Our known Orkney ancestors lived in three areas in the north of the island of South Ronaldsay, the third largest of the Orkney Islands.
In the 1821 census, the island was divided up into districts, and within the districts one or more houses were given a sub-name. For example, the area known as Garth contains 17 households sharing eight sub-names. Brandyquoy was just one household.
In the 1821 census John and Isabella Flaws and their family are living in the household called Brandyquoy in the district of Garth, a little way east of St Margaret's Hope, the main town on the island. Lisa Goddard on her southronaldsay.net website warns, though, that the household names were not necessarily permanent and could alter from decade to decade. The modern Ordnance Survey map on the Maps & Views page does not show Brandyquoy in the same place as on four maps from 1881 to 1903 on old-maps.co.uk, which place Brandyquoy next to the Old School House. There are other places such as Binniewindows and Quoys which seem to be in the same place. Having Brandyquoy next to the Old School House would make sense for two reasons. Firstly, there seems to have been a close relationship between the Flaws and the Enumerator and School Master as all of his names were given to their second son. Secondly, assuming that places were the same in 1821, it would fit well with the route that the Enumerator took, in compiling the census.
Peter Nicholson McLaren Flaws, my great great grandfather, was born in Brandyquoy on 29 Apr 1821, and the 1821 census shows him living in Brandyquoy with his parents, John and Isabella Flaws.
Also in the household are Peter's brother, John, his half-brother, Michael Brown and a Bell Laughton, whom I cannot place. Michael Brown, who despite the first name was female, was the daughter of Isabella by a previous relationship with a farmer, Edward Brown.
In the 1841 census, Isabella is shown as living in Garth, but there is no further breakdown of place. She is living with her son, John, and her occupation is shown as 'Ind', which I think means 'of independent means'. Peter's death record shows John's occupation to have been a crofter and before that a seaman. Peter's marriage record also shows John to have been a seaman. In 1841 John would have been about seventy years of age,so it may be that he died before 1841 and had left enough money for Isabella to live on.
Smiddybanks, in the district of Farewell, is about a mile north of St Margaret's Hope, along what is now Pier Road.
In the 1841 census, Peter is shown as living in Smiddybanks working as a Male Servant.
Merrybraes, in the district of Grimness, is east of St Margaret's Hope along what is now the A961 in the northeast corner of the island. It consisted of two households. It is not clear exactly where Merrybraes lay, but on the Bing map on the Maps and View page follow the A961 to the northeast and you will see Starilie and Cava. Working from the order of the households in the 1821 census, I would say that Merrybraes was somewhere between the two.
In the 1821 census, Isabella's mother, Elizabeth Lesk is shown as living in Merrybraes, with her daughter, Euphemia, and her son, Peter. There is no definite information on Elizabeth's husband, William, available at the moment.
