Hi, AncestryNeeded,
I don't know how successful you will be in tracking down such documentary evidence as you have requested. You have to realize that Shetland and its' islands did not become part of Scotland until the 15th century having been colonised during the late 8th and 9th centuries by the Norse. From c. 1100 onwards the Norse jarls owed allegiance both to Norway and to the Scottish crown through their holdings as Earls of Caithness. In 1194 King Sverre of Norway placed Shetland under direct Norwegian rule, a state of affairs that continued for nearly two centuries. Orkney and Shetland were still a Norwegian province during the 14th century up until approximately the mid-15th century, 1469 to be precise when the islands became part of a dowry pledge. As the pledged money was never paid the islands fell into a perpetual connection with the Kingdom of Scotland. During the years 1470 through 1472 the islands gradually came under further control of the Kingdom of Scotland being directly annexed to Scotland in 1471, followed by confirmation by Parliament in 1472.
That having been said there are two collections of early documentation that have been compiled but are available only in book format, so far as I know:
1. Shetland documents, 1195-1579
Statement of Responsibility:
edited by John H. Ballantyne and Brian Smith
Authors:
Ballantyne, John H. (Added Author)
Smith, Brian (Added Author)
Format:
Books/Monographs
Language:
English
English, Middle (ca. 1100-1400)
Norwegian
Publication:
Lerwick, Shetland : Shetland Islands Council & the Shetland Times, c1999
Physical:
xxii, 359 p.
ISBN:
1898852480
Subject Class:
941.11 H29
References:
(Continued By) Shetland documents, 1580-1611 / Ballantyne, John H.
2. Shetland documents, 1580-1611
Statement of Responsibility:
edited by John H. Ballantyne and Brian Smith
Authors:
Ballantyne, John H. (Added Author)
Smith, Brian (Added Author)
Format:
Books/Monographs
Language:
English
Publication:
Lerwick, Shetland : Shetland Islands Council & the Shetland Times, c1994
Physical:
xxii, 329 p.
ISBN:
0900662964
Subject Class:
941.11 H29
References:
(Continues) Shetland documents, 1195-1579 / Ballantyne, John H.
If you Google search each book by its ISBN number you will find a few booksellers, including Amazon offering up the first book for around CDN$69.00 while the second book is a phenomenal CDN$136.00 to CDN$290.00. You might be able to find one or both on eBay at a considerably lower price. Or you might want to try your luck on
https://www.worldcat.org/advancedsearchSearch on the Advanced search options and input 'Shetland documents' into the 'title' section. Then click on the book title links to see what institutions have a copy.
Interestingly, the World Cat turned up another compilation of early Shetland documents:
3. Diplomatarium Hialtlandense : documents relating to the Shetland Islands from the xiiith century.
Publisher: Lerwick : C. & A. Sandison, 1886-1888.
Edition/Format: Print book : English
Database: WorldCat
This book, having been printed before the invention of ISB numbers is lacking one making a search for the title the only route available. This one is only located in the National Library of Scotland and the University of St. Andrews Library.
Another one that may be useful:
4. Lords and men in Scotland : bonds of manrent, 1442-1603
Statement of Responsibility:
Jenny Wormald
Authors:
Wormald, Jenny (Main Author)
Format:
Books/Monographs
Language:
English
Publication:
Edinburgh : John Donald, c1985
Physical:
ix, 475 p.
ISBN:
0859761274
Subject Class:
941 R2
Also possibly useful would be:
5. Rotuli scaccarii regum Scotorum = The Exchequer rolls of Scotland (28 vols. covering A.D. 1264-1556)
Title Also Known As:
Exchequer rolls of Scotland
Statement of Responsibility:
edited by John Stuart and George Burnett
Authors:
Scotland. Exchequer (Main Author)
Format:
Books/Monographs/Book on Film
Language:
English
Latin
Publication:
Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1984 Add to Print List
Notes
Microreproduction of originals published: Edinburgh : H. M. General Register House, 1878-1898. 28 v.
You may find some useful footnotes in the above publications that will lead you back to the original source and archive. Otherwise, you may have to brush up on your Norwegian and pay a visit to the Norwegian State Archives.
Good luck with this. I would be most interested in how you progress as I have deep lineage in Shetland through my father's paternal grandmother's mother, Margaret Gray.
