Spurr Cottage, Holm, Orkney
John Reid was my great-great-great grandfather on my mother’s side. He was born in Holm (pronounced ‘Ham’), Orkney in December 1821 and died in Dalziel, Lanarkshire in October 1893.
Last July I spent several days exploring Orkney after my 72-day Land’s End to John O’Groats walk. It’s a magical place that I highly recommend you visit. I invested a handful of hours at the Orkney Family History Society office above the public library in Kirkwall. They were all extremely helpful but special thanks goes out to George Gray who helped me uncover a lot of new information, and to Dave Higgins for driving me to the Bay of Cornquoy so that I could visit Spurr Cottage.
1879 OS Map showing Bay of Cornquoy
From old Ordnance Survey maps we found in the archives we determined that in 1841 there were three buildings on the property referred to as Spurr. One was home to the Petrie family and another to my greatx3-grandfather John Reid and his mother Elizabeth Spence. Just down the road from Spurr was the Manse of Holm occupied by Minister Andrew Smith, his family and 6 servants, including Jane Wood. On Feb 12, 1842 John married Jane in Kirkwall. By 1851 the family had 5 children, including my great-great grandmother Annie Rich Reid, and had moved to Victoria Street in Kirkwall.
Spurr Cottage with Manse in background
John Reid was a blacksmith and although he was missing from the 1851 census he did appear in the 1861 census, still living on Victoria Street, although at #43 rather than #130. By 1871 he and Jane had moved to Edinburgh to be nearer to two of their daughters, Annie Rich Reid (now Cunningham) and Sarah Lahore Reid (now Maitland), and their eldest son John Wood Reid. John, Jane, Sarah and her daughter Jane Wood Maitland, and son John’s family of four were all living together at 4 Violet Bank in South Leith.
5 Brand Place, South Leith, Edinburgh
By 1881 John, Jane, Sarah and daughters Jane Wood and Thommia, had moved to 5 Brand Place in South Leith. This building still stands and #5 can be seen on the 1st floor (or the 2nd floor for North Americans) with the blue door. Jane died here on Feb. 1, 1883, aged 72, of “Senile Decay”.
In 1891 John Reid was living with his son John’s family (wife Elizabeth and 7 children) at 37 Quarry St. in Dalziel, Motherwell, Lanarkshire. Son John was a locomotive engine driver like his uncle Walter Cunningham. John Reid, now aged 69, was listed as a General Labourer. John died on October 20, 1893 at his son’s residence on Quarry St.
There are a couple of unanswered questions surrounding John Reid, including his whereabouts during the 1851 census. However the more compelling question is who was John Reid’s father? According to his death register it is John Reid, a seaman:
John Reid's 1893 Death Register
However his baptismal record show’s his father was Peter Reid:
John Reid's 1821 Baptismal Record
The key to the discrepancy likely lies with the phrase “Natural son of …” as it implies he was illegitimate. Did his mother Elizabeth hide his illegitimacy from him and substitute “John” for Peter (as first-born males were normally given their father’s christian name)? Or did John know the truth but invent the story himself for the sake of his own children? Whatever the case may be I assume Peter Reid was John’s father.
There are several Peter Reid’s from Orkney including one born Nov 3, 1802 in Holm & Papay to Jas. Reid and Marjory Green, but this is unlikely to be our Peter due to the age discrepancy (Elizabeth Spence was born in 1783). Unfortunately I have no other information that I can use to tie a Peter Reid to Elizabeth or son John.
If you have any information on John Reid or his father Peter I would love to hear from you!
| Mother: Elizabeth Spence (1783-1869) Father: Peter Reid or John Reid? |
| Siblings: none |
| Spouse: Jane/Jean Wood (1812-1883) |
| Children: John Wood (1844-), Annie Rich (1845-1905), Jean (1846-), James (1847-1906), Sarah Lahore (1849-1927) |
