Info.. Cleat?

[jakiau]

In researching my family history, I have come accross a reference to a "house called Cleat" which the family resided in.
My ancestress was Anne Sinclair who married William Downie and then immigrated to Australia, keen on info about the house - wether it was really the name of the house or not.

Thankyou for any info.
Jaki (from Australia)

[Little Nell]

Hi Jaki,

It would appear that it was the name of a house and it is still marked on the maps today.  It is near St. Mary's on Mainland, Orkney.  I have found it on some old maps as well, marked Clett.

Go to
http://www.old-maps.co.uk
use the gazetteer on the left hand side and navigate to Orkney, then St. Mary's.  Click the left hand arrow at the side of the map twice and you should see Clett inside the pink rectangle marked, near the top.  You can then use the buttons at the bottom to zoom in.  You can also print the page off if you wish.

Now I just hope that I have identified it correctly!  Find it on a modern map by using
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/
and searching for it as a GB place.

Good luck.

Nell

[jakiau]

Thankyou
Yes the main Island makes sense for where they would come from as they used to worship (it is said in the same place I got the info about Cleat) at St Magnus.
Jaki

[towerhill]

Annie Sinclair & William Downie were married on the island of Sanday in the Orkney Islands on 28th July 1848.
Sanday is one of the northern islands in the Orkney group.
Cleat is a farm on north shore of the island on Otters Wick Bay.
I was on the island of Sanday in August 2005 and saw the farm house.
It would have been one of the largest farm houses on Sanday in 1848.
Sadly today it is derelict.
Census Returns For Cleat on Sanday in 1851 were as follows:-
1. James Sinclair-Head-aged 63-Farmer of 84 acres-employing 8 laborers
                                                                                Born on Sanday.
2.Catherine Sinclair-Wife-aged 55-born on Westray Island in Orkney.
3.Peter Sinclair-Son-aged 21-unmarried-Born on Sanday.
4.Eliza Sinclair-Daughter-aged 18-unmarried-born on Sanday.
5.Catherine Sinclair-Daughter-aged16-unmarried-born on Sanday.
6.Annie Downie-Daughter-aged24-married-born on Sanday.
7.William Downie-Son in Law-aged 30-married-Joiner-Born on the island of
                                                                          Rousay in Orkney.
8.James Downie-Grandson-aged 1-born on Sanday.
9.William Drever-Farm servant-aged 18-unmarried-born on Sanday.
10.James Slater-Farm servant-aged27-unmarried-born on Sanday.
11.Thomas Wards-Farm servant-aged 14-born on Sanday.

I hope this is of some use.
towerhill.