Orkney Image Library

Is this Tommy Paterson who married Marion Drever Paterson? If so he is my great grandmother's [Margaret]brother.

Hello Marion, I was asking my mother Mildred about this and although she is getting a bit mixed up she did remember her grandparents names were Thomas and Marion so I think you will be correct on that point. She also said they built a small hut on the end of Pow for a lady(she couldn't remember the name) from Eday who she thought was Grandads sister. apparently she had cancer on her face.

That's right. The wooden additional room was built on the end of Pow for Mimie [Jemima] who was a sister of Margaret and Tommy Paterson. When Margaret Paterson and her sister-in-law and Mimie became unable to look after themselves Mimie went back to Pow and the other two were taken to Kirkwall to live with my Dad and his family. Mimie had cancer of her face and when my Dad, Ernie Wishart, was sent to run the croft at Maltbarn, Eday he had to put acid on her face every few days to burn off the cancer. If you want to read about the family get in touch with me direct.

Hi, I am starting to trace my Orcadian ancestry. My Grandmother was Katherine (kitty) Sinclair nee Rendall. I would be extremely grateful of any information or photos.

Marion, I would appreciate any info I can get. Perhaps you can pass your phone number to Annie and I will give you a call

Hello, I am wondering if the Betsy Paterson in the photo is the same lady who used to visit my folks. I only knew her as Betsy"o"Pow. She was related to my fathers mother who was a Harcus of Quoylet in Westray. As far as i know she never married. I think it was in the 1960s she used to come to Kirkwall, possibly County show day to see us. Her last name was certainly Paterson.

Yes Laurence I think she will be the one and the same lady. In the sixties I occasionall chatted to a Norquay gentleman, sorry I cannot remember his name, while we had a pint in the Queens hotel. He was the spitting image of my Grandfather Tom Paterson of Airy, who was a brother of Auntie Betsy.

Hello Ernie.Chances are the Norquay man you spoke to was my father .He was called "Jimmy". He always went out on a saturday night to just 3 pubs,the Royal Hotel first then the Queens and the St Ola Hotel. He always enjoyed a good blether other folk. His grandmother was a Paterson who was married to George Harcus of Quoylet who was skipper of sailing schooner 'Galatea' from Westray.

Betsy was my grandmother Janet Drever Paterson's aunty I believe.