Kirkwall. He and another man were digging a grave. They had just about got to the first coffin in the grave when the one of them went for a errand (skive). the other finished the dig, cleaned off the top of the existing coffin, lifted the lid, swept the bones to one side and jumped in. When his mate came back he lifted the lid slowly. You can imagine the rest. If it's a lee it wis leed to me.

These stories are really great, and thanks to the contributors. I posted a photo recently of James Mowat (born 1892 Bu, Hoy). James was my grandfather.

Relevance to the lovely tales here is that Mary Ann (sister of James) married the grandson (another John) of John Corrigall of Hall of Seatter.
I have contacted Sally and although far removed in terms of family our data ties up and we have the amateur genealogist's fun in finding a connection to a living person.
Wonderful to see the Hall of Seatter photo.

From the "John O'Groat Journal" Friday 6th January 1837: "ACCIDENT - We lament to state, that on Saturday the 17th ult., a poor fisherman of the name of Abraham Corrigill of Longhope, while fishing at a place named Ruthgoe, incautiously exposed himself to the fury of the waves, and was swept over the rock and drowned. The body has been found. He has left a widow and five children to mourn his untimely loss."

You beaut,Paul. Thank you so much for finding and posting the journal report of g-g-grandfather Abe's drowning. Now, were there fishing rocks below Snelsetter Cottage other than Langaberry called Ruthgoe, or was that somewhere else?
Happy New year to all you Orcadians.

Harking back after several years to the gravedigger thread, I remember from my youth a tale (told by a minister at a Sunday-school social in Stromness) about an argumentative old Orcadian whose favourite expression when trying to browbeat an opponent was, "That's nae the point! That's nae the point!"
One night he was heading home from the inn by way of a shortcut through the kirkyard when the overtime-working gravedigger heard him coming and hid behind a convenient headstone. Fortunately (for the story-line if not for our hero) the man stumbled into the new grave, whereupon the gravedigger sprang forth and in suitably sepulchral tones demanded to know, "What are you doing in MY GRAVE . . ?"
"That's nae the point, that's nae the point!" countered our hero, "Whit are thoo deuan OOT o id?"