Orkney Image Library

Is that the Tom from Papay, who had the farm of Kirbuster in Longhope?

Ah haa Jim thou are jist gean to far wae a comment lik that aboot hiz here in Waas and Flotta, O there might be whan or two that has strayed fae the paths o good living tae hivan a good time bit wae will taak a chance on hid!.

Thats no very nice

Thought i wid just have a peedie fun wi that wan. Not the same Tom who farmed in Longhope. Think this one stayed mostly in Flotta. It was said that he had prayer meetings in his house most nights. Any soldiers from the north isles were expected to attend. One or two were his own relations , they felt they had to attend but did not enjoy doing so

Wae kane fine whit it's aboot. Is sooth siders wiz kent as the "Longhope Lovers" haha. Better name than some o' them North Isles wanes anyway! Never mind grandad Grieve a god-fearing Rousay Mare used to say - he wisna the judge.:-) But on a more serious note if it's Tom Groat I seem to remember being told that she lost an arm and when their son Tommy was young he had to cast on and do the shaping of her knittig for she worked with a knitting belt but couldn't do that bits.

I mind whur mither speaking o Tom Groat and his works in Flotta affore they left tae come tae the promised land here in "Waas".
Oh and I wisna serious Jim! Wid Tom been o the Bretheren for I mind mither sayan they started oot wae that kind o teaching when they were bairns in Flotta?.

Tom Groat was born in Westray and married Lizzie Flett of Blackawall, Flotta. As far as I know, they had no family. He wrote a book, Thirty Years a Colporteur, in which he described his travels around Orkney, selling Bibles and other religious literature. A couple of years ago a package was sent to The Postmaster, Flotta, that contained a copy of The Orcadian from January 1977 (covering the inauguration of the oil terminal) and a small autograph album that must have come from Blackawall. This book contained Bible verses and notes of thanks to Mr & Mrs Groat, for kindness shown to them, from an assortment of sailors, showing their names, the dates (1940s) and the ships they served on. There was nothing to indicate where this package came from, other than an English postmark, but we suspect one of the many construction workers on the island in 1977 had helped himself to this book from the unoccupied house of Blackawall, and finally decided to return it to Flotta after 30+ years.

We have a friend here who is a relative of the Groats and very interested in family trees. She says the Groats had no family. My parents and grandparents all spoke of visits from him. I always thought he travelled all around Orkney so was a bit surprised when the folk o the sooth isles appeared to know little about him. Made me think that maybe all the sinners were in the North isles after all

I must be talking about a different Tom Groat
He was from Kirkbuster and I seem to remember my folk saying he was from Papa Westray.