Azurewood,Is Robert Scarth, the 19th C Kirkwall solicitor, who was factor of the Traill Estates on Rousay, when the infamous Rousay Clearances took place, related to this family?
Quote from: spittalhill on Saturday 25 July 09 18:24 BST (UK) Azurewood,Is Robert Scarth, the 19th C Kirkwall solicitor, who was factor of the Traill Estates on Rousay, when the infamous Rousay Clearances took place, related to this family?Spittalhall, the Robert Scarth you're speaking of is my Great Great Grandfather. Robert wasn't a solicitor; he was an agent of the Union Bank, a factor and a landowner. Robert was the factor for the Laing family and also the Traills of Woodwick between 1852 and 1873. I understood that the main clearances on Rousay were in the 1820s (before Robert was factor) and again later under General Burroughs after Robert had retired. I have not managed to link William Baikie Scarth's ancestor into the Binscarth Scarths but given that Orkney is relatively small it is probable that he does link in somewhere.
